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The Photoshop message “There was an error opening your printer. Printing functions will not be available until you have selected a printer and reopened any documents” usually means Photoshop cannot initialize the printer or its driver. It does not, by itself, prove that the printer hardware has failed. The cause may be a system-wide driver or queue problem, damaged Photoshop preferences, an incompatible plug-in, an old Photoshop bug, or one particular document.
Start by printing from another application. That single test tells you whether to repair the printer system or Photoshop.
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First decide whether the failure is system-wide
Test outside Photoshop
- Save your Photoshop work and quit Photoshop.
- Print the operating system’s test page, or print a document or image from a browser, Preview, Photos, Word, or Acrobat.
- Record whether the same printer succeeds, not merely whether another printer is available.
| Result | Likely area | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Printer fails from every application | Printer, connection, queue, operating-system print service, or driver | Repair the connection, clear pending jobs, and reinstall the manufacturer’s driver before changing Photoshop. |
| Printer works elsewhere but not in Photoshop | Photoshop version, preferences, plug-in, or driver interaction | Continue with the Photoshop checks below. |
| Only one PSD fails | Document-specific damage or complexity | Test a duplicate, then simplify or export a copy. |
| Printer is missing from Photoshop | Installation, permissions, driver, or architecture compatibility | Re-add the printer and install the correct driver. |
Adobe’s archived troubleshooting workflow also uses a small Photoshop image and another application to separate file, application, and system causes (Adobe troubleshooting guide).
Quick repairs before changing Photoshop
- Quit Photoshop.
- Restart the computer.
- Turn the printer off, wait briefly, and turn it on again.
- Open the operating system’s printer queue and cancel stalled or duplicate jobs.
- Confirm the intended printer is powered on, not paused or offline, and has no paper, ink, toner, or hardware warning.
- Reopen Photoshop, choose File > Print, and explicitly select the intended printer.
For a network printer, check that the computer and printer are on the same reachable network. If practical, connect by USB temporarily; success over USB points to network discovery or print-service configuration rather than Photoshop.
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Update Photoshop, the operating system, and the driver
Update Photoshop
In the Creative Cloud desktop app, open Updates and install the available Photoshop update. Restart Photoshop after updating. Adobe’s current troubleshooting guidance puts application and operating-system updates early in the diagnostic order (Adobe basic troubleshooting).
Install the correct printer driver
Download the driver from the printer manufacturer’s support page for the exact model, Windows or macOS release, connection type, and processor architecture. Remove the existing printer entry first only if the manufacturer’s instructions require it, then reinstall or re-add the printer and restart Photoshop. A generic operating-system driver may print basic pages while omitting paper, borderless, resolution, or color controls.
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On Windows ARM, verify that the manufacturer supplies an ARM-compatible driver. Adobe notes that older drivers may not be found or usable on ARM systems (Adobe Windows ARM support).
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- Affordable Versatility - A budget-friendly all-in-one printer perfect for both home users and hybrid workers, offering exceptional value
- Crisp, Vibrant Prints - Experience impressive print quality for both documents and photos, thanks to its 2-cartridge hybrid ink system that delivers sharp text and vivid colors
- Effortless Setup & Use - Get started quickly with easy setup for your smartphone or computer, so you can print, scan, and copy without delay
- Reliable Wireless Connectivity - Enjoy stable and consistent connections with dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz or 5GHz), ensuring smooth printing from anywhere in your home or office
- Scan & Copy Handling - Utilize the device’s integrated scanner for efficient scanning and copying operations
Test a clean Photoshop document
Create a new RGB document measuring 2 × 2 inches at 72 ppi, with one simple painted mark and one layer. Use a standard paper size and ordinary orientation. This deliberately removes unusual masks, paths, transparency, and very large layers from the test.
- The test document prints: the original file is likely damaged or unusually complex. Work on a duplicate; try flattening the duplicate or exporting a JPEG/PDF only as a diagnostic, never the editable original.
- The test document also fails while other applications print: suspect Photoshop preferences, a plug-in, or the Photoshop–driver interface.
- Photoshop prints but the page is blank, cropped, or wrongly scaled: this is an output-setting or document-layout problem, not the printer-opening error.
Reset Photoshop preferences safely
Corrupted preferences can produce application errors and abnormal tool behavior. Back up custom brushes, actions, workspaces, and any presets that are not synchronized before resetting; Photoshop stores settings and presets by version (Adobe preset migration documentation).
- Quit Photoshop and make the backup.
- Use the reset-preferences option provided by your current Photoshop release, either in its preferences interface or its documented startup reset command. The control and shortcut can vary by version and operating system, so follow the current Adobe instructions.
- Reopen Photoshop and test the small RGB document before importing old settings.
A reset can remove customized settings. Perform it after confirming that the printer works outside Photoshop, rather than as the first response.
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- Affordable Versatility - A budget-friendly all-in-one printer perfect for both home users and hybrid workers, offering exceptional value
- Crisp, Vibrant Prints - Experience impressive print quality for both documents and photos, thanks to its 2-cartridge hybrid ink system that delivers sharp text and vivid colors
- Effortless Setup & Use - Get started quickly with easy setup for your smartphone or computer, so you can print, scan, and copy without delay
- Reliable Wireless Connectivity - Enjoy stable and consistent connections with dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz or 5GHz), ensuring smooth printing from anywhere in your home or office
- Scan & Copy Handling - Utilize the device’s integrated scanner for efficient scanning and copying operations
Isolate plug-ins and user-account problems
Third-party plug-ins
Launch Photoshop with third-party plug-ins disabled when your release provides that startup option. If printing returns, re-enable plug-ins in batches, update outdated ones, and identify the conflicting extension. Do not permanently delete plug-ins before testing; Adobe lists incompatible or incorrectly installed plug-ins as a common source of Photoshop failures (Adobe basic troubleshooting).
Permissions and user profile
Test from a new operating-system user account or the system’s safe mode when appropriate. Printing there indicates a user-level preference, permission, security tool, or background utility conflict. An administrator or IT professional may be needed on managed computers.
Legacy Windows case: OverridePhysicalMemoryMB
Do not begin with the registry. Adobe documented the exact printer-opening problem in older Windows Photoshop installations where the OverridePhysicalMemoryMB registry value was present. Adobe says the underlying issue was fixed in Photoshop CC 19.1.5, released in June 2018 (Adobe’s historical fix). Current users should update Photoshop instead of treating that release number as a modern recommendation.
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- AFFORDABLE ALL-IN-ONE FOR HOME AND HOME OFFICE: Print, copy, and scan on one compact wireless printer designed for everyday home office printing, schoolwork, documents, and reports. Produce beautiful prints for results that stand out.
- EASY TO USE WITH CLOUD APP CONNECTIONS: Print from and scan to popular Cloud apps(2), including Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, and more from the simple-to-use 1.8” color display on your printer.
- FULL-SIZE FEATURES IN A COMPACT DESIGN: This printer includes automatic duplex (2-sided) printing, a 20-sheet single-sided Automatic Document Feeder (ADF)(3), and a 150-sheet paper tray(3). Engineered to print at fast speeds of up to 16 pages per minute (ppm) in black and up to 9 ppm in color(4).
- MULTIPLE CONNECTION OPTIONS: Connect your way. Interface with your printer on your wireless network or via USB.
- MOBILE PRINTING MADE EASY: Go mobile with the Brother Mobile Connect app(5) that delivers easy onscreen menu navigation for printing, copying, scanning, and device management from your mobile device. Monitor your ink usage with Page Gauge to help ensure you don’t run out(6).
If an old installation had previously been modified for this issue, Adobe’s historical procedure is:
- Quit Photoshop and back up the Windows registry.
- Run
regedit.exe. - Open the registry key for that old Photoshop version.
- Delete only the documented
OverridePhysicalMemoryMBvalue. - Restart Photoshop and test printing.
Historical paths listed by Adobe include:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREAdobePhotoshop120.0HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREAdobePhotoshop110.0HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREAdobePhotoshop100.0HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREAdobePhotoshop90.0HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREAdobePhotoshop80.0
These are old-version examples, not a reason to create or remove arbitrary registry values. If you cannot identify the documented scenario, stop and ask an IT professional.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If Photoshop opens the printer but the result is wrong
A successful print dialog with blank pages, cropping, incorrect scale, or wrong colors is a different problem. Photoshop’s print workflow includes printer selection, copies, orientation, image position, scale, color management, and printing marks (Adobe printing instructions).
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- Wireless Bluetooth Printer: Portable thermal printer compatible with iPhone, Android phones, iPad and tablet computers via Bluetooth. For smartphones, please download the "Nada Print" App. You can also connect to laptops and computers for printing using a USB-C cable. (Note: Laptops and computers can only be connected via USB and require the installation of a driver first. Bluetooth connection is not supported.)
- No-ink printing: Only supports US Letter and A4 size thermal paper.(Doesn't support regular paper) The no-ink portable thermal printer uses direct thermal technology, requiring no ink, toner or ribbons, making it environmentally friendly, cost-effective and time-saving. The thermal printer package comes with a roll of US Letter thermal printing paper. Note: When installing the paper, remember to switch the paper size switch on APP
- Clear Print: NDYIN N80 portable thermal printer adopts high-definition printing technology, with a 203DPI resolution to provide you with clear printing results. This mobile printer is compatible with roll paper, folded paper and tattoo transfer paper, supporting printing from your mobile phone PDF, Word, pictures and web pages anytime and anywhere. It is recommended to use our NDYIN thermal paper to achieve good printing quality
- Portable wireless printer for travel: The thermal printer is equipped with a built-in 1500mAh rechargeable battery, which can print 160 sheets of 8.5" x 11" thermal paper after being fully charged. It weighs only 1.5 pounds and is compact in size. This ink-free portable printer can be easily carried in a backpack or briefcase! It is perfect for business travel, cars, small offices, construction sites, schools and homes. You can print documents, contracts, invoices and boarding passes anytime and anywhere
- The N80 thermal printer has a wide range of uses. The package includes the N80 printer, a roll of US Letter paper(7m/roll), a user manual, a guide card, a type-C soft cable and a type C adapter. Note: The charging adapter is not included. Special thermal paper is required for use; ordinary paper cannot be used. This ink-free portable thermal printer is suitable for various scenarios such as home, school, travel, office, and outdoor, meeting the printing needs of different groups of people. This tattoo template printer is also compatible with tattoo transfer paper, making it an ideal choice for tattoo art
Color management
Choose deliberately between Photoshop Manages Colors and Printer Manages Colors. If Photoshop manages color, select the ICC profile for the specific printer, ink, and paper combination and configure the printer driver so it does not apply a second correction. If the printer manages color, leave Photoshop’s profile conversion disabled as appropriate for that workflow. Rendering intent and paper profile affect appearance; they cannot fix a printer that Photoshop cannot open (Adobe color-managed printing).
PostScript printers
For a PostScript device, verify the current driver and PPD. An obsolete or incorrect PPD can report the wrong capabilities. If failures occur only with complex paths or PostScript output, simplify a copy of the artwork and test another format. Adobe documents clipping-path and PostScript limitcheck cases, particularly on high-resolution devices (Adobe PostScript guidance). These settings are not relevant to ordinary non-PostScript inkjet users.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →When to stop troubleshooting
Contact the printer manufacturer when the printer fails from every application, the queue repeatedly jams, or the correct driver is unavailable. Contact Adobe Support when other applications print, a clean Photoshop document fails after updates, a preference reset, and plug-in isolation, or the error persists only in Photoshop. On a managed computer, involve IT before changing drivers, registry settings, permissions, or security software.
Have these details ready: Photoshop version, Windows or macOS version, printer model, USB/Wi-Fi/Ethernet connection, whether other applications print, whether the 2 × 2-inch test document prints, whether resetting preferences changes the behavior, and the exact error text or a screenshot.
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