M553n Selecting Paper Trays

[dansdaduk]

It might be an idea to check the printer's fimware revision, and update it if it is not at the latest release.

I've no idea whether or not this may be relevant to the problem.

I have access to a local LaserJet Enterprise M553x printer, with 2 cassette trays; the trays are configured as follows:

• tray 1 : paper size = A5; paper type = Plain
• tray 2 : paper size = Letter; paper type = Plain
• tray 3 : paper size = A4; paper type = Plain

If I send the content of your 'captured' Word print job direct to this printer, the page prints from tray 2 without any prompt, despite the fact that the commands in the job specify a media (paper) type of Unknown. 

The fact that it prints OK may be connected to fixes in the firmware revision; this printer has firmware with datecode 20160102, revision 2307781_551186, for which the description of one of the fixes states: 

I'm not sure that this is relevant (it's not clear what some of the language (like "seeded") actually means!), but it may be worth checking whether your firmware revision is earlier than this.

Note that the latest firmware is even newer: datecode 20160820, revision 2308209_000566.

If you decide to upgrade the firmware, it is essential that you read and understand the README file associated with the release before doing it. 

[dansdaduk]

I've captured the print job generated by 'printing' a test Word file, using Word 2013 on a Windows 10 Pro 64-bit system, using the PCL6 printer driver (version 8.0.1308.2073) installed for my local LaserJet M553x.

I note that Word itself does not appear to 'expose' the paper type property, so (from the Word Print dialogue) I opened the  Printer Properties dialogue in order to confirm/set the paper type:

Analysis of the generated print job shows:

0000000923   PCLXL Data Type        0xc0                  ubyte
0000000924              Value       0x00                  ePortraitOrientation
0000000925   PCLXL Attribute        0xf828              Orientation
0000000927   PCLXL Data Type        0xc8c002              ubyte_array
0000000930              Value       0x4134                "A4"
0000000932   PCLXL Attribute        0xf825              MediaSize
0000000934   PCLXL Data Type        0xc8c005              ubyte_array
0000000937              Value       0x506c61..            "Plain"
0000000942   PCLXL Attribute        0xf827              MediaType
0000000944   PCLXL Data Type        0xc0                  ubyte
0000000945              Value       0x01                  eAutoSelect
0000000946   PCLXL Attribute        0xf826              MediaSource
0000000948   PCLXL Data Type        0xc0                  ubyte
0000000949              Value       0x00                  eSimplexFrontSide
0000000950   PCLXL Attribute        0xf834              SimplexPageMode
0000000952   PCLXL Operator         0x43              BeginPage

which confirms that a media (paper) type of Plain is requested (not being in the US, I use A4 as my default paper size).

[PM26]

Thank you again for your help with this!

I have the same firmware revision and date as the printer you tried.

I have never seen anywhere in Word itself to select paper type. Word does have control for page size but nothing for type.

The following is a screen shot of my Word 2016 print dialogue.

As you can see page size is set to Letter. The only way to get to anything having to do with paper type is to click the Printer Properties link on the above dialogue which takes you to an HP menu where you can select paper type:

As you can see type is set to Plain and size is set to Letter. However, the printer still tries to use tray1/manual.

The following is a screen shot of the printer's Manage Trays menu.  You can see how the two trays are set plus several other settings.  Should any of the other settings be changed?

I tried printing from several other applications on my PC and the situation is the same with all of them. That seems to rule out Word as being the problem and points to the problem being somewhere on HP’s side.

I don’t know what else to try. If there are any other screen shots that would help, let me know.

I appreciate your help with this.

Peter

[dansdaduk]

I can't yet see the images you have posted - these sometimes take a number of hours before they are "approved" for viewing.

You claim that "...  type is set to Plain and size is set to Letter. However, the printer still tries to use tray1/manual ...".

Since the captured print job which you supplied shows that the print job is requesting a type of Unknown, this would appear to imply that there may be a bug in your printer driver (or in the interaction between the driver and the source application(s)); check to see if there is a later driver version available.

It is, nevertheless, a bit odd that my M553x (with the same fimware revision as your M553n) prints your 'captured' print job from tray 2 without any prompt being issued.

Attached is a .zip file containing:

• Your original M553n Test (Word).prn capture file.
• An analysis of the content of that file.
• A modified print job file M553n_Test_Word_x01.prn , in which the media type value has been changed from Unknown to Plain (this is the only difference).
• An analysis of the content of that file.

It would be interesting to see the effect of 'sending' the content of the modified .prn file to your printer.

To 'send the content of a file direct to a printer, the easiest way to do this (asssuming it is a network printer) is to use the 'lpr' command within a Windows command-prompt session (you may need to enable certain Windows 'features' in order to make the command available); e.g.:

lpr  -S 192.168.1.66  -P any  myfile.prn

to 'send' the content of the file 'myfile.prn' to the printer with IP-address 192.168.1.66

You could instead 'send' the file content using the PRN File Print tool in the PCL Paraphernalia appllcation (available via http://www.pclparaphernalia.eu), after defining the required destination via the Target printer dialogue.

[PM26]

Problem solved (I think) by installing a different version (I think) of the driver.

The original driver is the one that was installed by Microsoft Windows Update when I first connected the printer.  It correctly determined what printer I have and downloaded/installed the driver.

Today I went to the HP website and manually download the driver from there (which I should have done initially).  I installed it and the paper tray problem seems to be gone.  I haven't tested it extensively but it looks ok.

It's interesting to note that the original version of the driver from Microsoft and the new version from HP both have the same date and version number.  But, something is obviously different about them.

Thanks for ALL of your help with this.  I hope I have not spoken too soon and it's really fixed.

Peter

[PalmBeachFrank]

OK, making tray 2 the default on a M553 is easy peesy.  First realize that this machine takes its orders from Windows 10 operating system, not from an internal menu.  8 easy steps:

1.  Open Windows 10 settings

2.  Click on "Devices"

3.  Click on "Printers & Scanners"

4.  Click on HP M533 (this btw should already be the default printer)

5.  Click on "Manage"

6   Click on "Printing Preferences"

7.  Change th paper source to "Tray 2"

8.  Click "OK"

There you have it...

[flatbubba]

Make sure the tray 2 blue, paper size adjuster is snug up against the paper. If slightly off the printer will think a different paper size is in tray 2. 🙂