Stupid Z3100 media question

[Geoff Wittig]

Has anyone figured out how to print on fine art pearl media with this printer? HP's pdf on using non-HP papers refers to "media Profiles" for fine art pearl (more ink) and fine art pearl (less ink) to get the right settings for papers like Crane silver rag and Hahnemuhle fine art pearl. Unfortunately under Windows, even with the newer firmware (v 5.0.0.4) the printer control panel only lists "fine art media-pearl" without any mention of more ink/less ink. The driver likewise doesn't include these choices as far as I can see. The pdf directs you to HP's media profile page, but the available choices there do not include any pearl media.

Has anyone else got this figured out? It's certainly not obvious to me. I'm a little twitchy and gun-shy about getting it right, because my first attempt at printing lead to zebra stripes and a trashed light magenta/light cyan print head due to incorrect print head height setting.

[mcbroomf]

I never got HM FAP working right even with the new paper type specifically for this paper.  I started a long string in here in February about it and the last time I tried it the humidity was fine (it was less than 20% when I 1st got the printer).  Others have had good luck with it but it buckles badly, you can see this looking into the paper path so I assume it's marginal and some people are just lucky (or I'm just unlucky).  HP did send a tech round who checked the calibration of my printer head height, so I know it's on target.  I've switched to HP Pro Satin and Red River Ultra Pro Satin since then.

There is no more/less ink control on this printer within the canned profiles, you can adjust the head height but if you're using the new Pearl paper type it is already set to high.

I also had problems with one of my heads photo black I think, but a manual wet clean sorted it out.

Mike

[denis_]

I was told the new media settings in the tech note like "fine art pearl (more ink) will be on hp's site "soon"...

denis

[Geoff Wittig]

Many thanks. I was starting to think it was just me. I have gotten very good results using a roll of Hahnemuhle photo rag satin, with the fine art paper >250 gm setting and gloss opitimizer on. This seems a bit less reflective than typical pearl surfaces, but still yields a decent black.

[mcbroomf]

I was told the new media settings in the tech note like "fine art pearl (more ink) will be on hp's site "soon"...

denis
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Ahh, that's interesting.  When it shows up it may be worthwhile using my last piece of HM FAP with the reduced ink profile to see if I can get a stripe free print.

Thanks,

Mike