LibreOffice Writer duplex printing not working

[Blue1]

2024-01-09
Operating System: Kubuntu 22.04
KDE Plasma Version: 5.24.7
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.92.0
Qt Version: 5.15.3
Kernel Version: 5.15.0-91-generic (64-bit)

Version: 7.3.7.2 / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: 30(Build:2)
CPU threads: 4; OS: Linux 5.15; UI render: default; VCL: kf5 (cairo+xcb)
Ubuntu package version: 1:7.3.7-0ubuntu0.22.04.4
Calc: threaded

Printer: Brother MFC-L2710Dw

Several months ago before upgrades duplex printing was working, now it is not. I cannot recall when it stopped or which upgrades (Linux or LibreOffice) may have effected this.

Duplex on the printer does work - for example I can print using a pdf software to print duplex but in LibreOffice Writer when I choose duplex under properties it still prints out single side pages.

In writer - printer properties / device under options I can see:
Media type, print color mode; output tray, print quality, print scaling
but nothing about duplex. Of course in the past I have never touched these settings even when it was printing duplex.
I normally choose duplex under Properties/Paper settings.

The issue seems to be with LibreOffice.
How can it be fixed?

Happy New Year

[ericvanoirschot]

The same issue is experienced by me. Like Blue1, I do not recall after which update this issue started, but I am pretty sure that duplex printing was possible with the same settings in the system and in LibreOffice about a year ago.

After trying to configure it all again, duplex printing still failed. As a workaround it is possible to create a .pdf of the document in LibreOffice. Then print that .pdf, which is performed outside of LibreOffice. This confirms that the printer is able to print duplex, that my system (Ubuntu 22.04) can handle that properly, but only LibreOffice seems to fail in that sense.

Our printer is a Brother MFC-2730Dw (quite similar to Blue1’s printer).

Version information of LibreOffice running:
Version: 24.2.2.2 (X86_64) / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: 420(Build:2)
CPU threads: 16; OS: Linux 5.15; UI render: default; VCL: gtk3
Locale: nl-NL (en_US.UTF-8); UI: en-US
Ubuntu package version: 4:24.2.2~rc2-0ubuntu0.22.04.1~lo1
Calc: threaded

There is a bug report, but in its discussion it seems to be connected to HP printer type(s).
The bug link: Bug #1779432 “[upstream] Libre Writer doesn't do duplex printing...” : Bugs : libreoffice package : Ubuntu
The bug report is rather old, at least much older than the days duplex printing to our printer was possible. So I am afraid it might not be connected.

Concluding, the duplex issue is still there. Workaround is to export to .pdf and use that file for printing duplex.

(Update:)
Tried printing with LO Writer (latest version) on a MacBook Pro to the same printer. Duplex works!

[Blue1]

The same error still persists with the same printer on
Operating System: Kubuntu 24.04
KDE Plasma Version: 5.27.12
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.115.0
Qt Version: 5.15.13

workaround is to print to PDF
Open PDF file with Okular
print to printer with Okular by choosing double sided in the options.

• using document viewer for double sided printing of PDF file may also not work.

[GRC]

Win 10 LibreOffice 25.8 Canon G3060
I am having the same problem with Duplex/Brochure printing.
Every year in December I print a winter brochure. This year, the each page was shrunk to about an eighth of an A4 page. I have never had problems before, The only thing that has changed is that I am now using LibreOffice 25.8
Annoyingly, I was forced to export the document into Word. This needed a lot of reformatting as it failed to reproduce the column breaks correctly, nevertheless, Word printed the brochure correctly.

[mariosv]

Doesn’t work Menu>File>Export as>Export as PDF, and print the PDF?

[EarnestAl]

@GRC

This year, the each page was shrunk to about an eighth of an A4 page

Maybe Pages per sheet was set to 6 or 9?

[Blue1]

Converting files to pdf in LibreOffice:

Export as pdf should do it, but if you have problems try one of these methods:

• Documents can be printed directly to pdf from the standard menu:

Under view menu, choose toolbar, then choose standard. Standard toolbar should appear at the top. Click on the document icon to the right of the save icon, it prints to pdf.

Or

• Choose print from file menu, and on the dialogue box, under printer drop down menu, choose print to file and click print. In the next save dialogue box where you can choose where to save and the name of file, under name of file it should automatically show “Filter: Portable Document Format” , if not choose it from the drop down menu.

• Prior to printing to pdf, you need to prepare the print parameters as with any printing job, such as the orientation of the page… Most common settings can be set via printer settings under file menu. You may also need to set print area if you are printing a spreadsheet document.

Hope this helps.

[GRC]

What a good idea. I’m annoyed that I didn’t think of it.

[GRC]

In reply to EarnestAl
The pages were not set to 6 or 9 as you suggest. To print a brochure you go from the (Windows) menu shown to the Properties and select the brochure option. This now looks correct coming back to the Print Preview window but wrong in the subsequent (Canon) Print Preview window.

[EarnestAl]

@GRC

Canon G3060

I see that it has a setting for Booklet. It might be best to use the printer driver to render the Brochure/Booklet and not LibreOffice. There is a kind of feedback if the printer driver detects a booklet/brochure is being printed then it might apply an automatic page rotation; LibreOffice has already applied one rotation so the page is rotated again back to portrait.
I have this problem with my Brother printer but not with my HP printer so it seems to be dependent on the printer driver.