Raw & Post Processing, Printing > Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks
HP fixed my starwheel problem on my Z3100 today
Colorwave:
Before you get too excited, I doubt that the problem with some fragile surfaces is fixed, but I had a issue with my 44" model that was serious enough to cause problems on HP Professional Satin Photo Paper. In general, I love the finish of this media (I haven't got my Harman Gloss to try yet), and have had few issues with it, but I had an extremely light linear rippling across the width of my prints and a more serious soft indentation at 18 1/2" from the right side of the paper. The stripes were not serious enough to notice except in the reflections, but they were bad enough that I could not sell them as fine art prints.
I had read about others issues with the star wheels, and experienced my own issues across the surface of the whole print on a couple of glossy stocks, but I thought it was worth a shot to see if replacing the star wheel assembly might help my particular problem on this heavy stock, since it was not a problem across the full width of the paper. I called HP yesterday afternoon, and in less than 24 hours a technician was here with a new part to install. In my case, the new assembly completely solved my problem.
I have 17 44" x 60" gallery prints to crank out by Tuesday or I would test it with other stocks, but will try it with other papers when I have a chance. The technician did not know if this was the same design as the one that was replaced, so I don't know if this is cause for optimism on all fronts yet, but I felt like HP took care of the problem as fast and efficiently as I could imagine, and I'm a happy camper if I can get this show printed with no other issues. I think the moral of the story is to certainly pursue a solution with them whenever you have a problem and to not be complacent with manufacturing or design defects until you have at least attempted to have them fixed by HP.
-Ron
mvandenbos:
Just wanted a clarification of the starwheel problem per se.
On my prints with gloss media such has hp id satin at an angle the printer leaves semi-paired trails of lines which are visible only at angle. Consistent reproducible and likely mechanical in origin. Prints look fine without viewing from an angle.
Your advice is appreciated.
Thanks
Mehdi
EvoM:
If you don't mind me asking, what part did they actually change? Are you sure it was the star rollers and not just the lead out assembly i.e. the grey plastic bit accross the font with the blue lines on it? That is the part I had changed yesterday but not the actual star rollers.
Evo
Colorwave:
Mehdi: My problem was not noticeable from most angles, but was easily spotted when viewed under extreme side light or when seen with a highlight across the problem spots. The broader problem area was really barely noticeable and would have been borderline acceptable as a fine art print and probably no issue as a display print. The more troublesome mark was two slightly embossed lines roughly 3/8" apart. The lines were fairly soft and ever so slightly less glossy (the prints have full coverage gloss enhancer) and not sellable as fine art.
Evo: The technician showed up with a box that was identical to the ones that the 44" paper comes in. I thought he was bringing his own paper to make test prints. Inside was a complete starwheel assembly, which is the metal bar with the strange tabs that stick out the back that moves up and down. He changed it out in about ten minutes with a couple of screws.
I was surprised by what I saw when I flipped the old part over, though. Underneath this part is an amazing number of tiny starwheels, each roughly 1/2" in diameter. They look like star shaped lock washers. I couldn't think of a less intuitive design for holding down freshly inked paper on a platen, but it (mostly) works. HP went for the the absolute minimal contact area in a spike heel vs. snowshoe approach. At any given time there are probably fifty blunt little needles in contact with the paper.
I read here in someone's post that they had bent up some spring or springs, but I pushed on the starwheels and was able to push them to their maximum deflection without any effort at all. They seemed too soft to affect by smashing them in. Perhaps the spring in question was in the part that moves the bar, not the individual starwheels.
I'm at home now, but took a photo of the assembly before he took it away, which he said he was required to do. When I get back at work and have a chance tomorrow I will post the photo I took, for what it is worth.
-Ron
Colorwave:
Here, belatedly, is a quick snapshot I took of part of the starwheel assembly, from below. This view of it surprised the hell out of me, since it sure doesn't look like what I would assume you would want to use to push down freshly inked paper.
-Ron
[attachment=3291:attachment]
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version