bad photo quality

Asked by Vangelis

SETUP : Ubuntu 8.04 (kernel 2.6.24-18-generic) - Printer HP C5280 - (Attaching the output of hp-check -t)
PROBLEM : Photo quality on the Photo Paper is awful, even though I have all the settings e.g 1200dpi and photo paper. If I print the same pic from windows the quality is excelent. Would appreciate your help.

HP Linux Imaging and Printing System (ver. 2.8.5)
Dependency/Version Check Utility ver. 14.0

Copyright (c) 2001-8 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, LP
This software comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
This is free software, and you are welcome to distribute it
under certain conditions. See COPYING file for more details.

Note: hp-check can be run in three modes:
1. Compile-time check mode (-c or --compile): Use this mode before compiling the
HPLIP supplied tarball (.tar.gz or .run) to determine if the proper dependencies
are installed to successfully compile HPLIP.
2. Run-time check mode (-r or --run): Use this mode to determine if a distro
supplied package (.deb, .rpm, etc) or an already built HPLIP supplied tarball
has the proper dependencies installed to successfully run.
3. Both compile- and run-time check mode (-b or --both) (Default): This mode
will check both of the above cases (both compile- and run-time dependencies).

Saving output in log file: hp-check.log

Initializing. Please wait...

---------------
| SYSTEM INFO |
---------------

Basic system information:
Linux vang-ubuntu 2.6.24-18-generic #1 SMP Wed May 28 20:27:26 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux

Distribution:
ubuntu 8.04

HPOJ running?
No, HPOJ is not running (OK).

Checking Python version...
OK, version 2.5.2 installed

Checking PyQt version...
OK, version 3.17 installed.

Checking SIP version...
error: SIP not installed or version not found.

Checking for CUPS...
Status: scheduler is running
Version: 1.3.7
error_log is set to level: warn
note: For troubleshooting printing issues, it is best to have the CUPS 'LogLevel'
note: set to 'debug'. To set the LogLevel to debug, edit the file /etc/cups/cupsd.conf (as root),
note: and change the line near the top of the file that begins with 'LogLevel' to read:
note: LogLevel debug
note: Save the file and then restart CUPS (see your OS/distro docs on how to restart CUPS).
note: Now, when you print, helpful debug information will be saved to the file:
note: /var/log/cups/error_log
note: You can monitor this file by running this command in a console/shell:
note: tail -f /var/log/cups/error_log

Checking for dbus/python-dbus...
dbus daemon is running.
python-dbus version: 0.82.4

------------------------------------
| COMPILE AND RUNTIME DEPENDENCIES |
------------------------------------

note: To check for compile-time only dependencies, re-run hp-check with the -c parameter (ie, hp-check -c).
note: To check for run-time only dependencies, re-run hp-check with the -r parameter (ie, hp-check -r).

Checking for dependency: cups - Common Unix Printing System...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: cups-ddk - CUPS driver development kit...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: cups-devel- Common Unix Printing System development files...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: dbus - Message bus system...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: gcc - GNU Project C and C++ Compiler...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: GhostScript - PostScript and PDF language interpreter and previewer...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: libcrypto - OpenSSL cryptographic library...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: libjpeg - JPEG library...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: libnetsnmp-devel - SNMP networking library development files...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: libpthread - POSIX threads library...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: libtool - Library building support services...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: libusb - USB library...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: make - GNU make utility to maintain groups of programs...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: PIL - Python Imaging Library (required for commandline scanning with hp-scan)...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: ppdev - Parallel port support kernel module....
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: PyQt - Qt interface for Python...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: python-ctypes - A foreign function library for Python...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: python-dbus - Python bindings for dbus...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: python-devel - Python development files...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: Python 2.3 or greater - Required for fax functionality...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: Python 2.2 or greater - Python programming language...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: Reportlab - PDF library for Python...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: SANE - Scanning library...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: SANE - Scanning library development files...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: scanimage - Shell scanning program...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: xsane - Graphical scanner frontend for SANE...
OK, found.

----------------------
| HPLIP INSTALLATION |
----------------------

Currently installed HPLIP version...
HPLIP 2.8.5 currently installed in '/usr/share/hplip'.

Current contents of '/etc/hp/hplip.conf' file:
# hplip.conf. Generated from hplip.conf.in by configure.

[hpssd]
# Note: hpssd does not support dynamic ports
# Port 2207 is the IANA assigned port for hpssd
port=2207

[hplip]
version=2.8.5

[dirs]
home=/usr/share/hplip
run=/var/run
ppd=/usr/share/ppd/hpijs/HP
ppdbase=/usr/share/ppd/hpijs
doc=/usr/share/doc/hplip-2.8.5
icon=/usr/share/applications
cupsbackend=/usr/lib/cups/backend
cupsfilter=/usr/lib/cups/filter
drv=/usr/share/cups/drv/hp/

# Following values are determined at configure time and cannot be changed.
[configure]
network-build=yes
pp-build=no
gui-build=yes
scanner-build=yes
fax-build=yes
dbus-build=yes
cups11-build=no
doc-build=yes
shadow-build=no
foomatic-drv-install=yes
foomatic-ppd-install=no
foomatic-rip-hplip-install=yes
internal-tag=2.8.5.23

--------------------------
| DISCOVERED USB DEVICES |
--------------------------

  Device URI Model
  -------------------------------- --------------------------
  hp:/usb/Photosmart_C5200_series? HP Photosmart C5200 series
  serial=MY7BUFF0350559

---------------------------------
| INSTALLED CUPS PRINTER QUEUES |
---------------------------------

PDF
---
Type: Unknown
Installed in HPLIP?: No, not using the hp: or hpfax: CUPS backend.
Device URI: cups-pdf:/
PPD: /etc/cups/ppd/PDF.ppd
PPD Description: Generic PDF file generator
Printer status: printer PDF is idle. enabled since Sat 26 Apr 2008 06:57:13 PM EEST
warning: Printer is not HPLIP installed. Printers must use the hp: or hpfax: CUPS backend to function in HPLIP.
Photosmart_C5200
----------------
Type: Printer
Installed in HPLIP?: Yes, using the hp: CUPS backend.
Device URI: hp:/usb/Photosmart_C5200_series?serial=MY7BUFF0350559
PPD: /etc/cups/ppd/Photosmart_C5200.ppd
PPD Description: HP PhotoSmart C5200 Foomatic/hpijs, hpijs 2.8.5
Printer status: printer Photosmart_C5200 is idle. enabled since Fri 06 Jun 2008 08:55:43 PM EEST
Communication status: Good

----------------------
| SANE CONFIGURATION |
----------------------

'hpaio' in '/etc/sane.d/dll.conf'...
OK, found. SANE backend 'hpaio' is properly set up.

Checking output of 'scanimage -L'...
device `hpaio:/usb/Photosmart_C5200_series?serial=MY7BUFF0350559' is a Hewlett-Packard Photosmart_C5200_series all-in-one
device `v4l:/dev/video0' is a Noname BT878 video (Hauppauge (bt878)) virtual device

---------------------
| PYTHON EXTENSIONS |
---------------------

Checking 'cupsext' CUPS extension...
OK, found.

Checking 'pcardext' Photocard extension...
OK, found.

Checking 'hpmudext' I/O extension...
OK, found.

Checking 'scanext' SANE scanning extension...
OK, found.

-----------------
| USB I/O SETUP |
-----------------

Checking for permissions of USB attached printers...

HP Device 0x5d11 at 005:007:
    Device URI: hp:/usb/Photosmart_C5200_series?serial=MY7BUFF0350559
    Device node: /dev/bus/usb/005/007
    Mode: 0666
getfacl: Removing leading '/' from absolute path names
# file: dev/bus/usb/005/007
# owner: root
# group: lp
user::rw-
user:vang:rw-
group::rw-
mask::rw-
other::rw-

-----------
| SUMMARY |
-----------

error: 2 errors and/or warnings.

Question information

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Status:
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For:
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Revision history for this message
Aaron Albright (albrigha-deactivatedaccount) said :
#1

Everything looks okay. Can you scan the output and email it to me? <email address hidden>

Thanks.

A

Revision history for this message
Vangelis (vangs-a) said :
#2

Photo send..Any conclusions Aaron?

Revision history for this message
Aaron Albright (albrigha-deactivatedaccount) said :
#3

I've looked through my email and I don't see it. Can you resend? Sorry!

A

Revision history for this message
Vangelis (vangs-a) said :
#4

Sure, I have send it again.

Revision history for this message
Aaron Albright (albrigha-deactivatedaccount) said :
#5

Thanks I got it.

I do see some banding in the images. Have you tried doing a clean, align and color calibration?

You can access these tools from hp-toolbox.

Thanks!

A

Revision history for this message
Vangelis (vangs-a) said :
#6

YEs done that....if I print from windows it prints excellent quality

Revision history for this message
Vangelis (vangs-a) said :
#7

Hi Aaron,

I took my printer to another Ubuntu machine, same version as mine, and it prints fine on that machine. So, my guess is a driver conflict, or a usb misconfiguration. Any ideas?

Revision history for this message
John Hosszu (john-hosszu) said :
#8

Is there anything different between the two places you sent the printer up? Cables, tables etc?

Revision history for this message
Vangelis (vangs-a) said :
#9

I even took the same usb cable with me. What do you mean by table????????

Revision history for this message
John Hosszu (john-hosszu) said :
#10

what ever you set the printer on while it prints...sometimes excessive shaking if the work surface is moving can mess up the print out.

Could you run an

$ hp-check -t

on the 'working' machine and post back the output.

Thanks

jh

Revision history for this message
Vangelis (vangs-a) said :
#11

Cannot do that, I had to move the printer to other premises for printing. In any case, from windows it prints fine from Ubuntu it does not.
If you have any other kind of tracing in your library to identify a problem, or what is send to the printer, will be happy to enable them, otherwise close the issue!.

Revision history for this message
John Hosszu (john-hosszu) said :
#12

closing.