[SOLVED] Duplex Printing Problems OpenOffice 4.1.1

tronayne · 03-13-2015, 08:40 AM

I have an H-P Officejet Pro 8600 (really nice printer). It includes a duplex accessory and automatically prints on both sides of the paper with every application I use with the exception of OpenOffice 4.1.1.

No matter what I do in OpenOffice to "turn on" duplex printing it gets "turned off" by OpenOffice and a print job is printed one-sided. Everything else, including Okular (for PDF files -- this is a 64-bit system and Adobe doesn't support 64-bit as far as I know), prints duplex; from the console pipe a file into lp, any web page, e-mail, you name it, both sides likety split.

There must be something somewhere embedded in OpenOffice that I've missed but I can't seem to figure out what or where and I'd appreciate any advice on how to make the blasted thing work.

Thanks.

John VV · 03-13-2015, 05:18 PM

have you tiered the current 4.4.1
http://www.libreoffice.org/download/libreoffice-fresh/

beachboy2 · 03-13-2015, 06:25 PM

tronayne,

As above recommendation, it is no bad idea to get the latest version of LibreOffice (4.4.1):

http://www.libreoffice.org/download/libreoffice-fresh/

I found these comments which may be of use to you.

Quote:

I have Ubuntu 13.10 w/ Libreoffice 4.1.3.2, an HP 6520 and HPLIP v 3.14.4. After selecting file/print/properties, in the new window the option for "Duplex" shows "Off". If I change that to "Long-Edge", then "OK", and then select "Properties" again, "Duplex" shows "Off" again. However, if I change "Off" to "ignore", then "OK", and then select "Properties" again, now "Duplex" shows "Long Edge" and the printer prints on both sides!

Quote:

The above workaround is good and simple. I have HP 8620 and ubuntu 14.4, and had the identical problem - you set ´duplex and ´long-edge'in the print box but it immediately reverts to non-duplex. Just to clarify, in case it is different on different set-ups, this is what worked for me:- You just set the paper to ´A4 AutoDuplex´ ( ordinary A4 setting seems to work also). Then you set the duplex choice to ´ígnore´( instead of ĺong edge´. Ok it, reopen it, and hey presto, it now says Long edge.

I have found that if you just reopen the properties box a second time, the settings will revert to non-duplex. Same thing if you alter any other setting - so set duplex last thing before printing!

tronayne · 03-14-2015, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beachboy2

The above workaround is good and simple. I have HP 8620 and ubuntu 14.4, and had the identical problem - you set ´duplex and ´long-edge'in the print box but it immediately reverts to non-duplex. Just to clarify, in case it is different on different set-ups, this is what worked for me:- You just set the paper to ´A4 AutoDuplex´ ( ordinary A4 setting seems to work also). Then you set the duplex choice to ´ígnore´( instead of ĺong edge´. Ok it, reopen it, and hey presto, it now says Long edge.

I have found that if you just reopen the properties box a second time, the settings will revert to non-duplex. Same thing if you alter any other setting - so set duplex last thing before printing!

That works -- setting "ignore" did the trick, three page document on two pieces of paper.

Thank you.

By the way, I have nothing against LibreOffice: I just prefer OpenOffice and have a group of folks I support using OpenOffice with Win7 (which works just fine for all of them and does duplex without the magic trick). OpenOffice appears to have a larger selection of templates and is not so Eurocentric (at least that's my impression, could be wrong about that). The couple of times I tried LibreOffice (a long time ago) I just didn't really care for it and stuck with OpenOffice even before Apache took it over from Oracle.

Anyway, just an opinion, not a carefully researched in depth report.