In my experience printing has always been pain on all operating systems, especially Windows.

The fact that you literally need to open up about half of all possible TCP and UDP ports in a firewall just to get all printing protocols over the network to work at all and that the vendors try to prevent you from using third party ink, and other consumables is good evidence that it is more the printer vendors fault than anyone else's.

You're supposed to use hplip for HP printers. There's a Debian package for it in the main repositories.
edit: You can look up the printers and supported features with hplip here. Looks like your printer is perfectly supported (as long as you let hplip's tray program install their proprietary driver plugin).

Why is this so hard?

HP

There's your problem. Buy a Brother, brother.

Next time don't buy HP, :(.

Rage against the machine never specified what kind of machine they meant. Now we know it was probably a printer.

Sorry, I know this is not helping, but I love that joke :D

Update = Connecting the printer via USB gave better results. I would rather talk to it via the existing ethernet, but I did have a long USB cable so at least I don't have to give up half my desk. The printer is still connected to the network too. perhaps my wife can use it from windows.

At least for now I can print.

I know this doesn't help, but my linux experience has been good regarding printers. Much easier than Windows ever was. Probably just luck tho

I only have limited experience on that topic, but when I had to set up my printer, I found the arch wiki very helpful: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/CUPS

Packages name might not match, but general info should be good for any distro.

I've always just sent the docs to my phone over bluetooth and then printed from my Android phone. I rarely get printing to work on Linux.

I have a network connected hp officejet. If you want I can check my settings and drivers in CUPS tomorrow so you can compare. It has been working with several computers for quite a long time now and it gets auto discovered by windows and Linux.

I use ink from a 3rd party seller and it's relatively nag free since it's pretty old. It warns about non authentic ink, but then works just fine.

send the file to your phone and print using the app.

I have never had an issue printing to my HP printer, or the many other HP, Canon, and Brother printers I have used from my Linux device. CUPS handles all of them exceptionally. On the other hand, Windows machines I've used need HP Smart for anything HP, and Macs can never correctly print to Canons.

To be fair, printing on Windows isnt all roses and sunshine either :) Printing in itself is an issue. I remember how happy i felt when the big tech started talking about the paperless office and all..

I’m still waiting, and praying for that day to come :)