Wrong paper tray used by printer when printing from Tray 2 via AirPrint on iOS (in some scenarios)

[lebigdot]

Hi,

There seems to be a gremlin somewhere related to the printer's choice of paper tray when printing onto the paper in Tray 2 via AirPrint from iOS - sometimes it works correctly and sometimes it does not.

I have the printer configured with C5 envelopes in Tray 1 and A4 paper in Tray 2 (since the printer will not allow C5 envelopes in Tray 2). Tray 1 is locked and Tray 2 is set as default. 

I wanted to print some A4 documents from iBooks on an iPad. The printer seemed to insist on wanting to take the paper from Tray 1 and then complaining about paper size mismatch, in spite of the software apparently being aware of the two paper sizes loaded and giving me the choice to print on A4 paper or C5 envelopes. 

Steps to reproduce the problem:

1. Open a PDF document in iBooks
2. Tap the “Share” icon and select “Print”. “Printer Options” overlay appears on the screen.
3. The printer is already selected on my iPad and under “Options” it says “Double-sided, Colour, A4”
4. Tap “Options” to verify / set them again
5. Tap “Paper”. It shows me the expected options: “A4” and “Envelope - C5” (NB: “A4” listed first in spite of being in Tray 2, though I am not sure if it is relevant)
6. Tap “A4”, then “Print”
7. The iPad says “Check the printer for errors”, the printer says “The paper size detected by the printer in Tray 1 does not match the paper size selected (A4) for the print job…”
8. Click “Cancel” on the iPad and the printer spits out a blank C5 envelope from Tray 1. 

The same error happened in most of my iOS print scenarios - when printing PDF documents from iBooks, PDF files from iCloud Drive, Pages documents and PDF email attachments. In all these cases the paper size was displayed in step 3 and I had the option to change it. 

However, I can successfully print the contents of an email from the Mail app on the A4 paper from Tray 2, but then I do NOT see the paper size displayed in step 3 (and hence obviously I cannot set it explicitly either).

I tried various variations on the steps above (selecting a single page to print, not tapping “Options”, re-selecting printer, rebooting things…) and got the same result every time. Other observations from various tests from iBooks:

1. After multiple failed attempts all the envelopes have been spat out. When I tried to AirPrint again, in step 3 above there was the following message below “Options”: “The printer is out of paper (main tray)”. Obviously the paper selected on the screen was still A4 (hence theoretically Tray 2).
2. If I follow the steps above but choose to print the first page of the document onto a C5 envelope, it works correctly (as in: it prints on a C5 envelope from Tray 1)
3. If I put A4 paper in Tray 1 (obviously confirming the paper type change in the printer settings), it prints successfully from Tray 1. 

Curiously, when printing an email from the Mail app while there are no more envelopes in Tray 1, I also see the message “The printer is out of paper (main tray)” - same as in observation 1 - but the email is still printed on the A4 paper from Tray 2 as expected.

Where it is possible to “Print with HP Smart” (e.g. after opening a PDF email attachment), this works correctly. Unfortunately this option is not available from iBooks and I would like to print from there occasionally as well.

Just for completeness, we also print from Macs to this printer and we have not so far had any problems with tray selection. And all the software / firmware is up to date. 

I would just swap the envelopes and the A4 paper round - but I can’t because not all paper sizes are allowed in Tray 2...

And finally, as I was writing this up and repeating various steps to capture the information accurately, the printer crashed (twice), displaying something that looked like an error code but it was as if the LCD had gone wrong as well, the sort of effect you get when you set a wrong refresh rate on a monitor (I have a photo but I didn't think it was helpful in this post). This is not something that has ever happened before (though I've only had this printer for a month). 

So does anyone have any ideas how I can print from iBooks to A4 paper in Tray 2? Or is this a bug that somehow needs to be reported to HP (in which case how do I go about it)? And why is it not possible to put all paper sizes in Tray 2?

Thanks!

[Raj1788]

@lebigdot

Welcome to HP Forums, 

This is a great place to get support, find answers and tips to your technical queries.

I understand that the printer is not picking up paper from the tray2 when you print from the iBook, need not worry I'll be glad to assist you.

Are you facing the same issue while printing from the other application?

How long are you facing this issue?

Eagerly waiting for the reply,

Cheers:)

[lebigdot]

Hi, thanks for your reply. 

That's right, I cannot print to paper in Tray 2 via AirPrint from a lot of applications on an iPad: iBooks, Pages, Notes, PDF files opened from iCloud Drive, PDF files opened from email attachments.

The only application (that I have found so far) which can print to paper in Tray 2 is Mail - but only if I'm printing email text, not PDF attachments.

I have only had the printer for a month, this is the first time I tried printing using AirPrint - and it didn't work (though in general I am very pleased with the printer, it's an excellent device all round). 

Cheers!

[DavidSMP]

@lebigdot,

I read the response. It is awesome to hear from you again. Your patience and efforts are immensely appreciated. You've done amazingly well by displaying immaculate attitude, excellent commitment and brilliant technical skills to try and resolve the issue. Kudos to you for that.:) As @ Raj1788 is out for the day I am responding on his behalf.

Perform a hard reset on the printer by following instructions from this link: https://hp.care/2eXmLFT and refer to the section "Step 1: Reset the printer " on how to do it.

Then update the printer's firmware on a Windows-based or Mac machine by following directions from this link: https://hp.care/2rHKwDD

Later follow the relevant steps that best describe the current issue from this link: https://hp.care/2IEbWXt (HP Printers - Printing with Apple AirPrint (iOS)

Now check if the issue gets fixed.

If it persists, try these steps:

• Run all the iOS latest updates and ensure that the OS is up to date.
• Then uninstall the problematic apps and reinstall it and try printing again.
• If it still continues, then try on a different device like a Windows Computer, IPad or MacBook.
• If it works correctly from that device, then the issue is not with the printer, but with the apps that may have a limitation.
• You could then backup your data on your iOS device and reset it to factory defaults and check again.
• You could print using HP smart app by following instructions from this link:https://hp.care/2xY0QmY

Perform all these steps patiently as it is critical to resolving the issue. Good luck to you. I will keep a watch for your response.  It is paramount to assist you as you are a valued HP customer.

Let me know how it goes and you have a great day!

To simply say thanks, please click the "Thumbs Up" button to give me a Kudos to appreciate my efforts to help. If this helps, please mark this as “Accepted Solution” as it will help several others with the same issue to get it resolved without hassles.

Take care and have a blessed week ahead. 🙂

[lebigdot]

@DavidSMP,

Thanks for your suggestions. I have been in your place, I am an IT person myself… 😉

I have gone through the steps you suggested. Firmware / software / iOS were all up-to-date. No change - still cannot print from Tray 2. 

The problem is limited specifically to printing from Tray 2 via AirPrint. Printing in general from other devices works, printing to Tray 1 via AirPrint also works. 

Yes, in some cases I can get round the problem by using HP Smart to print but it is not always possible. iBooks does not give the option to “share” to the HP Smart app and if I do it from Pages, HP Smart gives me the error message “File type not supported”. 

I have a feeling I may have found a proper bug...

[DavidSMP]

@lebigdot,

I read the post and thanks for the quick update. You've displayed excellent commitment, immense patience and a great attitude to try and resolve the issue. Kudos to you for a job well done.:) I also understand where you come from. We have proved that it does not work in certain applications like iBooks as it could be application specific.

A  great workaround would be is to save the iBooks document as a pdf file and then print from HP smart App if that is possible. This should do the trick for you.

You are a valued HP customer and it has been an absolute privilege to share this platform with you and a genuine pleasure to work with you. I hope things work great for you.  Trust me I've done all I can to assist you here by keeping your best interest in mind and have given you honest answers without beating around the bush.

If this helped, then to simply say thanks, please click the "Thumbs Up" button to give me a Kudos to appreciate my efforts to help. If this helps, please mark this as “Accepted Solution” as it will help several others with the same issue to get it resolved without hassles.

Take care and have a blessed year ahead. Stay healthy and smile big:)

 Cheers!

[StretchMusic]

Hello,

I believe the issue is the paper settings on the printer need to be adjusted. 

On the printer display go to the Settings icon and tap it twice. The one that looks like a cog.

Select Tray and Paper Management>Paper Settings

Set Tray 1 to Envelope C5 and Tray 2 to A4 Paper

I locked Tray 1 and set Tray 2 to default

When I print from iBooks or any other app there is a choice for Paper that you can tap and select Envelope C5 or Letter. 

You first have to tap  on options to see the choice. 

I tested and if I select the desired paper size it picks the correct one. 

Regards, 
StretchMusic

[lebigdot · Accepted solution]

@DavidSMP thanks, but I'm afraid having to save it elsewhere, print with HP Smart, then delete would be a real pain. In any case it would not be possible from iBooks. Not directly anyway - no such option - unless I emailed it to myself from iBooks first, then did what you suggested... even more pain. No go. 

I do believe you've done everything you could, because I think it is a matter for HP developers, not support. And the comment from @StretchMusic pointed me to something new which In my opinion  confirms this. 

@StretchMusic thanks for your input. My printer was already configured as you suggested (as per the original post - sorry, it was too long!). The only thing which seemed different was that you use  letter paper instead of A4, so I played around with the paper settings. And it comes down to this: 

If the paper type in Tray 2 is set to "Plain Paper" on the printer, it all works as expected and I can print to Tray 2. If the paper type is changed to "Plain Paper, Light / Recycled", the printer always tries to pick up the paper from Tray 1, regardless of my selection. 

So the revised test case to demonstrate the problem is:

0. Ensure that the printer is configured as follows (under Settings - Tray and Paper Management)

• Tray 1: paper size: Envelope C5; Paper Type: Plain Paper

• Tray 2: paper size: A4; Paper Type: Plain Paper (the "Plain paper" setting is important here)

• Tray 1 is locked 

• Tray 2 is set as default. 

1. On an iPad open a PDF document in iBooks 
2. Tap the “Share” icon and select “Print”. “Printer Options” overlay appears on the screen.
3. Select the printer and tap “Options”
4. Tap “Paper”, select A4, then tap “Print”
5. The document prints successfully on A4 paper from Tray 2. 
6. Now on the printer panel change the paper type setting for Tray 2 from "Plain Paper", to "Plain Paper, Light / Recycled"
7. Repeat steps 2-4 above
8. The iPad says “Check the printer for errors”, the printer says “The paper size detected by the printer in Tray 1 does not match the paper size selected (A4) for the print job…”
9. Click “Cancel” on the iPad and the printer spits out a blank C5 envelope from Tray 1. 

@StretchMusic, out of curiosity, would you be able to confirm if your printer stops printing from Tray 2 as well if you set the paper type to "Plain Paper, Light / Recycled"?

This looks perhaps like printer firmware issue, if selecting "light / recycled paper" on the printer panel makes it switch to the wrong tray? Since you work for HP, can either of you pass this internally to your development team to have a look? I'd be happy to raise this myself but I haven't found a way to report bugs other than this forum.

Personally I can live with setting the paper type to "Plain", rather than "Light / Recycled" but this should not be happening. 

Thanks again! 

lebigdot 

[StretchMusic]

Hello,

I am able to recreate your issue. Could please provide the firmware version on the printer ? What version of iOS are you using ? I will pass the information along to get it escalated. 

Thanks,

StretchMusic

[lebigdot]

@StretchMusic,

I had this on iOS 11.3.1 and 11.4.  FW version reported by the HP Utility (latest available as of today):  EDWINXPP1N002.1729E.00

Thanks for your help!

lebigdot