missing blacks on last third of prints

[redeyereeves]

Hello, I'm at the 11th hour, trying to print a 2m x 1m photo on matte canvas for an exhibition... I'm using an imac with CS3 and an HP Z3100. The first print was perfect until the last 3rd of the print - which came out with no deep blacks. I did a diagnostic test print, cleaned the jets, and also replaced the light grey cartridge as it was flashing empty. After another test print all seemed fine, so I tried another big print but exactly the same thing happened at exactly the same place. It's not a big file... only 16 MB, and I have printed another photo to this size before that was 35 MB and that was fine.
Does anyone have any ideas as to what is causing the black cartridge to seemingly switch off at the same point on this particular photo? Any help would be much appreciated.

[Ernst Dinkla]

It would surprise me if the cartridge is to blame. A black cartridge that is near empty with your first job and fails shouldn't allow a reprint. Either the head shows its age at some point (warming up) or the data stream is corrupted which can be anywhere from the application you print from, the driver, the ethernet connection to the printer's hardware. Do you have a loupe to check which inks still print, Matte Black not I guess, (PhotoBlack), Grey and Light Grey stiil there? If all the monochrome inks failed then it is likely an application/driver issue. If only a black failed then it is closer to the printer.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst


Dinkla Gallery Canvas Wrap Actions for Photoshop

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

[deanwork]

Bad head, replace the black head, or at the very least take it out and clean the bottom of it with a damp lint free cloth. I've had this happen with heads that are very old, it will work then it won't, then it will work then it will not. These days since the heads are less than $70.00 (that great thing about the HP that I do appreciate) I keep them all in warranty, even though they may work for several years you don't know if you are getting the best quality unless you compare it to something you did years earlier. At other times they go totally out all at once and the whole printer stops. That is usually the case but definitely not always.

j

[redeyereeves]

Thank you Ernst. Your reply was very useful in narrowing down the problem... but I guess what's under the printer's hood is a little scary for my basic 'lego skills'! so I will ask an HP technician to take a look. The mid tone greys and light greys have come out perfectly - it is just the deep black missing.

Thank you once again, regards,
Martin.

[redeyereeves]

Thanks J,

I appreciate your advice. I am running out of time to get this print finished so I have called in an HP technician!

Regards,
Martin.