Printer Covers, Yes or No

[felix5616]

I have an HP Z3200 44" printer. Is it considered wise to use a printer cover?

[Ernst Dinkla]

I have an HP Z3200 44" printer. Is it considered wise to use a printer cover?

Never needed one. If it is about dust inside the machine, matte art papers create as much as the environment does. So a good vacuum clean once in a while is part of the job. For humidity a cover is not needed either.

Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
March 2017 update, 750+ inkjet media white spectral plots

[felix5616]

thanks, appreciate the advice

[snowrs]

I wouldn't know about your printer, but I learned a long time ago that my Epsons clogged much sooner if left 'naked' without covers.

I was recently reminded again about this when I left the cover off a machine for a week for some reason, and when I did my usual QTR Calibration printout to exercise the nozzles, I noticed the yellow looked faint.  A nozzle check proved that about half the yellow nozzles were clogged. 

I would guess that your local average humidity and usage habits play a big role in this.  I print in spurts.  Might go a couple of weeks between prints, so exercise the machine twice weekly with the printout on plain paper and nozzle check to maintain both my printers in good working order. (R2000 and P800)  Oh yeah, I also keep a coffee mug of water under the cover of the P800.

YMMV.

bob snow

[mfrohman]

I bought a cover for my z3200. Worst purchase I ever made. Never use it, too inconvenient to take it on and off. Might be useful if you're letting the printer sit for long periods of time.

[MattBurt]

Yes, but my cover is just a piece of fabric. It's dry and dusty here and we get some big wind events from time to time that put a grit layer on everything.
I just drape the fabric over to be the dust catcher. Takes just a moment to put on or take off.

[texshooter]

More than wise.  A must.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

More than wise.  A must.

And to remove your printer cover, I bet you just have to start the opener on a can of cat food.   

[PeterAit]

More than wise.  A must.

Now you have me laughing!! Thanks.

[PeterAit]

I have an HP Z3200 44" printer. Is it considered wise to use a printer cover?

I have kept a clear plastic sheet over my 7900 since the day I bought it. As it's clear I can see and operate all the controls thru it. And of course the prints come out the bottom which the cover does not interfere with. I take it off only for loading paper and other maintenance operations. Does it make any difference? I don't know, but it's so easy that I am willing to do it.

[Ernst Dinkla]

I bought a cover for my z3200. Worst purchase I ever made. Never use it, too inconvenient to take it on and off. Might be useful if you're letting the printer sit for long periods of time.

The maintenance station of the Z's is almost a piece of over-engineering. 12 wipers for 6 heads, wagons with different functions ride along the head surfaces during the regular interval cleaning cycles. With little ink lost per cycle. There is no need for a cover for humidity reasons. The printer stays on power and a vent is keeping things cool, I doubt  a cover over that total is wise if temperatures go up.


Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
March 2017 update, 750+ inkjet media white spectral plots

[texshooter]

My relic Epson 3800 used to always clog. Ever since I started keeping a pan of water in the output tray compartment and covering the printer between jobs, I rarely get clogs anymore.  I don't print often so I can go longer than a year before using up a single ink cartridge.  I don't know how the water vapor makes contact with the print head because the head is always sealed in its capping station, but somehow it works.