iPF5000 and Hahnemühle Fine Art Pearl

[ericbullock]

I'm still getting to know our new iPF5000. I'm having an issue with my 11 x 17 sheets of Fine Art Pearl. I'm quite anxious to see some output on this media, but both times I've output the profiling chart, I've gotten pretty severe head strikes from about halfway down the print to the bottom. I tried the top "tray", and then tried the straight through path (removed the manual feed tray to prevent the paper going in at an angle). Both times I got pretty nasty head strikes on my target.

I used the "Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss" media setting. I don't see many other applicable options here, other than vacuum strength. Has anyone else used this paper in the iPF5000, and if so, what were your media settings? Is this head strike problem familiar to anyone? I'm thinking this could be a sheet paper issue, but I'm not excited about spending $250 for the roll feed option to test my theory.

Regards,

Eric Bullock

[Gary Damaskos]

Maybe this will be relevent -
I ran Summerset Velvet Radiant White through some time ago and had headstrike. I adjusted vacuuma and head height thru the menu - viola, problem gone. I suggest consider trying one, other or both together - or review the media guide for a "fine art" paper that has higher vacuum/head height settings.
Gary

I'm still getting to know our new iPF5000. I'm having an issue with my 11 x 17 sheets of Fine Art Pearl. I'm quite anxious to see some output on this media, but both times I've output the profiling chart, I've gotten pretty severe head strikes from about halfway down the print to the bottom. I tried the top "tray", and then tried the straight through path (removed the manual feed tray to prevent the paper going in at an angle). Both times I got pretty nasty head strikes on my target.

I used the "Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss" media setting. I don't see many other applicable options here, other than vacuum strength. Has anyone else used this paper in the iPF5000, and if so, what were your media settings? Is this head strike problem familiar to anyone? I'm thinking this could be a sheet paper issue, but I'm not excited about spending $250 for the roll feed option to test my theory.

Regards,

Eric Bullock
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[mcmorrison]

Hello,

I have also had trouble with head-strikes using Fine Art Pearl on the iPF5000. I found this thread, and adjusted the vacuum to "strongest" and head height to "high" and, so far, have had no further strikes.

Thank you!

Michael Morrison

[serf]

Sorry for off topic post, but I am using the Mac driver/plug-in & don't see options for changing these variables - are you using PC?

Hello,

I have also had trouble with head-strikes using Fine Art Pearl on the iPF5000. I found this thread, and adjusted the vacuum to "strongest" and head height to "high" and, so far, have had no further strikes.

Thank you!

Michael Morrison
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[John Hollenberg]

Sorry for off topic post, but I am using the Mac driver/plug-in & don't see options for changing these variables - are you using PC?

On the PC version of the plugin, you can change the vacuum strength here:

Main tab -> Media Type -> Set button (underneath the media type)

This gives you access to some of the Detailed Media Settings.  Note that unidirectional printing is also available on this tab, but I don't think anyone has suggested there is any  improvement from unidirectional.

To set the head height, you have to go to the printer LCD and set it under the paper type as follows:

Menu button -> Med. Detail Set. -> Select media type you want to change setting for -> Head Height

Note that you can also set Vacuum Strength here as well.  The problem with setting the head height for a media type in the printer control panel is that it will remain that way until you change it back (I think).

Come to think of it, this is probably good information for the Wiki FAQ :-)

--John

[Dale Allyn]

These settings are the same on the Mac version (I'm using the Canadian update).

--
Dale

[mcmorrison]

Sorry for off topic post, but I am using the Mac driver/plug-in & don't see options for changing these variables - are you using PC?
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Hello,

I use a Mac, but I made the vacuum and head-height adjustments directly on the printer. I have also found these settings on both the regular driver and the plug-in, but have not found them to work as well, though I did not do much testing.

Best Regards,

Michael Morrison

[John Hollenberg]

Hello,

I use a Mac, but I made the vacuum and head-height adjustments directly on the printer. I have also found these settings on both the regular driver and the plug-in, but have not found them to work as well, though I did not do much testing.

You found the Head Height setting in the Plugin?  What version of Plugin?  It isn't there in Windows version 2.00.

--John

[ericbullock]

The vacuum strength does not seem to have much to do with the head strike problem. Its a head height issue exclusively. You can either set the head height on the front panel manually, or choose a media type suited for thicker papers.

-eric-

[mcmorrison]

Hello,

Well, it is summer here in New England, and today I was printing to 17 x 22 sheets of HFAP on the iPF5000. I printed a few sheets, and then began getting print head strikes again. I have had the "media detail settings" (on the printer, not the driver) set to "highest" head height, and "strongest" vacuum. This has worked well for a while, but is now failing again. Humidity? Is anyone else seeing humidity or temperature related head strikes? Any thoughts on what more to do, since head height and vacuum are already at the highest settings. . .

Thanks,

Michael Morrison

[JWest1026]

Hi Michael,

   I also live in New England and I've been printing on 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of FAP for some time now without issues. I use the "Special 5" media setting and feed the sheets from the top tray. Of course, a head strike may be more likely to happen with a larger sheet so this may be of no help to you.

   If you're not already familiar with the IPF5000 Wiki, it may be a good idea to run this question by the discussion forum as I know some of the members have printed on Hahnemuhle FAP.

Regards,
Jim

IPF5000 Wiki

[David White]

I had the head strike problem with FAP when printing from sheets fed from the cassette.  Moving the head height up one notch was enough to fix it for me.  Adjusting the vacuum didn't help at all.

Not sure what difference humidity would make.  It seems to me that the problem would be exacerbated by dry paper not laying flat when going under the printhead.  Seems like paper with a higher water content would lay flatter.

Humidity around here is around 15-25% if that makes any difference.

[Geoff Wittig]

I love the look and feel of this paper, and had good results with an Epson 2400, but it clearly has a big problem with heavy ink loads. Like other Z3100 users, I had repeated head strikes regardless of head height settings because the paper cockles (develops ripples) during printing under the load of the ink. The print head then crashes into the peaks of the ripples. I'm waiting to try Hahnemuhle's photo rag pearl to see if it has the same problem.

[mcmorrison]

Hello Geoff,

Well the head strikes do seem to correspond to areas of heavy ink loads, though not consistently. I wonder if the extra summer humidity is just enough to push the cockling far enough to cause the head strikes. Time to move to an air-conditioned office?  

Yes, I like the HFAP quite a bit too. I may have to dust off my sample pack of Photo Rag Pearl and check it out.

Thanks,

Michael Morrison

[David White]

I used the "Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss" media setting. I don't see many other applicable options here, other than vacuum strength. Has anyone else used this paper in the iPF5000, and if so, what were your media settings? Is this head strike problem familiar to anyone? I'm thinking this could be a sheet paper issue, but I'm not excited about spending $250 for the roll feed option to test my theory.
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If you use roll paper you won't see the problem, in my experience.  The problem that you will run into is Canon's limitation of what paper types can be feed through each paper path.  The printer will let you select Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss for the roll feed, but the driver won't let you print to that paper from the roll.

You are then stuck either having to profile two paper types for the same paper or using one of the Special 1-5 paper types which seem to be the only paper type in that class that will feed from both the cassette and roll feed paths.  Then you are stuck looking at ink limits and profiling several types of the Special 1-5 to see which gives the best results.  This is the main reason that my next printer won't be a Canon unless these restrictions are removed.

If someone has found a way around this problem I sure would like to hear about it.

[mcmorrison]

Hello,

Well, I managed to get some air conditioning in my office today, and that rectified the issue—at least for the moment! So perhaps when the humidity is too high, the ink can't dry fast enough and the paper swells on the ink side, bulging up and intercepting the print head.

Paper path restrictions, poor third party paper support, and expensive, frequently(?) replaced print heads make the Canon's tough. I am hoping that these are addressed some in the 5100/6100 versions, and that the calibration function is a winner.

I also wonder when Epson will make its move with its new high-res print head.

Many thanks,  Michael Morrison

[mkress65]

Hello,

Well, I managed to get some air conditioning in my office today, and that rectified the issue—at least for the moment! So perhaps when the humidity is too high, the ink can't dry fast enough and the paper swells on the ink side, bulging up and intercepting the print head.

Paper path restrictions, poor third party paper support, and expensive, frequently(?) replaced print heads make the Canon's tough. I am hoping that these are addressed some in the 5100/6100 versions, and that the calibration function is a winner.

I also wonder when Epson will make its move with its new high-res print head.

Many thanks,  Michael Morrison
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Hi Michael -- can you please expand on "poor third party paper support?"  I haven't seen any 3rd party paper that I wanted that didn't work on the printer and that didn't have, at minimum, a generic profile available.

As for the "frequently replaced print heads", is that referring to the statement in the tech manual that suggests annual print head replacement, or is that from personal experience?

Thanks,

Matt

[David White]

Hi Michael -- can you please expand on "poor third party paper support?"  I haven't seen any 3rd party paper that I wanted that didn't work on the printer and that didn't have, at minimum, a generic profile available.
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I'm not Michael, but I think that I can answer this.  Many of the paper manufacturers and suppliers of generic profiles specify the paper type to use for luster type papers as Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss.  That's fine and well until you try printing on it when it is in roll form.  The Canon printer drivers will not let you select Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss from the roll feed.  There are only a couple paper types that Canon allows printing on from the roll and the cassette.  This is why we say that Canon does not provide support for third party papers.

[John Hollenberg]

Many of the paper manufacturers and suppliers of generic profiles specify the paper type to use for luster type papers as Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss.  That's fine and well until you try printing on it when it is in roll form.  The Canon printer drivers will not let you select Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss from the roll feed.  There are only a couple paper types that Canon allows printing on from the roll and the cassette.  This is why we say that Canon does not provide support for third party papers.

While I am against this lockout of Media Types with particular paper sources as much as anyone else, blame must also go on the paper manufacturers for not using Special 1-5 for non-Canon papers (or Premium Matte if a matte paper).  Of course, Canon probably didn't make clear to them early on that they need to do this :-)

--John