Opening a map document sometimes returns:

"Printer <printer_name> not found. Using default"

The map document was saved with the 'Same as printer' page size setting. This saves the printer name and printer page size information in the map document. When this map document is opened on a machine that does not have a connection to that printer, ArcMap uses the default printer on that machine instead.

Additionally, when the 'Scale map elements to changes in page size' option is checked, ArcMap will scale the original map page size to fit the default printer page size.

If unable to get a copy of the map saved without the 'Same as printer' page size setting, fix the map document through one of the following procedures:

• 1. Select the printer on your machine that most closely matches the printer on the machine on which the map document was saved. For example, if the original printer was an HP DesignJet 1050C but you now have an HP DesignJet 5500PS, make the HP DesignJet 5500PS the default printer on your machine.
  2. 2. Set the default paper size for the default printer to the same page size setting as the map document. For example, if the page size of your map is 34" x 44", make the default paper size on the default printer 34" x 44". It may be listed as 'ANSI E' or simply as 'E'.
  3. 3. Select File > Page Setup to access the Page Setup dialog box. Either turn off the 'Same as Printer' page size option or reselect the new printer and appropriate page size and resave the document.
• 1. Delete all the printers installed on your machine.
  2. Open the map document(s) in ArcMap. With no printers installed, the maps will not be able to scale to any printer page size.
  3. Resave the map documents with Same as Printer checked off.
  4. Now you can read your printers back in and you newly resaved maps will no longer scale.

  This has been fixed in ArcGIS 9.0: when you open a map document that has been saved with the Same as Printer option (known as 'Use Printer Settings' in 9.0) and that printer can not be found, ArcMap will simply turn off the Same as Printer / Use Printer Setting option and continue opening the map normally.

When printing or exporting, ArcMap processes for a while and then displays an out of memory error, or fails to print on the printer. This can happen when ArcMap is trying to output too much data.
This can happen for several reasons, independently or combined:
- the output page size is very large
- you have large raster data sets in your map
- you are using transparent symbology*
- you are using picture fill symbology
- you are using a higher output image quality (OIQ) setting

*If you are using transparent symbology, the layer that uses transparency and all layers beneath that layer will be converted to raster on output and are effected by the OIQ setting.

• To workaround this problem reduce the total image size of the output file by slightly reducing the image size of the raster data. The easiest way to do this is to reduce the OIQ, which will resample the raster data. The Output Image Quality (OIQ) option allows you to control the amount of raster resampling that occurs when a map is printed or exported. This resampling affects any raster data, transparent map elements, and picture fill symbols.
• Turn off the transparent symbology, which will enable the map to print or export.
• Reduce the map page size, which will reduce the output image size when printed or exported.
• Increase the onboard memory of the printing device, which will enable your printer to process larger plot files.

ArcMap clips the map during printing. The map looks fine in the layout, but it is clipped when printed. This happens when the map does not fit on the printer page, or the map page does not correspond with the selected printer page.

ArcMap will, by default, create a map with a page size of 11" x 8.5", or A4 portrait. The map will print on your system's default printer and the default page size and orientation for that printer. Since the default page size and orientation on most printers is 8.5" x 11", or A4 portrait, your map will most likely be clipped. Click File > Print Preview to see how your map will appear on paper.

When you print a map that does not use the 'Same as Printer' page option (known as 'Use Printer Paper Settings' in ArcMap 9.x), ArcMap prints the entire map page displayed in layout, including any white space you have as a map surround.

ArcMap will draw in the corner of your entire map page within the required margins of the printer page, which may shift your map partially off the printer page, and thus clip it. This example shows how even if you select a matching printer page size and orientation, your map will still clip.

To workaround this issue:

• Specify an appropriate, larger printer page size and orientation.
• Use the 'Same as Printer' option (known as 'Use Printer Paper Settings' in 9.x). The page size and orientation can then be directly selected from the printer. Note the standard page size drop down list and orientation radio buttons are disabled.
• You should not use the 'Same as Printer' option under these circumstances:
  
  ¤ You intend to share your map document with users who don't have access to your printer.
  ¤ You don't have the printer on which you intend to print installed on your machine.
  ¤ Your map requires a specific industry page size.
  
  In any of these cases, you can set up the page so your custom page size will correspond or fit within a page size from your printer.

    The only margins that exist in ArcMap are those of the printer, which you can see on your map layout when you use the 'Same as Printer' option. You can use guides in layout view to help designate margins around your map.

• If your document is already saved, you can match the map and printer page sizes and orientation. Select the 'Same as Printer' option and make sure the scale map elements option is turned off. This will maintain your map scale and ratio, and will allow you to save paper.
  
    Be sure to use Print Preview as printers have different margins, and your map may extend into these margins.

Prior to Service Pack 1 for ArcGIS 8.1, the Portable Document Format (PDF) was the most easily portable export format available in ArcMap. The PDF format is supported by most common graphics applications, including Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand, and CorelDRAW.

With the release of Service Pack 1, the Adobe Illustrator Format (AI) is now the most easily portable export format available in ArcMap. The AI format is supported by many common graphics applications, including Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand, and CorelDRAW.

ArcMap does not include a preview or thumbnail with its EPS export files. Graphics applications use this preview to display the file. In its absence, you will only see the bounding box of the EPS file.

The file will print correctly even though you cannot see or edit it.

This problem affects Illustrator only if the Place command is used to import the file. Use the Open command to import the EPS as an editable graphics file. Freehand cannot import an ArcMap EPS as an editable file.

Maps printed or exported from ArcMap are blocky, bitmapped, jaggy, stair stepped, scattered, banded or look low quality. This can happen for several reasons, independently or combined:

• The maps were printed/exported either with a low output resolution or a low output image quality (OIQ) setting.

• The map uses a picture/bitmap fill, picture marker and/or transparent symbology.

When exported or printed, ArcMap will flatten and rasterize the layer that is symbolized with either a picture fill, picture marker or transparency and any layers beneath it in the Table of Contents (TOC).Other data frames in the map that do not contain picture fills, picture markers or transparency will not be effected.

• Increase your output resolution.
• Increase your OIQ setting.
• Reorder the map elements and layers to have layers containing picture fill, picture marker or transparent symbols at the lowest possible order in the table of contents.
• Replace the Picture Fill symbols with simpler, vector fills.
• Replace the Picture Marker symbols with font-based vector marker symbols.
• Remove transparency. For exported maps, transparency can be re-applied to the desired elements in an external editing application such as Adobe Illustrator 9.

Maps that contain dataframes or other graphic map elements, even with no background set, do not output as transparent over other dataframes or map graphics.

This happens if a dataframe or map element or graphic contains raster data, is a bitmap or is symbolized with transparency or bitmap markers, fill, lines, and so on, it will be rasterized on output. The ArcMap display, however, may be misleading and show these map elements as transparent in layout.

To workaround this, for maps that are intended for print or export, do not set the dataframe background to null. Move these graphic elements so that they are by themselves and not on top of any other graphic. They will output with a solid color background, so plan the layout accordingly.

Most Windows applications do not provide a choice of printer engines, using only a Windows printer engine. However, ArcMap provides you with a choice of three: Windows, PostScript, and one that requires a separate license, ArcPress. These engines will produce a slightly different output, depending on the printer and the Windows printer driver installed.

There are two basic types of Windows printer drivers: Windows PostScript, which sends printer-specific PostScript to the printer, and Windows native, which sends printer-specific native language to the printer.

  If unsure whether the Windows printer driver available is PostScript or not, check the Windows driver properties.

For example, with an HP DesignJet 5000PS, use the Windows PostScript printer driver, which will send print jobs in PostScript format. However, with the HP DesignJet 5000, which is not PostScript enabled, use the Windows native printer driver. This will send the print job in the native language of the printer, such as HPGL2/RTL for HP DesignJets.

Because HP DesignJet Windows drivers are very specific to each printer series, the HP DesignJet Windows native language is not necessarily the same as raster or mixed raster-vector language printer formats HPGL2 and RTL from ArcPress or ArcInfo workstation.

Procedure
• Windows: The Windows printer engine will always give the best print quality and color accuracy.
• ArcPress: If the Windows printer engine fails to print, out of memory for example, or is taking a very long time, then use the ArcPress printer engine.
• PostScript: Only use the PostScript printer engine when there is a need to create PostScript color separates.

To cancel an in-progress print job in ArcMap, press the ESC key on the keyboard. The print job will be cancelled.

Some symbols and fonts may be missing from ArcMap PDF exports when viewed by Adobe Acrobat Reader on other computers.

ArcGIS uses special fonts and symbols that may not be present on other computers.

To work around this convert marker symbols to polygons and embed fonts when exporting to PDF from ArcMap.

1. Select PDF(*.pdf) from the 'Save As type' drop down list on the Export Map dialog.
2. Click Options, then select the Format tab.
Select the 'Convert Marker Symbols to Polygons' and
3. 'Embed All Document Fonts' check boxes.
4. Click Save. The exported PDF will now display all of the fonts and symbols on any computer with Acrobat Reader.

** This issue will be addressed in ArcGIS 9.0 Service Pack 2 (SP2) **

If an ArcMap document contains a group layer that has a raster layer in it, and that layer and/or the raster layer is turned off (not displayed), ArcMap rasterizes the map as it does when the raster layer is visible.

The result is that the maps take much longer to process and are much larger in size than expected. The output may also be of a lower quality than expected, depending on the output resolution settings.

This is a known issue.

** This issue will be addressed in ArcGIS 9.0 Service Pack 2 (SP2) **