Printer driver bug on HP Officejet Pro 9010 series: Curves printing as straight lines

[ggruschow]

I've included a very simple PDF file below that prints incorrectly on all the HP inkjet printers we've tried it on. The smooth curve you'll see when it renders on screen gets printed as straight lines with 3 kinks. I'm pretty sure it's a printer driver issue because if you select "print as image" or "print as bitmap" or whatever your software calls that in print settings, it prints fine. Also, the exact same thing happens when printing from Adobe Illustrator directly (from the AI file the PDF was generated from) and every PDF reader I've tried, so it's not the software talking to the printer driver either. The error is in the printer driver or printer.

I've seen this failure to print curves on many files and came up with this simplified test print to submit in a bug report. In searching for a solution, I found many people asking similar questions that got no real help, just generic advice like make sure you print with the highest quality, have the latest drivers, clean your print ahead, calibrate, etc. Anyway, based on old reports I've found, the bug has been in the driver for at least years.

In case it helps, the way that the curve renders appears to be dependent on what else is on the page. In the original that I extracted this curve from, it actually printed even worse kinking, I presume due to however the driver is failing. I figured the ultra simple single line was going to be easiest to track down the error with though.

The data below is base64 encoded so that I can post a binary file here. One way to decode it is to copy the lines below into a text file, and use base64decode.org to get the original PDF file back out.

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[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @ggruschow,

Welcome to the HP Support Community! 

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding your printer!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

Try these steps:

Update Printer Driver

Download Latest Driver:

• Visit the HP Support Page for your HP OfficeJet Pro 9010 series.
• Download and install the latest printer driver and software updates.

Install the Driver:

• Follow the installation instructions provided by HP to update the printer driver.

Change Print Settings

Changing specific print settings can resolve issues with how curves are printed.

Print as Image:

• When printing your PDF, select Print as Image or Print as Bitmap.
• This is typically found in the advanced settings or print dialog options in your PDF viewer or printer settings.

Using Adobe Acrobat Reader:

• Open the PDF file in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Select File > Print.
• Click Advanced in the print dialog.
• Check the box for Print As Image and click OK.
• Proceed to print the document.

Use Another PDF Viewer

Sometimes the issue can be resolved by using a different PDF viewer to print the document.

1. Alternate PDF Viewers:
   • Try printing the document using an alternate PDF viewer, such as Foxit Reader, Sumatra PDF, or another PDF viewing software.

Check Firmware Updates

Ensure your printer firmware is up to date which can sometimes resolve driver-related issues.

1. Update Printer Firmware:
   • Access the HP Firmware Update tool.
   • Check for available firmware updates for your HP OfficeJet Pro 9010 series printer.
   • Follow the provided steps to update the printer firmware.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[ggruschow]

Please read what I wrote. I already took hours of my time to try everything your boilerplate response suggested and more, plus to dig through everyone else’s problem reports and what came from those. I also tested it on multiple printers you make, created and provided a very simple way for you to reproduce and diagnose the problem on your end, and I wrote up an explanation of it for you.

This isn’t just a me problem, and even your boilerplate response seems to acknowledge that. You shouldn’t have to print as an image. That means something isn’t processing right in the driver or printer or both, which you’re bypassing by printing as an image.

The reason I’m trying so hard to get this bug submitted is because I need other people I send documents to be able to print them. Having to explain to them that if they have an HP printer they have to dig through some printing menus to find an obscure setting that’s called different things depending on what app they’re using.. is not good. It makes me look bad and the recipient confused.

[Hawks_Eye]

@ggruschow 

Thanks for getting back to us.

It sounds like you've done extensive testing and troubleshooting, and I completely understand your frustration—especially since this issue has persisted across multiple HP inkjet printers. 

Check for Alternative Drivers

• Some users have reported success using older drivers or universal print drivers.
• You can explore HP’s driver archive to see if an earlier version resolves the issue.

Test with Different Print Rendering Methods

• Since "Print as Image" works, it suggests a vector processing issue in the driver.
• If possible, try printing using PostScript drivers instead of PCL-based drivers.

Your concern is completely valid—users shouldn’t have to manually adjust obscure settings just to print correctly. 

Let me know if you need further assistance.

Thanks,

Hawks_Eye