Z3100 Calibration Issue - Failure with some papers

[deanwork]

Right after I opened my fat mouth and mentioned that I have had no problem with the Z3100 i1 calibration system in 8 years, I now have one

The deal is I can calibrate (linearize) my resin coated media fine and create the icc profile as well.

But I am not able to calibrate either my matte rag papers or the Hahnemuhle Fine Art Pearl. I've tried many times over several days and it goes through the entire process of printing and measuring the target, then gives an error message that it wasn't able to correctly read the patches. This comes up after the entire measuring process has gone to 100%.

I've never seen anything like this before. It's not an MK vs Pk issue because one of the papers in Mk and the fiber gloss is PK.

I have downloaded and installed the latest driver and utility and that didn't work.

Also tried deleting the paper presets and recreating them. That didn't work either.

I have looked and looked for for the latest Firmware to install but can't find it anywhere on the HP website. That website is poorly set up that their "portal" is more like a black hole than a decent support resource.

Can anyone suggest anything to try? I can make icc profiles with my X-Rite stuff but I still need to linearize them in the printer, which i can't do.

I'm using Windows 7 64 bit. I have tried to linearize from the printer menu and the software and both give the same error.

My test prints however look good and the Atkinson printer test chart looks good, as well as the HP printer evaluation target so all the colors and grays are printing normally.

This is the only "portal" on the HP website I can find -

http://h20565.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/public/psi/swdHome/?sp4ts.oid=3204971&spf_p.tpst=swdMain&spf_p.prp_swdMain=wsrp-navigationalState%3DswEnvOID%253D4063%257CswLang%253D%257Caction%253DlistDriver&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken

John

[Ernst Dinkla]

John,

Right now I am reïnstalling Windows 7 on what was a dual boot W7 - Ubuntu system but will be Windows only afterwards. What I recall of the old system was that I put Print Utility on the XP mode possible with Windows 7. I hardly used it from that system so can not comment on whether it worked flawless. I use Vista 64 and as long as the printers do not drop off the network for Print Utility's Color Center it works. If not I have to restart the printer from bottom up. There is also the choice to calibrate from the printer panel. Most of the time I use the optional APS profile creation for both calibration and profiling as it keeps the connection with the printers better.


--
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
April 2014, 600+ inkjet media white spectral plots.

[deanwork]

It didn't work with me calibrating from the printer either.

Could I download the Windows 7 32 bit driver and try that? Should it make any difference and would it work on a 64 bit pc?

I need to try this from one of my Macs to see if it will calibrate those papers. It's odd that only certain papers won't calibrate while others work fine.

Where can one find this new firmware?

john

[Ernst Dinkla]

John,

With HP software I tend to think "never change a winning team". It usually gets worse.

I wonder whether it is a hardware issue while measuring. I had some issues with a paper that bulged on the ink load of the profiling target, touching the head carriage or possibly giving bad measurements due to the curved patches. Lowest priced art paper that I encountered, students stuff. After I decurled a sheet taken from the roll first and the measurement done after longer drying it went well. The resin coated papers tend to keep their shape better. Register of the media transport can be an issue, any filth in the center of a patch too. Spectrometer sliding door fully open at the right of the carriage while measuring?


--
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
April 2014, 600+ inkjet media white spectral plots.

[deanwork]

Thanks Ernst,

Well it is definitely not software related. It is doing the same thing on my Mac and from the printer menu also.

I tried flattening the paper in a dry mount press before printing the target and that one failed calibration too.

I guess it could be something in the way the paper is being held down inside the printer or the alignment with the I 1. But it looks normal up in there to me. The calibration target looks perfect, and it may still be in correct calibration, I don't know.

Could I just use your QTR method for calibrating the printer and make my icc profiles if necessary with my X-rite I 1?

Also X-rite has some profiling targets with lots of grays that might work very well with the Z for black and white.

Do you still have that info online about linearizing the Z with QTR patches? I think I might need to do that from now on. Mostly what I do with this printer is black and white anyway.

I appreciate any ideas,

John

[namartinnz]

I might add I had this problem when running my Z3100, running XP at the time, and didn't have a solution for it either. Eventually the Z3100 got very erratic with boot ups and other issues so I bought a Z3200.

[Ernst Dinkla]

Could I just use your QTR method for calibrating the printer and make my icc profiles if necessary with my X-rite I 1?

Also X-rite has some profiling targets with lots of grays that might work very well with the Z for black and white.

Do you still have that info online about linearizing the Z with QTR patches? I think I might need to do that from now on.

John

What I did was after a calibration on the Z which already linearises B&W in my experience. Using Qimage Ultimate which can really switch off CM. I think a total manual linearisation + profiling for an "RGB" B&W profile is still possible for you using QTRs linearisation and profile creation steps. Adding a PS curve for a samll tweak in that profile is also possible.

--
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
April 2014, 600+ inkjet media white spectral plots.

[Chris233]

I hate to ask as you are very knowledgeable in what you're doing; but have you tried re-calibrating your current (successful) media? If it succeeds, then it is your new media/settings causing the problem. If the known media fails re-certification, then it is hardware or a change in software settings causing the problem. This may narrow things down a bit between media/hardware/software for you.

[deanwork]

Thanks Chris,

Yes I was trying to recalibrate existing media. Then tried remaking a new media setting and that didn't work either. It seems like thicker media isn't working but thinner rc media is. That's odd. No problems printing the rag papers, just calibration procedure.

It's not software related as it isn't working from the printer menu or my Mac with a different driver loaded either as with the pc, unless it is in the printer software somehow. I'm going to try pulling out the logic board and reseating .  Once they asked me to do this when there was some other glitch and that solved that situation, long ago.

If it is still acting funny I'll just one of my X-rite targets with extended grays and go with that icc as rgb. I print bw with the rgb workflow anyway.

john