dennis_burns
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Mac OSX: HP InkJet 2230: 'PRINTING' LED keeps blinking after job printed
I have an HP Business Inkjet that I have been using for a long time on a Windows machine. About a year ago we got an iMac w/ OSX/Lepoard, and for about 8 months this printer worked fine w/ the iMac. The printer now does not seems to ever receive 'end-of-job' signal. I can send a job to the printer, the job prints, but then instead of going back into 'ready' mode, the LCD display says 'printing', and the green LED flashes about 1X / second, and keeps flashing.
I've been working on, researching, and googling this issue for several months now, and have tried many fixes, all to no avail.
I was originally connected using a parallel cable connected to an external HP JetDirect 300x, doing IP printing - printing successfully until the problem started. At that point I started changing the configuration of the printer to see if any of my changes would improve the situation. I am now using an internal 615n JetDirect - no change in the issue. I have tried IP printing to the JetDirect, have tried all printer drivers I can find, have tried resetting the printer to defaults, have set the I/O timeout to the max value (300 seconds).
I set up a Fedora-based Samba file and print server, installed the printer on that server, but I still have the same problem when printing to that printer from my iMac.
Once the print job finishes, the only way I have found to get the printer to 'ready' itself for another print job is to Power it down, and then restart it. Then I can print a new job.
Is there any way I can manually send an 'end-of-job' message to this printer after print jobs without having to restart it?
I noticed in the manual for this printer, that HP states that in order to use it w/ Unix or w/ Mac, that you must have both the internal NIC (which I have) AND the PS/PCL emulation/personality card (which I don't have). The odd thing is that I was using it successfully on the iMac for several months without problems.
This printer works fine when printing from Windows, and I think it usually prints fine when printing from the Fedora box, but on this point I am not absolutely sure. . . . . . that setup is still relatively new, and I'm still testing it/tweaking it out.
I like this printer a lot - it has 4 separate print heads and 4 separate ink tanks. It is fast, and quality isn't bad. All this even though it is an older printer; I really try and squeeze all of the life I can out of printers.
If I had a good idea that it would work well if I added the PS/PCL emulation card, I'd consider doing that (even though they aren't cheap). I'd like to get this printer set up so it works consistently and easily on my home network. Kids and family use our home computers and printers all the time, and they just want it to work without having to do a bunch of rituals and routines.
Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I've been working on, researching, and googling this issue for several months now, and have tried many fixes, all to no avail.
I was originally connected using a parallel cable connected to an external HP JetDirect 300x, doing IP printing - printing successfully until the problem started. At that point I started changing the configuration of the printer to see if any of my changes would improve the situation. I am now using an internal 615n JetDirect - no change in the issue. I have tried IP printing to the JetDirect, have tried all printer drivers I can find, have tried resetting the printer to defaults, have set the I/O timeout to the max value (300 seconds).
I set up a Fedora-based Samba file and print server, installed the printer on that server, but I still have the same problem when printing to that printer from my iMac.
Once the print job finishes, the only way I have found to get the printer to 'ready' itself for another print job is to Power it down, and then restart it. Then I can print a new job.
Is there any way I can manually send an 'end-of-job' message to this printer after print jobs without having to restart it?
I noticed in the manual for this printer, that HP states that in order to use it w/ Unix or w/ Mac, that you must have both the internal NIC (which I have) AND the PS/PCL emulation/personality card (which I don't have). The odd thing is that I was using it successfully on the iMac for several months without problems.
This printer works fine when printing from Windows, and I think it usually prints fine when printing from the Fedora box, but on this point I am not absolutely sure. . . . . . that setup is still relatively new, and I'm still testing it/tweaking it out.
I like this printer a lot - it has 4 separate print heads and 4 separate ink tanks. It is fast, and quality isn't bad. All this even though it is an older printer; I really try and squeeze all of the life I can out of printers.
If I had a good idea that it would work well if I added the PS/PCL emulation card, I'd consider doing that (even though they aren't cheap). I'd like to get this printer set up so it works consistently and easily on my home network. Kids and family use our home computers and printers all the time, and they just want it to work without having to do a bunch of rituals and routines.
Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
ASKER
Yes, jhyiesla
I know just what you are saying. HP's inkjets aren't what they used to be. . . in fact, IMHO, neither are their laserjets, nor is their service. You have verified what I have researched out over the last few months as well.
I am hoping that someone will read this question who has experience with the PCL/PS emulation card - I have a source on purchasing one for this printer, but it is about $100, and if it doesn't work, well that is just throwing good money after bad. . . . . Of course, if it worked, it'd be worth it to me. . . .
It was interesting for me to read in your post that you did not find a CUPS driver, I have tried a couple of different drivers, that CUPS recognizes, both on my Fedora box and on my iMac. There's both the foomatic and the gutenprint for the 2230.
It prints so well on the Windows side. . . . and I have a bunch of ink tanks. . . . .
I know just what you are saying. HP's inkjets aren't what they used to be. . . in fact, IMHO, neither are their laserjets, nor is their service. You have verified what I have researched out over the last few months as well.
I am hoping that someone will read this question who has experience with the PCL/PS emulation card - I have a source on purchasing one for this printer, but it is about $100, and if it doesn't work, well that is just throwing good money after bad. . . . . Of course, if it worked, it'd be worth it to me. . . .
It was interesting for me to read in your post that you did not find a CUPS driver, I have tried a couple of different drivers, that CUPS recognizes, both on my Fedora box and on my iMac. There's both the foomatic and the gutenprint for the 2230.
It prints so well on the Windows side. . . . and I have a bunch of ink tanks. . . . .
ASKER
All right. Since CUPS has a PS driver for the 2280, I think I may just go ahead and try the PS/PCL emulation card. I think the the only difference between the 2230 and the 2280 is some PC100 RAM and the PCL/PS emulation card.
Wonder if the CUPS driver for the 2280 is robust.
Wonder if the CUPS driver for the 2280 is robust.
Don't know... give it a shot. It really depends on,as you say, how robust the driver is or more to the point, how full-featured it is. I've had "success" in using drivers that weren't quite the right driver, but usually ended up with something not working right when the page gets rendered.
Question... when you first set up the iMac and it was working with the printer, what driver did you use?
Question... when you first set up the iMac and it was working with the printer, what driver did you use?
ASKER
Last night I tried the CUPS 2380 driver, just for grins . . . . printer didn't respond at all when a print job was sent to it - I knew it was a long shot, this is still a 2230 and NOT a 2380 (at least until I get the emulation card ordered and installed).
I think I was using the gutenprint in the beginning. It did not print graphics very well, so then I started using the foomatic - at the time I was doing straight IP printing - had a multiple port JetDirect 300, w/ an HP3310 MFP on port 1, and this 2230 on port 2. It was soon after that the printer started not finishing jobs - it would print the whole job but then not ready itself for the next job. Switching back to the other driver (gutenprint) didn't help. I was (and am) hoping it is not the formatter board in the printer. I decided to try an internal Jet Direct (a 615n), and when that didn't help I moved on to trying Samba on a dedicated Fedora file and print server.
Now I'm pretty convinced it is the driver on the mac side; have seen no problems printing to it using Windows.
I think I was using the gutenprint in the beginning. It did not print graphics very well, so then I started using the foomatic - at the time I was doing straight IP printing - had a multiple port JetDirect 300, w/ an HP3310 MFP on port 1, and this 2230 on port 2. It was soon after that the printer started not finishing jobs - it would print the whole job but then not ready itself for the next job. Switching back to the other driver (gutenprint) didn't help. I was (and am) hoping it is not the formatter board in the printer. I decided to try an internal Jet Direct (a 615n), and when that didn't help I moved on to trying Samba on a dedicated Fedora file and print server.
Now I'm pretty convinced it is the driver on the mac side; have seen no problems printing to it using Windows.
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ASKER
Well, I 'bit the bullet' today and ordered the PCL/PS personality/emulation card. When it comes in a few days, I'll test it out on the mac w/ the 2280 drivers. Yes, I obviously like this printer. I hope this isn't throwing $$ away.
ASKER
All right. Thanks for the conversation about this. The 'personality' card works great. With it I can probably get another year or two out of these printers. (I have a 2230 and a 2200). The drivers do seem to work better, but I have found that if I had set it up differently from the beginning it may have worked anyway. On the Mac, I had the choice between IP printing and lpr printing. One thing I did not try was LPR printing, and that seems to work much better. Turns out that even with the new PS/PCL card, the printer exhibits the same problem (never 'finishing' the print job / flashing 'printing' LED), but by specifying the lpr driver that problem goes away.
By using the PCL/PS card, I'm able to successfully use the 2280 driver (in efect by adding the PS/PCL card I have upgraded the printer to a 2280.
Thanks again.
By using the PCL/PS card, I'm able to successfully use the 2280 driver (in efect by adding the PS/PCL card I have upgraded the printer to a 2280.
Thanks again.
ASKER
Thanks for the conversation about this.
My best suggestion at this point is to keep this printer for your Windows machines and purchase a new Canon or Epson printer for the Mac. I really like HP laser printers, but over the years have become more disenchanted with the HP line of inkjet printers. At home I have an Epson AIO device as well as a Canon inkjet printer and I find them both to work well with PCs and with Macs and give good quality.