PCL XL error printed on the page
A page that says "PCL XL error" means the printer couldn't process the job your driver sent. Changing driver, font or print settings usually fixes it.
What this error means
PCL XL is another name for PCL 6, a printer language used by many laser printers. When the printer receives PCL 6 data it can't make sense of, it stops and prints a page reading "PCL XL error" followed by Subsystem and Error lines, for example KERNEL with IllegalOperatorSequence, or InsufficientMemory. The cause is almost always on the computer side, such as the driver, a font, or one unusual document, rather than a hardware fault.
Common causes
- A wrong or outdated PCL 6 driver for the printer model
- A font in the document that the driver handles badly
- Complex pages that exceed the printer's memory
- A corrupted print job
- A paper size the printer or tray doesn't support
How to fix it
Start with the first fix. They’re ordered from safest and quickest to most involved.
Fixes for Windows
0 of 7 steps tried
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Clear the queue and reprint
Cancel all jobs in the print queue, turn the printer off and on, and print the document again. If you're comfortable with Command Prompt, also restart the Print Spooler with the command below from an administrator window. A one-off corrupted job is a common cause.
net stop spooler && net start spooler -
Print the document as an image
If the error only happens with PDFs, open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader, choose Print, click Advanced and tick Print As Image. The page is then sent as a picture, which avoids font problems at the cost of slightly slower printing.
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Change how the driver sends fonts
Many PCL 6 drivers have a font option on the device settings tab. In Printers & scanners, select the printer, choose Printer properties, open the Device Settings tab and, if you see Send TrueType as Bitmap, set it to Enabled. If your driver doesn't have this option, skip this step.
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Try a different driver type
Download a different driver for the same printer from the manufacturer's official support site, such as a PostScript driver or a universal print driver, and install it alongside the current one. Print the problem document to the new printer entry. If it prints correctly, keep using that driver.
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Lower the print resolution
In Printing preferences, choose a lower resolution (for example 600 dpi instead of 1200 dpi) or switch off any maximum-quality option. This reduces the memory the job needs, which helps with
InsufficientMemoryerrors. -
Check the paper size
If the error page mentions an illegal or unsupported media size, the job asks for a paper size the printer or tray doesn't support. Set the document and driver to a supported size, such as Letter or A4, and print again.
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Update the printer firmware
Check the manufacturer's official support site for a firmware update for your model, or use the update option in the printer's menu or Embedded Web Server. Firmware updates sometimes fix how the printer interprets PCL 6 data.
Did this fix it?
Good. To confirm everything is healthy, print a test page. It takes a minute and shows any quality problems early.
Still stuck? The troubleshooter asks a few questions and narrows it down. If your printer is under warranty, the manufacturer can repair or replace it at no cost. Find their official support site on our brand pages.
Common questions
Does a PCL XL error mean my printer needs repair?
Rarely. It almost always comes from the driver, a font or a specific document. Changing driver or print settings fixes most cases.
Why does it only happen with one document?
That document likely contains a font, image or page layout the driver translates incorrectly. Printing it as an image or with a different driver usually gets it through.