HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video

[Mark Lindquist]

There are definite differences between the Z3200 series printers and the z6/z9 series printers.

The Z9 is more robust in its physical build and it's based on a different platform than the Z3200.
Seeing that it runs at least twice as fast as the z3200 and does so whisper quietly, along with many other improvements over the z3200, it is simply put, a more complicated machine.

An example regarding the differences between printers:
To change the formatter board in the Z3200, there are just two screws and a “blade” board comes out easily. In the Z9+, it requires tearing down the right side and unscrewing numerous screws, fasteners, unplugging many cables just to get to the PSU cage which contains the main PCA card, the hard drive, the JetDirect LAN/Wifi interface card, etc. Significantly longer more involved take down for a repair, but we’re talking about a beast of a machine compared to the Z3200.

I’m not sure what’s happening with HP’s supply chain - the world is a different place than it was even three years ago. Even so, it is disconcerting to see an out of box unit fail, but it does happen.

I take the position that even with difficulties, I support HP and try to work with them the best I can, mainly because I believe the z3200’s and the Z9+ are the best printers available today to meet my print quality/longevity expectations, and despite shortcomings and idiosyncrasies, including failure out of the box, I know, ultimately, HP will make it right. Ultimately I want them to continue making their printers for us photographers.

I think unfortunate inconveniences which would normally be inexcusable, become balanced by stellar performance and amazing output. I know that the team in Barcelona is working hard to continue to improve the firmware which addresses bugs, more new capabilities for the printer, and better user interface with the touch screen and embedded web server.

This all takes time and even though there are glitches, once the machine is running, it is awesome.
It has proved to be an amazing workhorse in my studio. I prefer to print on it instead of my three other Z3200’s.

I’ve had a few issues with mine, and there are still a few issues, but I am happy to overlook them to get this performance - a cut above the Z3200, which I thought not possible to improve over.

So I support HP, even through difficulties. I just hope they keep making printers and inks for us.

Best,

Mark

[eternal camper]

Well, Ladies & Gentlemen
I have had the pleasure of asking for your help from this forum to try to help me decide which 24" printer should I get, the Canon Pro-2100 or the HP Z9+, and after a lot of insecurities from reading the many posts both here at Luminous Landscape and at DPreview, I finally ordered, and paid for, an HP Z9+ printer which should be delivered to my home sometime next week.
Let me tell you again, in case there are a few new people whom have joined this forum since my last few comments, that I am coming from a 17" Epson 4900, am truly an amateur when it comes to printing, actually, I am even an amateur when it also comes to pushing the shutter to get a few pics that I hope to print, but am really looking forward to learning the ropes of my new HP, and ultimately wanting to give some of my prints away to any friend or family who will hang even at least one of them on one of their four walls!

I am still very concerned about Mark Linquest's comments just a few days ago, when he stated, and I quote "I’ve had a few issues with mine, and there are still a few issues, but I am happy to overlook them to get this performance - a cut above the Z3200, which I thought not possible to improve over."

Granted that this printer has not been out that long, HP has been very remiss in publicly trying to show our printing community that this printer truly does belong along side the Canons and Epsons in this world of photographic printers, but I truly believe that a good picture has to be printed and hung to complete the cycle of a photograph, which has to be seen to be a work of art, but I am still quite nervous about the fact that there are still some issues that still have to be dealt with in order to get such a performance out of it.

Look, I am paying the company that will be delivering it to train me, and then I have a friend who lives relatively close & has had in his home one of the first 44" Z9+ printers ordered and delivered, and who has agreed to come over to my house and try to review, and teach me again how to use this printer to just try to tap into his hands-on experience in using it!

That was a very long preamble so I should get to the point of this reply, which is

to all of you out there who are Z9+ users,

what are some of the areas I should really focus on with both the trainers from the company who is selling me the printer and my friend who is an experienced users to start my journey to print that picture that I will be proud to hang on my wall, or give to my circle of friends to put on their's.

Stephen

[Mark Lindquist]

Hi Stephan,
Congratulations! Here’s hoping all goes well with the learning curve with the Z9+.
Sounds like you have things well under control.

If you are a Mac user, you will have no problems - everything works as it should.
If you are a windows user, you may run into an issue with the HP Utility and being unable to access the all important color center to create custom ICC profiles.
It all works perfectly on Mac, but both Mark McCormick (who now has a new 44” dual roll Z9+) and I report that the Windows HP utility does have limited functionality. I’m currently involved in trying to diagnose this issue with HP techs. It is possible that it might be due to the dual OS environment, but the cause is not yet known.

You asked what you should receive training on. Focus on making custom profiles using the embedded spectrophotometer. It’s very easy once you get the hang of it. The 24” model can be finicky when loading
Sheets but I have posted a quick fix for that.

Refer to my unboxing and setup video before you setup your printer. If you got the Gloss Enhancer Upgrade Kit, it’s a good idea to install the E cartridge from the beginning, which will save you time and you’ll end up with a spare printhead if you do it that way. Just be sure to include the E cartridge during setup.

The whole process should go smoothly, and with paid assistance and help from your friend seems like you’ve got it covered.

So good luck - looking forward to hearing about your experiences with your new Z9+ printer, and again, congratulations!

Best,

Mark
 

[eternal camper]

Thanx Mark for those encouraging words.

I am on an Imac so hopefully it will be easier than for people on their PCs.

I am aware of loading sheets but have seen your suggested fix and will get help from my colleague who has fitted his with your "fix" and he has told me that he will help set it up on my printer. I do have a number of packages of cut sheets left from my 4900 so I would love to use them up.

I also have a number of 17" rolls which I also hope to use, and have ordered a few 24" rolls to use on my Z9+!

I did get the GE kit, but do not understand what you mean when you say to install the E cartridge from the beginning. Could you explain that point?

I have decided to have the company that is selling me the printer deliver, set-up, and train me. It has cost me to do this BUT I know I can not do it myself, so I can not think of any other way to get this set up!

I will attempt to learn how to use do custom profiles, and will try to write down step by step how it is done, and redo a few times so it will become routine, but I do not plan on using a great number of papers, but having this ability will allow me to experiment with different papers at any time!

Will let everyone knows how I progress, and who gets my first printed photograph! Maybe I may even have a few people stand in line waiting for a print from my HP Z9+!!!!

Stephen

[MHMG]

I will attempt to learn how to use do custom profiles, and will try to write down step by step how it is done, and redo a few times so it will become routine, but I do not plan on using a great number of papers, but having this ability will allow me to experiment with different papers at any time!

Equally as important as the ICC Profiling step is the Z9's calibration step with 220+ patches of pure colors being printed and measured to bring the printer into a calibrated device state before making the profile. The Z9 will prompt you to run this linearization/calibration step periodically, and in so doing, will keep the custom ICC profile working accurately month in and month out. No chasing a drifting machine with remade ICC profiles!

Will let everyone knows how I progress, and who gets my first printed photograph! Maybe I may even have a few people stand in line waiting for a print from my HP Z9+!!!!

Stephen

A pleasant surprise for me with my new Z9 was the USB thumb drive port on the printer. I'm tempted to open up my print studio to local photographers (something I haven't been willing to do in the past because it required too much "hand holding"). One can make the Z9 custom profiles available to colleagues, let them prep their own files, stop by with the images on a thumb drive at a scheduled time, and print them out without having to transfer the files to my own computer or walk them through printer driver interface features. The Z9 recognizes the chosen media setting and applies the appropriate ICC profile to the data coming from the USB thumb drive.  It's pretty cool, IMHO!

The Z9 also keeps track of paper usage when a roll gets loaded/unloaded by printing a bar code along 1 inch of the leading edge of the roll. So, folks with access to the Z9 can bring their own personal roll of material, let the z9 calibrate and profile it, print some work, unload it from the Z9 and return at a later date ready to go again with the Z9 reading the bar code and knowing how much material is left on the roll. Also cool, IMHO. Well suited to a printer sharing co-op type of environment like a local camera club or community college, for example. The accounting functions track the ink usage per job as well.

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

[AndrewMcD]

If you are a Mac user, you will have no problems - everything works as it should.
If you are a windows user, you may run into an issue with the HP Utility and being unable to access the all important color center to create custom ICC profiles.
It all works perfectly on Mac, but both Mark McCormick (who now has a new 44” dual roll Z9+) and I report that the Windows HP utility does have limited functionality. I’m currently involved in trying to diagnose this issue with HP techs. It is possible that it might be due to the dual OS environment, but the cause is not yet known.

I'm working through a decision to purchase a 44" printer, and have a couple of follow-up questions on some of the topics discussed regarding the Z9+.

1. Windows driver - still limited function? This is kind of a deal breaker, as picking up an extra Mac to drive the printer isn't really in the budget
2. Roll paper loading - is it easier to load rolls on the 44"? This isn't a deal breaker, just curious really.
3. image grain and other subjective topics - in one of the other threads, there was a description of the way that the Z9+ renders grain vs Epson or Canon. I plan to make test prints with each printer before buying, but I'm curious to know if there was any more discussion regarding the character of the output. I say character instead of quality because I think these are all solid fine art printers that have nuances, and we each have to make our decisions.

In the past, I've had access to an 11880, which I absolutely love for its output, and I've made some great prints on the Z3200. I've yet to print with the Canon, though I'm considering the 4100. The downside is the Canon design results in a physically very deep printer, this may end up being a deal breaker given my space layout. I'm not running a production shop, I do my own prints, plus limited prints for a few other artists. I have never experienced the head clog issue, I have a 3800 that has still yet to clog, it still runs! That said, user-replaceable print heads is a consideration. The 7900's I used at a design job a few years ago were in constant use, and lasted two years. That's anecdotal at best, but still, doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy towards Epson. So, I'm leaning towards the Z9+.

Anyhow, appreciate the discussion here by people that know far more than me.