HP Z3100 - cannot calibrate paper now

[howseth]

HP Z-3100: I upgraded last year to TR12-TR_ 7.0.0.3  I have not calibrated for months due to using the same paper - I just attempted to re-calibrate a new roll - and printer can not find any papers, at all , it will not let me calibrate. Connection is USB: (I used to be able to calibrate.) ... Otherwise the printer seems to be printing fine - from the same Photoshop CS3 software as before.

Any quick solutions: I am off warranty.  

Howard

[tonywong]

HP Z-3100: I upgraded last year to TR12-TR_ 7.0.0.3  I have not calibrated for months due to using the same paper - I just attempted to re-calibrate a new roll - and printer can not find any papers, at all , it will not let me calibrate. Connection is USB: (I used to be able to calibrate.) ... Otherwise the printer seems to be printing fine - from the same Photoshop CS3 software as before.

Any quick solutions: I am off warranty.  

Howard

Have you tried going into the Printer Settings and hitting Reset to Factory Defaults? I had to do that to get Nesting to work after updating firmware, maybe this will work for your calibration too.

[howseth]

Have you tried going into the Printer Settings and hitting Reset to Factory Defaults? I had to do that to get Nesting to work after updating firmware, maybe this will work for your calibration too.

Thanks, but...  
Ooh. Now that's scary: the printer is, at least, still using my older calibration with the same paper - I would hate to lose that too - and not be able to re-calibrate. I e-mailed HP. I hope they will suggest something simple.

Howard

[walter.sk]

Thanks, but...  
Ooh. Now that's scary: the printer is, at least, still using my older calibration with the same paper - I would hate to lose that too - and not be able to re-calibrate. I e-mailed HP. I hope they will suggest something simple.

Howard

Occasionally my Z3100 will be able to print a calibration target, but then cuts and ejects it, and says "Calibration Canceled."

After literally pulling the plug on the printer and doing a hard reboot of it, everything works fine.

[Rocco Penny]

Have you tried going into the Printer Settings and hitting Reset to Factory Defaults? I had to do that to get Nesting to work after updating firmware, maybe this will work for your calibration too.

Thanks, but...  
Ooh. Now that's scary: the printer is, at least, still using my older calibration with the same paper - I would hate to lose that too - and not be able to re-calibrate. I e-mailed HP. I hope they will suggest something simple.

Howard

umm, I'm a beginner, and my chicken's funky,
but doesn't the calibration target reside in your computer's C:\....system32...color folder? (or similar?)
So in fact can't you theoretically disconnect your 3100, erase all the calibration targets that reside on it's hard drive, put in a new hard drive, or whatever, and still have the ICC profiles that are in question?
I'm maybe confused, but I think you'd still have the exact profiles you currently have, and can recalibrate using those, or any others.
Umm I'm not sure,
but I think this is right
the printer utility doesn't detect my printer from time to time, maybe your printer isn't detecting your printer!
I just do a complete shut down disconnect the usb, turn off the hard switch in the back of the 3100, power the printer let it do it's 10 minute thing, reconnect the usb turn on the computer and I'm always back to good.
Boy I'd be frustrated if it wouldn't work....

[Ernst Dinkla]

A calibration can be done from the printer's panel too. I have not tried that without the computers connected but my guess is that it can be done.
Tried that on the Z3100 and it prints the target so that target image is available from the printer's harddisc or firmware. It also measures the target without problems and saves the result to the printer's harddisc. The only thing that will be done after reconnection to the network is the synchronisation of the calibration status to the drivers installed on the network. Which it does in my case.



met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Dinkla Gallery Canvas Wrap Actions for Photoshop
http://www.pigment-print.com/dinklacanvaswraps/index.html

[rdonson]

Thanks, but...  
Ooh. Now that's scary: the printer is, at least, still using my older calibration with the same paper - I would hate to lose that too - and not be able to re-calibrate. I e-mailed HP. I hope they will suggest something simple.

Howard

As Walter suggests, rebooting the printer generally solves the problem.

[howseth]

As Walter suggests, rebooting the printer generally solves the problem.

Thanks: I will probably give that a try: just waiting to hear from HP, in the meantime. (The ornery sucker is still printing well, thankfully.)

Howard

[headroom]

Thanks: I will probably give that a try: just waiting to hear from HP, in the meantime. (The ornery sucker is still printing well, thankfully.)

Howard

I had the same problem with my Designjet 130 I have to clean the Rubber Transport rolls with Isopropyl Alcohol.
Clean until the paper is not black anymore. Think from the RAG Papers was dust on it.

[howseth]

Well, folks - I contacted HP by e-mail: I got some responses like, "up grade your drivers to the latest drivers  - and Utility, Use Hp certified papers - maybe the spectrometer has failed ... " they said that shutting off printer would not hurt it so....

I decided to just do what walter.sk suggested first: to shut off the printer to re-boot it - it worked!    it was as simple as that. I waited to finish a printing job first - just in case the printer failed from shutting down. The printer found the "paper list" and calibrated the current paper. The printer seems fine. Interestingly, can't see much difference in the new prints after calibration - the older calibration was still doing it's job - and very close to this new calibration. (paper is Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Satin)

Howard

[rdonson]

Howard,

Glad to hear that all is well again.

[Ernst Dinkla]

I decided to just do what walter.sk suggested first: to shut off the printer to re-boot it - it worked!    it was as simple as that.

Howard

It is true, any advice should have that remedy mentioned in the first line of the text.
If I encounter strange printer behaviour it is the first thing that I do.



met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Dinkla Gallery Canvas Wrap Actions for Photoshop
http://www.pigment-print.com/dinklacanvaswraps/index.htm

[Xanthor]

Too bad they can't write software as well as they make hardware.

Anyways - I have lost count of how many times I have just flipped off the switch.  I dont shut it down with the power button.  I have a spare formatter sitting in a box ... thats new (and dident fix any of my problems anyways when they setn it to me.)  Its like .. windows 98 ... who gives a shit if it shut down normally... it doesnt work right either way.  They sent it to me when I thought the hard-drive had died.

So anyways when trying to figure out this hard drive issue I also wound up taking out the RAM and put in a different stick - it will run 256k - get single sided hp laptop ram to be on the safe side.  They said you couldent do it when they sent me that new formatter that sits in the box.  No - what they really wanted to say is Yes you can get a unit with more ram and its $400.00.  No Mr. Goofy Hp Guy - SODIM RAM is not $400.00.    Oddly enough swapping the ram on the old formatter made all the problems go away... or at least made it act like there was a sheet over them.   So I think I had a bad stick of memory and not a bad hard drive.   .... Okay Im rambling....  I could ramble for hours about the shit Ive delt with on this printer.... and thanks to Earnst for having the answers already posted here somewhere about 80% of the time!

Oh and then I turned off the memory manager.  Its worthless time waster.  I believe (and HP would not confirm this) that all it does is manage the dots in a 1600dpi print.  I rarely print at 1600DPI and at 600DPI it just wastes time.   My prints go twice as fast without it.  With the memory manager on the print cariage stands at the sides and moves back and forth for a few seconds to a few minutes on each pass ... managing its annoying self.  HP Wouldent tell me what that was all about either.  My Tech said the engineers are funny about sharing too much info.  Im like .. whatever.....  Mabie they should share more info and then their ridiculas poorly written pathetic stupid frigging driver software would actually run their machines.  Mind you that is not exclusive to an HP Z3100 printer - that is "exclusive" to everything HP!

Of course it probably helps I own a computer store and ... well its a good thing... I can't imagine what people who own these printers do (pull their hair out?) who dont own a computer store with mounds of spare parts and spare PC's to install fresh copies of HP's pathetic driver on.

[rdonson]

For those who might be wondering what the "memory manager" is that Xanthor speaks about.  Its a driver setting.

[Xanthor]

Yeah sorry I was rambling.   I would write a book about it but that would require I organize all the drama in chronilogical order.  There's so much I'm not sure I'm able.  LOL! :-)

[howseth]

Yeah sorry I was rambling.   I would write a book about it but that would require I organize all the drama in chronilogical order.  There's so much I'm not sure I'm able.  LOL! :-)

Well, I just been making some little 7 1/2" Holiday greeting card prints on a 17" roll of Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Satin. The Z-3100 is printing like a Champ. I shall prey to the Gods of Printers to let it continue.

Howard

[howseth]

The Z-3100 is doing it's "can't find paper list" "can't calibrate" - routine yet again; I just switched papers and wish to calibrate a roll I have not used in over a year. It's printing it fine, anyway, with my old calibration setting - but this is irritatingly buggy software.

Howard