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Author Topic: setting up new ipf8400. Stupid questions--edited- sorry darn spellcheck  (Read 3077 times)

gchappel

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New printer for me- being delivered in about a week.  Setting up an area about 8feet from my photo computer.
Any advantage to usb or ethernet connection?  Will be well under the usb 16' connection limitation.  
Anything you wished you had done before you installed your printer- besides making the room bigger?
Ipf8400 users- any tips for a newbie?  I have been printing on an epson3880 for several years, but I do expect a learning curve- especially with bigger pieces.

Thanks
Gary

Darn spell check.  Sorry- ipf8400.
« Last Edit: February 23, 2015, 10:51:27 pm by gchappel »
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Phil Indeblanc

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Re: setting up new hp8400. Stupid questions
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2015, 10:41:19 pm »

This is a new machine to me, so what I say is not directly related to the hp8400.(*OK, i guess the IPF8400 hahaha...Well, I'm sure some or all this will relate to the Canon as well). I scratched my head for a second as I know HP made the 5200 and 6200 or something, why not a hp8400 :-)


Cogratulations on your new beast!

I hope you have the joy and positive experience I had moving from Epson to HP.

Re your setup:
I'm not sure what it was but there was something about the HP driver and some feature working best over eithernet, but I cant think of it, and it might have been MAC specific.
Anyway, one thing I would think about is how much time you would spend 8ft from this thing. The fans can be loud on LF printers.
The learning curve is just to simply follow some steps that may not make direct sense until you figure out its ways. But HP is rather straight forward. SOmetimes the roll feed needs massaging to get used to.  

Let us know how it performs!
« Last Edit: February 24, 2015, 04:26:38 am by Phil Indeblanc »
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jvadasz

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Re: setting up new ipf8400. Stupid questions--edited- sorry darn spellcheck
« Reply #2 on: February 24, 2015, 02:29:30 am »

Congrats on the new printer! 

I have a bias for using a network And it has a chance of being a bit faster (not like it will make a huge difference). If you do use a network, just be sure to set a fixed IP address, it will make debugging any issues easier. 

Enjoy...
--Jeff
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stockjock

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Re: setting up new ipf8400. Stupid questions--edited- sorry darn spellcheck
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2015, 04:05:41 am »

I also just purchased the iPF8400.  So far I like it a lot.  A number of points. 

It is a really big and heavy printer.  It can be installed by two people but they both need to be strong.  And it comes on a pallet and the delivery guy will not be able to lift it up over anything.  So no steps etc. unless you want to unpack it outdoors.  And the door needs to be pretty wide.  I doubt it will go through a normal door on the pallet.  And it generates a ton of trash.

It doesn't handle sheet paper that well so don't get rid of your Epson 3880 too quickly.  You will probably want to use it for printing sheets.

The fan is loud as is the actual printing.  I have it in another room.  I have it set up on ethernet but you do need to set a fixed IP address.  You can find instructions for doing that at the canonipf.wikispaces.com site.

By default, the printer turns off after 8-12 hours but most people seem to think it is best to leave it on and in standby mode.  That is supposed to prolong the head life by permitting the printer to periodically do a check cycle or something like that which decreases clogs.  Also, there seems to be a consensus that printing at least once a week is a good idea but that is true of pretty much every printer except the amazing 3880.

When the printer goes into Standby Mode it seems like you need to manually wake it up to print, at least with ethernet.  Just press a direction on the control thingy on the printer.

It is probably a good idea to go to the Canon Web site and update the drivers etc. etc. but it is a VERY good idea to at least update the Media Configuration Tool since Canon has changed their papers.  And you will need to update the Photoshop plug ins for CC.

Many third party papers, like Canson, come with both an ICC profile and an .am1 file that contains the media settings.  I forget the specifics but I think  you use Import in the Media Configuration Tool to load the .am1 to the print driver and printer.  Again, I forget the specifics but you might still need to manually copy the ICC profile to the right place in your operating system.

Having to specify the paper type on the printer as well as in the software is a bit counter intuitive if you are coming from the Epson world but it works fine once you get used to it.

Don't get too caught up in all the minutiae.  The printer mostly works great without having to plow through the whole manual.

Print quality is really good and it sips ink.  If you can believe the internal ink accounting system, a full coverage 32x44" print will consume about 12 ml of ink in total.  That is about $6 of ink for a huge print.  A paper like Canson Platine is going to cost 2.5-5 times more than the ink cost.  I like printing on high quality papers but I think you could make a case for proofing on something like Canson Infinity PhotoSatin Premium RC 270gsm which is about 45% of the price of the Platine.  Certainly, buying a 36" or 44" roll of the PhotoSatin makes it much more affordable to experiment with really big prints until you figure out which images actually scale that big.  I've been very pleased with how my A7R images print on 36" wide paper.  In general, they scale to that size with no loss of quality I can see.

Gloss differential and bronzing seems to be MUCH better than I experienced on the Epson 3880.  I haven't printed on matte paper yet but the lack of gloss differential really improves the appearence of the luster/semi gloss papers.

I'm still a newbie with the printer but those are some of my thoughts.  I think you are going to enjoy it.  Feel free to shoot me a PM if i can be of any specific help.



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Geraldo Garcia

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Re: setting up new ipf8400. Stupid questions--edited- sorry darn spellcheck
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2015, 12:11:35 pm »

Just some quick reminders:

1) Use ethernet cable, forget about USB.
2) As the printer is big and heavy plan ahead. Mine is installed on the 7th floor and had to come up vertically on an elevator. You can rotate it before installation, but not after it has inks on its lines (not without draining the inks). It was a 5 man job (four man lifting and one guiding).
3) Ignore the ink levels displayed during the first batch of carts, they don't take into account the ink used to fill the lines so it will display 100% for a long time and suddenly drop and ask for a new cart. At least the printer has a subtank system that will give you a few ml o ink to print after the warning (quite a lot actually).
4) Have good paper at hand to print and test.
5) Perform all the calibrations according to the manual.

Good luck!   
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mstevensphoto

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Re: setting up new ipf8400. Stupid questions--edited- sorry darn spellcheck
« Reply #5 on: February 24, 2015, 12:32:33 pm »

not to stir the pot but I have zero issues using usb and my 8400. the printer is way faster and quieter than the 8300.

none of the canons are worth a damn with sheet paper.

use their supplied paper for the first setup and save it for setup/recalibration only.

change the auto off setting, just leave it on and it will sleep and self maintain.

when in doubt, call. canon's ipf phone support is fabulous.
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Richard.Wills

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Re: setting up new ipf8400. Stupid questions--edited- sorry darn spellcheck
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2015, 05:35:54 pm »

Once the printer is on its stand, you can get through narrower doors by lifting the front cover and the (forget correct term) eject tray - saves a couple of inches.

Printing over ethernet seems more reliable and faster (macpros 10.6 - 10.10).

Clean inside regularly (inside the printer, and the surrounding area), the cutter builds dust with papers like Platine rag, and this is best removed, to keep the new girl happy.

There are times when you'll need her to forget things - this involves powering off the printer, and turning off at the wall for 10 minutes. This gets easier if you cabletie a surge protector outlet (with a power off switch) to one of her front legs.

Initial calibration is important - look through the list of approved media, and ensure that you have / can get a stock of this - allows you to remind the printer how to behave.

For curly papers, you can keep the top cover open by blocking the receptors for the cover using several bits of mount board bonded together to get the correct thickness to make the printer think the cover is closed. This allows you to baby sit (naturally, with cotton gloves) the first 6-8 inches of an otherwise unruly paper.

Our 8400 sits around eight feet from me - I don't find the noise an issue (though it is useful to hear it finishing printing when I'm not in the room). Wouldn't say it was that much noisier than our 3800 or 9800. However it does make the odd clunk when waking to perform maintenance ,which can be disconcerting in a quiet space, late at night.

Distrust the inkremaining indicators - not just on the starter carts. Remaining ink can drop from 40% to ink out over the course of half a dozen 40x60" prints. You can avoid this problem by keeping spare carts of ink on the shelf (and if you don't have spares, by not planning to print on a Friday evening or weekend). If you're on a PC, then the accounting software keeps a very fine track on materials costs, and you can add the costs of your papers to the equation. Used it extensively on the 8300 to establish actual production costs(had an XP parallels installation just for this (well and the Nortel systems)). Why this very accurate ink usage can't be utilised by the ink monitor is anyone's guess.

If you get a warning about the print head, don't run multiple cleanings, without printing inbetween. I find a Granger rainbow seems to force all colours through). If a first level clean doesn't fix things, call your vendor - odds are you'll get a new head delivered in the AM (or sooner, if your rep is really good).

When you find papers you like, get them in a range of sizes - we carry 17, 24, 36 & 44" rolls of the most popular papers. This allows for the most effective media usage, and helps you (well, me) to speed up printing, as there is no hanging around to find that print that fills the otherwise wasted paper.

Don't judge a print for the first 15 (or30) minutes - they tend to dry down / shift more slowly than the Epsons. That said, this time can be very effectively spent making and consuming coffee. That said2, when a print is right, it looks so the moment it is coming out (most pleasing).

If you run the printer with lid open, keep small children and clients away (or severely warned) that the print head will not notice their fingers as it wizzes back and forth, and that they should not point too closely at the wonderful details coming out.

Late one night, you will tell the printer to eject paper, rather than cut. (We) Keep a razorblade just below the control panel, on a bit of magnetic strip, to enable the safe removal of the print. See previous point about stern warnings to clients, children (and self).

Enjoy the drama that you get to produce!

Oh, and remember that the larger carts can be referred to as bottles - 700ml, and almost exactly the same price (at least in the UK) as vintage Krug.

(OK, that was a bit longer than I had imagined)
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gchappel

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Re: setting up new ipf8400. Stupid questions--edited- sorry darn spellcheck
« Reply #7 on: February 24, 2015, 07:11:00 pm »

wow
Thanks for the valuable input.
I was starting to get cold feet, actually trying to cost justify this which for me is not going to happen.
This are great tips, and help me feel more comfortable.
Thanks again
Gary
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JETraeber

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Re: setting up new ipf8400. Stupid questions--edited- sorry darn spellcheck
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2015, 12:34:02 am »

I bought my ipf8400 last April.  Like you, I can't honestly cost justify it, but as Richard said:
    "Enjoy the drama that you get to produce!"
Large prints speak in ways that aren't possible with other media.  Enjoy that and explore.  The control you have over paper and the finished print are tremendous.

Overall, initial setup, installation, and day to day usage is just what you want, ordinary.  I'm very happy with the Canon.  We print an assortment of media types/sizes from strips of 5x7 lustre RC prints to 24x36 cotton rag, to 3'x8' canvas, to large commercial display banners.  Only used roll media so far, much better pricing than cut sheets and easy to load/unload.  Our usage is pretty light.  It's mostly personal with a bit of outside printing to help defray expenses and run the printer.  Probably average a couple of short print runs per week.

Check your printer firmware revision.  Just had the 03130031-2F50 (right print head) error pop up.  Called Canon support this morning and the tech told me that the newest firmware version (1.21) has a fix in it for some voltage issues/problems related to the print heads.  Canon is sending a replacement print head under warranty.  The tech was very helpful and the whole call, including updating the original firmware (1.18) only took 20 minutes.  Some of the best customer service I've received.  We'll see how the new head/new firmware works going forward.  Yeah... in an ideal world, complicated hardware/software systems like this dont' have problems after 10 months, but that's part of the game in this arena.  For me, it's worth it.

+1 on ink level monitoring (helpful, but not precise) and accounting software (maybe acts more precise than it really is, but very useful nonetheless).
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