Z3100 not listening

[Vlad3]

Hi,

I’m one of those lucky Canadians who were able to purchase the Z3100 printer for good money here in Toronto during the Contact photo festival in early May. But it is only now when I’m starting to use it (I worked mostly with Epsons before).

The first time I turned it on, the printer and my Intel MacBook didn’t like each other. All prints were nice but they came out small; I couldn’t get the right size. I called HP and with their help and some troubleshooting I cleared all my other printers original settings. Then we reinstalled the Z3100 software again and other printers after that. It worked well!

This morning I finally decided to run some BW files just to see how my new printer compares against my previous Piezography prints. And again I need some help!  

This time I’d rather talk with active photographers and skilled printers because you guys are not only technologically excellent but you also know and “feel” what a good print should look like.

To make my long (and painful) story short, here is what is happening:

1/   I re-calibrated the printer for my HP Premium Dry Gloss paper (came with the printer)

2/   I opened one of my grayscale images in PS3

3/   I checked my page set up and hit the PRINT icon (in File menu)

4/   The print dialogue window had both my image and the correct printer.  I chose
PRINTER MANAGES COLORS color handling as recommended in HP user guide (for B&W exhibition prints)

5/   After hitting the PRINT icon again the OSX printer menu opened with Z3100 ready
to go.  

6/   In PAPER TYPE/QUALITY I chose Best and Maximum detail, in COLOR Print in Grayscale and in COLOR MANAGEMENT I chose Printer Managed Colors and in GRAY BALANCE I checked the Enable little square.

7/   Then I hit the PDF icon and chose HP PRINT PREVIEW.

8/   Again, I saw my image and all seemed to be OK. So I finally decided to print.

9/   My printer front panel acknowledged the job and the printer started working.

10/ And it was working for a long time but I saw no image coming out. No ink on the paper. No Gloss Enhancer. Nothing.

11/   So I decided to pres the red X button to cancel the job. Again - nothing, the printer kept wasting my paper. I stopped and then even deleted the job through Print Utility.
Nothing – the printer ignored me completely (and there was no image coming out either).

GOSH, I COULDN’T STOP MY OWN PRINTER!!!

12/   So, finally I switched it off by using the front panel power button… I didn’t know what else to do…

I immediately called HP – but, of course, they were closed… And it is why I’m writing my first entry… I know you have the answer(s). Please let me know what I have done wrong! I’m listening… and learning…

Thank you very much!

Vlad3

[Geoff Wittig]

Hmm. Well that's odd.

I would start off by making a few test prints on cheap sheet paper to make sure everything's working right before turning to the good roll paper. Most of the settings you describe seem right; but what's the "PDF" icon? Do you mean you're printing from a PDF file?

[Mark Lindquist]

Do you have the HP Pro Plug-in installed?

The pdf icon thing you mention - what is that?

Have you tried printing a tiff?

Also, have you tried printing a simple color image straight  from CS3 (photoshop manages colors)?

Better verify that the printer is working correctly printing normally before panicking...

M

PS - just roll the paper back up onto the roll and start over.  Take a deep breath.

DO NOT PANIC  

[Geoff Wittig]

Hi,


7/   Then I hit the PDF icon and chose HP PRINT PREVIEW.


Vlad3
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=220743\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Ah, now I get it. I think.
After making a few prints today I think I understand where you went wrong. The final print dialogue box before Photoshop hands off control to the actual HP printer driver lists all the available printers on your system; one of these is a generic PDF driver. If you accidentally click on that rather than the HP Z3100, Photoshop will send the wrong instruction set to your printer and apparently it goes nuts.

So the next time you print, make sure you click on the correct printer in the final print dialogue box.

[Vlad3]

Hmm. Well that's odd.

I would start off by making a few test prints on cheap sheet paper to make sure everything's working right before turning to the good roll paper. Most of the settings you describe seem right; but what's the "PDF" icon? Do you mean you're printing from a PDF file?
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=220798\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thank you for your speedy reply! I'm still on the phone with HP. Now it works in a draft mode...

BTW - about the PDF button - when you hit the PRINT icon in PS3 it takes you into OSX print menu (paper type/queality and all that jazz). At the bottom (left off the PRINT icon) is PREVIEW and PDF blue icon.  The Preview is quite useless (IMO) but hidden in the PDF sub-menu is HP PREVIEW.

This HP preview gives you a good quick summary of your settings before you print your job. After reviewing all the settings I usually hit the PRINT button for the last time and it sends the job to the printer.

[Vlad3]

Ah, now I get it. I think.
After making a few prints today I think I understand where you went wrong. The final print dialogue box before Photoshop hands off control to the actual HP printer driver lists all the available printers on your system; one of these is a generic PDF driver. If you accidentally click on that rather than the HP Z3100, Photoshop will send the wrong instruction set to your printer and apparently it goes nuts.

So the next time you print, make sure you click on the correct printer in the final print dialogue box.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=220874\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Interesting!

From my very short experience with Z3100 I simply didn't discover how to reach HP Print Preview. It is why I go to the PDF icon under which the HP Preview sits - at least on my OSX.
From HP Preview I hit the PRINT button. It then sends my job to the printer.

Yes, sometimes (but not always) it goes crazy.

I spent hours with HP support here in Canada.  Great guys - but no results, at least not yet.

I'd be interested in learning what settings people use, especially for grayscale files.

Also, I think I've heard that PS3 is not the best sw for Z3100 to print from.

Do you agree?

Thanks for your time!!!

[viswan]

Interesting!

From my very short experience with Z3100 I simply didn't discover how to reach HP Print Preview. It is why I go to the PDF icon under which the HP Preview sits - at least on my OSX.
From HP Preview I hit the PRINT button. It then sends my job to the printer.

Yes, sometimes (but not always) it goes crazy.

I spent hours with HP support here in Canada.  Great guys - but no results, at least not yet.

I'd be interested in learning what settings people use, especially for grayscale files.

Also, I think I've heard that PS3 is not the best sw for Z3100 to print from.

Do you agree?

Thanks for your time!!!
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=221158\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I get stunning B&W prints from my Z3100, as good as my former Piezography prints.  And i use a mac and PS3.  I don't use the settings you use though it seems....

Page set-up - set for the Z3100 and sheet feed if small print, otherwise the roll size, etc.
Print:  Document - Gray Gamma 2.2, or can be adobe RGB
Color Handling: Photoshop Manages colors
Printer profile - use your paper profile
Rendering - Perceptual, or Relative
Black Point compensation - checked

hit print

go to Paper type quality under the 3rd drop down menu
choose your paper type
quality - custom , best, more detail
gloss enhancer - your choice

then go to color tab, and choose print in greyscale.

if your profiles are good, prepare to be blown away!

-Josef

[Vlad3]

I get stunning B&W prints from my Z3100, as good as my former Piezography prints.  And i use a mac and PS3.  I don't use the settings you use though it seems....

Page set-up - set for the Z3100 and sheet feed if small print, otherwise the roll size, etc.
Print:  Document - Gray Gamma 2.2, or can be adobe RGB
Color Handling: Photoshop Manages colors
Printer profile - use your paper profile
Rendering - Perceptual, or Relative
Black Point compensation - checked

hit print

go to Paper type quality under the 3rd drop down menu
choose your paper type
quality - custom , best, more detail
gloss enhancer - your choice

then go to color tab, and choose print in greyscale.

if your profiles are good, prepare to be blown away!

-Josef
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=221889\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Good to hear from you, Josef!

It is wonderful to hear that you too have been using Piezo, Mac OS and PS3 - exactly my latest set up. I’m new to Z3100 work flow, currently testing various settings and I wish to minimize the number of logical mistakes in it.

I suspect that it was me and some of my test settings that got my printer crazy.  The HP support tech couldn't find anything wrong with the printer.

I'll get back to you soon.

Kind regards,

Vlad3