Canon printer prints blank pages

English Hardware
1

Hi experts,

I have a weird problem. I have printer Canon i-Sensys MF635Cx. When I install printer with CUPS, it works, but it takes long time to print something (sometimes it takes few minutes to start the printing). Canon also provides UFR II driver on it’s website. The latest version was released on 12 February 2021. I have installed this driver (RPM 64bit version), then I’ve installed the printer in YAST with this driver. When I print something from application the printing starts immediately. The problem is, that it “prints” blank pages. So when I print 3 pages from application the printer gives me 3 empty sheets of paper.
Could you please help me with this problem?
Thank you!

oxgl

2

@oxgl:

Is the document to be printed, a PDF file which has been encrypted for security reasons?

3

I’ve read a couple of Mint threads describing similar problems with Canon printers using the UFRII driver. User brian_p suggested on both threads that driverless printing may be the way to go…
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=315895
*Read the above thread closely and see if you can configure similarly.
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=306817

This does of course require that the printer is reasonably modern (typically produced 2014 onwards but perhaps as early as 2010). Some good info here…
https://wiki.debian.org/CUPSQuickPrintQueues

4

Hi, no. It doesn’t matter what kind of document I am printing: test page, document from LibreOffice or PDF.

5

Hi,

thank you very much. I’ve found those threads, but those were mentioning the driverless printing (as you wrote), and I had a problem with this method. It was extremely slow. When I printed something sometimes it took minutes for printer to start printing. Maybe just some settings, but I was not able to fix it. So then I’ve installed the printer drivers from Canon website and I’ve added the printer using YaST. This time it printed immediately those blank pages. lol!

I don know whether adding printer in YaST is different than adding it in cups. I’ve found a working solution in case anybody else needs it:

  • By default Leap 15.2 contains cups 2.7.7. When I opened the config page (http://localhost:631/admin/) it displayed “Unauthorized” page without user/pwd prompt. So I’ve added experimental printing repo, this contains cups 2.3.3. Instructions here. I don’t know if this step is necessary.
  • I opened cups config page http://localhost:631/ and I have added the printer:
    [LIST]
  • Internet Printing Protocol (ipp)
  • address: ipp://<printer_ip>:631/ipp/print
  • add name/description
  • choose manufacturer Canon
  • IPP everywhere TM

[/LIST]
Probably there were 2 problems:

  1. wizard (?) added the printer with hostname not with IP address - I assume that was causing the long delay before printing
  2. in second case the Canon’s UFR driver was not working properly, but the IPP everywere is prefect.

Thank you!

oxgl

6

Just guessing, as I don’t have a printer connected to my openSUSE boxes, but regarding the cups permission issue, perhaps you have to add your user to group lp (line printer)?

7

No, that’s not needed at all.

8

No adding a printer via YaST (GUI) or CUPS (web interface or CI) is just a different means to the same end.

By default Leap 15.2 contains cups 2.7.7

Actually, openSUSE Leap 15.2 has cups version 2.2.7 by default, and yes a sensible move to use the newer version offered by the Printing repo.

I opened cups config page http://localhost:631/ and I have added the printer:

  • Internet Printing Protocol (ipp)
  • address: ipp://<printer_ip>:631/ipp/print
  • add name/description
  • choose manufacturer Canon
  • IPP everywhere TM

Yes, this is driverless printing configuration. Well done!