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Printing an Email message from Thunderbird

  • 4 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by webweweave

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I don't know when this problem first occurred (for me or everyone it seems). I have searched for an email (animals) and found several. I opened the one I wanted and attempted to print the message (HP Officejet 9010). If I attempt to print it 1 page per sheet it prints 3 pages. Terrible waste of paper. If I print 2 pages per sheet both sides the printer makes a sound like it is queing up paper and then nothing happens. The print queue is empty and nothing comes out of the printer. The same message in Gmail prints 2 pages per sheet both sides perfectly. The issue appears to be in Thunderbird. The version I am using is 91.5.1 but the issue also occurs in 91.0. This actually could be a deal-breaker except that I have read that Outlook has the same problem. The problem does not appear to be related in any way to the type/brand of printer. LOTS of people are having this problem. Appreciate a remedy soonest, please.

I don't know when this problem first occurred (for me or everyone it seems). I have searched for an email (animals) and found several. I opened the one I wanted and attempted to print the message (HP Officejet 9010). If I attempt to print it 1 page per sheet it prints 3 pages. Terrible waste of paper. If I print 2 pages per sheet both sides the printer makes a sound like it is queing up paper and then nothing happens. The print queue is empty and nothing comes out of the printer. The same message in Gmail prints 2 pages per sheet both sides perfectly. The issue appears to be in Thunderbird. The version I am using is 91.5.1 but the issue also occurs in 91.0. This actually could be a deal-breaker except that I have read that Outlook has the same problem. The problem does not appear to be related in any way to the type/brand of printer. LOTS of people are having this problem. Appreciate a remedy soonest, please.

Chosen solution

Hey Matt. The printer driver was current and did not update when I checked. Paper-size, paper type, margins, etc all were fine. This printer is an HP+ 9015e. It requires HP Smart software and when installed to wireless network it establishes the HP Smart as a "printer" and a "printer" that has a MAC + isp-based web address. Either one can be set as the default and heretofore either have printed just fine. I recently got a new gateway (gateway+router) from my ISP and of course I had to set-up the SSID etc and reattach the printer to the new network. All went well and things were working just the same as before the new gateway. I'm pretty sure I had printed from Thunderbird in the way that initiated the problem referenced in my OP. Not 100% positive about that but I *think* so. The default printer I was using was the MAC + isp-based web address that had the problem. Printing from the HP Smart printer there was no problem.

So I stopped the printer spooler service, deleted old jobs (there were none), restarted print spooler and the problem still existed. I then deleted the MAC + isp-based web address printer from control panel and "forget this printer" from the HP Smart software and set HP Smart as the default printer. HP created another MAC + isp-based web address but it was exactly the same as previous. I tested both the HP Smart printer and the MAC + isp-based web address printer from Thunderbird and the problem still existed. Again, HP Smart as the default printer works just fine.

I have reverted back to HP Smart as the default printer and deleted MAC + isp-based web address from control panel. I'm a bit exhausted from this but I'm in agreement that the problem is NOT with Thunderbird. So, I appreciate your input and unless you have anything to add to this further explanation I will note this as solved at some point in the near future.

Thanks

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Given you have a print preview of each email that shows the number of pages, I really do not understand the question here.

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The print preview shows it exactly the way I want it to print just as you say. BUT...when I press print from the print preview panel the printer just makes a sound like it is queuing up paper and then nothing happens. Briefly the job appears in the print queue but it immediately vanishes and the print queue is empty. Nothing prints. Nothing comes out of the printer. No paper is loaded. It is like the print job has been flushed from the universe. When the print setting is not multiple pages per sheet the print job works just fine as expected. I do not have the ability to direct to any other printer but as I stated in my OP, "The problem does not appear to be related in any way to the type/brand of printer. LOTS of people are having this problem."

I hope this clarifies the issue for you and you can confirm this behavior and maybe suggest remedy? Thanks

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webweweave said

as I stated in my OP, "The problem does not appear to be related in any way to the type/brand of printer. LOTS of people are having this problem."

I would suggest updating your printer driver software. I am unable to reproduce it on my HP 5030 wifi inkjet and to be honest it is the only printer I have available. I have not put an email on paper in years other than as followups to questions on this forum.

I would also suggest you check the paper size. A4 Vs Letter and try large margins. Try them at 25mm or more. This is not an issue with Thunderbird is my opinion but a config option on the printer and driver that results in the printer simply eating the job instead of printing.

Have you tried saving the email as a html document and printing fro Firefox or other web browser using your existing tests to see if other software can print multiple pages on one page.

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Chosen Solution

Hey Matt. The printer driver was current and did not update when I checked. Paper-size, paper type, margins, etc all were fine. This printer is an HP+ 9015e. It requires HP Smart software and when installed to wireless network it establishes the HP Smart as a "printer" and a "printer" that has a MAC + isp-based web address. Either one can be set as the default and heretofore either have printed just fine. I recently got a new gateway (gateway+router) from my ISP and of course I had to set-up the SSID etc and reattach the printer to the new network. All went well and things were working just the same as before the new gateway. I'm pretty sure I had printed from Thunderbird in the way that initiated the problem referenced in my OP. Not 100% positive about that but I *think* so. The default printer I was using was the MAC + isp-based web address that had the problem. Printing from the HP Smart printer there was no problem.

So I stopped the printer spooler service, deleted old jobs (there were none), restarted print spooler and the problem still existed. I then deleted the MAC + isp-based web address printer from control panel and "forget this printer" from the HP Smart software and set HP Smart as the default printer. HP created another MAC + isp-based web address but it was exactly the same as previous. I tested both the HP Smart printer and the MAC + isp-based web address printer from Thunderbird and the problem still existed. Again, HP Smart as the default printer works just fine.

I have reverted back to HP Smart as the default printer and deleted MAC + isp-based web address from control panel. I'm a bit exhausted from this but I'm in agreement that the problem is NOT with Thunderbird. So, I appreciate your input and unless you have anything to add to this further explanation I will note this as solved at some point in the near future.

Thanks