1838989 - Incorrect print orientation, with thermal printer (e.g. Zebra ZD410 printer), printing a label that is wider-than-it-is-tall (e.g. 2x1)

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 1836028

(Core :: Printing: Output, defect)

Description

[flaviobombonatti]

Steps to reproduce:

1. Using a Zebra ZD410 printer, we configured the paper size and orientation to landscape, in the printer settings.
2. Open a PDF document in Firefox (Windows 11). The preview appears in landscape as expected.

Actual results:

It prints in portrait mode. Changing settings in the printer seem to have no effect in the orientation. This started happening with version 114. It mostly worked fine before.

Expected results:

It should have printed in landscape, as per the printer settings and preview.

Unfortunately, this happened in the computers of 2 different clients, and I don't have access to the printer or the document, to test it out.

Comment 1

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco]]

The Bugbug bot thinks this bug should belong to the 'Core::Printing: Output' component, and is moving the bug to that component. Please correct in case you think the bot is wrong.

Comment 2

[Daniel Holbert [:dholbert]]

jwatt, I think you have a thermal printer -- could you see if you can reproduce?

Comment 3

[Daniel Holbert [:dholbert]]

(In reply to flaviobombonatti from comment #0)

This started happening with version 114. It mostly worked fine before.

--> setting status flags accordingly, assuming 115 and 116 Nightly are affected as well.

Comment 4

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco]]

The bug has a release status flag that shows some version of Firefox is affected, thus it will be considered confirmed.

Comment 5

[Daniel Holbert [:dholbert]]

I got a Zebra ZD410 printer myself over the weekend. I can reproduce something like this bug (using html testcases with @page size), but the issue that I'm seeing goes back much further than Firefox 114.

Possibly there was a PDF-specific change in Firefox 114, though. I didn't test extensively with PDFs yet.

(Bug 1820651 seems likely-related... I'm flagging that as "see also" for now, but it's quite possible this was a regression from that bug.)

Comment 6

[flaviobombonatti]

(In reply to Daniel Holbert [:dholbert] from comment #5)

I got a Zebra ZD410 printer myself over the weekend. I can reproduce something like this bug (using html testcases with @page size), but the issue that I'm seeing goes back much further than Firefox 114.

Possibly there was a PDF-specific change in Firefox 114, though. I didn't test extensively with PDFs yet.

(Bug 1820651 seems likely-related... I'm flagging that as "see also" for now, but it's quite possible this was a regression from that bug.)

I made a PDF document that is 2x1", to simulate a typical Zebra label. If you want to test with this, try these steps:

1. In Windows, go to Control Panel -> Devices & Printers -> Right-click the Zebra and choose "Printing preferences".
2. Set the default paper size as 2" wide by 1" tall. Leave the orientation on Landscape. Click Apply.
3. Open the attached PDF in Firefox and try printing it.

Comment 7

[flaviobombonatti]

Attachment: 2 x 1 document.pdf

Comment 10

[Maverick]

I'm pretty sure this is not printer specific because, as mentioned in bug 1839536 , we have experienced this with two other label printers from different brands.

I think the easiest and fastest fix and the way to keep everyone happy would be to just always show the page orientation option...

Otherwise - and because no one is picking this up, apparently - there will be some of us indefinitely unhappy with an issue that with an extra option would get solved (and i think no one would get unhappy with the solution)

...also i think both bugs are duplicates...

Comment 11

[Daniel Holbert [:dholbert]]

(In reply to Maverick from comment #10)

I'm pretty sure this is not printer specific because, as mentioned in bug 1839536 , we have experienced this with two other label printers from different brands

(I think this was a bug number typo -- you probably meant bug 1836028?) Anyway, agreed, this isn't printer-model-specific; I think it's specific to printers where the printer-paper itself is "natively" wider-than-it-is-tall. And as far as I'm aware, that's specific to thermal printers in general (for e.g. labels). I've adjusted the bug summary.

I think the easiest and fastest fix and the way to keep everyone happy would be to just always show the page orientation option...

That might be a workaround/fix, though it might not be as simple as that... e.g. in bug 1863500 comment 5, it sounds like users can already regain access to print-orientation via the system print dialog, but the content ends up clipped.

I'll try to find some time to poke at possible solutions here in the next week or so.

Comment 12

[Daniel Holbert [:dholbert]]

And I agree, this is a duplicate of bug 1836028 (which is slightly older and has more discussion); let's use that as the duplicate target. I'll update the bug title over there to describe the issue rather than a particular proposed solution, to make it easier to find, and we can dupe the bugs there.