Dear All,

First time posting so I do not know the correct rules. I apologise in advance.

So far, searching forums helped, this time I am at a loss: cannot print black!!!

so far this is what I have:
Debian stretch
XFCE desktop
CUPS installed
Printer Epson SX445W located and installed no problem

when printing normal black text it comes out dark green.

what have I done so far:
reinstalled CUPS, tried changing colorModes, reinstalled printer.

This printer prints ok from Kali or windows OS.

Can someone please help to clarify and point to the right corner.

Thank you in advance

Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org mariulia. Since you mention that text print colour is as expected with Kali Linux, it might be useful to start by comparing any driver differences between the Debian and Kali installations perhaps. That can be done by examining the PPD for the printer concerned. From a terminal, run the following

and post the results from both OSs.

Even printing a CUPS test page (each OS) might provide some of these details.

Further to the above, check that the paper (media type) is set appropriately for the paper your are using. The CUPS web interface (via your browser) can be used to change the default settings if required:

http://localhost:631/printers

Hi ferrari,

thanks you for the quick answer!

The results of the debian stretch are below:
:~$ sudo egrep -i "model|name|filter" /etc/cups/ppd/*

/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*PCFileName: "STP01445.PPD"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*ModelName: "Epson Stylus SX445W"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*ShortNickName: "Epson Stylus SX445W"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*NickName: "Epson Stylus SX445W - CUPS+Gutenprint v5.2.11"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*cupsFilter: "application/vnd.cups-raster 100 rastertogutenprint.5.2"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*cupsFilter: "application/vnd.cups-command 33 commandtoepson"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*StpDriverName: "escp2-sx445w"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*StpDriverModelFamily: "121_escp2"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*StpPPDLocation: "/usr/share/cups/model/gutenprint/5.2/C/ppd/stp-escp2-sx445w.5.2.ppd"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*ColorKeyWords: "ColorModel"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*OpenUI *ColorModel/Color Model: PickOne
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*OPOptionHints ColorModel: "radiobuttons"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*OrderDependency: 2 AnySetup *ColorModel
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*DefaultColorModel: CMYK
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*StpDefaultColorModel: RGB
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*ColorModel Gray/Grayscale: "<</cupsColorSpace 0/cupsColorOrder 0>>setpagedevice"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*ColorModel Black/Inverted Grayscale: "<</cupsColorSpace 3/cupsColorOrder 0>>setpagedevice"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*ColorModel RGB/RGB Color: "<</cupsColorSpace 1/cupsColorOrder 0>>setpagedevice"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*ColorModel CMY/CMY Color: "<</cupsColorSpace 4/cupsColorOrder 0>>setpagedevice"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*ColorModel CMYK/CMYK: "<</cupsColorSpace 6/cupsColorOrder 0>>setpagedevice"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*ColorModel KCMY/KCMY: "<</cupsColorSpace 8/cupsColorOrder 0>>setpagedevice"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd:*CloseUI: *ColorModel
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*PCFileName: "STP01445.PPD"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*ModelName: "Epson Stylus SX445W"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*ShortNickName: "Epson Stylus SX445W"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*NickName: "Epson Stylus SX445W - CUPS+Gutenprint v5.2.11"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*cupsFilter: "application/vnd.cups-raster 100 rastertogutenprint.5.2"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*cupsFilter: "application/vnd.cups-command 33 commandtoepson"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*StpDriverName: "escp2-sx445w"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*StpDriverModelFamily: "121_escp2"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*StpPPDLocation: "/usr/share/cups/model/gutenprint/5.2/C/ppd/stp-escp2-sx445w.5.2.ppd"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*ColorKeyWords: "ColorModel"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*OpenUI *ColorModel/Color Model: PickOne
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*OPOptionHints ColorModel: "radiobuttons"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*OrderDependency: 2 AnySetup *ColorModel
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*DefaultColorModel: RGB
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*StpDefaultColorModel: RGB
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*ColorModel Gray/Grayscale: "<</cupsColorSpace 0/cupsColorOrder 0>>setpagedevice"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*ColorModel Black/Inverted Grayscale: "<</cupsColorSpace 3/cupsColorOrder 0>>setpagedevice"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*ColorModel RGB/RGB Color: "<</cupsColorSpace 1/cupsColorOrder 0>>setpagedevice"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*ColorModel CMY/CMY Color: "<</cupsColorSpace 4/cupsColorOrder 0>>setpagedevice"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*ColorModel CMYK/CMYK: "<</cupsColorSpace 6/cupsColorOrder 0>>setpagedevice"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*ColorModel KCMY/KCMY: "<</cupsColorSpace 8/cupsColorOrder 0>>setpagedevice"
/etc/cups/ppd/Epson_Stylus_SX440.ppd.O:*CloseUI: *ColorModel

I will provide the Kali ones this evening as I have not taken my USB with me

Hi again,

the media type is set to plain paper. Which I believe is correct, right?

Thank you

Marius

Only you can know that. What media options are available? Are you printing with plain paper?

Hi ferrari,

I apologise profusely for my long delay in posting back. It has transpired that Debian, with those details posted earlier, works fine. The problem was with the actual printer, the long story short, it is time to retire it as print heads are absolutely finished and it is only a share coincidence that it would work on other distros. Eventually I plunged and started printing from Debian a huge amounts of tests (killed a lot of trees ). It would print ok at a random intervals.

Case is solved. Thank you for your pointers, much appreciated.

Marius

Thanks for update. We can plant more trees

I have already bought saplings...