HP LaserJet CP1025 prints black text as blue in LibreOffice writer

[mrvanes]

After installing Ubuntu 24.04 and using the hplip tools to retrieve the proprietary plugin for this printer, everything seems fine (the test page prints correct!) but black text in LibreOffice Writer prints as blue, regardless of using the 'print text as black' setting.

These are the relevant installed hp and cups packages:
hpijs-ppds 3.23.12+dfsg0-0ubuntu5
hplip 3.23.12+dfsg0-0ubuntu5
hplip-data 3.23.12+dfsg0-0ubuntu5
hplip-gui 3.23.12+dfsg0-0ubuntu5
libsane-hpaio:amd64 3.23.12+dfsg0-0ubuntu5
printer-driver-hpcups 3.23.12+dfsg0-0ubuntu5
printer-driver-hpijs 3.23.12+dfsg0-0ubuntu5
printer-driver-postscript-hp 3.23.12+dfsg0-0ubuntu5

bluez-cups 5.72-0ubuntu5
cups 2.4.7-1.2ubuntu7
cups-browsed 2.0.0-0ubuntu10
cups-bsd 2.4.7-1.2ubuntu7
cups-client 2.4.7-1.2ubuntu7
cups-common 2.4.7-1.2ubuntu7
cups-core-drivers 2.4.7-1.2ubuntu7
cups-daemon 2.4.7-1.2ubuntu7
cups-filters 2.0.0-0ubuntu4
cups-filters-core-drivers 2.0.0-0ubuntu4
cups-ipp-utils 2.4.7-1.2ubuntu7
cups-pk-helper 0.2.6-1ubuntu8
cups-ppdc 2.4.7-1.2ubuntu7
cups-server-common 2.4.7-1.2ubuntu7
libcups2t64:amd64 2.4.7-1.2ubuntu7
libcupsfilters2-common 2.0.0-0ubuntu7
libcupsfilters2t64:amd64 2.0.0-0ubuntu7
libcupsimage2t64:amd64 2.4.7-1.2ubuntu7
printer-driver-hpcups 3.23.12+dfsg0-0ubuntu5
python3-cups:amd64 2.0.1-5build6
python3-cupshelpers 1.5.18-1ubuntu9

I've tried to use the hpijs driver as some users suggest, but printing fails on "Filter failed".
Also, I tried to use the hp-setup tool to install the printer, but that fails to detect the printer on USB:

$ hp-setup -i

HP Linux Imaging and Printing System (ver. 3.23.12)
Printer/Fax Setup Utility ver. 9.0

Copyright (c) 2001-18 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: Defaults for each question are maked with a '*'. Press <enter> to accept the default.)

--------------------------------
| SELECT CONNECTION (I/O) TYPE |
--------------------------------

  Num Connection Description
            Type
  -------- ---------- ----------------------------------------------------------
  0* usb Universal Serial Bus (USB)
  1 net Network/Ethernet/Wireless (direct connection or JetDirect)

Enter number 0...1 for connection type (q=quit, enter=usb*) ? 0

Using connection type: usb

error: No device selected/specified or that supports this functionality.

But I doubt if that would resolve the "Black text prints as blue" in LibreOffice writer?

[Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. It seems that your bug report is not filed about a specific source package though, rather it is just filed against Ubuntu in general. It is important that bug reports be filed about source packages so that people interested in the package can find the bugs about it. You can find some hints about determining what package your bug might be about at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/FindRightPackage. You might also ask for help in the #ubuntu-bugs irc channel on Libera.chat.

To change the source package that this bug is filed about visit https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/2066898/+editstatus and add the package name in the text box next to the word Package.

[This is an automated message. I apologize if it reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

[mrvanes (mrvanes)]

Some more testing:
Printing black text in Inkscape comes out as pitch black. Printing a pdf with black text, generated in LibreOffice Writer (different computer, same version of LO) prints as black.

A pdf generated on the failing system using LO writer, prints pitch black on another computer/printer combi.

So there's something weird going on with the specific LO->printer installation?

[Paul White (paulw2u)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please execute the following command only once, as it will automatically gather debugging information, in a terminal:

  apport-collect 2066898

When reporting bugs in the future please use apport by using 'ubuntu-bug' and the name of the package affected. You can learn more about this functionality at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReportingBugs.

As the reporter implies the issue is the fault of LibreOffice and with no action in response to comment #1 I'm moving this to the LibreOffice package on behalf of the reporter.

[mrvanes (mrvanes)]

I forgot to execute one test last time: LO writer -> PDF -> Okular -> printer (all local).
I think this prints 100% CMY black, instead of 100% K, but it's totally acceptable compared with the blue of LO -> printer.

[mrvanes (mrvanes)]

Never mind, I found the solution(s)

For future reference:

1. To solve no devices found in hp-setup I needed to edit /usr/share/hplip/data/models/models.dat like described in https://answers.launchpad.net/hplip/+question/694898 and https://bugs.launchpad.net/hplip/+bug/1907444

That enabled me to find the printer using hp-setup, but print quality was still abysmal.

2. To actually fix the black is not black problem, I just had to remove the hplip/hpijs printer and use the foo2zjs driver for "HP LaserJet Pro CP1025nw Foomatic/foo2zjs-z3 (recommended) (en)"
https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/650290/print-text-using-black-ink-on-hp-laserjet-color-printer

It's a bit of a shame that the first problem still exists in noble and the 2 is actually the solution.
Would be nice if HP had some QA procudures installed before releasing drivers for their printers?