Grey Scale printing problem

[David Vincent-Jones]

Trying to print using only grey scale.
B8850 Photosmart with Ubuntu 9.10

With 600 dpi grey scale the output is 'terrible' with 12 distinct bands over 11" paper width. However it does appear to be correctly using the black/grey cartridges. Output is also rather dark but maybe that could be adjusted.

If I go to to use the 1200 dpi it would appear that normal color printing is taking place even if the 'Printout Mode' is set for "High Quality Greyscale". Loss (total) of grey tones.

Following is HPLIP report:
---------------
| SYSTEM INFO |
---------------

Basic system information:
Linux david-laptop 2.6.31-19-generic #56-Ubuntu SMP Thu Jan 28 01:26:53 UTC 2010 i686 GNU/Linux

Distribution:
ubuntu 9.10

Checking Python version...
OK, version 2.6.4 installed

Checking PyQt 4.x version...
OK, version 4.6 installed.

Checking for CUPS...
Status: scheduler is running
Version: 1.4.1
error_log is set to level: warn

Checking for dbus/python-dbus...
dbus daemon is running.
python-dbus version: 0.83.0

------------------------------------
| 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 devel- Common Unix Printing System development files...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: CUPS image - CUPS image 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: PolicyKit - Administrative policy framework...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: PyQt 4 DBus - DBus Support for PyQt4...
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 libnotify - Python bindings for the libnotify Desktop notifications...
OK, found.

Checking for dependency: Python XML libraries...
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 3.9.12 currently installed in '/usr/share/hplip'.

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

[hplip]
version=3.9.12

[dirs]
home=/usr/share/hplip
run=/var/run
ppd=/usr/share/ppd/hplip/HP
ppdbase=/usr/share/ppd/hplip
doc=/usr/share/doc/hplip-3.9.12
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
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=3.9.12.29
restricted-build=no
ui-toolkit=qt4
qt3=no
qt4=yes
policy-kit=yes
hpijs-only-build=no
lite-build=no
udev-acl-rules=yes
hpcups-only-build=no
hpijs-only-build=no

Current contents of '/var/lib/hp/hplip.state' file:
# hplip.state - HPLIP runtime persistent variables.

[plugin]
installed=0
eula=0

Current contents of '~/.hplip/hplip.conf' file:
[last_used]
printer_name =
working_dir = .
device_uri = "hp:/usb/Photosmart_Pro_B8800_series?serial=MY82I11007053V"

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

[installation]
version = 3.9.12.29
date_time = 10-02-21 15:47:06

[settings]
systray_messages = 0
systray_visible = 0

[fax]
email_address =
voice_phone =

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

[polling]
enable = false
device_list =
interval = 5

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

  Device URI Model
  -------------------------------- ------------------------------
  hp:/usb/DeskJet_970C?serial=US9A HP DeskJet 970C
  D1K012JQ
  hp:/usb/Photosmart_Pro_B8800_ser HP Photosmart Pro B8800 series
  ies?serial=MY82I11007053V

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

DESKJET-970C
------------
Type: Printer
Device URI: hp:/usb/DeskJet_970C?serial=US9AD1K012JQ
PPD: /etc/cups/ppd/DESKJET-970C.ppd
PPD Description: HP Deskjet 970c hpijs, 3.9.8
Printer status: printer DESKJET-970C is idle. enabled since Wed 17 Feb 2010 07:10:36 AM PST
Communication status: Good

Photosmart-Pro-B8800-series
---------------------------
Type: Printer
Device URI: hp:/usb/Photosmart_Pro_B8800_series?serial=MY82I11007053V
PPD: /etc/cups/ppd/Photosmart-Pro-B8800-series.ppd
PPD Description: HP Photosmart Pro b8800 Series hpijs, 3.9.8
Printer status: printer Photosmart-Pro-B8800-series is idle. enabled since Sun 21 Feb 2ready to printM PST
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'...
WARNING: Unhandled message: interface=org.freedesktop.DBus.Introspectable, path=/, member=Introspect
device `v4l:/dev/video0' is a Noname Integrated Camera 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 0x1004 at 006:006:
    Device URI: hp:/usb/DeskJet_970C?serial=US9AD1K012JQ
    Device node: /dev/bus/usb/006/006
    Mode: 0660

HP Device 0xd002 at 006:005:
    Device URI: hp:/usb/Photosmart_Pro_B8800_series?serial=MY82I11007053V
    Device node: /dev/bus/usb/006/005
    Mode: 0660

---------------
| USER GROUPS |
---------------

david adm lp dialout cdrom plugdev lpadmin admin sambashare

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

No errors or warnings.

[David Vincent-Jones (davidvincentjones)]

Looking further it appears to me that what I am seing is probably "Rough Draft" mode rather than the 600 dpi that it should be showing.

[David Vincent-Jones (davidvincentjones)]

I do not normally print directly through the HP Device manager but now gave this a try.... Printing totally failed to operate with grayscale settings.