Printer doesn't work on PDFs ?

[GregM]

I am using a
Hewlett-Packard HP LaserJet Professional M1212nf MFP
hooked to my network.
On most things it works fine but on PDF files it's a mess.
On each attempt I get at least one page of what looks like some kind of huge digital field or something. The page is just filled with ink and there are no pictures or letters.

Suggestions?

G

PS
I am using Okular and Evince

[Snowhog]

Do these affected .pdf files display properly in both applications?

[GregM]

Yes they look just fine.
What I have been doing is to use Ksnapshot to take a jpg of the page and then print that.
Not the easiest of techniques.

[Snowhog]

What driver are you using?

[GregM]

Hewlett-Packard HP LaserJet Professional M1212nf MFP Foomatic/foo2xqx

[Snowhog]

Do you have the hplip package installed?

[GregM]

Not sure.
How can I tell?

[Snowhog]

Just try to install it: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install hplip

If it’s already installed; and up to date; you’ll be told as much. If it isn’t installed, it will install.

[GregM]

I did the sudo apt-get install hplip
and this is what I got...

greg@greg-System-Product-Name:~$ sudo apt-get install hplip
[sudo] password for greg:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
hplip is already the newest version (3.16.3+repack0-1).
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
bbswitch-dkms dkms libjansson4 libkwineffects8 libkwinglutils8 libkwinxrenderutils8 libqt5qml-graphicaleffects libxnvctrl0
linux-headers-4.4.0-21 linux-headers-4.4.0-21-generic linux-headers-4.4.0-38 linux-headers-4.4.0-38-generic linux-headers-4.4.0-78
linux-headers-4.4.0-78-generic linux-headers-4.4.0-79 linux-headers-4.4.0-79-generic linux-headers-4.4.0-81
linux-headers-4.4.0-81-generic linux-headers-4.4.0-83 linux-headers-4.4.0-83-generic linux-headers-4.4.0-87
linux-headers-4.4.0-87-generic linux-headers-4.4.0-89 linux-headers-4.4.0-89-generic linux-headers-4.4.0-91
linux-headers-4.4.0-91-generic linux-headers-4.4.0-92 linux-headers-4.4.0-92-generic linux-headers-4.4.0-93
linux-headers-4.4.0-93-generic linux-headers-4.4.0-96 linux-headers-4.4.0-96-generic linux-image-4.4.0-21-generic
linux-image-4.4.0-38-generic linux-image-4.4.0-78-generic linux-image-4.4.0-79-generic linux-image-4.4.0-81-generic
linux-image-4.4.0-83-generic linux-image-4.4.0-87-generic linux-image-4.4.0-89-generic linux-image-4.4.0-91-generic
linux-image-4.4.0-92-generic linux-image-4.4.0-93-generic linux-image-4.4.0-96-generic linux-image-extra-4.4.0-21-generic
linux-image-extra-4.4.0-38-generic linux-image-extra-4.4.0-78-generic linux-image-extra-4.4.0-79-generic
linux-image-extra-4.4.0-81-generic linux-image-extra-4.4.0-83-generic linux-image-extra-4.4.0-87-generic
linux-image-extra-4.4.0-89-generic linux-image-extra-4.4.0-91-generic linux-image-extra-4.4.0-92-generic
linux-image-extra-4.4.0-93-generic linux-image-extra-4.4.0-96-generic oxygen5-icon-theme qtdeclarative5-xmllistmodel-plugin
screen-resolution-extra snap-confine
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 400 not upgraded.
greg@greg-System-Product-Name:~$

[Snowhog]

So already installed and ‘up to date’.

Is the printing issue on ‘every .pdf file’, or just on ‘certain .pdf files’? Specifically, where were the affected .pdf files obtained from? Are they ‘fillable’ .pdf files?

[GregM]

Not every (as I recall) pdf file screws up, some actually print the pages correctly but add a screwy page as described above.
It's only pdf files that it does this. Everything else works fine.
The most recent is from WA St Ferries with reservations for a ferry ride. (last night)
Not sure what a ‘fillable’ .pdf file is, but if it is blanks that can be filled in, no.

[chimak111]

...
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 400 not upgraded.
greg@greg-System-Product-Name:~$

You should look at why you're seeing "400 not upgraded" ASAP. Don't you update your system regularly?

[GregM]

I do (I think)
I use the sudo apt-get update quite frequently

[chimak111]

I do (I think)
I use the sudo apt-get update quite frequently

But you need to follow that up each time with at least

sudo apt-get upgrade

I prefer

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

[oshunluvr]

If it were my system, I'd never run "apt-get upgrade", I'd always do "apt-get dist-upgrade". Since 2014, you can use "apt" instead of "apt-get" if you wish. "apt" has a couple more features. I do "sudo apt update; sudo apt list --upgradable" which shows you what needs upgrading. If satisfied with what you see, then do "sudo apt full-upgrade".

I'd also not muck about with anything else until you do the full upgrade and then clean off all that cruft (sudo apt-get autoremove) before I do much else.