My HP DesignJet 130 with RIP

[Phil Indeblanc]

I have had this printer for about 6 years. It has served well for the most part with lots of headache at times.
I'm now having a tough time clearing a dried up "feeding tube" that goes to the Light Magenta print head. When it is working and all is good, which is most of the time, I really love it.

Most of what I use it is to run proofs, and for that I had purchased the EFi/Colorbust RIP from HP.
So I  used Contract proofing paper to do prepress proofs before the file(and proof often) went to the magazines for print.

The HP Premium Photo Satin is a great paper, and I use that also. I really like the Photo Gloss, and Proofing Gloss.
When I purchased the printer I got a good deal on these papers in bulk, and I purchased them. It cost more than the printer, but thats what you buy these days, paper and ink for the long run at least.
I also bought a good amount of inks and print heads with it also...Which can be a hit miss experience with expired dates now.

The odd thing is that EFI doesn't support Glossy or proofing gloss on the 1200dpi mode, and I couldn't use the RIP to make prints with those papers via the ICC EFI provided.
The tray paper feeder is also rather horrible. From the early times I had it, I ended up needing to by-pass it, as it was so troublesome, I ended up buying a roll feeding attachment. After the learning curve of how that needs to be aligned to feed the roll, I was OK with it.

This is a Dye based ink (likely the Vivera inks, as it has the 80+ years archival life). Not sure if this is the same as I haven't kept up with what HP has now.
As much as I want to dislike this printer, I have had more pain with Epson printers and their notorious clogging and self cleaning cycle needs, and the cost run. The HP is a very thrifty on ink use, and perhaps the Dye is what helps that?
HP even has a cost per sheet chart to help price your prints. I'd like to keep it as I am doing less prints these days with less demand for prrofs, and if I could fix it, I would make some personal prints and so on...

Now one of the print heads Light Meganta is clogged. I just ordered a new printhead and hoping that it will work. I already replaced it with a "new" expired head, with no luck. That head/ink/line doesn't print.  I thought maybe the line is dried up, as I see fresh ink on the head itself, but nothing printing.

Anyway, sharing my expereince here, in case others have experience with this and can share, advise, etc.
Thanks

[kevin weil]

Hi
Ive had this printer for about 2 years now.  I'm curious the profile you use with the hp paper.  Adobe RGB?

Also have used other papers?  The printer seems lacking in adaptability to non-hp
Thanks

[MHMG]

The HP Premium Photo Satin is a great paper, and I use that also....
This is a Dye based ink (likely the Vivera inks, as it has the 80+ years archival life). Not sure if this is the same as I haven't kept up with what HP has now...

This printer/ink/paper combo never deserved the 80+ year rating because there was a serious light-induced low intensity staining issue in the media that never got reported. I only learned of it recently with some of my current research into this rather complex media discoloration issue. HP (and indeed the whole industry) has subsequently abandoned swellable  polymer media like the original Premium Plus Photo Satin which generated such high light fastness ratings and quietly replaced them with microporous papers, in HP's case under the same consumer brand name. I'm not totally sure about the media related to the Designjet 130, but I'm guessing it got switched over to microporous media as well while keeping the same media naming conventions. If you have purchased a new package of HP Premium Plus Satin, look for the term "instant dry" somewhere on the package. That's the tip that the "80+year" rated swellable paper has been replaced by a microporous coated paper. What the new lightfastness rating should be is anybody's guess because HP has not disclosed that information.

cheers,
Mark
http://aardenburg-imaging.com

[Damir]

Dye ink + microporus media = disaster
Some of my prints made that way changed in two weeks, they was hanging on dark stairway away from direct light and polutatants - black & white versions become olive green in 7 - 9 days. Color did a little better. It was made on HP 7950 old tricolor cartridges, but ink is probably the same. Stil have some of that cartridges on stock, together with swellable paper.

[Phil Indeblanc]

Weird, I have had it for some years now and images under glass but in sun have been perfectly fine. But I don't make prints for sale from this printer, I use it to proof with the RIP.

I so far have had good results with the HP papers only. The Glossy, the Satin, and I use the contract proofing. The RIP HP and EFI made is very limited. They really messed it up. It won't print on Gloss proofing paper in 1200 dpi, and other weird glitches they never fixed, so I'm done with HP. Although I did really enjoy the robustness. It even had paper feeding issues. This printer is rather versatile, can print on 4x5...if it picks up the sheet!, up to 24". So thats a large range, and with some struggle and frustrations, you can manage it....But I will be replacing it with a Canon if the need arises sooner or later.

They should be making these with quality thats built to last, as less and less people are willing to buy them. Most things not even getting printed these days. I stopped using Epson years ago, as it wastes ink, and gets clogged with no more to offer than the competition. This HP, I can leave untouched or used for weeks or months and come write back, with no nozzle cleaning while in standby, send the file, and it spits out a great print. HP even gives you a detailed chart of how much ink it uses on prints, and its great to know how it manages this.

Canon,HP, Epson, should be making printers that are workhorses, but can also adapt to low volume use with little or no fuss about it. That would be the printer that gets my attention.

This HP 130 I would like in...
- 42+ inches
- proper paper feeds
- better ink stability/archival (from reading some comments here)
- Proper RIP software

Maintain the other strong and positive characteristics about it. Otherwise, no point.

I think the Canon IPF's are in the range, although I don't know if the ink use is frugal, or if the printer cloggs, or wastes ink while on standby. (I know there is the difference in adapting the pigment in the tubes vs dye, and that's a hurdle to tackle)