Why does this only happen with certain documents?

Complex documents with many fonts or images can exceed what the PCL6 interpreter can handle. Simpler documents may work fine.

Is this a printer hardware problem?

Almost never. PCL XL errors are driver or data stream issues. The printer hardware is fine — the data it receives is the problem.

PCL XL Error — Subsystem KERNEL, IllegalMediaSize & Missing Attribute

Errordriver

Overview

Fix PCL XL (PCL6) printer errors including IllegalMediaSize, MissingAttribute, InternalError, and Subsystem KERNEL failures on HP, Lexmark, and other laser printers.

Key Details

PCL XL (also called PCL6) is a page description language for laser printers
PCL XL errors print as error pages: 'PCL XL Error Subsystem: KERNEL Error: IllegalMediaSize'
The error means the PCL XL data stream contains commands the printer cannot process
Common errors: IllegalMediaSize, MissingAttribute, InternalError 0x50, IllegalTag
Usually a driver problem, not a printer hardware issue

Common Causes

PCL6 driver sending commands incompatible with the printer firmware version
Paper size mismatch between driver settings and loaded paper
Complex documents (many fonts, images) exceeding printer memory
Corrupted printer driver installation
Network data corruption during print job transmission

Steps

1Switch from PCL6 to PCL5 driver in printer properties > Advanced > Driver
2Alternatively, use the printer's PostScript driver instead of PCL
3Match paper size in driver to loaded paper: Printer Properties > Paper/Quality > Paper Size
4Enable 'Send True Type as Bitmap' in Advanced printing options
5Reinstall the printer driver — download the latest version from the manufacturer