Z3100 profile not sticking...sometimes

[EvoM]

Hi, just wondered if any long time Z3100 users have a similar problem.

If we are printing over say a few weeks without changing paper, it seems the colour can change by itself, by that I mean the prints start to be darker and more saturated. We have tested this by adding some test 'control' prints at various times over say a couple of weeks and can see the change.

Now just to clarify, I don't believe this is a natural change as in the profile dating. The reasoning is that over the years we have had a some stages printed with the same profile for over a month and not had any changes.

Also, when we notice a change 'has' occurred, when we try and do a new calibration/profile through the HP utility, we find the the paper profiles won't open and that the printer display has frozen and we have to 'turn it off' manually and boot it up. After this it is fine again until next time when the whole pattern repeats itself!

Short of say reloading firmware etc has anyone noticed this with their Z3100 and has any remedies?

Evo

[Ernst Dinkla]

Are you using application color management or printer driver CM ?

In the first case the profile used is available from your computer system (synchronised profiles if you use more systems, but still kept on every system), in the second case the driver falls back to LUTs.
What is the application you print from, on what OS ?


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla



Dinkla Gallery Canvas Wrap Actions for Photoshop

http://www.pigment-print.com/dinklacanvaswraps/index.html

[EvoM]

Hi Ernst, printing out of Mac 10.6 CS5, Photoshop, PS manages colour. Printing over network from only one Mac. Custom profile used.

yes, it's one of those quirky problems.

I suppose we can calibrate/profile the same paper every few weeks to make sure the correct profile is not 'forgotten' but it never used to do this and I just wonder why?

Evo

[Ernst Dinkla]

Evo,

I got the impression you lost the ICC profile which shouldn't be possible if it is kept on the computer system(s). That it also is archived on the printer HD is just to make it possible that more computer systems can load the same ICC profile (profile synchronisation).

Calibration data however could well be stored on the printer. One has to refresh the calibration from time to time to adjust for printer/paper deviations in time. But if not done the last created calibration data should still be active. As one has to do a fresh printer calibration (bring to a certain standard) before creating an ICC profile there's also not more needed than a fresh calibration to give the old profile the original printer/paper condition again. So no need to create the profile again.

If there are deviations in printer output despite a fresh calibration and the use of the old profile then there are problems in the consistency of the paper, heads at the end of their life or alike. If that issue happens within the normal calibration frequency then you either have to shorten the period in between or make the printer/paper more consistent again. Chasing fluctuations of that kind on a daily basis is not what should be normal practice.

The Z's quite often quit on the connection with printer utility and will not react on calibrate or profile commands but will still print. I have not noticed that they can not get to their calibration data, at least not in the sense that I then see color deviations like you describe.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla



Dinkla Gallery Canvas Wrap Actions for Photoshop

http://www.pigment-print.com/dinklacanvaswraps/index.html

[EvoM]

Thanks again Ernst for your thoughts.

I was one of the 1st people in Australia to get  Z3100 44 and the printer has been great with only the usual maintenance/cleaning etc. We print probably every 3 or 3 days, sometimes more.

I think we will just increase the calibration frequency to make sure things are still the same. I do wish however the printer calibration patch was printed like a profile, as in using the full length of paper as it wastes so much and it's a bit inconvenient to load a small sheet just for that.

Anyway, thanks for you help.

Evo

ps it is interesting that the 3200's firmware now has a 'vacuum' setting. Never did replace the rollers to lessen the starwheel problem!