I'm ran into the same issue, the bit device appears to be broken in 8.64~dfsg-1 version of ghostscript. When told to output to bit device no output is generated.
Here is a simple reproducer, taken straight from the brother printer drivers scripts using a cups test page postscript: # First run with 8.64~dfsg-1, get no output /usr/bin/gs -r1200 -g10200x13200 -q -dNOPROMPT -dNOPAUSE -dSAFER -sDEVICE=bit -sOutputFile=- - -c quit < /usr/share/cups/data/testprint.ps | wc 0 0 0 # Then downgrade ghostscript packages apt-get install ghostscript=8.63.dfsg.1-2 libgs8=8.63.dfsg.1-2 ghostscript-x=8.63.dfsg.1-2 gs-common=8.63.dfsg.1-2 [...] # Then run same command 8.63.dfsg.1-2, get 16 megs of output /usr/bin/gs -r1200 -g10200x13200 -q -dNOPROMPT -dNOPAUSE -dSAFER -sDEVICE=bit -sOutputFile=- - -c quit < /usr/share/cups/data/testprint.ps | wc 0 15613 16830000 apt-cache policy ghostscript ghostscript: Installed: 8.63.dfsg.1-2 Candidate: 8.64~dfsg-1 Version table: 8.64~dfsg-1 0 990 http://http.us.debian.org testing/main Packages 500 http://http.us.debian.org unstable/main Packages *** 8.63.dfsg.1-2 0 500 file: ./ Packages 100 /var/lib/dpkg/status -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org