Lots of problems can cause "setpagedevice" errors. Since setpagedevice is only used on recent RIPs, the PostScript interpreter will usually give a more detailed error message. This can point to the actual cause of the problem. In general, "setpagedevice" errors are caused by incorrect driver settings or insufficient memory available on the RIP.

Driver problems

If you use an incorrect PPD driver to access features like in-rip separation or in-rip trapping, this can cause "setpagedevice" errors. Make sure you use the latest PPD for your specific device.

Trying to output pages that are physically too large for a specific output device can also cause "setpagedevice" errors. Make sure that rounding errors don't spoil your fun if you try to output the largest possible page.

Another popular cause for such errors is the use of an inappropriate resolution, like asking for output at 1270 dpi while the output device only supports 1200 dpi.

I once encountered "setpagedevice" errors when printing jobs from ScenicSoft Preps to a particular RIP. It took me half a day to find out that the PostScript files that were imported in Preps had been created using the driver for that particular RIP. This had never caused any problem but in this particular case, you had to use a PPD from Preps itself.

Memory related problems

When a RIP runs out of memory while processing a job, this can also cause "setpagedevice" errors. Some of the things you can try:

• Try to output the job page by page or even colour by colour.
• Lower the resolution of the output device.
• Use a lower screenruling.
• Simplify the document.
• Reboot the RIP to solve any problems with memory leaks.
• Allocate more memory to the RIP or add RAM if possible.