Luminous Landscape Forum

Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks => Topic started by: jaq on September 27, 2025, 09:13:36 am

Title: Z3100 one single colour missing
Post by: jaq on September 27, 2025, 09:13:36 am

Hi,

HP z3100. Suddenly blue is missing on diagnose print. Printhead and carriage contacts are cleaned.

Any idea is deeply appreciated.

Thanks, Jaq

Title: Re: Z3100 one single colour missing
Post by: Kyle Jackson on September 27, 2025, 11:34:12 am

Hi, assuming there are no error codes for that printhead it's probably empty (full of air). Full heads weigh 60 grams. Empty ones are around 45 g. Anything more than a few grams below 60 g should be purged and re-primed with ink using a printhead purge / prime kit.

At the same time, the ink tube leading to the printhead carriage might have some air in it, so the air should be purged from that too.

If you continue to try printing the way it is, the thermal printhead will likely burn out. These printheads are an endangered species so it's best to preserve them as long as possible.

Title: Re: Z3100 one single colour missing
Post by: jaq on October 01, 2025, 02:12:51 pm

solved.

installed a new printhead.

Thanks

Title: Re: Z3100 one single colour missing
Post by: Kyle Jackson on October 02, 2025, 08:48:14 am

Just be aware that all heads eventually get air in them, so the other 5 heads may encounter similar issues eventually.

Also if the ink tubes in the printer also have air in them, then it can eventually get into any new heads you install and cause the same issues again.

Title: Re: Z3100 one single colour missing
Post by: JCD on October 02, 2025, 05:47:09 pm

Hi Kyle,

I have a lot of old print heads with one channel or more missing.

Can you tell me where to find the “kit” you were talking about  that I can use to clean and refurbish these heads?

Also I put a small external fan on the rear left side of the Z3200 vents. So far it’s working with no
Error messages shutting me down.  Hope it lasts.

John

Quote from: Kyle D Jackson on October 02, 2025, 08:48:14 am

Just be aware that all heads eventually get air in them, so the other 5 heads may encounter similar issues eventually.

Also if the ink tubes in the printer also have air in them, then it can eventually get into any new heads you install and cause the same issues again.

Title: Re: Z3100 one single colour missing
Post by: Kyle Jackson on October 03, 2025, 07:18:39 am

Quote from: JCD on October 02, 2025, 05:47:09 pm

Hi Kyle,

I have a lot of old print heads with one channel or more missing.

Can you tell me where to find the “kit” you were talking about  that I can use to clean and refurbish these heads?

Also I put a small external fan on the rear left side of the Z3200 vents. So far it’s working with no
Error messages shutting me down.  Hope it lasts.

John

LPS and other sellers have them online. Some links in my earlier reply:
https://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=145004.msg1266812#msg1266812

I'll be replacing belt on my z3200 soon and going to examine the fan at the same time to possibly add a sleep controller to it (like the z3100 has).

Title: Re: Z3100 one single colour missing
Post by: JCD on October 04, 2025, 03:27:14 pm

Thanks Kyle.

Yea, having the fan run 24/7 certainly burned it out years before it should have. My z3100 which is much older never needed a new fan.





quote author=Kyle D Jackson link=topic=145098.msg1267353#msg1267353 date=1759490319]
LPS and other sellers have them online. Some links in my earlier reply:
https://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=145004.msg1266812#msg1266812

I'll be replacing belt on my z3200 soon and going to examine the fan at the same time to possibly add a sleep controller to it (like the z3100 has).
[/quote]