# Drawtext function does not seem to work

**URL:** <https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/drawtext-function-does-not-seem-to-work/1076>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [June 10, 2018, 9:59pm UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/drawtext-function-does-not-seem-to-work/1076 "2018-06-10T21:59:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mkoutromanoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mkoutromanoy](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/u/mkoutromanoy)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2018, 9:59pm UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/drawtext-function-does-not-seem-to-work/1076/1 "2018-06-10T21:59:20Z")

</div>

Hello!
  

Recently I have been getting the same error whenever I call the Drawtext function in my scripts and even the DrawFormattedTextDemo gives me the same error: 

  

Error in function DrawText: Usage error

The external text renderer plugin failed to render the text string for some reason!

Error using Screen

Usage:

  

[newX,newY,textHeight]=Screen('DrawText', windowPtr, text [,x] [,y] [,color] [,backgroundColor] [,yPositionIsBaseline]

[,swapTextDirection]);

  

Error in DrawFormattedTextDemo (line 48)

 Screen('DrawText', w, 'Top-Left aligned, max 40 chars wide: Hit any key to continue.', 0, 0, [255, 0, 0, 255]);

 

  

Any ideas on what might be going wrong and how it can be fixed? (I even uninstalled and installed ptb again). 

  

Thanks on advance.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dcnieho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@dcnieho](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/u/dcnieho)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 11:59pm UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/drawtext-function-does-not-seem-to-work/1076/2 "2018-06-11T23:59:23Z")

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Is "recently" after something hapoened to the machine? Please check that GStreamer is completely installed, thats a requirement (assuming you're on Windows, you don't say).

  

See help drawtextplugin or something like that (not near computer, I'm guessing).

  

Best,

Dee  
  

> On Tue, Jun 12, 2018, 04:22 Maria K [mkoutromanoy@...](mailto:mkoutromanoy@...) [PSYCHTOOLBOX] \<[PSYCHTOOLBOX@yahoogroups.com](mailto:PSYCHTOOLBOX@yahoogroups.com)\> wrote:  
> 
> > Hello!
> >   
> > 
> > Recently I have been getting the same error whenever I call the Drawtext function in my scripts and even the DrawFormattedTextDemo gives me the same error: 
> > 
> >   
> > 
> > Error in function DrawText: Usage error
> > 
> > The external text renderer plugin failed to render the text string for some reason!
> > 
> > Error using Screen
> > 
> > Usage:
> > 
> >   
> > 
> > [newX,newY,textHeight]=Screen('DrawText', windowPtr, text [,x] [,y] [,color] [,backgroundColor] [,yPositionIsBaseline]
> > 
> > [,swapTextDirection]);
> > 
> >   
> > 
> > Error in DrawFormattedTextDemo (line 48)
> > 
> > Screen('DrawText', w, 'Top-Left aligned, max 40 chars wide: Hit any key to continue.', 0, 0, [255, 0, 0, 255]);
> > 
> >  
> > 
> >   
> > 
> > Any ideas on what might be going wrong and how it can be fixed? (I even uninstalled and installed ptb again). 
> > 
> >   
> > 
> > Thanks on advance.