Z3100ps, Ink Limits Paper Thickness

[walter.sk]

I'm beginning to settle in comfortably with the Z3100, using Qimage as a front end.  I have profiled several papers, and tried to use the tables in the HP "Technical Newsletter: Working with custom media"  to decide which Paper Preset to start with.  When I get to the point where I want to alter the printing parameters of the preset to better reflect what is listed on the tables, I get results I do not understand.

For example, I profiled a paper called Berrger Fine Art Textured 100% Cotton Rag, PN33.  It is 300 gsm paper.  I selected Fine Art Material>Fine Art paper >250 g/m2 as the Paper Type.  When I used the Color Center's "Change Print Properties dialogue, first to check that the parameters had been set properly under the name of my new paper, the Paper Thickness window was grayed out, with "Normal" showing, rather than High for the carriage height.  For the Ink Limit, I typed in 60%, which was the setting in the HP Technical Paper's table.  I continued and calibrated and profiled the paper.  When I rechecked the "Change Paper Properties" dialogue again, the Ink Limit was set at 80, rather than the 60 I had entered.

This is the second paper that I calibrated and profiled according to the recommendations of the HP Technical Newsletter, only to find that the printer software would not allow me to use the settings I entered.

I'm running firmware 6.0.0.7, with the latest versions of the software found on the HP website for America, and I used ASP to profile the paper.   This is all on a Windows XPPro SP2 PC.

I am also a little disappointed that after getting the PS version of the printer because of its embedded RIP, that I have found no way to enter some of the other parameters of paper, such as which black ink or combinatin of black inks the printer should use.

Am I misunderstanding how to use the paper routines, or am I expecting too much?

[Ernst Dinkla]

When I used the Color Center's "Change Print Properties dialogue, first to check that the parameters had been set properly under the name of my new paper, the Paper Thickness window was grayed out, with "Normal" showing, rather than High for the carriage height.  For the Ink Limit, I typed in 60%, which was the setting in the HP Technical Paper's table.  I continued and calibrated and profiled the paper.  When I rechecked the "Change Paper Properties" dialogue again, the Ink Limit was set at 80, rather than the 60 I had entered.


I am also a little disappointed that after getting the PS version of the printer because of its embedded RIP, that I have found no way to enter some of the other parameters of paper, such as which black ink or combinatin of black inks the printer should use.

Am I misunderstanding how to use the paper routines, or am I expecting too much?

[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

The menu of Change Print Properties that I have shows the 80-100% possible next to where the numbers can be entered. If I recall it correctly that was also the range promised with the firmware upgrade announcement. That the software allows other numbers entered and gives no warning is not good though. On the other hand I think that a media profile description is already stretched too much with anything above 20% ink limit change. This isn't comparable with a RIP where the other settings are build on top of an ink limitation, here everything is set and an "extra" ink limitation is added.

On my much more expensive Wasatch SoftRip there are a lot of Z3100 ink parameters to control but the black partitioning (MK.PK.MGray.LGray) or M + LM partioning isn't one of them, both are black boxes now while the 6 ink drivers usually allowed to set the transfer points for LM>M, LC>C in partitioning or the lighter inks could be removed totally. On my question whether the Z3100 quad range is used for matte prints they wrote Yes but the way they use black generation makes me wonder whether it is worth it if true. I expected a lot more from that upgrade to 6.2. It is harder to comment on what you should expect of the PS addition to the Z3100. At least that one has APS + Postscript interpretation and it prints longer lengths than the plain Z3100.

Ernst Dinkla

try: [a href=\"http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/]http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/[/url]

[walter.sk]

Thanks for the reply, Ernst.

So far, I'm happy with the Z3100ps.  I just tend to worry about things until I'm satisfied that I'm going to get the results I want  I am not a "pixel peeper," and base my decisions on how the print looks.

One thing that bothered me about the carriage height is that on calibrating a paper today, I tried to indicate to the printer that the paper type was over 250 gsm.  When the calibration target printed out, there were clear "pizza wheel" tracks, which had not occurred with the other papers I used.  I don't know whether the print heads actually contacted the paper.  However, when I printed images using the profile I made, there were no signs of the "pizza wheel" tracks.  I guess the printer got the correct information.

So far, I'm happy enough without a 3rd party RIP.  Qimage allows me to place several images of equal or differing sizes on the paper roll, arranged how I want them,  if I need to.  Again, thanks for the information.