General Troubleshooting
The entire address was not captured
After your document has been analysed, you may find that some elements of the addresses on your letters were not captured. This may happen under the following circumstances:
The address included a blank line.
The address included graphical elements. Note that some applications may choose to render certain fonts as bitmaps rather than text.
The following actions may help to resolve these issues:
Blank Line – Change the original template to eliminate the blank lines or use the "Ignore Blank Lines" feature.
Graphic Elements – Try using a different font or otherwise changing the settings for the source application.
Re-drawing the Address Box - If the address box has been drawn too large and therefore collecting other pieces of text on the page, the extracted address may not appear as intended. Carefully resizing/repositioning the blue address box tightly around the recipient address should solve this problem.
Repositioning Text – Under abnormal circumstances it may be necessary to reposition your recipient address location, or re-locate the documents text to allow for proper address extraction. This should only be the case if the documents text is overlapping the recipient address.
I can’t extract addresses from my documents (not PDF)
There are restrictions on what the Mailroom application considers an address. It looks for between 2 – 6 lines of contiguous text (or non-contiguous text if the “Ignore Blank Lines” option is checked), with no more than 64 characters in any line, and no line longer than 14cm. If your addresses fall outside these criteria, contact Bing Customer Service.
The document address may be also too close to other text in the document. In this case, other data is extracted with the address, which then falls outside these limitations. Moving extraneous data at least one line away from the address will resolve this.
Drawing the blue box tighter around the address, or even partially around it, can sometimes overcome this issue. It is always better to keep the box as small as possible.
I can’t extract addresses from a PDF Document
This is a known issue that can be caused by:
Non-standard Windows UNICODE fonts in the PDF document.
PDF viewer does not embed fonts when the PDF is printed.
PDF is image based. Some PDF printers produce PDF in a graphical format as a default which the Mailroom application can’t extract address text from.
First, ensure you are using the latest release of the Mailroom. The ‘PDF is image based’ issue can be rectified by turning off the ‘Print as image’ setting whilst printing the PDF to the Mailroom. In some PDF readers including Adobe Acrobat Reader, you will find this check-box option under ‘Advanced’ settings inside the Print Dialog.
If you are encountering issues to do with fonts not printing correctly to the mailroom please see the frequently asked question “Addresses from my documents are being extracted partially or not at all - how can I get entire address to be extracted?” or contact Bing customer service for assistance on 1300 309 800.
My PDF document displays incorrectly
Some PDF documents may seem to print to the EasyPost® Mailroom with low quality; this is generally an issue that is caused by the screen resolution. To see how the document will look when it is printed use the zoom buttons to enlarge the document or print the document from the EasyPost® Mailroom to a printer and check the output.
You may also try adjusting the transparency flattening. (Acrobat Professional only). If a document contains transparent objects, Acrobat Professional flattens it before printing it. Flattening removes transparency information and converts images to a format the printer can interpret. Adjust the transparency flattening to determine if transparency is causing the problem.
To adjust the transparency flattening:
1. Choose File > Print, and then click Advanced.
2. Choose Transparency Flattening from the list on the left.
3. Adjust the Raster/Vector Balance:
· If you print to an inkjet printer, drag the Raster/Vector Balance slider to the lowest setting.
· If you print to a PostScript printer, drag the Raster/Vector Balance slider to the highest setting.
4. Select Convert All Text To Outlines.
Landscape PDF documents are incorrectly oriented in the Mailroom
Landscape documents printed from Adobe Acrobat will by default print with a portrait orientation to the Mailroom and will have address extraction issues. The easiest way to resolve this issue is to enable the option “Choose paper source by PDF page size” in the Adobe print dialog.
Alternatively, you can manually set the document orientation within the printer properties.
1. Go to the ‘file’ tab/menu
2. Select print
3. Choose the EasyPost® Printer
4. Click properties
5. Select Landscape
6. Click OK
7. Click print
The Mailroom is not in the Windows list of printers
If the Mailroom printer is not in your list of printers then you may need to restart your computer.
If restarting does not find your printer you will have to reinstall the application.
All addresses don’t extract/letters are grouped incorrectly
Destination addresses are derived via the address capture screen in the Wizard (a.k.a drawing the blue box).
When you draw the blue box around the first address in your mailing, you mark the address location for all documents in that mailing.
If the location of the destination address changes for some documents in the mailing, the address recognition system may not be able to find all addresses, so some of your letters may combined with the previous document and so not be sent to the correct recipients.
If you edit or change the format of a merged batch of documents, you may encounter problems with address extraction & recognition. Make all of your changes in your mail merge template and then merge it directly to the Mailroom printer.
Page content other than what is in the blue box is also considered; if your results aren’t correct, you may need to use the Advanced option “use mixed templates” which relaxes the ‘rules’ about large differences in page content.
Printing is slow
The speed of the printing depends on multiple factors. The printing speed is affected by the system configuration (processor speed, memory speed and amount) and the printer settings. Using large paper sizes or/and high DPI (horizontal and vertical resolution) settings may slow down the image generation process.
Using lower DPI resolutions or/and smaller paper sizes can speed up the image generation. An image editor can be used to reduce the physical size of any pictures.
Some more advanced editors (Fireworks, Paintshop) can export pictures to different formats. Alternatively you can compress the pictures from the picture tool bar in Microsoft Word.
Uploading to Bing is slow
Upload speed depends on both your internet connection’s upload bandwidth, the path out from your machine to the internet, and the size of the documents you’re sending.
Mailing size can sometimes be greatly minimised by using EasyPost’s Letterhead option. All document data that is common to every page can be stored as a background using this option, and only variable data used in the actual mailing. This greatly reduces file upload size, as all Letterheads (and Attachments) are only uploaded once.
Large file sizes are often the result of the inclusion of graphics. Graphic minimisation is strongly recommended. Resolutions of 200dpi still give great printed results. Contact Bing Customer Service if you’d like to test the printed result.
Multiple Mailroom Wizards appear when I print
Your printing application is producing your print documents one by one. In the printer configuration you can stop the Mailroom application starting until you’ve printed all documents to overcome this. Contact Bing Customer Service for instructions on how to configure this option.
Using Scanned Images as Attachments
When images are scanned into a computer and used in applications such as MYOB or Word, they are saved in a Bitmap format. This format is very large and difficult for most programs to manipulate. Although the service can accommodate scanned images when embedding in letters and attachments, the larger the image the longer it takes to pack and merge into a mailing. It is highly recommended that when using pictures, keep them at 300dpi or less, or convert them to another format.
Using Extreme Margins
If your margins are to the extreme of the limits of your normal page your address can still be captured. Providing you can draw the blue capture box around the address, the area will be interpreted as an address and captured.
Descriptive Text is Included with the Recipient Address
Some letters include descriptive text such as "Ship to:" or "Deliver to:" near the recipient address. In some cases, this text may be misinterpreted as part of the recipient address. To correct this error, move the descriptive text further (at least one line) away from the recipient address. Alternatively, the Mailroom application can be configured to disregard descriptive (and other extraneous) text. Contact Bing Customer Service for details.
Portions of the Recipient Address are not captured
Some recipient addresses may include large white spaces. For example: one or more tabs may be inserted before the postcode. If the address capture rectangle is too narrow, the text to the right of the white spaces may not be captured. To correct this error, extend the address capture rectangle further to the right.
Failure to separate letters correctly using Mail Merge
In the event that a mail merge is printed and the number of letters or pages is inaccurate, the first step is to run the welcome wizard again by using the Back button on the Mailroom Viewer screen. You can then recapture the address with a smaller rectangle or simply by re-positioning the rectangle. If neither of these two suggestions work go back and adjust your original document.
If this fails then you can Export the problem mailing and email it to Customer Service (customerservice@bingmail.com.au) where our technicians will analyse the problem for you.
Note: if you are sending sensitive material over the internet you must take the necessary steps to ensure its security. The service will not accept any responsibility for the loss or alteration of sensitive information.
Mailing Status (status update) fails to update when the Refresh button is pressed.
The updated status information will not be available until the mailing has been processed and validated by the Server. This may take some time if the server is busy or there are network difficulties. Please contact Customer Service on 1300 309 800 if the updated status is not available for a mailing within 24 hours.
Using Special Characters in Addresses.
While all characters are rendered properly in printed output (including postscript), there are certain limitations with respect to the extraction of characters consistent with UNICODE standards.
All characters printed to the driver will be extracted. However, mailings that include certain invalid characters in their addresses will be disallowed from submission. These include extended characters that are not defined in the UNICODE standard.
The following characters are supported.
! " # $ % & ' ( ) * + , - ./ : ; < = > ? @ [ \ ] ^ _ ` { | } ~ € ‚ ƒ „ … † ‡ ˆ ‰ Š ‹ Œ Ž ‘ ’ " " • – —
˜ ™ š › œ ž Ÿ ¡ ¢ £ ¤ ¥ ¦ § ¨ © ª « ¬ ® ¯ ° ± ² ³ ´ µ ¶ · ¸ ¹ º » ¼ ½ ¾ ¿ À Á Â Ã Ä Å Æ Ç È É Ê Ë Ì Í Î Ï Ð Ñ Ò Ó Ô Õ Ö × Ø Ù Ú Û Ü Ý Þ ß à á â ã ä å æ ç è é ê ë ì í î ï ð ñ ò ó ô õ ö ÷ ø ù ú û ü ý þ ÿ
Characters that are printed as graphics will not be extracted. Some applications such as MS Word render Hebrew and Arabic characters as graphics. This feature is not currently supported.
Note: The default font "Arial UNICODE MS" is used to display the address if it is available. If this font is not available then the operating systems default GUI font will be used. In this case some special characters may appear as boxes.
Printing with Software that produces a batch of documents.
When using software that prints documents or invoices individually, the default configuration the EasyPost® Mailroom will open (or ‘pop-up’) for every document that is printed. If you are printing a large number of invoices, processing each one individually can be time consuming. There are two possible workarounds for this issue: send letters automatically, without any user intervention (using the "Silent Send" feature), or manually group individual letters into a single mailing.
If you do not wish to preview letters prior to submission, you’re confident your address data is correct, and you don’t send multiple documents to the same recipient, “Silent Send” is a viable option. However, because a separate instance of the EasyPost® Mailroom is executed for each document printed, it can quickly consume all available workstation resources (memory) when a large number of print-inefficient letters are printed.
An alternative is to disable the automatic execution of the EasyPost® Mailroom for each letter. This may be done navigating to the Properties page for the Mailroom printer, selecting "Printing Preferences" and clearing the "Open mailroom after print" option. It is recommended that this option also be cleared from the "Printing Defaults" dialog on the "Advanced" tab of the Properties page. Note that some applications use the "Printing Preferences" and others use the "Printing Defaults". After all documents have printed, the EasyPost® Mailroom can then be opened manually (from your desktop) and the "New" letters selected as a group from the New area of the Mailroom (Mail Items Summary). The selected letters will be consolidated into a single mailing.
Windows printing issues
When printing from a Windows application the application may use settings from the default Windows printer, irrespective of which printer that you are printing to. If the default printer has settings that do not conform to the standards in the printing application, your print job may need to have its settings changed.
You can change the Windows default printer to be the Mailroom. You can also possibly change the settings in the default printer. Finally, you can adjust settings in the Windows print dialog.
Error Messages and Status Codes
Error Messages
From time to time you might encounter some error messages while using the service. This section will explain the most common messages and suggest corrective actions.
Error Message: Send error
There are a number of possible send errors all of which are outlined individually in the Error Explanation below.
Explanation:
Unable to save the mail items – your database may be full.
Unable to initiate session – The Server cannot be contacted. This can also occur if a connection component that is usually supplied with the product is missing or unavailable.
Connection Failed - The spooler server cannot be contacted.
Solution:
Unable to save the mail items. – Make sure that you have enough space for the mail items.
Unable to initiate session – Reinstall the product.
Connection Failed – Check that you have a good network connection and contact your network administrator to find out whether the spooler server is running.
Error Message: Display Error
"Unable to display the first page of the new document. You may be running low on system resources."
Explanation:
If you have too many applications open at the same time or some really computer (memory) intensive tasks then there may not be enough working memory to complete the task.
Solution:
Close some applications down, wait until memory intensive tasks are finished.
Outfit your computer with more RAM.
Note: See System Requirements for hardware specifications.
Error Message: Font Error
"Your mail items include one or more fonts that are not supported (<font name>). Fonts that are not True Type or have license restrictions for embedding are not allowed. You will not be able to post these mail items as they currently are."
Explanation:
Only fonts that can be embedded or are loaded on the Server are supported. This is due to the need to correctly represent the client fonts on the server for print fidelity. If the document contains fonts which are not True Type (Open Type) or have license restriction for embedding and are not one of the fonts in EPFonts.dat file then this document can not be correctly rendered on the server side.
Solution:
Reset the fonts in the original document to more common fonts.
Error Message: Printer Error
"The selected printer is not available or could not be initialised (<printer name>)".
Explanation:
When printing to a file the printer that you wish to print to is not installed or (if on a network) unavailable.
Solution:
Test the printer from a different application to test that the problem reoccurs.
Reinstall the print driver.
Error Message: Address Format Error
"One or more addresses are invalid in the current configuration [Letter(s): <letter number(s)>]. You will not be able to send these mail items. Each address must include at least two (2) lines, no more than six (6) lines, no more than 64 characters per line and must not contain certain special characters (0x80 to 0x9F or 0xE000 to 0xF8FF)."
Explanation:
Postal standards are enforced for compatibility with postal laws, machines, and software.
The Address must be > 1 line long and < 7 lines long.
The address must have < 65 characters per line.
Some special characters are not allowed because they can not be represented correctly on the Server.
Solution:
<letter number(s)>] indicates the location in the Mailing of the problem letter(s). Expand the right address pane until the column Index is visible, which displays the letter number(s). Adjust your address in the original document so that it matches these specifications.
Error Message: Sending Lock Error
"You may not open new mail items or close the Mailroom while mail items are being sent. Please wait for the task to complete before closing the Mailroom."
Explanation:
Whilst a mailing is being prepared for sending, it is locked and cannot be accessed. Furthermore the Mailroom Viewer Screen that is open with that mailing cannot be closed. This is implemented so that the mailing cannot be corrupted in transit.
Solution:
Wait until the mailing in question is sent until you try to open any other mailings or close the Mailroom Viewer Screen.
Error Message: Export Error
"The export for the mailing failed. You may be running out of disk space."
Explanation:
You may be running out of disk space and there was nowhere for the mailing to be copied to. You may also be trying to copy to a restricted location.
Solution:
Free up some disk space on the drive that the product is installed to. If you are on a network operating system you may be space limited on your account. Please see your system administrator to increase your limit or allocate more space to your chosen drive.
Error Message: Import Error
"The import of the mailing failed. The file may be corrupt."
Explanation:
This error occurs when a newer version of a mailing is being imported on an old EasyPost® Mailroom.
Solution:
Retry the export and import.
Check that you have the most recent version of the product.
Error Message: Analysis Error
"An error occurred during the analysis of the document. The document may be corrupt."
Explanation:
There may be unrecognisable elements inside this document.
Solution:
Retry printing.
Examine the original document for extraordinary objects, e.g.; macros or other embedded objects.
Error Message: Reboot Error
"Reboot is pending."
Explanation:
Your system must be rebooted after an installation or uninstallation.
Solution:
Reboot your system when the installer asks for it.
Internal Event Messages
If you have any problems that are not solved by the solutions in the Error messages section you can check the Windows Event Viewer application for additional assistance. If the problem is unresolvable it will be necessary to contact either Bing Customer Service, or your IT department, or both.