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Author Topic: HP Printheads: Z3100 - 24 inch printer  (Read 591 times)

brianrybolt

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HP Printheads: Z3100 - 24 inch printer
« on: June 28, 2018, 01:25:07 pm »

I haven't printed for 6-9 months and I am getting banding in the dark areas of the print.  I printed a diagnostic image & a Printhead alignment.  How do I interpret the results of these processes? I can't find it in the manual nor on the internet via Google.  Thanks in advance for any information.

Brian

kevk

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Re: HP Printheads: Z3100 - 24 inch printer
« Reply #1 on: June 30, 2018, 12:07:31 am »

See https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/HP-DSJ-z3100-series/3204970/document/c00884539/
Some heads probably need cleaning rather than aligning.
Kevin
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brianrybolt

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Re: HP Printheads: Z3100 - 24 inch printer
« Reply #2 on: June 30, 2018, 04:39:47 am »

Thank you Kevin, that's exactly what I was looking for.  I forgot to mention that I did perform a printhead cleaning cycle.

Cheers,
Brian

Ernst Dinkla

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Re: HP Printheads: Z3100 - 24 inch printer
« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2018, 05:19:48 am »

The nozzle patterns show the failed nozzles that are usually replaced by redundent nozzles of the thousand nozzles per ink side. The heads are designed that way. Too many failing nozzles and the color patches will show unevenness.

Shaking the head sometimes helps to keep it longer usable. It probably rearranges the larger particles on the internal sieves so there is some flow restored. On similar heads (HP has a range with the same size) there are reports that with too much air inside (50 grams total weight) the head will fail, weight of the head should be 60 grams. Some tools exist to replace the air by ink. I  have tried similar rescues but with little success.

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Mark Lindquist

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Re: HP Printheads: Z3100 - 24 inch printer
« Reply #4 on: June 30, 2018, 12:03:31 pm »

I haven't printed for 6-9 months and I am getting banding in the dark areas of the print.  I printed a diagnostic image & a Printhead alignment.  How do I interpret the results of these processes? I can't find it in the manual nor on the internet via Google.  Thanks in advance for any information.

Brian

There is information about reading the diagnostic print here:

READING AND UNDERSTANDING HP Z SERIES PRINTHEADS AND CHARTS


There's also information about how to check and clean your printheads manually.  6 months is a long time, but if you left the printer running during that entire time, it could be that a little cleaning and exercising will bring most the heads back to an acceptable range.  When they are gone, they are gone, however, and it's easier to pony up and replace the bad heads.  The trick is in knowing which can be saved and which need to just be thrown out.

As for banding, Advance paper calibration often fixes that problem.  You get to it by going to Maintenance on the console.

But first, try these steps to make sure your printer is in ship-shape:

HOW TO KEEP YOUR Z SERIES PRINTER RUNNING in TOP SHAPE

An interesting thing about all Z's is that if you repeat procedures more than once, sometimes up to 3-5 times, the printer will come back and work right.  Keep working, forcing ink through and if it can, it will.  Often it does come down to that faulty printhead, so testing your printheads is a good idea. The paper towel test coupled with the diagnostic image, patience and time will tell.

Best,

Mark
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Mark Lindquist
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