A new Linux print driver (HPLIP 2.8.6) was released on Friday, June 20th adding support for the following products:

• HP Color LaserJet cm6030 MFP
• HP Color LaserJet cm6030f MFP
• HP LaserJet p1008 Printer (REQURIES plug-in)
• HP LaserJet p1007 Printer (REQURIES plug-in)
• HP Officejet Pro j4525 All In One
• HP Officejet Pro j4535 All In One
• HP Officejet Pro j4540 All In One
• HP Officejet Pro j4550 All In One
• HP Officejet Pro j4580 All In One
• HP Officejet Pro j4585 All In One
• HP Officejet Pro j4524 All In One
• HP Color LaserJet cm1312 MFP              (Note: Scanning for this device not supported in this release)
• HP Color LaserJet cm1312nfi MFP         (Note: Scanning for this device not supported in this release)
• HP Deskjet f2210 All-in-one
• HP Deskjet f2212 All-in-one
• HP Deskjet f2214 All-in-one
• HP Deskjet f2224 All-in-one
• HP Deskjet f2235 All-in-one
• HP Deskjet f2238 All-in-one
• HP Deskjet f2240 All-in-one
• HP Deskjet f2250 All-in-one
• HP Deskjet f2275 All-in-one
• HP Deskjet f2276 All-in-one
• HP Deskjet f2280 All-in-one
• HP Deskjet f2288 All-in-one
• HP Deskjet f2290 All-in-one
• HP Deskjet d4360 Printer
• HP Deskjet d4363 Printer
• HP Deskjet d4368 Printer
• HP Photosmart d5400 Printer 

This brings the total of devices supported by the HPLIP software to 1,437. For a complete list of products supported go to http://hplip.sourceforge.net/supported_devices/index.html.

For more information about the HPLIP (HP Linux Imaging & Printing) project, go to: http://hplip.sourceforge.net/index.html.

Posted by: Brian R. Kneebone
Technology Consultant, Imaging and Printing Group

Hi Everyone. This is the 2^nd part to the Universal Print Driver series. In the previous article we explored Installation Options for the HP Universal Print Driver. Take a look at that article first. This post explores the policy options for the HP Universal Print Driver which are available for exploitation using HP Managed Print Policies. This gives us the basis to explore the 3^rd part of the Color Access Control series.

I think I figured out what my issue was with the Group Policy Object I chose to leave in the article. Did you? Send me a comment online advising what you believe the fix to be. Some fancy logo ware is in it for the first correct reply.

Please note, the HP blogs will be migrating to a new platform over the next week. As of tomorrow, May 23, I won't be posting to my blog and won't be able to receive any comments submitted. Please hold your comments until June 1^st when our new site will be live.

Hint, some new firmware updates are available for your MFPs with some great new features. Be sure to check out www.hp.com/go/support to look up all the goodies. I’ll post on this in greater detail when the blog returns in its new format in June. Over and out...

Posted by: Brian R. Kneebone
Technology Consultant, Imaging and Printing Group

A new Linux print driver (HPLIP) was released on Thursday, May 8th adding support for the following products:

HP Photosmart C4400 series
HP Deskjet F4200 series
HP Deskjet D1500 series
HP Deskjet D2500 series
HP LaserJet CP1515n
HP LaserJet CP1518ni
HP LaserJet M1319f MFP
HP LaserJet P4015
HP LaserJet P4014
HP LaserJet P4515
HP LaserJet M9050 MFP
HP LaserJet M9040 MFP
HP Color LaserJet CP6015n
HP Color LaserJet CP6015dn
HP Color LaserJet CP6015de
HP Color LaserJet CP6015x
HP Color LaserJet CP6015xn
HP Color LaserJet CM6040f MFP

This brings the total of devices supported by the HPLIP software to 1,330. For a complete list of products supported go to http://hplip.sourceforge.net/supported_devices/index.html.

For more information about the HPLIP (HP Linux Imaging & Printing) project, go to: http://hplip.sourceforge.net/index.html.

Before we finish off the series around color access control, I wanted to prime administrators on how easy it is to install the HP Universal Print Driver using a number of different options at their disposal. This video tutorial provides a brief walk-through on the installation options which are available using the installer as well as standard installation methods. It also covers basic usability differences between the driver in its native “Traditional Mode” and optional “Dynamic Mode”.

So in summary, there are some very powerful features in the HP Universal Print Driver. Be sure to take a look at the Reviewers/Evaluator’s Guide. It’s an excellent overview of all of the high-level benefits and features.

Now that we’ve explored how it can be installed, the next topic will cover how default features can be controlled through our policy management tools like the Managed Print Administration control panel and Active Directory Templates. This will give administrators a nice overview of all of the different color control options available for them. Look for this coming soon.

PS – let me know through comments if you like this video tutorial. I’m using a new capture tool which is much more flexible (and easier to capture demonstrations from Microsoft Terminal Server (RDP) and Citrix Presentation server (ICA) sessions. Do you like the new full-screen features? Is the quality and streaming adequate? Could the narrator have a nicer voice? Some of these things I can do a lot about, others may be more challenging.

I wanted to share some imaging and printing resources in Windows Terminal Server (WTS) and Citrix environments. HP and its partner community have a number of helpful resources which can be useful for those new to administering these shared server computing architectures.

If you take a look at anything, bookmark the “HP printers supported in Citrix Presentation Server environments” whitepaper. This is an amazing document which is published regularly (usually 2 to 4 times a year). The document covers the types of devices supported, versions of the OS, middleware and drivers supported, etc. The title would seem to indicate support for print only (which is the primary focus), but topics also cover twain redirection for scanners and all-in-one devices as well. A URL at the end of the document invites customers to participate by providing feedback. The format is quite easily used for administrators who are new to managing printing assets in a shared server computing environment. Seasoned administrators will likely appreciate the consolidated list of open and resolved issues.

For those comfortable with WTS and Citrix environments and have an optimal infrastructure which is relatively well managed, consider moving to the next step by optimizing workflow:

• Consider ThinPrint Solutions to compress and optimize print streams. This can be especially important for location with low bandwidth to remote sites (dial-up, 56K frame relay, ISDN, low-bandwidth DSL, etc.)
• Sometimes prints need to be sent to users behind other firewalls outside of the corporate environment where redirecting the print stream through the RDP or ICA session is not desirable. While the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) can help, frankly customers demand more security-wise from their devices. Often we see customers choosing solutions like Capella’s SD-Express which looks and feels like normal print, but is transparently encrypted, transmitted using SMTP and decrypted in-printer and can even confirm prints through SMTP messages.
• Inevitably scanning becomes a consideration where TWAIN redirection may be helpful, but a more locked-down workflow oriented solution is preferred. Technology partners like Omtool with their AccuRoute platform can help and fully support these shared server computing environments. These solutions make for ideal capture platforms when working with shared multifunction printers and Digital Senders.
• For environments where job tracking becomes a consideration (whether that’s billing back departments or simply used as an audit mechanism for security practices) we have a number of solution partners which can help. This includes embedding tracking agents in print servers or the client sessions. For simplicity in these environments it is usually best to embed an agent at the device using technology such as Capella MegaTrack In Printer Agent (MIPA) or other tracking solution partners.
• Take a look at the devices hosting the RDP or ICA sessions themselves. HP has a number of low-cost devices including Windows XP/Vista desktops, laptops and thin client terminals. The most recent offering is a thin client laptop called the HP Compaq 6720t Mobile Thin Client.

The HP Universal Print Driver (UPD) and related software management tools like the Managed Print Administration (MPA) and Active Directory Administrative (ADM) templates have been updated:

A significant amount of testing in real-world enterprise customer environments has gone into these current releases over the past 9+ months. The experiences of my enterprise customers who participated in these pre-release validation tests (and those of my colleagues around the world) have proven the stability and reliability in the resultant release. This in combination with a number of enhancements to the way the solution is developed make for an experience I really believe large enterprise and public sector customers will come to appreciate (and depend on).

What happens from here? Well, development and testing will begin for future iterations of these technologies. If you are interested in participating, nominate your large enterprise or public sector organization through your local pre-sales technology consultant. They will be able to share more information with you and guide you through the benefits of participation and the application process.

Here are some new features of the HP Universal Print Driver:

• Additional configuration switches for the installer package
  (use “install.exe /?” To see the full list of options)
• Over 90 devices have been tested and qualified
• User selectable output bins where mailbox behaviour is preferred
• Improved USB plug-and-play support
• Increased compatibility with the HP Driver Pre-configuration Tool
  (and future driver utilities we will cover as they launch)
• Increased performance and stability for enterprise environments
• Cluster compatibility with active/passive, active/active and active/active/active configurations
• Improved compatibility with Windows Terminal Server and Citrix environments
• Support for custom SNMP community names

New policies which can be managed through install switches and/or policy management tools like the Managed Print Administration (MPA) control panel and the Active Directory Administrative Templates (ADM) include:

• Support for new green and privacy defaults including:
• Enabling duplex by default
• Enabling econo-mode by default
• Enabling mono by default or other economical color modes
• Private Printing by default (with ability to define default PIN)
• Custom SNMP Community Names (MPA)
• More intuitive control over the status notification popup window
• Ability to import XML printer lists from Web Jetadmin (MPA)

Now that these solutions have formally launched, look forward to part 3 of the color access control series. Yes, I could have done it before, but I really wanted to show the new green/privacy features at the same time which we introduced here. Look for this as my next post (or soon to be next post anyways). Thoughts and feedback are highly encouraged.

This one is just a short post for today. We appear to be publishing a semi-regular newsletter that keeps IT staff primed on new, emerging and resolved issues with LaserJet devices. For customers interested in staying on top of things proactively as they arise, I recommend taking a peek at this website from time to time. I’ve had a customer strongly recommend this and thought it would be wise to share.

Have you ever been asked to define new printing defaults for end users? I've put together a video tutorial targeted for new printing administrators. And for that matter existing print administrators who have only recently looked at applying settings by default.

Speaking personally, I know that I had to discover some of this (earlier in my career) by trial-and-error and got some bruises along the way. My hope here is that I can share out what I've learned and let administrators make their own decisions about how best to proceed in their organization.

Rather than go into a full on discussion here in email, take a peek at the video tutorial below:

In summary, printing defaults can be defined at the hardware level or the driver level. Drivers trump hardware settings (except when using advanced Color Access Controls for select colour devices which we'll explore in some future post). Also, printing defaults (when properly defined in "Advanced" -> "Printing Defaults..." are used by clients who point-and-print-connect the first time or have existing connections where the end-user has not saved any permanent defaults themselves in their Printers folder.

Next we'll take a look at driver deployment and preconfiguration utilities HP like HP Web Jetadmin as well as tools like the Microsoft Print Management Console in a future series.