[SOLVED] Firefox 60 (ESR) poor print quality

pcalvert · 2018-12-04 18:19:24

When I print a web page to a PDF file using Firefox, the print quality is inconsistent. Sometimes the text is okay, but other times it's jagged-looking and barely readable. Has anyone else encountered this problem?

BTW, I had the same problem in Firefox 52 (ESR), and I was hoping that the problem wouldn't still be there in the newer version. As a workaround, I've been using Chromium, which prints to PDF just fine.

Note: The problem may possibly be related to this bug:
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=932289

Phil

Last edited by pcalvert (2018-12-17 22:51:21)

guuml.dev1 · 2018-12-14 20:13:29

Under some circumstances there may be a PDF created with "poor print quality". The usage of a file contaning "Portable Document Format" is wellknown, therefore problems belong to three different domains:

1. Creating the file real file with valid PDF-content.
2. Verifying the file content with a previewer.
3. Printing the file to real sheets of paper.

The 1st step: Create your file from your browser not with "Save as ...", but with "Print ...". Then select "print to file" ... (Nowadays every x-window-manager supports this, other os's I don't care). Then choose path and filename at your will.

The 2nd step is to verify the file content with a previewer of your choice.

I'm just assuming, you have saved a file named "pfd.js" instead of printing to a file "pdf.pdf". Realiter the first file is some javascript that looks good to google and to your browser, the latter you can copy to an usb stick and print out anywhere.

pcalvert · 2018-12-15 20:19:36

Thank you for your reply.

guuml.dev1 wrote:

I'm just assuming, you have saved a file named "pfd.js" instead of printing to a file "pdf.pdf".

Your assumption is incorrect.

Phil

pcalvert · 2018-12-15 23:01:57

If anyone wants to test this, visit this web page:
Tamiflu Prices and Tamiflu Coupons - GoodRx

Click on one of the green buttons that read "GET FREE COUPON". After the page with the coupon loads, print the page to a PDF file.

Phil

golinux · 2018-12-15 23:37:04

Looks fine to me:
https://transfer.sh/iRrGh/coupon-test.pdf

dxrobertson · 2018-12-16 01:39:38

pcalvert wrote:

If anyone wants to test this, visit this web page:
Tamiflu Prices and Tamiflu Coupons - GoodRx
Click on one of the green buttons that read "GET FREE COUPON". After the page with the coupon loads, print the page to a PDF file.
Phil

I printed the coupon in firefox quantum 64.0 as pdf and it appears ok (usable). I would post it here, but I dont see any way to attach/include a file in this forum?

golinux · 2018-12-16 01:41:48

dxrobertson wrote:

I printed the coupon in firefox quantum 64.0 as pdf and it appears ok (usable). I would post it here, but I dont see any way to attach/include a file in this forum?

Use transfer.sh It won't stay up for long but long enough for this purpose.

dxrobertson · 2018-12-16 02:09:33

I posted a screenprint of my legible coupon with @golinux coupon as well on my google drive. Odd that the "coupons" are different, as in the discount amounts. Anyway, not sure why @pcalvert is having pdf troubles.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ZoDSJ … UVa7CKqzMG

golinux · 2018-12-16 02:34:18

I'm wondering what pdf viewer he's using. I dumped evince years ago for atril (mate).

pcalvert · 2018-12-16 07:50:44

golinux wrote:

Looks fine to me:
https://transfer.sh/iRrGh/coupon-test.pdf

It looks fine to me too. BTW, I am using "Document Viewer", which I believe is Evince.

Here's mine:
https://transfer.sh/Ui8xn/Firefox-print-to-PDF-test.pdf

Phil

guuml.dev1 · 2018-12-16 13:49:56

Starting again with the first assumption:

pcalvert wrote:

...
Note: The problem may possibly be related to this bug:
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=932289

There you found some "Background on pdf.js printing". IMHO there is a bug with javascript in firefox (and thunderbird), but it's hard to track down. Back in 2016 a problem occured under LMDE2 with mate desktop, based on debian/jessie but no ubuntu packages. The problem can be ignored on i386, but is fatal on amd_64. Just to say "Thunderbird kills betsy on the second shot". Why and how does this affect devuan? Starting from commandline:

firefox 2>firefox.errmsg &
tail -f firefox.errmsg

With devuan/jessie-i386, xfce and firefox-esr (60.4.0esr-1~deb8u1) there are many repeating messages during startup of firefox:

(/usr/lib/firefox-esr/firefox-esr:3466): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed
(/usr/lib/firefox-esr/firefox-esr:3466): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

Opening a new tab in firefox there are additional lines:

(/usr/lib/firefox-esr/firefox-esr:3414): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed
alloc factor 0,900000 0,900000
alloc factor 0,900000 0,900000

Selecting menu "Print" but not "Print Preview":

** (firefox-esr:2865): WARNING **: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name org.freedesktop.Avahi was not provided by any .service files
** (firefox-esr:2865): WARNING **: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name org.freedesktop.Avahi was not provided by any .service files

Visiting both examples (1) and (2) with firefox shows no problems to me. Trying the URL given by pcalvert i get;

Thanks for visiting! GoodRx is not available outside of the United States.

Conclusion: There is an annoying problem with javascript in firefox or in GLib during transition form Gnome2 to Gnome3. This may be fixed in devuan/ascii desktop-live, I will doing a fresh install soon.

golinux · 2018-12-16 14:50:45

pcalvert wrote:

golinux wrote:
Looks fine to me:
https://transfer.sh/iRrGh/coupon-test.pdf
It looks fine to me too. BTW, I am using "Document Viewer", which I believe is Evince.
Here's mine:
https://transfer.sh/Ui8xn/Firefox-print-to-PDF-test.pdf
Phil

Yeah, that looks pretty bad. I don't have a clue what the problem is.

golinux · 2018-12-16 14:53:04

guuml.dev1 wrote:

The problem can be ignored on i386, but is fatal on amd_64.

Ah . . . I am running a 32 bit system.

dev-1-dash-1 · 2018-12-16 16:33:20

This may be connected to your fonts and anti-aliasing settings.

Try changing fonts in firefox preferences, for example
use liberation sans, serif, and mono as safe defaults.

Turn on the option to prevent pages from using their own fonts.

If that doesn't help try to change fonts in your default desktop environment.

Try changing anti-aliasing settings as well.

Determine which of those options affects the output, and go from there.

pcalvert · 2018-12-17 22:50:11

I created a new Firefox profile to see if that would help, but it did not. I also have Devuan ASCII (64-bit) in a VM, and I tried the same test with that system. No problem there.

The Devuan ASCII system with the problem, the one that I am using right now, started out as Debian Squeeze, so it's an old system that (likely) has a considerable amount of cruft. Since I am planning to reinstall the system some time next year, I now consider this problem as solved. Thank you all for your help.

Phil

P.S. I unchecked "Allow pages to choose their own fonts, instead of your selections above", and the problem is now gone.

Last edited by pcalvert (2018-12-20 06:11:45)

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#1 2018-12-04 18:19:24

[SOLVED] Firefox 60 (ESR) poor print quality

#2 2018-12-14 20:13:29

Re: [SOLVED] Firefox 60 (ESR) poor print quality

#3 2018-12-15 20:19:36

Re: [SOLVED] Firefox 60 (ESR) poor print quality

#4 2018-12-15 23:01:57

Re: [SOLVED] Firefox 60 (ESR) poor print quality

#5 2018-12-15 23:37:04

Re: [SOLVED] Firefox 60 (ESR) poor print quality

#6 2018-12-16 01:39:38

Re: [SOLVED] Firefox 60 (ESR) poor print quality

#7 2018-12-16 01:41:48

Re: [SOLVED] Firefox 60 (ESR) poor print quality

#8 2018-12-16 02:09:33

Re: [SOLVED] Firefox 60 (ESR) poor print quality

#9 2018-12-16 02:34:18

Re: [SOLVED] Firefox 60 (ESR) poor print quality

#10 2018-12-16 07:50:44

Re: [SOLVED] Firefox 60 (ESR) poor print quality

#11 2018-12-16 13:49:56

Re: [SOLVED] Firefox 60 (ESR) poor print quality

#12 2018-12-16 14:50:45

Re: [SOLVED] Firefox 60 (ESR) poor print quality

#13 2018-12-16 14:53:04

Re: [SOLVED] Firefox 60 (ESR) poor print quality

#14 2018-12-16 16:33:20

Re: [SOLVED] Firefox 60 (ESR) poor print quality

#15 2018-12-17 22:50:11

Re: [SOLVED] Firefox 60 (ESR) poor print quality

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