HP 8610 All In One Duplex Printing Issue in Ubuntu

Hi Prasad,

I was able to take a look into the prn file and i could not see any command related to duplex in the prn file. So definitely printer is not getting that command to perform duplex.

Please capture the error_log file and attach it here. Without this file i will not know the cause for this issue.

Thanks & Regards,
Goutam

I also have this problem. I have made a detailed comment on related page
https://answers.launchpad.net/hplip/+question/252277 #16
Re settings being available but maybe not being passed to the document print stage.

Further information:
It seems that DUPLEX printing (that is, 'A4autoduplex' paper size choice) *does* work from Thunderbird email, and as previously noted somewhere, duplex works fine on the printer test page.

However, from LIBRE OFFICE WRITER, duplex does not work. When a page is set for printing, the choice of A4autoduplex is accepted with no error. However, proceeding, and the setting windows closed (about to choose Print) but if I just go back and again look (just to check and confirm settings) - look at the print paper settings I see to my surprise that the A4autoduplex setting did NOT persist, and ordinary A4, Duplexer OFF, is shown.

Using Ubuntu 12.04, also tried with Ubuntu 14.04, same. In both cases, the latest HPLIP was used

My conclusion as a non Dev is that the problem is specific to Libre Office (Writer) (two versions as per Ubuntu releases) and how the print driver facility is passed the paper settings information......

Urgency:
The is suddenly URGENCY here because after years of me being ignored by them, I have now (ironically) been asked to recommend a new printer by a local political party org. This would be funny if it was not so frustrating to me! They really should be using Libre Office, and Ubuntu, and I now cannot in good conscience recommend this printer (which looks otherwise excellent!) because they have DUPLEX as a big requirement!

HELP!
tia

Prasad, can you attach the PPD file of your print queue (from /etc/cups/ppd/)? Thanks.

Prasad, which Linux distribution are you using? Did you install the distribution's packages or directly from the HPLIP site?

candtalan, can you also answer my questions and attach your PPD as described in my two previous comments? Tanks.

Hi Till
my ppd file attached (print not fax)

Hi Till, I am using Ubuntu 12.04 updated, I used hplip downloaded directly from hp dl site:
http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web/install_wizard/index.html
installed it on automatic, in terminal, it went well :-)
I used hplip-3.14.6.run in ubuntu 12.04
and I guess the same when I dl for ubuntu 14.04 tests this morning too...
Thanks for the attention, let me know any more needed?

I have become aware of similar problems from other forums, various comments. For information background:

http://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question/20818/libreoffice-41-printer-settings-dont-stay-selected/?answer=20820#post-id-20820
and also
https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=67449

Neither thread seemed to actually solve the problem, although some interesting experiements happened.
HTH

Hello candtalan,

Sorry for all the inconvenience caused. Yes, I am now able to reproduce this issue in below mentioned environment.

Device: HP Officejet pro 8610
OS: Ubuntu 13.10 32 bit
HPLIP Version: HPLIP-3.14.6
Libreoffice Version: 4.1.1.2

During investigation I found that this issue is the result of wrong handeling of paper size by Libreoffice. Libreoffice sends A4 even though A4.duplex is selected in the Libreoffice print dialog. Since there is a constraint between A4 and Duplex=Long or Short Edge and looks like because of that Libreoffice changes Duplex option from Long/short Edge to OFF as well. Just to prove what I said, I captured the application output file (d00009-001.pdf) and its corresponding control file(c00009), I can see that below options are passed on to cups in c00009 file.

Duplex: None
PageSize: A4

I will log this issue in Libreoffice so that it gets resolved in future.

However a quick workaround to fix this problem is to remove the constraint between A4 and Duplex and the create Print queue using that. However doing that there will be a small alignment diffrence in first and 2nd page top margin (Because Application selects margins of A4 which is slightly diffrent in case of Duplex job) I am attaching the modified PPD (hp-officejet_pro_8610.ppd.gz) here. Please create a new print queue using this PPD. Here are the recomended steps.
1) Run hp-setup command
2) Select USB or Nw and press Next.
3) Provided the location of the PPD which is attached in this bug report next to PPD File: entry.
4) Finish Queue setup
5) Open the document to be printed in Libre office
6) Go to file printer settings and set Page Size = A4.Duplex , Duplex=Long or Short Edge and Device/Duplexer = Installed
7) Go to file print and make sure that above options are set. If not then set them again.
8) Try printing now.

Please let me know if this does not solve the problem.

Thanks,
Sanjay

.

..

Hi Sanjay
you said:
=====================
the modified PPD (hp-officejet_pro_8610.ppd.gz) here. Please create a new print queue using this PPD. Here are the recomended steps.
1) Run hp-setup command
2) Select USB or Nw and press Next.
3) Provided the location of the PPD which is attached in this bug report next to PPD File: entry.
4) Finish Queue setup
5) Open the document to be printed in Libre office
6) Go to file printer settings and set Page Size = A4.Duplex , Duplex=Long or Short Edge and Device/Duplexer = Installed
7) Go to file print and make sure that above options are set. If not then set them again.
8) Try printing now.
=====================

I am delighted to say that your fix allows double side printing from my libre Office, thank you!

Some notes here:
1) above: Using a terminal, I was only able to choose ppd file after using sudo hp-setup, may be obvious but not to me :-) - gui facility appeared ok, I might have needed to choose the Advanced settings button also not sure.

My Ubuntu
Printer Properties
now describes the printer as
HP_Officejet_Pro_8610 (also FAX is installed it seems)

I think I restarted the PC before the final test, may be relevant (?)

I also looked again at http://localhost:631/printers/HP_Officejet_Pro_8610 (using firefox) and set defaults as
+++++
Description: HP Officejet Pro 8610, hpcups 3.14.7
Location:
Driver: HP Officejet Pro 8610, hpcups 3.14.7 (color, 2-sided printing)
Connection: hp:/net/HP_Officejet_Pro_8610?ip=192.168.1.124
Defaults: job-sheets=none, none media=unknown sides=two-sided-long-edge
+++++
as you can see, two-sided-long-edge shows duplexer installed and acepted here ok.

For actions 6) and 7) - you may have expected this not sure:
Although I chose PaperSize as 'A4 AutoDuplex', and in this particular document case, Orientation: Landscape, Duplex: Short edge(flip)
then when I closed the window and then looked again, the paper size was not still 'A4Autoduplex', but indicated 'A4' - meaning that the indication had not persisted with A4 AutoDuplex:
HOWEVER, Duplex:Short edge(flip) WAS still persisting showing ok :-)
and the document printer DUPLEX CORRECTLY :-)

I noted here that the localhost:631 as above defaults, had been correctly over-ridden by the individual case of specific document settings ok: long edge > short edge flip etc.

So, conclusion can be that your modified ppd file as comment #12 works for this.
Again Thank You Sanjay.

I have also encountered this situation. I have not yet tried the fix that is suggested, however, I have noticed that on Ubuntu 12.04 I cannot print double-sided using either LibreOffice or evince. However, acroread allows such printing ... and it is successful.

My wife, using a MacBook Air, and running MSWord (!), has the same problem as me ... also solved by converting to PDF on printing with Adobe.

So .. I'm suspecting the ppd file ... but I have yet to verify that they are the same on my Ubuntu machine and on the Mac.

Hope this helps ... will update as I have time to do so.

dikH

I have just tried to print duplex in libreoffice on my new HP Officejet 8610 and confirm the issue - it just seems to ignore the printing settings (Paper type - a4autoduplex, duplex- long edge) - it prints in 2 separate pages.

I tried the same settings in Evince (PDF) and I was able to print on both sides.

Does anyone know the status of this issue? It would also be interesting to add the link to the upload bug report on libreoffice.

Also, I've gotten the information that the issue within libreoffice is not only in Ubuntu but also in Windows.

I had the same problem with my HP OfficeJet Pro 8620 and could solve it thanks to the replies above.

I'm attaching a modified PPD-file for the 8620 that enables Duplex printing (I took the original PPD and removed the constraints concerning Duplex).

@Jens - Did you try to print duplex within libreoffice successfully with that ppd?

@mmalmeida: Yes, I successfully tried duplex printing with the provided ppd file and my 8620 within LibreOffice.

I am having an issue with duplex printing with my Brother MFC-J4610DW. The option for two sided printing is there just greyed out. If I try to change anything in print properties everything reverts back to original settings.
Screenshot added