LaserJet Pro MFP M125nw print resolution problem: SOLVED

Hello,

I just installed a LaserJet MFP M125nw onto my Ubuntu 16.04 machine (a Raspberry Pi3 -- perhaps the problem?).

The printer prints, the scanner scans, everything seems to work; however, the print quality is poor, as if the printer is set to low-quality, low-resolution economy mode. (it's not -- I have it set to fastres 1200 and economode OFF). In fact, changing the printer settings (from Fastres600 to Fastres1200, or EconoMode on/off) doesn't change the output at all.

Test pages printed directly from the printer's command screen are perfect. So it appears that the problem is on the computer side, not the printer.

I've included the "hp-check -t" output below. Any help would be appreciated!

*******UPDATE: I found a solution! I went back to older versions of hplip, and tried a few. Version 3.15.4 worked. (I downloaded hplip-3.15.4 from the "older versions" page and ran it -- it uninstalls the previous version. Be careful not to click yes to "install latest version of hplip.") The printer now works and with the correct resolution. I still don't know if the original problem is with the latest hplip or with some conflict with Mate 16.04, but 3.15.4 works.

I hope that helps someone else out there!

*******

HP Linux Imaging and Printing System (ver. 3.16.5)
Dependency/Version Check Utility ver. 15.1

Copyright (c) 2001-15 HP 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).

Check types:
a. EXTERNALDEP - External Dependencies
b. GENERALDEP - General Dependencies (required both at compile and run time)
c. COMPILEDEP - Compile time Dependencies
d. [All are run-time checks]
PYEXT SCANCONF QUEUES PERMISSION

Status Types:
    OK
    MISSING - Missing Dependency or Permission or Plug-in
    INCOMPAT - Incompatible dependency-version or Plugin-version

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

 Kernel: 4.1.19-v7+ #858 SMP Tue Mar 15 15:56:00 GMT 2016 GNU/Linux
 Host: gt-desktop
 Proc: 4.1.19-v7+ #858 SMP Tue Mar 15 15:56:00 GMT 2016 GNU/Linux
 Distribution: 12 16.04
 Bitness: 32 bit

-----------------------
| HPLIP CONFIGURATION |
-----------------------

HPLIP-Version: HPLIP 3.16.5
HPLIP-Home: /usr/share/hplip
HPLIP-Installation: Auto installation is supported for ubuntu distro 16.04 version

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

[hplip]
version=3.16.5

[dirs]
home=/usr/share/hplip
run=/var/run
ppd=/usr/share/ppd/HP
ppdbase=/usr/share/ppd
doc=/usr/share/doc/hplip-3.16.5
html=/usr/share/doc/hplip-3.16.5
icon=/usr/share/applications
cupsbackend=/usr/lib/cups/backend
cupsfilter=/usr/lib/cups/filter
drv=/usr/share/cups/drv/hp
bin=/usr/bin
apparmor=/etc/apparmor.d
# Following values are determined at configure time and cannot be changed.
[configure]
network-build=yes
libusb01-build=no
pp-build=no
gui-build=yes
scanner-build=yes
fax-build=yes
dbus-build=yes
cups11-build=no
doc-build=yes
shadow-build=no
hpijs-install=no
foomatic-drv-install=no
foomatic-ppd-install=no
foomatic-rip-hplip-install=no
hpcups-install=yes
cups-drv-install=yes
cups-ppd-install=no
internal-tag=3.16.5
restricted-build=no
ui-toolkit=qt4
qt3=no
qt4=yes
qt5=no
policy-kit=no
lite-build=no
udev_sysfs_rules=no
hpcups-only-build=no
hpijs-only-build=no
apparmor_build=yes

Current contents of '/var/lib/hp/hplip.state' file:
[plugin]
installed = 1
eula = 1
version = 3.16.5

Current contents of '~/.hplip/hplip.conf' file:
[upgrade]
notify_upgrade = true
last_upgraded_time = 1462859270
pending_upgrade_time = 0
latest_available_version = 3.16.5

[settings]
systray_visible = 0
systray_messages = 0

[last_used]
device_uri = "hp:/usb/HP_LaserJet_Pro_MFP_M125nw?serial=CNB8J3Z77R"
printer_name = HP_LaserJet_Pro_MFP_M125nw
working_dir = .

[commands]
scan = /usr/bin/xsane -V %SANE_URI%

[refresh]
rate = 30
enable = false
type = 1

[polling]
enable = false
interval = 5
device_list =

[fax]
voice_phone =
email_address =

[installation]
date_time = 05/11/2016 17:00:46
version = 3.16.5

 <Package-name> <Package-Desc> <Required/Optional> <Min-Version> <Installed-Version> <Status> <Comment>

--------------
| COMPILEDEP |
--------------

 gcc gcc - GNU Project C and C++ Compiler REQUIRED - 5.3.1 OK -
 make make - GNU make utility to maintain groups of programs REQUIRED 3.0 4.1 OK -
 libtool libtool - Library building support services REQUIRED - 2.4.6 OK -

------------------------
| General Dependencies |
------------------------

 libcrypto libcrypto - OpenSSL cryptographic library REQUIRED - 1.0.2 OK -
 python-xml Python XML libraries REQUIRED - 2.1.0 OK -
 libnetsnmp-devel libnetsnmp-devel - SNMP networking library development files REQUIRED 5.0.9 5.7.3 OK -
 sane-devel SANE - Scanning library development files REQUIRED - 1.0.25 OK -
 pil PIL - Python Imaging Library (required for commandline scanning with hp-scan) OPTIONAL - 1.1.7 OK -
 pyqt4-dbus PyQt 4 DBus - DBus Support for PyQt4 REQUIRED 4.0 4.11.4 OK -
 libpthread libpthread - POSIX threads library REQUIRED - 2.23 OK -
 python-devel Python devel - Python development files REQUIRED 2.2 2.7.11 OK -
 cups-devel CUPS devel- Common Unix Printing System development files REQUIRED - 2.1.3 OK -
 python-dbus Python DBus - Python bindings for DBus REQUIRED 0.80.0 1.2.0 OK -
 cups-ddk CUPS DDK - CUPS driver development kit OPTIONAL - - OK -
 reportlab Reportlab - PDF library for Python OPTIONAL 2.0 3.3.0 OK -
 pyqt4 PyQt 4- Qt interface for Python (for Qt version 4.x) REQUIRED 4.0 4.11.4 OK -
 libusb libusb - USB library REQUIRED - 1.0 OK -
 cups-image CUPS image - CUPS image development files REQUIRED - 2.1.3 OK -
 python2X Python 2.2 or greater - Python programming language REQUIRED 2.2 2.7.11 OK -
 python-notify Python libnotify - Python bindings for the libnotify Desktop notifications OPTIONAL - - OK -
 libjpeg libjpeg - JPEG library REQUIRED - - OK -
 sane SANE - Scanning library REQUIRED - 1.0.25 OK -

----------------------
| Scan Configuration |
----------------------

 scanext Scan-SANE-Extension REQUIRED - 3.16.5 OK -
 hpaio HPLIP-SANE-Backend REQUIRED - 3.16.5 OK 'hpaio found in /etc/sane.d/dll.conf'

-------------------------
| External Dependencies |
-------------------------

 gs GhostScript - PostScript and PDF language interpreter and previewer REQUIRED 7.05 9.18 OK -
 cups CUPS - Common Unix Printing System REQUIRED 1.1 2.1.3 OK 'CUPS Scheduler is running'
 network network -wget OPTIONAL - 1.17.1 OK -
 scanimage scanimage - Shell scanning program OPTIONAL 1.0 1.0.25 OK -
 policykit PolicyKit - Administrative policy framework OPTIONAL - 0.105 OK -
 xsane xsane - Graphical scanner frontend for SANE OPTIONAL 0.9 0.999 OK -
 dbus DBus - Message bus system REQUIRED - 1.10.6 OK -
 avahi-utils avahi-utils OPTIONAL - 0.6.32 OK -

---------------------
| Python Extentions |
---------------------

 hpmudext IO-Extension REQUIRED - 3.16.5 OK -
 cupsext CUPS-Extension REQUIRED - 3.16.5 OK -

------------------------------
| DISCOVERED SCANNER DEVICES |
------------------------------

device `hpaio:/usb/HP_LaserJet_Pro_MFP_M125nw?serial=CNB8J3Z77R' is a Hewlett-Packard HP_LaserJet_Pro_MFP_M125nw all-in-one

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

  Device URI Model
  -------------------------------- --------------------------
  hp:/usb/HP_LaserJet_Pro_MFP_M125 HP LaserJet Pro MFP M125nw
  nw?serial=CNB8J3Z77R

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

HP_LaserJet_Pro_MFP_M125nw
--------------------------
Type: Printer
Device URI: hp:/usb/HP_LaserJet_Pro_MFP_M125nw?serial=CNB8J3Z77R
PPD: /etc/cups/ppd/HP_LaserJet_Pro_MFP_M125nw.ppd
PPD Description: HP LaserJet Pro MFP m125nw, hpcups 3.16.3, requires proprietary plugin
Printer status: printer HP_LaserJet_Pro_MFP_M125nw is idle. enabled since Mon 09 May 2016 09:50:01 PM PDT
Required plug-in status: Installed
Communication status: Good

--------------
| PERMISSION |
--------------

USB HP_LaserJet_Pro_MFP_M125nw Required - - OK Node:'/dev/bus/usb/001/004' Perm:' root lp rw- rw- rw- rw- r--'
No errors or warnings.

Done.