z3100 and Breathing Color Canvas

[ternst]

Can anyone give me an idea what media settings to use when setting up the custom paper to profile with a z3100 for using the Breathing Color Chromata White and Chromata White Glossy canvas? I need to do some testing with both profiles. Any help would be most appreciated - thanks!

Tim Ernst in Arkansas
http://www.Cloudland.net

[Avalan]

Hello Tim

For Chromata White profiling I used "Fine Art Material >Canvas " setting , in order to get Matte blacks. Guess this is the best setting for this canvas.

For Chromata White glossy profiling, I used "Bond and coated paper >Super heavyweight coated paper setting" ,  in order to get photo blacks. Can't say this is the best setting. I chose it because the canvas is 20.5 mil and wanted to avoid possible headstrikes. The other setting choice could be "photo gloss paper" , but not sure what might be the result or possibility of headstrikes .

PS : I did not like the texture of Chromata white gloss . It is heavily coated. Another choice would be printing on Chromata white and then coating with gloss or semigloss glamour II. And of course it is just a personal choice.

Good luck

[ternst]

Thanks for your info Avalan. I have been stumbling through it tonight and finally got both papers to load. I have had issues with the cutter - it won't shut off when I use any paper that uses PK ink, even though it is shut down in both places I could find to do so. And the cutter certainly will not make it through this material - jams right away and won't cut it at all. I'm trying to get the gloss to work so I can use photo ink so I can buy an Epson 9880 instead of using this HP (all of my other prints are luster or glossy and I don't like MK ink). I'm ending up having to fool the printer on loading - telling it is another paper so the cutter won't work (heavy canvas), then switching to a paper that uses photo black ink (this is for the gloss canvas of course). The Epsons sure do a much better job of handling canvas than this HP, but I like the gloss of the z's...

[Avalan]

Tim

The cutter on 3100 will not cut the canvas and you are correct about it .

Have you changed the mode to the "cutter off" in the printer pannel? It is supposed to turn off the cutter for any media as I recall . At least I have not experinced any problem yet .

[ternst]

Yes, I shut off the cutter from the panel and from the computer. It is coming on and trying to trim the end of the roll during the loading process. I'm sure a lot of it is operator error, or that fact that I have a quirky printer (as an example, after nearly three months of trying I still cannot get the new driver to give me an english version - firmware update was no problem, but I keep getting a foreign language driver - HP has been no help - I've downloaded the english version about 30 times). I must admit that when this printer is working it works a lot better than the big Epsons I've had - just don't have to worry about all those clogs and cleanings with the z! Sometimes I don't use it for a week or two and it wakes right on up and prints away. If I can just figure this canvas deal out, and get a driver that will work in english...

By the way I downloaded the Fine Art Pearl preset from the HP site and it seems to give me what this gloss canvas wants, although still with the auto cutter enabled which has led to all the frustration this evening. Sometimes things just don't work like they should. I'm using a 24" model right now and will probably order the 44" next week unless I give up and decide to just wait and get the flawed Epson later this fall...

[Avalan]

If the cutter problem is  prior to the print and just in the loading process , probably you can avoid it by manually cutting a nice straight edge for the canvas before loading.

No comment on why you are getting a none English version of the driver.

I remember reading the posts from jjentry in this forum using Canon IPF8000. He has always given a good review of this printer and he prints  lots of canvas. So This might be another choice of printer if you are considering another printer. Canon is a faster printer too. And as we know all of them have their own shortcomings as well.

Good luck

[dandeliondigital]

If the cutter problem is  prior to the print and just in the loading process , probably you can avoid it by manually cutting a nice straight edge for the canvas before loading.
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RE: Manually Cutting

Hi Avaian,
I'm using the Z3100ps GP, and work with many and varied canvas and other thicker media.

I've discovered an undocumented feature. I hope. There is a space between the top surface that has the blue lines for lining up skewed prints and the brushed metal edge that abuts the top plastic surface. It accepts a blade and makes trimming straight cuts through canvas a breeze. I contacted HP to ask if it's safe to trim thick media in the fashion I have devised, but I haven't heard from them. I was worried about accidentally cutting through something that might be hidden below the crack.

Any comments? Anyone else notice this "feature?" HP Techs?

Thanks, and so long for now, TOM

[ternst]

That is an interesting idea Tom. The end of my "crack" is very tight but I am able to force a thin blade in there, however there are solid objects underneath in a few places so until someone removed the silver part to check I suspect it might not be a good idea to get too forceful with blades down into this crack - it does have possibilities though!

[Avalan]

Hi folks

I doubt using that crack for cutting be a good practice.

This is what I do for manually cutting the canvas on 3100 . I do the following process when canvas is loaded in the printer, either before the print and in order to get a straight cut (if it is necessary) or after printing the canvas.

I use the front silver metal panel as a cutter guide . When canvas is loaded , move the lever up to release the tension, then move the canvas roll from behind towards the  front of the printer until it hangs over the front silver metal panel.You can do it by standing on  front of the printer or from the back, whatever is more practical for you. Then you can use a sharp cutter to do the manual cut. You need to make sure that the canvas is not loose in order to get a straight cut.

Cutter will face the floor and the sharp edge of the cutter will touch and cut the canvas and nothing else.
Front silver metal will act as a cutter guide. side of the cutter blade will be touching the edge of the silver panel so over the time it can scratch the painting of the metal . To prevent this, I have laid down a layer of Scotch Cinta Ruban tape over the metal to cover it and it works. the tape is 2 inches wide and more than enough for the coverage . This tape is a clear tape with glass fibers for heavy duty packaging etc  . You may find it in Staples or office depot  or you can apply any other tape for scratch protection.

Hope it helps - Avalan

[dandeliondigital]

Hi Avalan,
Not sure I follow what you are saying, are you putting the cutter up against the metal edge, but not in the grove then? While considering all this I just thought of a variation and need to try this...

After feeding the canvas through the back and printing, advance the print job to a yet to be determined point, until there is enough to use the cutting channel that is closer to the top that is metal and appears to have been put there for this purpose? At that point,  flip the printed job over towards the roll, and us the metal channel on the top.

In that case the canvas would be printable side down onto the channel. After the cut, you drape the excess back over the front and "rewind it" back, after first releasing the release on the left.

This might be convenient and practical if it works.

So long for now, TOM

Hi folks

I doubt using that crack for cutting be a good practice.

This is what I do for manually cutting the canvas on 3100 . I do the following process when canvas is loaded in the printer, either before the print and in order to get a straight cut (if it is necessary) or after printing the canvas.

I use the front silver metal panel as a cutter guide . When canvas is loaded , move the lever up to release the tension, then move the canvas roll from behind towards the  front of the printer until it hangs over the front silver metal panel.You can do it by standing on  front of the printer or from the back, whatever is more practical for you. Then you can use a sharp cutter to do the manual cut. You need to make sure that the canvas is not loose in order to get a straight cut.

Cutter will face the floor and the sharp edge of the cutter will touch and cut the canvas and nothing else.
Front silver metal will act as a cutter guide. side of the cutter blade will be touching the edge of the silver panel so over the time it can scratch the painting of the metal . To prevent this, I have laid down a layer of Scotch Cinta Ruban tape over the metal to cover it and it works. the tape is 2 inches wide and more than enough for the coverage . This tape is a clear tape with glass fibers for heavy duty packaging etc  . You may find it in Staples or office depot  or you can apply any other tape for scratch protection.

Hope it helps - Avalan
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[markdfink]

I just tried printing with this same canvas, and the paper cutter worked fine - the first time. It managed to trim the canvas without any trouble after performing the calibration, but choked 90% of the way through trimming the paper after the profiling, which ended up bombing out the process.

I found this link: http://blog.turningpointarts.com/2009/01/2...h-the-hp-z3100/ with a workaround. It allows you to change the properties of the paper just before you start the calibration and profiling. Worked like a charm!

Mark
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