Z3200ps 24" Rev B EOSL Oct 31, 2023

[johncustodio]

I've had my Z3200 since the beginning of 2018 (I had a Z3100 for 10 years previously) and got an HP CarePak for it which expires at the end of December this year. I haven't had any issues with the printer since I bought it, except now there is an issue with ink blotches appearing on prints. HP will be sending a service tech in the next few days at no charge since it's under warranty. However, when I asked about extending my service contract beyond December 2022, they informed me that my printer had an end of service life date of October 31, 2023 and that extending the service contract for another year would go beyond that date and that their system would not allow them to extend the service contract for less than a year. So that means my printer will be under warranty until the end of this year, then serviceable by HP (but with a cost) until the end of October 2023, then not serviceable at all by HP after that. 

[deanwork]

I’m concerned that a year from now there will be no parts, heads or inks available from HP at that time.

And if you can’t find someone to replace the belts or do that yourself that’s another factor.

This is what happened with my Canon 8300. They wouldn’t work on them anymore and a lot of parts, like main boards for instance were not available. The Z3200 and the 8300 came out about the same time.

I've had my Z3200 since the beginning of 2018 (I had a Z3100 for 10 years previously) and got an HP CarePak for it which expires at the end of December this year. I haven't had any issues with the printer since I bought it, except now there is an issue with ink blotches appearing on prints. HP will be sending a service tech in the next few days at no charge since it's under warranty. However, when I asked about extending my service contract beyond December 2022, they informed me that my printer had an end of service life date of October 31, 2023 and that extending the service contract for another year would go beyond that date and that their system would not allow them to extend the service contract for less than a year. So that means my printer will be under warranty until the end of this year, then serviceable by HP (but with a cost) until the end of October 2023, then not serviceable at all by HP after that. 

[johncustodio]

This is my fear also: the lack of ink, heads and parts. Ink and heads were not an issue with the Z3100, because when that printer reached its end of service life we still had the Z3200 which used all of the same inks and heads as the 3100 (with the exception of the chromatic red). It’s basically the end of the line for the Z3200 inks and heads because its replacement, the Z9, uses different inks and heads. The HP tech is coming on Wednesday to replace my belt, the service station, and the power supply (because the fan is making noise). A new service station should clear up the issue of dried ink falling on the paper, because I suspect that the carriage assembly is picking up ink from the service station. Anyhow, I had a similar problem with my Z3100 that was solved by replacing the service station. Hopefully, the repairs that will be done on Wednesday will put the printer in a good condition to last past the end of my warranty, especially with regards to the belt. Since my warranty ends at the end of December and the end of service life goes until the end of October 2023, I would like to extend my warranty until that date, but I don’t think it will be possible because HP is not allowing a warranty that will last for less than one year. I will have to contact them again to see if something can be arranged. In any event, my Z3100 did last almost 2 years after the end of its warranty, so maybe I might get lucky with the Z3200 (with the possible exception of not being able to get ink or print heads).

[Ernst Dinkla]

Inks are the least problem as there are the 772 carts to use with an old 70 chip cap or the content of 771 carts to refill already converted 772 carts. Still in HP Vivera pigment ink territory here. All of that may dry up one day but expired 70/772/771 carts tend to appear quite frequently on Ebay and will not end right away after HP ceased to make them. Then there is the question whether the ink in the new 746/747 carts for the Z9 etc is so incompatible with the Z3200 heads or so different in hues. Some improvising with 771 cart contents (light grey, light cyan) might help there. That question has been raised before in the forum but no reply of someone who dared to test it. The shape of the 746/747 carts is like the shape of the 772 carts and replacing the chip cap with a 70 cap will be as easy. 

Heads is another matter. The shortage of heads will  be a major problem and I do not see refurbished heads from China as a solution. I doubt it is wise to store a set of heads right now, it could well be that I will not need one of them in two years. Meanwhile I have two Z3200 printers to rely on where I need not even one for the volume I print. I have salvaged parts of one Z3200 and one Z3100 stored in crates. Clones of the formatter HDs added to that. I have a 2 years stock of inks now and most likely that will be enough for my remaining commercial activities. For private use I might go to third party inks one day, if there is enough space left for a 44" printer then. No treasures lost when my own images fade. Or put one portrait + one landscape 8K display on the wall and forget everything I ever knew about printing.

Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

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

[plasakow]

The shortage of heads will  be a major problem and I do not see refurbished heads from China as a solution.

I've had mixed experience with these. Sometimes they fail quickly, but usually I just have to flush out the ink that they were shipped with and then they work well. I'll continue to get expired OEM heads off eBay as long as they're available and aren't priced prohibitively. 

[Nora_nor]

Failing and end of life printers (z2100, 5200, 3200 ) A question about the new printers that hp recommends now, z6 and z9. I print from Adobe Lightroom. I do not use a rip. But these printers are meant to use hp click or a web based interface. Also, they are not usb but need to connect with the Mac with a network dongle.
Will it be possible to print from Lightroom?
The new way  sounds like working on the photo in Lightroom, saving it and then dragging it over to hp click.
Also, the z6 has no grey. How is that for black and white photos? Need to print black and white photos, and color photos for exhibitions and sale. Also canvas
I hope Lightroom just accesses the printer driver the ordinary way.
The z6 has no spectrophotometer , how to get icc profiles for the papers I use?
Here it says the z6 is for rollups and banners and posters https://www.plot-it.co.uk/files/hp_designjet_z6_z9_faqs.pdf and does not quite sound like a photo printer

I did find a review
https://www.designgaff.com/post/hp-designjet-z6-printer-review

and https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/63876018

and https://www.fantasio.info/2018/09/hp-designjet-z6-review-from-digital.html