Troubleshoot Printing

I am sharing a printer from a Windows machine and I am unable to print to it.

Symptoms: 

unable to print to a windows shared printer

Solution: 

This configuration is unsupported currently in HPLIP. To print in this configuration, use HPIJS only and the SAMBA backend (smb:)

I am sharing a printer from another Linux machine using CUPS and I am unable to print to it

Solution: 

This configuration is currently unsupported in HPLIP. To print in this configuration, use HPIJS only.

Print jobs are failing on my 4x6 Photosmart printer

Symptoms: 

Print jobs are failing

Solution: 

For printers that only support 4x6 page sizes, make sure the page size setting is correct in the CUPS queue. The default page setting may not be correct and print jobs will fail.

Printer is not discovered during hp-setup or through lsusb

Symptoms: 

When hp-setup is run the printer is not discovered, or when lsusb is run as regular user no printer is discovered.  However, when lsusb is run as super user the printer is listed as expected.

Cause: 

Your user name must be added as a member of the "lp" group.

Solution: 

1.  Click on the Application Launcher, choose "Yast: Administrator Settings", and enter the super user password when prompted.

2.  Scroll down, choose "User Management", select your user profile, and choose "Edit".

3.  Under the Details tab ensure that the "lp" group is checked, click "Accept", and click "Finish" on the next dialog box to exit.

4.  Log out, then log back in, and run hp-setup.

Troubleshooting Fullbleed (edge to edge printing) problems; All Supported OS's.

Symptoms: 

The image you are trying to print is not printing fullbleed or edge to edge.

Cause: 

See steps below.

Solution: 

Fullbleed Troubleshooting

  1. Make sure that "Fit to Page" is Off.
  2. Make sure the image is scaled to the same size as the paper.
  3. Make sure the printer is set to fullbleed mode. This is found on the printer properties dialog or in the CUPS printer administration page.
  4. Make sure your printer is set to use the correct size of paper that you are trying to print on.
  5. Make sure the printer is set to the correct region and language.
  6. Make sure the print orientation is set correctly.

Troubleshooting and/or enabling parallel support

Solution: 

Did you install using the automatic installer?

Run: hp-check -t look for the section pp-build=, it should =yes.  If not you will need to re-install HPLIP and be sure to enable parallel support when prompted.

Important: The automatic installer no longer enables the parallel support for HPLIP.  To enable parallel support HPLIP will need to be manually installed. Depending on your distro you can go here:

https://developers.hp.com/hp-linux-imaging-and-printing/install/manual/index

Click on your distro, once you get to the "Configure" step you'll want to use the configure line provided and ADD this: --enable-pp-build

and continue with HPLIP install as documented.  If your parallel printer still does not function run the hp-check as above and verify that parallel support is enabled and continue troubleshooting as below.

Is the ppdev module loaded?

Run:

lsmod | grep ppdev

You should see something like:

ppdev                  10500  0
parport                39496  3 ppdev,lp,parport_pc

If you do not see the above--run:

modprobe ppdev

and then re-run the above command. and try configuring the printer again.

If you want to have the ppdev module loaded on boot add it to your /etc/modules file. Although this may be different depending on your linux distro.

What is your parallel port configured as in your BIOS?

Go into your system BIOS (follow your system documentation) and check that your parallel port is configure for ECP mode.

If you are still having problems.

Run:

/usr/lib/cups/backend/hp

This command displays the devices that HPLIP detects.

Verify that the UDEV rules are set correctly?

Edit the file /etc/udev/rules.d/55-hpmud.rules


Change the line: SUBSYSTEM=="ppdev", OWNER="lp", GROUP="lp", MODE="0660"

To: SUBSYSTEM=="ppdev", OWNER="lp", GROUP="lp", MODE="0666"

Save the file, disconnect the printer, reconnect.

If your printer does not show up there may be some other system problem and/or HPLIP problem.

Make sure HPLIP is running and try hp-setup again.

If you need assistance with this functionality please submit a support ticket to the HPLIP Launchpad.net Page

Solution: 

Some applications use enscript for printing, make the following changes to /etc/enscript.conf. This tip came from Patricio Paez.

From:

DefaultMedia = Letter

To:

DefaultMedia = Letterdj

While printing/fax from "hp-toolbox/hp-print/hp-sendfax" certain scripts doesn't get rendered properly on the final print

Symptoms: 

Print/fax jobs are failing

Cause: 

This is due to problem in certain Linux distribution filters which are unable to render certain scripts

Solution: 

Printing/Fax from application is the workaround

foomatic-rip-hplip error, foomatic-rip error

Symptoms: 

When trying to print in the hp-check you have the error foomatic-rip failed.

Solution: 

Uninstall HPLIP using this guide: https://developers.hp.com/hp-linux-imaging-and-printing/howtos/install

then in the HPLIP source directory run: (the HPLIP source directory is created when you run the automatic installer, ie sh hplip-version.run, etc.)

make clean

./configure --prefix=/usr --enable-qt4 --enable-doc-build --disable-cups-ppd-install --disable-foomatic-drv-install --enable-foomatic-ppd-install --enable-hpijs-install --disable-policykit --disable-cups-drv-install --disable-hpcups-install --enable-network-build --enable-dbus-build --enable-scan-build --disable-fax-build --disable-foomatic-rip-install --enable-foomatic-rip-hplip-install

make

(as root) make install

The configure line may be different depending on your distro.  You can look over the manual install page here for some more information: https://developers.hp.com/hp-linux-imaging-and-printing/install/manual/index

The key is to be sure that the lines: --disable-foomatic-rip-install --enable-foomatic-rip-hplip-install are in the configure options.