HP x576dw and other printers: options to print with black color only are ignored

[shinyblue]

The PPD file from HPLIP gives an option

*OpenUI *HPPJLColorAsGray/Print Color as Gray: Boolean
*OrderDependency: 20 JCLSetup *HPPJLColorAsGray
*DefaultHPPJLColorAsGray: BlackInkOnly
*HPPJLColorAsGray False/Off: " "
*HPPJLColorAsGray HighQuality/High Quality: " "
*HPPJLColorAsGray BlackInkOnly/Black Ink Only: " "
*CloseUI: *HPPJLColorAsGray

But it makes no difference; you always get colour output.

This is costing us loads. Bought the printer because it apparently is "recommended" and had "Full" support according to hplip site. So I'd really like to get a fix if at all poss.

[shinyblue (shinyblue)]

(forgive me if this is unhelpful, but it would seem useful to link to the following in an attempt to bring all input together in one place)

https://answers.launchpad.net/hplip/+question/249118
https://answers.launchpad.net/hplip/+question/265769

Problem verified with HPLIP packaged in Ubuntu 12.04, Ubuntu 14.04 AND with the latest HPLIP installed using the installer today, using version 3.15.9 py2.5 (on Debian 7.7)

The failing test is to set black only through the CPUS web interface's Default Options, save options, then use the Print test page action also via the web interface. Expected result: greyscale printout. Actual result: Colour print out.

[shinyblue (shinyblue)]

Marked Incomplete because with the latest HPLIP drivers APPLICATIONS can print colour/grey however the CUPS test page does not seem to apply the server printer default settings.

[Rave[N]Black (blackravener)]

I have this issue two. I've posted it as a questions here:
1. https://answers.launchpad.net/hplip/+question/673045
2. https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/532863-Can-t-print-in-black-amp-white-grey-scale-on-HP-M277dw-with-hplip

Should I copy and re-paste my comments here?

[Sergio Callegari (callegar)]

This issue is still present, with hplip 3.22.6 in linux arch/manjaro - at least with an HP Color Laserjet MFP 281.

From what I understand it should be a responsibility of `hpps` to pick up the state of the HPPJLColorAsGray switch in the PPD either using the default or the setting from the print dialog. Then hpps should add the correct command to the PS stream that is delivered to the printer. Unfortunately this does not happen.

This situation is bad for multiple reasons:
- first of all the printer is not doing what the user wants
- secondly not being able to print in gray is bad for the wallet and for the environment.

Please indicate how hpps is meant to be debugged. Is there a standard way to call it in gdb?

Please also clarify why in hplip there seem to be two different hpps, one coded in C and one coded in python. Distros seem to use the C version. What is the Python version for?

Note that the issue does not appear to be present in ubuntu, but this is only because in ubuntu for some reason a different PPD gets user rather than the one in the hplip sources. Specifically, the hplip PPD has

*HPPJLColorAsGray True/On: "%%"

while in ubuntu in /etc/cups/ppds you get a PPD with an HPJL command in place of the %%.