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Author Topic: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video  (Read 13614 times)

Mark Lindquist

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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #40 on: July 06, 2019, 12:10:16 pm »


The addition of Lm, Lc and Lk would only mean that colours are reproduced with a less obvious dot pattern/grain, and the absence of them does not change the overall colour reproduction (colours are not supposed to shift in lightness, hue or saturation). The dual drop tech is supposed to help out with that. I've seen some samples but I do not have a Z3200 to compare against. I'm assuming when you say they are a close match in this context, you are referring to the dot pattern, smoothness/graininess and highlight detail?

I never quite understood what HP means by being able to "mix" colours/inks at a pixel level. Is that not what Epsons and Canons do? I watched the marketing video and it makes me even more puzzled. The technology promises greater detail, deeper colour and smoother transitions - I'm sorry, I don't want deeper colours than my original, I want as faithful a reproduction as possible. If they mean deeper colours as in more total gamut is realised with the same inks, that would be quite remarkable indeed and it could only possibly affect colours that require mixing of inks, not pure hues. However, you have already mentioned broadly similar gamut and detail between the Z9+ and Z3200, so it seems that whatever HP Pixel Control is doing, isn't making much of a difference at all. I've also not ever had a problem printing smooth transitions on Canon or Epson printers, and I believe the Z3200 was excellent in this regard too.

HP has a relatively sophisticated process in how the printer thermally heats the ink, mixes the colors then sprays them out of larger and smaller orifices in the printheads.  If you look at page 6 of the service manual, you'll see "Theory of Operation" schematics which will explain it much better than I can. ( https://shared.swissparts.ch/manuals/HP/Plotter/HP%20Designjet%20T1700,T1708,Z9,Z6%20Service%20Manual.pdf )

Aside from marketing hype ( and remember, HP is definitely marketing these printers to market segments other than fine art photography ) and the poster making market is an important segment to them.  They claim that posters benefit equally as fine art prints, but definitely discuss uses of substrates affecting longevity in their literature.  Putting market hype and claims aside, real world experience tells (and will tell) the story.  Again, it takes time to thoroughly evaluate these things.

I mentioned synthetic gradients only because you can make them noise-free and essentially perfect, so any inperfection in the print must be introduced by the printing process and is thus the maximal stress test for smoothness. If anything, it would help to show off how much better HP Pixel Control is helping.

Happy that it's working out for you. During a HP Z9+ demonstration where I was present in person, a roll of HP Super Heavyweight Plus Matte paper was loaded and head strikes occurred at the very beginning of the roll. It was not towards the end of the roll. When I pointed it out, I was told that this is a known problem and the media needs to be advanced a bit to avoid this issue. The worst problems I've ever faced with these types of printers are paper handling related. Maybe I'm just more unlucky than most, but then again this demo printer wasn't mine :-)

Yeah, IMO demonstrations really don't tell the real story.  For the most part, the operators doing the demos aren't specifically trained in serious work with the printers, again, IMO.  As I said, there is and has been a particular culture of working with the Z Series printers that consists of tips, tricks, workarounds and fixes that studio photographers and professional printers develop to avoid mistakes that beginners or mediocre operators make.  But beyond that, "There’s no perfect printer out there, IMHO. One has to deal with workarounds with any of them. I can deal with paper feed issues. Clogged nozzles, wasted man hours trying to get printers back on line - That’s a PITA"

So there's no comparing apples to apples or oranges to oranges with Canon V. Epson V. HP.  The HP Z printers are in a league of their own. And with it comes amazing technology that squeezes out more blood from the stone IMO, but each of us have our favorites among the printers available. And let's face it, they're all really very good.  And they all have issues.

Since I have made a fairly exhaustive study of the Z3200 series printers from many aspects of the printer mechanics, theory of operation, and usage since the Z3100, and for the last several years working with Mark McCormick Goodhart to create extended patch targets, the user level for that machine is vastly different from the normal user. Several of us have chosen to invest the time and resources to experiment with the printers to see just what they are fully capable of, and it has been rewarding. As I come to know the Z9+, this sort of "tinkering" with the printer seems also possible, but at this point, the one hurdle is the limited access spectrophotometer, which if unleashed again, as it was in the Z3200's, this printer would be unquestionably the no-brainer choice for a good many printers looking to push their work just that much further, without spending excessively on automated spectrophotometers that would otherwise be unjustified for occasional use.  Even with the limited 464 patch target and resultant straightforward profile making capabilities, resident in the machine for all to use, just as it is, makes this printer heads and shoulders above the rest, particularly for those who prefer to use, test and experiment with various papers, considering that like the Z3200ps, it comes as standard equipment providing quick, easy, more than adequate custom profiles arranged carefully, afterwards, for that matter. This is not the case with Canon and Epson as we know.

The Z9+ has essentially a much improved robotic (automated) high-speed spectrophotometer replete with amazing speed and accuracy.  With the new reference files Mark MHMG and I have been working on and John Dean and I have been testing (along with Mark McCormick of course), on the Z3200ps printers, that research, has in turn applied to the Z9+ series, particularly in concert with the Z3200ps embedded spectrophotometer and color center that creates Tiff files to be printed by any other printer, then scanned by the Z3200ps at a much lower speed, but there is hope HP will once again institute the extended profile capabilities of the spectrophotometer in the speedy Z9+, even if as yet another accessory that can be purchased as before in the Z3100 and Z3200 printers.

There's a lot to like and even love about this new Z9+ printer.  There's some things to be frustrated with.  Hopefully many of those things will evolve in coming iterations.

-Mark




« Last Edit: July 07, 2019, 12:08:01 am by Mark Lindquist »
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Mark Lindquist

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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #41 on: July 06, 2019, 12:15:44 pm »

Has anyone done a head to head comparison test of a subtle neutral black and white file comparing the Z9+ 464 patch target with a larger patch target from the Z3200 on the same media? I’m still curious about the way this dual dot tech works with subtle monochrome transitions.

John

If you and Mark will give me a test image, I'll be glad to run it, John.  Then Mark MHMG can measure and chart the results.

I can also do comparisons between the Z9+ 464 profile and the Z9+ Aardenburg/Lindquist 10445 profile.

-Mark
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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #42 on: July 06, 2019, 12:54:41 pm »

Mark,

That would be cool. As with our other tests, we could see at what point with bw the extended profiles add what advantages in terms of tonal ramp as well as neutrality. What we found with the Z3200 was the actual neutrality of the print was different, and improved.

I just can't imagine HP not offering the ability as in APS to create your own targets, at least in the 700-2000 patch range since they have the hardware sitting right there in front of them.

I'll send you the same file that I printed last time.

John





If you and Mark will give me a test image, I'll be glad to run it, John.  Then Mark MHMG can measure and chart the results.

I can also do comparisons between the Z9+ 464 profile and the Z9+ Aardenburg/Lindquist 10445 profile.

-Mark
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Mark Lindquist

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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #43 on: July 06, 2019, 01:53:46 pm »

Mark,

That would be cool. As with our other tests, we could see at what point with bw the extended profiles add what advantages in terms of tonal ramp as well as neutrality. What we found with the Z3200 was the actual neutrality of the print was different, and improved.

I just can't imagine HP not offering the ability as in APS to create your own targets, at least in the 700-2000 patch range since they have the hardware sitting right there in front of them.

I'll send you the same file that I printed last time.

John

That will be great John.  It will be interesting to make the comparisons.  Re: the ESP - I've had numerous discussions with the product manager and the Z6/Z9 team, and they say they are considering it.  I have been told (and this is a direct quote):  "...remember that we have changed the color pipeline, so it’s not just a “put it back” from the previous platforms."

I am taking a wait and see stance on the embedded spectrophotometer issue for now, trusting that HP will do the right thing - that being right for them, or right for us, or under the best of circumstances, "right" for both HP and us.

I'm learning that these things just don't happen overnight, and progress is slow on requests. After all, they have their agenda, and no doubt there are much more pressing priorities that the team is working on that unquestionably take precedence right now.  The Z9+ Product Manager in Barcelona is a good guy, and he understands the request.  Hopefully it will be just a matter of time. We will have to wait and see.

Really, having a good, fast, accurate ESP in the printer is so critical, and I'm just thankful they have it still, and the ability to install profiles in the color center in the Utility.

Mark
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samueljohnchia

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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #44 on: July 06, 2019, 06:31:21 pm »

Actually, the physics behind dilute Lm, Lc, and Lk and why manufacturers rolled out this technology with photo printers in the late 1990s was more than just about reducing dot pattern/grain appearance in light and midtone colors. The physics of a darker single color dot surrounded by more white space to achieve the lightness value required leads to reduced chroma compared to a few dots of more dilute colorant placed in overlapping fashion with better covering power (i.e. reduced white area on paper). So, the Lc and Lm also help extend color gamut in the light colors.  Lk helps with grain, and Ly isn't necessary because yellow is such a light and low contrast color to begin with.

Hi Mark, thank you for the insight! That is what happens in offset lithography when printing with small micron FM screens compared to AM screens. I thought about that after I posted my reply and it is great to hear you specifically raising this point.

Quote
they could also have split the difference in pigment concentration as well. The M, and C and Gray inks used on the Z9 may well be more dilute and closer in density to the Z3200's Lm, Lc, and Lk than to the Z3200 L, C, and Gray ink.

You can measure solids from the calibration chart for each of the Z3200 and Z9+ on the same paper. This might help you figure out if the inks are indeed more dilute.

Quote
but my tentative conclusion, at least for matte fine art paper, is that the Z9's color gamut difference compared to the Z3200 is the opposite of what I would have anticipated. It does better, yes better even without the Lc and Lm in printing into the highlights, but sacrifices a little in the darker colors compared to the Z9.

Did you mean "the darker colors compared to the Z3200"?

Quote
Go figure!

It stands to reason that a more chromatic ink, printed with smaller dots, could produce more gamut in the highlights than a more diluted ink but delivered with large dots. But this "more chromatic ink" might be a little less chromatic than the original L, C and Gray as you suggested, hence the slight loss of dark colour gamut.

Quote
HP engineers could also be relying more on the new chromata red, green, and blue when printing into light pastel colors on the print surface.

That should be pretty easy to verify by looking at light colours with a loupe/microscope.

Quote
They can and did change the screening algorithm dramatically, hence the market speak about "pixel control" technology".

It is still not clear to me that they are achieving "deeper colours" or "smoother transitions" than before. But perhaps they are actually able to print with greater detail than before. It would be interesting if you or Mark Lindquist do note an observable detail difference as your investigation progresses.
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samueljohnchia

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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #45 on: July 06, 2019, 06:38:05 pm »

I'm answering my own question: Ink drop 7/3 pl dual-drop weight (M, C, PK, CB, G); 6 pl single-drop weight (Y, CR, MK, CG). This would explain the rather coarse dot pattern I've seen in reds.

Also possibly answers my question about detail reproduction:
Quote
Line accuracy ±0.1%5
Minimum line width 0.0008 in (0.02 mm) (PDF addressable @ 1200 dpi)
Guaranteed minimum line width 0.0031 in (0.08 mm) (ISO/IEC 13660:2001(E))6

I understand that the Z3200 maximum native input resolution was 600ppi, and it seems that the Z9+ now accepts 1200ppi files as do some of the smaller newer printer models? Perhaps Mark McCormick-Goodhart or Mark Lindquist could confirm this detail.

Taken from HP's data sheet.
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samueljohnchia

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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #46 on: July 06, 2019, 06:43:53 pm »

Also possibly answers my question about detail reproduction:
I understand that the Z3200 maximum native input resolution was 600ppi, and it seems that the Z9+ now accepts 1200ppi files as do some of the smaller newer printer models? Perhaps Mark McCormick-Goodhart or Mark Lindquist could confirm this detail.

Oh, the service manual confirms that it does accept 1200ppi (you'll need to check the right boxes, screenshot as attachment)! Thanks Mark for the very useful document. It will take a while to absorb.
« Last Edit: July 06, 2019, 06:57:20 pm by samueljohnchia »
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samueljohnchia

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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #47 on: July 06, 2019, 06:55:56 pm »

If you look at page 6 of the service manual, you'll see "Theory of Operation" schematics which will explain it much better than I can. ( https://shared.swissparts.ch/manuals/HP/Plotter/HP%20Designjet%20T1700,T1708,Z9,Z6%20Service%20Manual.pdf )

What an excellent resource, thanks for sharing the document!

Quote
I don't know if you call that synthesized, or not.

Mark, PM me your email and I can send you a target of mostly synthetic gradients which might make a rigorous test form to verify HP's claims about Pixel Control.

Quote
Yeah, IMO demonstrations really don't tell the real story.  For the most part, the operators doing the demos aren't specifically trained in serious work with the printers, again, IMO

Unfortunately, the demo was performed by an independent professional in the fine art printing trade with a decade's experience on the Z3200. If I do decide that the Z9+ deserves serious consideration, I would also rigorously investigate these issues with an actual printer. I'll make a careful note of your success with media handling.
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Mark Lindquist

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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #48 on: July 06, 2019, 09:57:00 pm »

What an excellent resource, thanks for sharing the document!

Mark, PM me your email and I can send you a target of mostly synthetic gradients which might make a rigorous test form to verify HP's claims about Pixel Control.

Unfortunately, the demo was performed by an independent professional in the fine art printing trade with a decade's experience on the Z3200. If I do decide that the Z9+ deserves serious consideration, I would also rigorously investigate these issues with an actual printer. I'll make a careful note of your success with media handling.

Samuel,

It's important to note that while many folks load paper "by the book" or the recommended way HP suggests, most print artists quickly find the fastest and surest methods for themselves, then that information gets shared. Being able to get 99% success sheet loading the Z9+ by placing a thin, lightweight metal guide on the lower metal loading platform using double-sided stick tape is a very easy quick fix and amazingly effective.  It's akin to the way people printing canvas on the Z3200 use the thin slot between the trim on the Z3200 to place a utility knife or safety razor to trim canvas.  Also similar to Ernst Dinkla's (and many other's) method of loading sheets directly on top of the paper roll or spindle, taking the same path of the roll paper when loading the Z3100-3200 models.

The main point is that the Z9+ has a very sturdy metal platform that is a straight loading path - no curves, no bends, etc., and the Z9+ has a unique method of loading and adjusting the paper for skew check internally rather than requiring lifting the handle to readjust the paper.  In some cases, the printer will require realigning the paper to the blue lines in the front, but by the time that happens, the printer lets go of the paper automatically and allows for repositioning very easily and the automated illustrations instruct to that effect.

Surprisingly, the paper path for loading sheet rolls creates a back-curl via the paper path, which does actually work to remove paper curl in tight rolls.  Unfortunately, this works at odds with the already loaded paper at the very end of the roll, and can cause issues.  As previously stated, it's a matter of resource management.  Roll out the paper, decurl it and use it by loading the left over as a roll, when in fact it no longer is on the roll, or simply cut the end of the roll into sheets that can be de-curled and used at a later time. This is the art of the work-around that I was talking about.  For those who are put off by this, then get a canon or Epson printer and eventually pay the price of clogged heads which will in fact inevitably raise its ugly head.  There are always trade-offs with every printer, so it's a "pick your poison" kind of thing. Having the ability to change a generic printhead out at any given time even if/when questionable performance occurs is priceless, to me.  And HP has this locked in, just as it has been with the previous Z Series printers. It is quite extraordinary when you think of it that a single low cost generic printhead that is for two colors which costs less than $100 (for two colors in one printhead) which is so quickly and easily replaced compares to having to replace entire printheads modules in the other printers. This function alone puts the Z9+ in another class from the other printers by far.

I actually use low tables that are at the front and rear of the printer at heights close to the ingress and egress openings for special projects. That way, I can be assured that flat paper stays flat both going in and coming out. This is a bit of a pain setting up, but not as bad as it seems, since the Z9+ is still a lightweight printer similarly to the Z3200's and it rolls around easily.  I often roll the printer to right angles to the wall for loading and printing, then return it to it's "docking position" when finished .

I can't say much about front top) loading heavy sheets, it's a pain so I stick with the simple pass thorough pass in the rear. I guarantee that just loading paper rolls is a bit awkward, particularly as their is a heavy plastic cowl that swivels back over the roll when loaded, seems tricky, but in time that should change when once having come to terms with it all, which just takes practice and an understanding of tips and tricks for loading in the most efficient and successful manner. The Z9+ spindle is motor driven unlike the Z3200 series.  The spindle has a toothed gear on the left (driving) side which engages once steps have been met for loading. The loading of both sheets and rolls are specified through a set of guided instructions, animated illustrations actually, which lead you on a path toward proper loading, or at least the method which HP prescribes. So that's new and different.  The spindle ultimately rolls in and back out and tightens up slack in the roll, something very welcome compared to the Z3200's. Ultimately, this system will work in concert with a takeup reel which comes standard on some models and is available as an accessory on others.

Thanks for your questions and comments Samuel.

Mark
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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #49 on: July 21, 2019, 11:50:06 pm »

Mark, glad to see you are reviewing the printer.  I have had my 44" running since December.  Some very quick comments.

1. It has sat for weeks while I have been away and I have had no clogging issues.  Big improvement over my 7900. I'm really pleased with this.
2. Paper loading is frustrating - esp with rolls of heavy gsm paper (e.g. Epson Cold Press Nat which I am finishing up)
3. I appreciate the tip about taping a metal guide for the rear sheet load as single sheet loads have been a pain....can you be a bit more specific about what you did?
4. I have generated about half-a-dozen custom profiles and have struggled with this as some of the ICC profiles, when mapped on Mac's ColorSync Utility show strange tails in the blue - and I think this affecting the prints.  I have a case in play with HP about this. I am going to re-do some of these this week to see if I can make this go away.  If we could do on similar paper and compare it would be interesting to see if I have a spectrometer issue.
5. I had one large roll banner to print, 44x80" and the driver out of MacOs 10.14 using LR would not permit me to specify a length of more than 66".  I suspect a bug in the driver and have a case open on this as well for about 5 weeks with no progress.
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Mark Lindquist

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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #50 on: July 22, 2019, 11:59:48 am »

Mark, glad to see you are reviewing the printer.  I have had my 44" running since December.  Some very quick comments.

1. It has sat for weeks while I have been away and I have had no clogging issues.  Big improvement over my 7900. I'm really pleased with this.
2. Paper loading is frustrating - esp with rolls of heavy gsm paper (e.g. Epson Cold Press Nat which I am finishing up)
3. I appreciate the tip about taping a metal guide for the rear sheet load as single sheet loads have been a pain....can you be a bit more specific about what you did?
4. I have generated about half-a-dozen custom profiles and have struggled with this as some of the ICC profiles, when mapped on Mac's ColorSync Utility show strange tails in the blue - and I think this affecting the prints.  I have a case in play with HP about this. I am going to re-do some of these this week to see if I can make this go away.  If we could do on similar paper and compare it would be interesting to see if I have a spectrometer issue.
5. I had one large roll banner to print, 44x80" and the driver out of MacOs 10.14 using LR would not permit me to specify a length of more than 66".  I suspect a bug in the driver and have a case open on this as well for about 5 weeks with no progress.

Hi Jim -
Very good news about no clogging while sitting several weeks.  Thanks for that report.

Yeah, paper loading is a pain, but I've learned to wear uncoated latex gloves that have good grip, and carefully load the paper, not worrying about getting finger prints on it.  It's a problem loading because of the cowl and the tigthness of the loading area.  I've learned to live with it and I took an old roll of paper not being used and practiced many times loading, and I think I've got good technique now.
I appreciate the cowl HP included - it was something many of us asked for.

If you want to make some custom profiles on Moab Entrada Natural I'll compare with you.

I assume you are using the PS driver to print lengthy images?  You may need to print those with Qimage.

Here is the info on the prototype guide I made and use on my Z9+.  Very simple, very easy and super effective.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.  Good to know all these things.

Best -

Mark

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jimcamel

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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #51 on: July 23, 2019, 11:25:34 am »

g'morning, follow up to Mark's reply on my z9+ comments....

Some followups today - I am going to generate some new ICC profiles and see if I can eliminate the strange tail I have on them.  This one is from Epson PLPP-260.  This is displayed using Mac's ColorSync Utility but a friend who has ColorThink says the tails do not show up on his software when he views it.....nonetheless I think it's wrong.

I am working on the MOAB Entrada issue.  I have a box of 11x17" Moab Rag - but I can't generate a profile because it's too small a sheet.  I am seeing some paper samples this afternoon.

I'm getting a couple more paper spindles to make swapping rolls easier.  I find the cores really hard to extract from the rolls.  The Epson 7900 had a much easier system for exchanging rolls and snapping them into place on their spindles.  But the extra spindles are about $60ea so it's not a deal breaker to make it easier.

So, more on the Qimage-Banner issue.  Originally I tried to print 44w x 80h using the PostScript driver....and I got the message shown in the screenshot - which indicates the sheet image has a maximum length of 66".  I finally managed to print it using HpClick - but that is not very usable Fine Art Printing software and I am unclear on how Color Management works with it.  I downloaded Qimage, set it up for the Z9+ at 44-80" and was able to render out a PDF ... but I didn't let it fly to the printer since I wasn't about to blow another 7 feet of paper.  Have you seen an error like this before ?  I'll try Qimage next time I need to do something this big - but that may be a while since I don't do many of these.

Attachments  (1) Goofy ICC Proile depiction in ColorSync, (2) screen shot of PS Printer Driver error via LR

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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #52 on: July 23, 2019, 10:56:21 pm »

For a cheap test of a large print I use this:  HP A1 C6035A Bright White Inkjet Paper Roll 610mm x 45m (24") which is only $24 for 45 meters.
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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #53 on: July 30, 2019, 07:50:09 am »

I really don’t get how HP could have screwed up paper feeding once again. Come on it’s a new printer you had a clean slate. It should have been improved to other printers on the market not worse.... this really puts me off.
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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #54 on: August 13, 2019, 04:16:51 pm »

Screenshot of error message preventing the Z9+ from printing more than 65" with the PS printer driver.

jc

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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #55 on: August 13, 2019, 06:09:18 pm »

That sucks, Lightroom too?

How long can you print from the Z3200/ 3100s out of recent Photoshop CC ? I only used QImage for that.





Screenshot of error message preventing the Z9+ from printing more than 65" with the PS printer driver.

jc
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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #56 on: August 14, 2019, 04:09:43 am »

Screenshot of error message preventing the Z9+ from printing more than 65" with the PS printer driver.

jc

Length limitations with the Z3100 were related to what type of drivers were installed. But even then you could print up to something like 2.5 meter, say 100¨.  Windows PCL + HPGL drivers solved that at the time and more than 5 meter was possible. The Z3200-PS with the PCL3 installed does that too.

I see the Z9+ has a Windows PCL3 driver next to a PS driver.

I used to test print lengths with an affordable paper taped to a loop and the length numbers put in the image file. Use the paper move function in the printer panel to create the loop.


Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

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Mark Lindquist

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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #57 on: August 17, 2019, 03:24:25 pm »

Just to clarify for everyone:

The maximum length of a sheet that can be printed on the Z9+ is 66 inches (same as the Z3100-Z3200ps printers.)

The maximum length that can be printed on a roll depends on each software limitation.  Theoretically, one should be able to print about 99 feet out of a 100 ft roll, etc.
These limitations are definitely imposed by the software - PS, LR, etc.

Qimage confirms this in that it apparently has no roll print length limitation (other than the end of the roll) that I am aware of. (Please correct me if I'm wrong about Qimage)

I looked into the drivers for the Z9+ and printed 77" from a loaded roll via the raster driver and the PS driver with no problem using both Lightroom Classic and PSCC other than it was slow spooling each print.
My machine is a Mac running OS 10.14.2 Mojave.

Mark
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jimcamel

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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #58 on: August 18, 2019, 10:10:56 am »

I had some success yesterday, too.  I installed the Raster Driver - Version 52 (most recent download from HP) and was finally able to print the 80" long run ... so I suspect it was an issue with the PS driver.  I'm running Mac Mojave, 10.14.6, Mac Pro 2013 and LR Desktop 8.4.

But the loading was very slow.  I was checking it on Mac's activity monitor and it was spooling at 400KB - 700KB (kilo-bytes) per second.  This is on a gigabit ethernet connection which should have achieved something in the region of 40-50MB (mega-bytes) per second...maybe a bit less, but the rate I've observed is about 1/50th of what the connection should allow.
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Re: HP Z9+ Unboxing and Setup Video
« Reply #59 on: October 29, 2019, 01:56:09 pm »

I had some success yesterday, too.  I installed the Raster Driver - Version 52 (most recent download from HP) and was finally able to print the 80" long run ... so I suspect it was an issue with the PS driver.  I'm running Mac Mojave, 10.14.6, Mac Pro 2013 and LR Desktop 8.4.

But the loading was very slow.  I was checking it on Mac's activity monitor and it was spooling at 400KB - 700KB (kilo-bytes) per second.  This is on a gigabit ethernet connection which should have achieved something in the region of 40-50MB (mega-bytes) per second...maybe a bit less, but the rate I've observed is about 1/50th of what the connection should allow.

Wondering how you're making out with the print spooling speed now Jim?  Recently I had an issue and restarted everything - computers, printers, LAN switches - everything in the studio including the server and then powered it all back up again and voila - issue gone.  So interested in knowing if you're still having issues?

-Mark
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