macOS shows "Filter failed" and the job stops

What causes it

• A vendor driver built for an older macOS version no longer runs on the current one
• The driver files have the wrong ownership or permissions after a migration
• A leftover driver from a previous Mac was carried across by Migration Assistant
• The queue was created with a driver that does not match the actual model
• Third-party or generic PostScript drivers that the printer does not fully support

How to fix it, in order

Work down the list and stop when the printer recovers. The steps are ordered from most likely and least invasive to last resort.

1. Delete the queue and add it again with AirPrint

   Open System Settings › Printers & Scanners, select the printer, click the minus or Remove Printer button, then click Add Printer and pick the printer from the Default list. In the Use menu choose AirPrint or Secure AirPrint rather than a vendor driver. AirPrint uses Apple's own filter chain and avoids the failing vendor filter entirely.

2. Check which driver the queue is using

   Select the printer in System Settings › Printers & Scanners and click Options & Supplies to see the driver named on the General tab. If it shows a model that is not yours, or a generic PostScript entry, that mismatch is very likely the cause. Recreate the queue with the correct choice.

3. Reset the printing system

   In System Settings › Printers & Scanners, right-click or Control-click in the printer list and choose Reset printing system, then confirm. This removes every queue, every job and the stored printer preferences. Add the printer back afterwards; it clears corrupted queue state that survives ordinary deletion.

4. Remove the old vendor driver

   If the manufacturer supplies an uninstaller, run it. Otherwise the driver files live under the printing library folders, and the vendor's support page will name them for your model. Reinstall only a version the manufacturer lists for your current macOS release.

5. Repair permissions on the printing folders

   Filter failed also appears when the filter binary is not executable, which is common after restoring from a backup. Reinstalling the driver from the vendor's package restores correct ownership, which is safer than changing permissions manually in Terminal.

6. Test with a different file type

   Print a plain TextEdit page, then a PDF from Preview. If only certain documents fail, the filter is choking on specific content such as unusual fonts or transparency, and re-exporting the PDF from Preview usually clears it.

7. Update macOS and the printer software

   Open System Settings › General › Software Update and install what is offered. Apple ships many printer drivers through system updates, and a driver mismatched to the OS version is the single most common source of this error after an upgrade.

Frequently asked questions