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Author Topic: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input  (Read 2403 times)

hyatts3

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HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« on: July 09, 2021, 03:34:19 pm »

Hey everyone. I have a small printing business where I currently run three 44" HP Z3200s. Years ago I ran the Z3100 and switched over as soon as the Z3200 was released. The oldest machine I'm currently running is one I purchased new in 2010. My newest I purchased new in 2017. I have a healthy selection of parts from years of using these and acquiring other printers, functional or otherwise, and I'm able to do all my own repairs.

Looking to the future, I've been increasingly considering adding one HP Z9+ to the mix to test switching over completely. I print on a variety of papers (photo matte, luster, watercolor papers, Canson Platine, Edition Etching) and canvas. A significant part of my business is painting/art reproduction. These Z3200s have just been so great for profiling and getting good, faithful prints and reproductions. If knowing more about my business is useful then here's my website: www.imagingartsprinting.com.

So, I'm looking for any input you can give me on switching from the Z3200 to the Z9+. I've read a lot of very critical reviews of the new printer. Is it a worthy replacement? In your experiences do they do as well with color fidelity? Should I expect serious color shits when printing pre-existing files (I have a substantial amount of reprint orders) or will I be able to get substantially similar results? Is the speed difference major on the Z9+? Is the dual roll version worth the added cost? Would I be better served by considering switching printer brands? What else do you think is worth mentioning? Any input is greatly appreciated.

Steven
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MHMG

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2021, 10:52:07 am »

I have the Z9dr+ (i.e, the 44" dual roll model), and in hindsight I should have gone with the single roll model. I recommend you buy the single roll model if you decide to try a Z9 for fine art printing applications.

The single roll unit is the wise choice if you print routinely on thicker media rather than the typical 7- 11 mil RC photo papers. The dual roll version has a more complicated roll mechanism which has to "park" the other roll not in use into a special "waiting for use" position. The single roll model doesn't have this more complicated load/unload dual roll pathway.  My experience with the dual roll model is that it feeds RC photo media with reasonable reliability, but thicker fine art media is very problematic.

HP engineers created a special firmware version for me that prevents my Z9+dr from parking both rolls when the unit goes into sleep. My modified unit now holds the roll currently in use in the "active" feed position when the printer goes to sleep as opposed to parking it. This modification has improved my roll handling issues greatly, but it's not a perfect solution. The modified firmware enables me to get through the thicker roll material without the roll slipping out of the feed slot due to a park position error.  However, when I want to use the alternate roll, I deliberately tell the printer to unload the active roll (rather than attempt to park it) which in turn allows the printer to properly bar code the roll for future use. Essentially, this firmware modification combined with my procedure of deliberately unloading any fine art media prior to switching over to the other roll has in effect turned my dual roll unit into a quasi-single roll unit. This work around is much better than dropping the active roll every time the printer goes into sleep mode, but it's clearly not a perfect answer. Thus, I would recommend fine art printmakers only consider the single roll version of the Z9. AFAIK, the single roll model does not have this more complicate park mode needed to switch on the fly between two installed rolls (when it works).

Z9 Print quality is excellent, but as others have noted elsewhere or will note in this thread, much of the Z3200 spectrophotometer's high level of functionality was been taken out of the Z9. The Z9 makes a decent ICC Profile from a smaller patch count target, but sometimes coaxing the very best quality out of my Z9  requires me to use a higher patch count target created with an external profiling app, or to use my Z3200 to generate a larger patch target file, then print that file on the Z9, then read that printed target and also save the measurement data on the Z3200, and finally, process the measured data with a more modern profiling app like i1Profiler.

Thus, my other recommendation would be to keep running your z3200's as long as you can!  For a smaller volume fine art print provider, The Z3200 is still an incredible machine. The newer models from HP or Canon and Epson definitely give significant speed increases, but for fine art printing where both image quality and print permanence go hand in hand, the Z3200 is still in the game.. I'm not letting go of my Z3200PS until I can't get inks for it anymore or it becomes unrepairable!

kind regards,
Mark



 
« Last Edit: July 10, 2021, 03:24:51 pm by MHMG »
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Mark Lindquist

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2021, 12:02:48 pm »

Hey everyone. I have a small printing business where I currently run three 44" HP Z3200s. Years ago I ran the Z3100 and switched over as soon as the Z3200 was released. The oldest machine I'm currently running is one I purchased new in 2010. My newest I purchased new in 2017. I have a healthy selection of parts from years of using these and acquiring other printers, functional or otherwise, and I'm able to do all my own repairs.

Looking to the future, I've been increasingly considering adding one HP Z9+ to the mix to test switching over completely. I print on a variety of papers (photo matte, luster, watercolor papers, Canson Platine, Edition Etching) and canvas. A significant part of my business is painting/art reproduction. These Z3200s have just been so great for profiling and getting good, faithful prints and reproductions. If knowing more about my business is useful then here's my website: www.imagingartsprinting.com.

So, I'm looking for any input you can give me on switching from the Z3200 to the Z9+. I've read a lot of very critical reviews of the new printer. Is it a worthy replacement? In your experiences do they do as well with color fidelity? Should I expect serious color shits when printing pre-existing files (I have a substantial amount of reprint orders) or will I be able to get substantially similar results? Is the speed difference major on the Z9+? Is the dual roll version worth the added cost? Would I be better served by considering switching printer brands? What else do you think is worth mentioning? Any input is greatly appreciated.

Steven

My 24. Inch Z9+ is awesome. I use the Z3200 to make custom profiles and it’s great. Fast fast fast, and very quiet. As you know, all the Z’s are finicky and temperamental, and the Z9+ 24” is a little less so. For production work cranking out a lot of prints, I recommend it. For absolute quality, as Maestro McCormick stated, the Z3200ps is tops. The Z9+ 24” is not far behind imho.

Best,

Mark L
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hyatts3

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2021, 11:58:50 am »

I appreciate you both very much. Everything you've said confirms my inclinations to hold onto my 3200s as long as possible. If I were to use my i1 equipment to build paper profiles rather than relying on the built in equipment on the Z9+ would you say that performs comparably to the 3200?

I would absolutely welcome a speed increase. Part of the reason I'm running three (and was running 4 at one point) is so I can keep them all running to keep up with orders. But quality is very important and that's been my favorite part of the z3200s.

Steven
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Mark Lindquist

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2021, 01:21:25 pm »

I appreciate you both very much. Everything you've said confirms my inclinations to hold onto my 3200s as long as possible. If I were to use my i1 equipment to build paper profiles rather than relying on the built in equipment on the Z9+ would you say that performs comparably to the 3200?

I would absolutely welcome a speed increase. Part of the reason I'm running three (and was running 4 at one point) is so I can keep them all running to keep up with orders. But quality is very important and that's been my favorite part of the z3200s.

Steven

I think with the proper profiles you can come very close in terms of quality. Not on ALL things, most things. Once you get an image dialed in you can definitely increase production significantly with the Z9+. I can't say this about the 44", but I'm assuming you're not printing all images on 44" wide substrates?

Best -
Mark

PS - very nice that you're so busy!

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mfrohman

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2021, 04:07:49 pm »

Mark, are you saying that the 44" Z9 is not significantly faster than the z3200 or just that you don't have the 44" so can't confirm? I have 2 z3200s 44" but will likely upgrade to the Z9 44" and increased production speed is a big factor. Just curious about this as I print everything on 44" rolls.

as always, thank you
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hyatts3

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #6 on: July 13, 2021, 04:25:07 pm »

I think with the proper profiles you can come very close in terms of quality. Not on ALL things, most things. Once you get an image dialed in you can definitely increase production significantly with the Z9+. I can't say this about the 44", but I'm assuming you're not printing all images on 44" wide substrates?

Best -
Mark

PS - very nice that you're so busy!

Hey Mark. I'm not printing everything on 44" wide rolls, though I am running only 44" wide printers at the moment. I tend to stock 24", 36", and 44" rolls of various substrates and will use the size that's best suited at the time. Should I at some make the switch to the Z9+ I would consider running only 2 printers on account of the speed increase. It seems to me that would more than account for my third printer. Does that sound reasonable to you?

As part of reproducing art I save print files and then frequently do reprints. It's completely reasonable to expect there to be some changes when going from one printer model to another, but I am concerned about how much they may change (people have come to expect nearly identical prints from one visit to the next). I understand it's a difficult thing to quantify, but how would you compare those changes from a z3200 to a Z9+? For example, do you think I could make the switch and most people wouldn't notice or would it be a big enough difference to warrant a conversation with each of my customers about the changes to expect to their prints from that point forward? Are there particular colors where the differences will be most noticeable? I have many years of built up work that I reprint.

Thanks again for your expertise on this.

Steven
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MHMG

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #7 on: July 13, 2021, 09:25:36 pm »


... As part of reproducing art I save print files and then frequently do reprints. It's completely reasonable to expect there to be some changes when going from one printer model to another, but I am concerned about how much they may change (people have come to expect nearly identical prints from one visit to the next). I understand it's a difficult thing to quantify, but how would you compare those changes from a z3200 to a Z9+? For example, do you think I could make the switch and most people wouldn't notice or would it be a big enough difference to warrant a conversation with each of my customers about the changes to expect to their prints from that point forward? Are there particular colors where the differences will be most noticeable? I have many years of built up work that I reprint.

Steven

Aah, yes, one of the very first promises of the digital print era. "I can print perfect copies of my digitally mastered file forever" ;D ;D

Printers change, inks change, media change, operating systems change, printer drivers change...and even peoples' expectations change. The "print on demand, whenever you want, and expect a perfect copy" expectation soon runs into real world reality. It has never worked that way precisely, but many print shops catering to demanding artists still make this promise. In reality, when you move to a new printer model, you will more than likely have a new set of inks with different color gamut, different dot screening patterns, and even the media may have changed. For example, ask anyone who has tried both old and "new" formulations if Canson Baryta Photographique II matches the original Baryta photographique which is no longer made, etc., etc.

That said, can you get a "reasonable" match between a Z9 and a Z3200 if using the same batch of media?  Depends on how closely you are looking. The Z9 ink set gave up the light cyan and magenta and light gray channels but added dual droplet size to compensate. Because the light cyan and light magenta channels were originally added by all the major printer manufacturers nearly a quarter of a century ago on various photo printer models to expand color gamut and smoothness especially in the midtown and highlight tones, I expected this is where I would see the biggest difference between my Z9 and my Z3200 on the same paper. I was wrong! The Z9 actually manages to tease out a little more color gamut in the highlight regions of the prints due to its more sophisticated screening pattern and dual droplet output. However, the Z3200 wins in the shadow areas when trying to print images with deep dark colors. Neutral/near neutral tones are outstanding on both printers throughout the tone scale. So, if you are trying to match output between these two printers, you will always find subtle differences depending on image content.

Best bet in a "try to match old print" situation would be to use a device link profile (or the poor man's version of that which means convert to printer A profile, then make a 2nd conversion to printer B profile). Personally, I would suggest you give some advance warnings to your repeat customers that you will reprint old work mastered for your Z3200s on your Z3200s as long as you can, but phase in new work (i.e, newly mastered files prepared for Z9 output) as your ongoing work with clients progresses. That said, it's probably inevitable that old work will eventually get moved to a newer printer model, and when that happens, you will probably need to make some subtle adjustments to the files and then get your client to sign off on the remastering when attempting to satisfy a very demanding client. Yet most folks will accept the output on either printer just fine, IMHO.

My two cents.

cheers,
Mark M.
http://www.aardenburg-imaging.com
« Last Edit: July 14, 2021, 08:59:33 am by MHMG »
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deanwork

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #8 on: July 14, 2021, 10:19:21 am »

Over the last 20 something years I’ve had about 12 different large format printers in use for color alone.
Others for bw. I’ve had to remap output for lots of editions that exist over time. Usually I need to make a few 8x10 prints and can achieve the new file to match old proofs within an hour.

The good thing is our materials ( unlike say gelatin silver in the 70s, are getting better and more capable.)
The newer inks are generally longer lasting  ( except Canon ) have larger gamut and better dmax, so it’s not that difficult.


 As Mark suggests, a “real” edition, as developed as a concept for printmaking in the 17th century was printed at one time , on one press, with one paper batch and one batch of ink. If an artist produced a second edition, which was rare because the plates were becoming worn down, the prints changed. Today we are extremely lucky to have the precision to reformat the file as easily as we can. We’re kinda spoiled.

But hell, not only are our inks changing constantly ( almost every new printer model has a new “ and improved”
inkset, but quite of the paper coating are changed or the paper is discontinued altogether.

But to be honest, even gelatin silver prints changed over time. I once saw a show that showcased many famous
photographers working method as to how they arrived at final prints. For Ansel Adams they showed about six different versions of the Moonrise print and how Adams changed the way they were printed over time. They were all nice but all quite different. And, he sold them all, but never in the same editioned “portfolio”. As the papers changed over the decades he created new looks for the prints and one of the reasons was he could not achieve the same results with the newer papers, that often had less silver, even if he had wanted to.

For me personally, I tell  people that if you want “ an edition” of a body of work you should have a limited edition set of prints or limited edition portfolio created. As Mark just said, doing a reprint of a file is a reprint of a file, not a print that is part of an “edition”. Beyond that, we do the best we can, and usually that’s pretty damn good.

John



Aah, yes, one of the very first promises of the digital print era. "I can print perfect copies of my digitally mastered file forever" ;D ;D

Printers change, inks change, media change, operating systems change, printer drivers change...and even peoples' expectations change. The "print on demand, whenever you want, and expect a perfect copy" expectation soon runs into real world reality. It has never worked that way precisely, but many print shops catering to demanding artists still make this promise. In reality, when you move to a new printer model, you will more than likely have a new set of inks with different color gamut, different dot screening patterns, and even the media may have changed. For example, ask anyone who has tried both old and "new" formulations if Canson Baryta Photographique II matches the original Baryta photographique which is no longer made, etc., etc.

That said, can you get a "reasonable" match between a Z9 and a Z3200 if using the same batch of media?  Depends on how closely you are looking. The Z9 ink set gave up the light cyan and magenta and light gray channels but added dual droplet size to compensate. Because the light cyan and light magenta channels were originally added by all the major printer manufacturers nearly a quarter of a century ago on various photo printer models to expand color gamut and smoothness especially in the midtown and highlight tones, I expected this is where I would see the biggest difference between my Z9 and my Z3200 on the same paper. I was wrong! The Z9 actually manages to tease out a little more color gamut in the highlight regions of the prints due to its more sophisticated screening pattern and dual droplet output. However, the Z3200 wins in the shadow areas when trying to print images with deep dark colors. Neutral/near neutral tones are outstanding on both printers throughout the tone scale. So, if you are trying to match output between these two printers, you will always find subtle differences depending on image content.

Best bet in a "try to match old print" situation would be to use a device link profile (or the poor man's version of that which means convert to printer A profile, then make a 2nd conversion to printer B profile). Personally, I would suggest you give some advance warnings to your repeat customers that you will reprint old work mastered for your Z3200s on your Z3200s as long as you can, but phase in new work (i.e, newly mastered files prepared for Z9 output) as your ongoing work with clients progresses. That said, it's probably inevitable that old work will eventually get moved to a newer printer model, and when that happens, you will probably need to make some subtle adjustments to the files and then get your client to sign off on the remastering when attempting to satisfy a very demanding client. Yet most folks will accept the output on either printer just fine, IMHO.

My two cents.

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

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #9 on: July 14, 2021, 01:02:23 pm »

Mark, are you saying that the 44" Z9 is not significantly faster than the z3200 or just that you don't have the 44" so can't confirm? I have 2 z3200s 44" but will likely upgrade to the Z9 44" and increased production speed is a big factor. Just curious about this as I print everything on 44" rolls.

as always, thank you

No - the Z9+ 44" is likely as fast if not faster than the Z9+ 24". MHMG has my 44" printer that HP was going to give me before the head of Marketing and Development for the product line left. Mark needed the larger printer for projects he was doing and I was happy with the Z9+ 24" they sent me. MHMG has run into several issues with his Z9+ 44" Dual Roll related to material handling, but the printer runs well otherwise I believe. They are definitely very fast compared to the Z3200's. As long as you steer clear of the dual roll, all bells and whistles model and get the simple model - you should be pleased.

Mark L
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Mark Lindquist

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #10 on: July 14, 2021, 01:03:25 pm »

Aah, yes, one of the very first promises of the digital print era. "I can print perfect copies of my digitally mastered file forever" ;D ;D

Printers change, inks change, media change, operating systems change, printer drivers change...and even peoples' expectations change. The "print on demand, whenever you want, and expect a perfect copy" expectation soon runs into real world reality. It has never worked that way precisely, but many print shops catering to demanding artists still make this promise. In reality, when you move to a new printer model, you will more than likely have a new set of inks with different color gamut, different dot screening patterns, and even the media may have changed. For example, ask anyone who has tried both old and "new" formulations if Canson Baryta Photographique II matches the original Baryta photographique which is no longer made, etc., etc.

That said, can you get a "reasonable" match between a Z9 and a Z3200 if using the same batch of media?  Depends on how closely you are looking. The Z9 ink set gave up the light cyan and magenta and light gray channels but added dual droplet size to compensate. Because the light cyan and light magenta channels were originally added by all the major printer manufacturers nearly a quarter of a century ago on various photo printer models to expand color gamut and smoothness especially in the midtown and highlight tones, I expected this is where I would see the biggest difference between my Z9 and my Z3200 on the same paper. I was wrong! The Z9 actually manages to tease out a little more color gamut in the highlight regions of the prints due to its more sophisticated screening pattern and dual droplet output. However, the Z3200 wins in the shadow areas when trying to print images with deep dark colors. Neutral/near neutral tones are outstanding on both printers throughout the tone scale. So, if you are trying to match output between these two printers, you will always find subtle differences depending on image content.

Best bet in a "try to match old print" situation would be to use a device link profile (or the poor man's version of that which means convert to printer A profile, then make a 2nd conversion to printer B profile). Personally, I would suggest you give some advance warnings to your repeat customers that you will reprint old work mastered for your Z3200s on your Z3200s as long as you can, but phase in new work (i.e, newly mastered files prepared for Z9 output) as your ongoing work with clients progresses. That said, it's probably inevitable that old work will eventually get moved to a newer printer model, and when that happens, you will probably need to make some subtle adjustments to the files and then get your client to sign off on the remastering when attempting to satisfy a very demanding client. Yet most folks will accept the output on either printer just fine, IMHO.

My two cents.

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

+1

-ML
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hyatts3

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #11 on: July 15, 2021, 10:28:55 am »

Thanks again for all of your very helpful input. I read lots of message boards and have to say this one impresses me in how you give useful information without any attitude or nonsense. It's greatly appreciated.

I should've been clearer that I by no means give my customers the expectation of their prints always matching forever no matter what. The "edition" conversation is one I have often, but understandably the ability to make prints over time with rather impressive consistency combined with the fact that people don't have to pay for the entire edition up front tends to lead people down the few-prints-at-a-time path, at least among my customers.

I went through the same situation when I transitioned from Epson 9600s to HP Z3100s, and then again from the z3100 to the z3200, though, at least in the case of the z3100 to z3200 transition, there were nothing but net positives. I asked about the changes mostly to see if anyone had a useful way to characterize the print differences between the z3200 and Z9+. The input on the highlight/shadow differences is exactly the kind of thing I was curious about.

Fantastic idea on continuing existing prints on the Z3200 while switching new work over to the Z9+. It sounds like a great solution.

Steven
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PeterAit

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #12 on: July 16, 2021, 09:43:20 am »

Hey everyone. I have a small printing business where I currently run three 44" HP Z3200s. Years ago I ran the Z3100 and switched over as soon as the Z3200 was released. The oldest machine I'm currently running is one I purchased new in 2010. My newest I purchased new in 2017. I have a healthy selection of parts from years of using these and acquiring other printers, functional or otherwise, and I'm able to do all my own repairs.

Looking to the future, I've been increasingly considering adding one HP Z9+ to the mix to test switching over completely. I print on a variety of papers (photo matte, luster, watercolor papers, Canson Platine, Edition Etching) and canvas. A significant part of my business is painting/art reproduction. These Z3200s have just been so great for profiling and getting good, faithful prints and reproductions. If knowing more about my business is useful then here's my website: www.imagingartsprinting.com.

So, I'm looking for any input you can give me on switching from the Z3200 to the Z9+. I've read a lot of very critical reviews of the new printer. Is it a worthy replacement? In your experiences do they do as well with color fidelity? Should I expect serious color shits when printing pre-existing files (I have a substantial amount of reprint orders) or will I be able to get substantially similar results? Is the speed difference major on the Z9+? Is the dual roll version worth the added cost? Would I be better served by considering switching printer brands? What else do you think is worth mentioning? Any input is greatly appreciated.

Steven

I'd stay away from the "color shits"  ;D. But seriously, if it ain't broke, why "fix" it?
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hyatts3

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #13 on: July 16, 2021, 10:05:49 am »

I'd stay away from the "color shits"  ;D. But seriously, if it ain't broke, why "fix" it?

Hey Peter. I knew it was inevitable and considered editing, but I admit I just find a good shit typo funny. What can I say?

I'm not seeking to fix anything that isn't broken. As a business I have to make some amount of effort to project myself into the future. Most of my local competitors didn't do that and are no longer in business. Of those that are still in business, one has had to leave their longterm space and move 30-40 minutes outside of town to afford rent. I love my Z3200s and will use them as long as I have the parts to fix them and ink/printheads to feed them. At the same time the reality is that there's a limit to that, maybe it's two years maybe it's ten years. My long term ink supplier, IT Supplies, tells me that a quick glance in their system suggests there are about 10 other businesses that regularly order HP 70/73 ink like I do. What implication does that have? I don't know, it doesn't seem like a whole lot of people ordering regularly to me though. In any case I'd like to have some preparation for the next steps I can take when necessary. As long as these Z3200s run I'll be running them.
« Last Edit: July 16, 2021, 11:35:11 am by hyatts3 »
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deanwork

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #14 on: July 16, 2021, 08:22:47 pm »


I think I heard two more years of inks and heads, but I wouldn’t even count on that. But, I’m like you, going to hold onto my two Zs as long as possible. Still use them almost every day. I’m one of the other IT Z customers.

John


Hey Peter. I knew it was inevitable and considered editing, but I admit I just find a good shit typo funny. What can I say?

I'm not seeking to fix anything that isn't broken. As a business I have to make some amount of effort to project myself into the future. Most of my local competitors didn't do that and are no longer in business. Of those that are still in business, one has had to leave their longterm space and move 30-40 minutes outside of town to afford rent. I love my Z3200s and will use them as long as I have the parts to fix them and ink/printheads to feed them. At the same time the reality is that there's a limit to that, maybe it's two years maybe it's ten years. My long term ink supplier, IT Supplies, tells me that a quick glance in their system suggests there are about 10 other businesses that regularly order HP 70/73 ink like I do. What implication does that have? I don't know, it doesn't seem like a whole lot of people ordering regularly to me though. In any case I'd like to have some preparation for the next steps I can take when necessary. As long as these Z3200s run I'll be running them.
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hyatts3

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #15 on: July 21, 2021, 09:48:22 am »

I'm new around here, so if piggybacking off this post to ask another z3200 related question is frowned upon then I'll gladly start a new topic.

I'm having a profiling issue with HP Utility. I have two versions actually, HP DesignJet Utility and HP Utility. In HP Utility the option for "Color Management..." to choose a target for profiling is no longer there. In HP DesignJet Utility the option is there but once I click it and then proceed to print a color target the utility crashes every time. I can create a new paper and calibrate/profile it by choosing Create New Paper Preset, but that doesn't allow me to choose a larger target. Anyone had this issue or have any insight as to what's going on?
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deanwork

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #16 on: July 21, 2021, 01:12:53 pm »

What OS?

My 3200 will print normally and calibrate normally using the latest Mac Big Sur , but fails when I try to make an icc profile. But I haven’t checked the HP website in about a month for any firmware update. It looks they have designed one driver for all the Z printers because it installs all the profiles at once.

John



I'm new around here, so if piggybacking off this post to ask another z3200 related question is frowned upon then I'll gladly start a new topic.

I'm having a profiling issue with HP Utility. I have two versions actually, HP DesignJet Utility and HP Utility. In HP Utility the option for "Color Management..." to choose a target for profiling is no longer there. In HP DesignJet Utility the option is there but once I click it and then proceed to print a color target the utility crashes every time. I can create a new paper and calibrate/profile it by choosing Create New Paper Preset, but that doesn't allow me to choose a larger target. Anyone had this issue or have any insight as to what's going on?
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hyatts3

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #17 on: July 21, 2021, 01:35:37 pm »

What OS?

My 3200 will print normally and calibrate normally using the latest Mac Big Sur , but fails when I try to make an icc profile. But I haven’t checked the HP website in about a month for any firmware update. It looks they have designed one driver for all the Z printers because it installs all the profiles at once.

John

I'm running OSX 10.15 at the moment. Now that I double check, it's actually failing on me at the point of making a profile also.
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glyph

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #18 on: July 21, 2021, 09:16:15 pm »

I've had this issue since at least Mojave. I have tried everything I can think of to solve the problem, short of buying a Windows computer just for this task. The generic Postscript driver on the HP site was last updated in January, and I would be shocked if HP decided to throw even meager resources at fixing this problem for those of us that have lost functionality through software updates. Thankfully, I'm mostly using papers and canvas that I profiled years ago, but new substrates are a no go with internally made profiles for me.
« Last Edit: July 21, 2021, 09:45:08 pm by glyph »
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deanwork

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Re: HP Z3200 To Z9+ Transition - Seeking Input
« Reply #19 on: July 23, 2021, 06:29:48 pm »

Yea, you have to use an older Mac and vintage software.

If you don’t have one, and it’s important, an older MacBook Pro from eBay would work.


I've had this issue since at least Mojave. I have tried everything I can think of to solve the problem, short of buying a Windows computer just for this task. The generic Postscript driver on the HP site was last updated in January, and I would be shocked if HP decided to throw even meager resources at fixing this problem for those of us that have lost functionality through software updates. Thankfully, I'm mostly using papers and canvas that I profiled years ago, but new substrates are a no go with internally made profiles for me.
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