HP z3100 Print Profile Summary

[SeanPuckett]

Here's a list of the uniquely different print profiles available, sorted by ink limit, along with their driver names.  In general, higher ink limits mean wider print gamuts.  To choose a profile, then, find the highest ink limit that has a profile that reasonably matches your paper type, and do a calibration/ICCe series.  If you find mottling (spots) or ink pooling in the darker colours on the ICC print, choose a similar profile with a lower limit and try again.

N.B. What I've gathered from the HP document makes me believe that there is no benefit to choosing an HP branded paper type from the list if that paper's profile is also available as an unbranded paper type.  The document doesn't state or imply that colour mixing is different if all other parameters are identical, so I'm pretty sure this is the case.  Contrary evidence is welcome.

Key terms:
  Bi - 16 pass bidirectional printing
  Borderless - Borderless option available (omission means unavailable)
  Gloss - Gloss enhancer is usable (omission means not usable)
  High - high carriage (omission means low carriage)
  Matte - Matte black used.
  Nocut - Cutter cannot be used.
  Photo - Photo black used.
  Quad - Both Matte and Photo black used.
  Uni - 8 pass unidirectional printing


Ink Limit 20
  Coated / Plain - High, Matte, Uni

Ink Limit 22
  Coated / Coated - High, Matte, Uni

Ink Limit 30
  Photo / Photo Matte Paper - High, Matte, Bi
  Proofing / Proofing Matte - High, Matte, Uni
  Fine Art / HP Collector Satin Canvas - High, Matte, Bi, Nocut

Ink Limit 36
  Photo / Photo Gloss Paper - Gloss, Borderless, Photo, Bi
  Proofing / Proofing Gloss - Gloss, Borderless, High, Photo, Uni

Ink Limit 42
  Fine Art / Canvas - High, Matte, Bi, Nocut
  Fine Art / Fine Art Paper - High, Matte, Bi

Ink Limit 46
  Photo / Glossy Paper High Ink - Gloss, Borderless, Photo, Bi
  Proofing / Glossy Paper High Ink - Gloss, Borderless, Photo, Uni
  Fine Art / Fine Art Media Pearl - Gloss, Borderless, High, Photo, Bi

Ink Limit 48
  Coated / Superheavyweight - High, Photo, Uni

Ink Limit 60
  Fine Art / Fine Art > 250g/m2 - High, Quad, Bi



Here's the same list, organized by black used.


Photo Inkset (Gloss, Borderless)
  Limit 48 - Coated / Superheavyweight (high, uni)
  Limit 46 - Photo / Glossy Paper Hi Ink (bi)
  Limit 46 - Proofing / Glossy Paper Hi Ink (uni)
  Limit 46 - Fine Art / Fine Art Media Pearl (high, bi)
  Limit 36 - Photo / Photo Gloss (bi)
  Limit 36 - Proofing / Proofing Gloss (hi, uni)

Matte Inkset
  Limit 42 - Fine Art / Canvas (bi, nocut)
  Limit 42 - Fine Art / Fine Art Paper (bi)
  Limit 30 - Photo / Photo Matte (high, bi)
  Limit 30 - Proofing / Proofing Matte (high, uni)
  Limit 30 - Fine Art / HP Collector Satin Canvas (high, bi, nocut)
  Limit 22 - Coated / Coated (high, uni)
  Limit 20 - Coated / Plain (high, uni)

Quad Inkset
  Limit 60 - Fine Art / Fine Art > 250gsm (quad, bi)

[dkeyes]

Thanks,
This is an easier read than the HP document and handier too.

As far as color mixing goes, I definitely notice a difference from different profiles on the same paper. For example, I like the Fine Art Media Pearl profile with the HP ID gloss paper better than the HP ID gloss profile. Has better reds and yellows among other things.
- Doug

[neil snape]

Ink limiting is a control set in media set ups.
Firmware separations are are not directly linked to the media set ups.
Mixing in the sense of mixing media set ups and profiles will create mixes that can be good or bad, but outside of the ink separation in firmware.

Yes the list is easier to read in this format than the PDF I have of the same.

Even though what is written in the document makes some sense of what should be going on , I recently measured some charts that had conflicting densities compared to what is documented.
With the firmware update things must have changed.
If you have a paper that your having problems with getting the results you expect I suggest trying a test chart (small but with density graduations and solids and visually compare them, if not measure. Maybe you will find one over the other is better in the areas that you are looking at.

[SeanPuckett]

Doug,

According to the document, Fine Media Pearl only differs from ID Gloss by the height of the head.  I guess my list isn't very useful after all, if FMP produces better output on the same paper than IDG.

And I was so much looking forward to testing papers today, rather than testing profiles.  Because I really don't want to play with profiles.  I suppose one approach could be to use one kind of media (say IDG)  and go through the entire list of Paper Types and calibrate/profile each one and compare the gamuts.

Sometimes I hate coming to work.  I'd rather be  taking pictures.

-s