Large font refuses to print. Why?

That firmware update solved the issue for me. I was able to print from MS WORD using 120 pt font. Calibri and Arial. According to the web interface for that printer, it is an HP LaserJet 400 M401dn.


I also tested a second HP printer (HP LaserJet 400 M401n) that has even less memory built in:
Firmware Datecode: 20140521
Total Memory: 128 MBytes
Available Memory: 62.44 MBytes

It failed to print the 120 pt font too.

Once the firmware was updated...
Firmware Datecode: 20150410
...it printed the 120 pt font just fine.

UsernameIssues said:

That firmware update solved the issue

Oh, you're the man! Thanks! It totally worked. It also started printing much much faster.

Lady Fitzgerald said:

I'm not so sure RAM is the issue. I made a Word doc with Wet Paint at 120pt and using Calibri, then saved it. The size of the file is only 13KB.

Did you save the file before trying to print it?

Lady Fitzgerald, please read the posts above. RAM has nothing to do with it.

Glad that it worked for you.

I agree. RAM is probably not a factor with Windows 7 like it was in the old days. I had just never noticed the memory numbers for those two printers before. Time will tell if this firmware update solved some other issues that we had

Those RAM numbers on the printer specs are just its internal RAM. For instance mine says 256 MBytes. That's what it uses to print & store its own printing related code. The way Windows works is by quickly caching first whatever is being printed, and then by feeding the printer one print section at a time (through its spooler service) thus creating an illusion for a user of being able to print massive documents. In reality the printer can get away with much smaller amounts of its internal RAM.

dc2000 said:

Those RAM numbers on the printer specs are just its internal RAM. For instance mine says 256 MBytes. That's what it uses to print & store its own printing related code. The way Windows works is by quickly caching first whatever is being printed, and then by feeding the printer one print section at a time (through its spooler service) thus creating an illusion for a user of being able to print massive documents. In reality the printer can get away with much smaller amounts of its internal RAM.

Yep - that is what I figured happen with the print spooler. I've watched the values in size column in the "See what's printing" (status?) window while documents are sent to the printer. You can see it go out in small chucks in that window.

I had just never noticed the different amounts of internal RAM on our slightly different printers.

Indianatone said:

Did it say what the firmware update fixed?

I didn't check the specifics. I'm sure that HP page that was linked to earlier has all the details.