HP z3200 print driver problems

[davidby]

I just started setting up my new 44" z3200- Atlex is (was?) offering for $2150 delivered and I couldn't resist. I'm used to printing using the Photoshop driver with my Canon iPF's (5100 and 6100), and found the HP driver extremely difficult to work with- can't seem to get it to understand I'm using roll paper in the "Fit to paper size" part of the dialog.

I thought part of the problem might be an outdated driver, so I downloaded the current Windows 64-bit driver from the HP site. When I run the download, it asks me to unzip to a temp directory- after I do this nothing else happens. When I go to the folder where the unzipped files are, there's no setup file or any other kind of executable, just a bunch of ICC profiles. Can't seem to find any info on this on the HP site- can anyone help?

Thanks,
David

[stretchdcanvas]

Hi David,
I've been using the HP Printer utility and I'm liking it a lot. 

[davidby]

I'm used to the Canon with Photoshop plug-in, and I'm finding it really frustrating. Maybe you can set me straight on a few things:

    I regularly want to enlarge a photo to the width of the roll in one dimension (either landscape or portrait) without stretching the photo disproportionately. I crop each on of my photos to unique proportions, so each enlarged print is a different size. With the plug-in, this takes 2 clicks- choose orientation and then check 'enlarge to fit roll'. The only way I can see to do it with the HP is to define a custom paper size for each print, which is a major pain. Is there a better way?

    With the Canon a get an accurate, color profiled preview- the HP seems to have a terrible preview.

    I mostly work with canvas (given your name here I assume you do as well). My canon iPF 5100 and 6100 will cut canvas. My old 5000 did not, but it would print a cut line, auto advance to cut position, then return roll to print position with the press of a button. From what I can tell, with the z3200 I have to manually advance, cut without aid of a line, and then manually back the paper up to the (approximately) right position. Am I missing something?

In addition, all the loading options are awkward, so everything about the HP makes creating a new print more difficult and time consuming, with more chance of making a mistake and trashing an expensive piece of canvas...

Don't get me wrong- I paid $2150 for a 44"  printer (delivered!) and most importantly, I'm getting great prints from it. There are many things I like, including:

    The accounting software is fantastic- I love knowing my exact cost.

    The built in spectro-photometer is fantastic, and profiling is extremely easy.

    Both the ink costs (for sure) and, in theory, the head replacement cost (the only reason I had to retire my other wise healthy 5000) are substantially less than the Canon.

BTW- I have been using BC Lyve Canvas, but purchased some Epson Exhibition for the 3200 because of the current special (buy to get one free) and I'm very happy with it so far. Any thoughts on canvas media?

David

[stretchdcanvas]

Hi David,
First thing to do is have a couple'a few cocktails, forget everything you know about printers, and then load the HP Printer Utility.  (NO, actually load the HPPU first and THEN have the cocktails
Using this machine is easier than you can imagine once you're familiar with it.  Get yourself out of the Photoshop and print drivers paradigm.
Like you I got one from Atlex ( a PS version) 
First thing I did was open a file in Photo Shop and hit file>Print.  The only programs I ever use file>print is Quickbooks and Word.
What I saw was what it looked like in 1990 (still brain dead) so I canceled out, opened HP Printer Utility and haven't looked back.
It's kind of a rip in "List View" but just about everything is there (and then some).
When you load media the printer asks you what it is and then scans it to find out how wide it is, correct?
This info is what HPPU sees when it connects to the printer.
Then in HPPU you simply set the parameters of the job.
So far, other than initial test prints to get my feet wet and see how it places images, I've done 3 jobs. One was 10 8x10's and 30 5x7's (B&W glossy publicity stills on premium photo).  In HPPU I set the number of copies (on the front panel of the printer I had turned nesting on) .  That worked great and it nested for "easy cuts" which means the sides were trimmed and all I had to do was make one cut between each print and I was done.  What a time saver.
It was nice to do gloss with pigment ink.
Another job was a 30x40 that printed without a hitch (same Paper).
Then there was some portraits that were odd sizes so I made a document in PS and laid them out to my liking. In HPPU I set it to print in grayscale.  They looked great on everyday pigment satin (they'll get laminated and mounted so no GE).
Then out of curiosity I loaded some German Etching paper and told the printer it was Fine Art Smooth and made prints that were absolutely stunning.
Somebody did A LOT OF WORK setting up this product and configuring the media.   
There's not one print I've done that wasn't perfect and I've made enough so far to buy a set of twin packs of inks and It "appears" I haven't used half of the starter carts (except for GE and Lg).
My other printer is a 60" Mimaki with a rip which is more refined but... 
I REALLY like this little printer because I can "set it and forget it!". 
I don't have any canvas jobs in the que but I'm anxious do a test soon.
I like Sihl canvas...where did u get the Epson 2 fer deal?
Enjoy your printer.  It's a sweetie!
 

[bryansungsoo]

You may want to try pdq if you are a Mac user; it has an easy interface and makes printing on your designjet really easy;

http://www.colorplaza.nl/pdq/index.php?S=M&L=EN

bryan

[stretchdcanvas]

Wow, PDQ looks nice.

[davidby]

Unfortunately I'm in a Windows environment...

[stretchdcanvas]

Hi David,
Any luck with the drivers?

[davidby]

Not really- I'm getting very nice prints but still finding the printing process much more painful than with the Photoshop plug-in that the Canon's use. One reason the HP interface is particularly troublesome for me is that I use the z3200 only for making one at a time prints that almost all have different aspect ratios, so the need to define a custom paper size for almost every print is frustrating...

Thanks for asking though,
David

[Ernst Dinkla]

Fortunately you can use Qimage in a Windows environment :-)

The HP drivers can be a xxx* , I will not argue that but there are some things you have to keep in mind and then it works quite well. The drivers tend to loose settings and the HP defaults they fall back to are not even the HP recommended settings. For example Application controlled Color management is the recommendation but the default is printer driver contr etc.. If you go to Windows Printer and Faxes settings and make the preferred settings that they are covering the majority of your jobs you have one problem less. Printing Shortcuts in the driver tend to stick better too so make some Printing Shortcuts for the next more frequent jobs. Custom Print Page sizes with a new name usually do not stick when just created first but will stick when selected again. If you call one custom print page size "Variable" and change its size for odd jobs it will stick, next time you change its sizes it will stick, you only have to remember that that custom print page hasn't a fixed size so do not use "Variable" for Printing Shortcuts for example.

If you want a print that fits the roll width then first load the roll on the printer, check the width of that roll as presented on the paper/quality page in the driver. There can be a difference between the paper manufacturer's nominal 24" roll width and what the printer measures as the exact width. If the print page as set in the driver goes beyond the measured width you will not get a landscape print page 24" wide  fitted on that width, it will turn to portrait mode. I usually take 1 mm less for the print page width to avoid surprises. Then there is another thing with landscape print pages for rolls on the recent drivers. You should start with portrait mode, set the width of the print page (minus 1mm) at the top in the print page size and the length (that is shorter) underneath that. Save, ...  and a warning appears that the length can not be shorter than the width. Ignore that but change the portrait mode to landscape on the same menu page. You will see a graphic representation of teh roll + Print Page and the last turns to the correct position. The width and length as presented at the top and bottom for that size will have changed position too. Print pages that fit the width of a 24" roll will have print margins all around slightly less than 5mm so actual printable width is 0.4" less. Sheets loose more at the trailing edge.

I use Qimage and use no HP driver preview before a job. It probably wouldn't work either on my computer but Qimage offers other previews in compensation.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst


Dinkla Gallery Canvas Wrap Actions for Photoshop

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

[davidby]

Thanks for all the detailed info Ernst- I've downloaded the Qimage trial and will see if it suits my workflow better. I have to say though, all the options seem considerably more troublesome than having a photoshop plug-in (since that's always where I print from). It's hard to figure out why HP doesn't have one, especially since other aspects of the software (such as the accounting) are very good... It would seem a no brainer considering that their better established (in this market) competitors have one.

David

[stretchdcanvas]

David,
Have you tried HPPU?

[svds]

I finally got my HP Utility to work. I had to remove all the old HP drivers and reinstall. Works  now.
One thing I miss is an actual scalable preview that PhotoStudio has.. or am I missing something on the HP Utility?

[artobest]

David, to make cutting canvas easier, use a knife and the space between the aluminium facia and plastic print table as your guide. Then it's child's play.