HP z3200 + gloss enhancer = ugly portfolio?

[Mc]

Analyzing some prints made with a Z3200, I noticed that the gloss enhancer doesn't cover just the whole image but it actually keeps going almost to the edge of the paper.

Is it possible to use the gloss enhancer so that it just covers the printed image itself?

The reason why this concerns me is that whereas, this would not be a problem when mounting and matting photographs it would actually result in a very objectionable print (just my opinion off course) when printing a portfolio where you would see the noticeable shift between the white borders covered with the GE and the plain paper white, ie. the gloss differential problem that the GE was meant to defeat. Needless to say, neither cutting the paper nor using the economy mode are compromises that I would like to accept.

Thank you all in advance.

[Jim Cole]

Not sure about the Z3200, but with my Z3100, the only alternative is the economy mode you didn't want to use. Otherwise you need to print on larger paper and then trim back down so the GE goes all the way to the ends of the paper. No other way around this. It is a shame that the GE doesn't stop at the printed edge. I agree that it's a PITA.

[Mc]

Thanks Jim, thats just what I feared...

I just hope that that HP has fixed this with the Z3200, anyone has one?

thanks

Manny

[Roscolo]

Not sure I understand your problem, but here's one solution:

Let's say you're printing an 8x10. Copy and paste the 8x10 image onto a blank page in PS sized to 8.001 inches x 10.001 inches. Flatten. Print with GE on the whole page. The .001 inch of GE coated border around your actual image will be indiscernible, and your borders of your print, however wide they are, will be plain paper white with no GE.

[Ernst Dinkla]

Analyzing some prints made with a Z3200, I noticed that the gloss enhancer doesn't cover just the whole image but it actually keeps going almost to the edge of the paper.

Is it possible to use the gloss enhancer so that it just covers the printed image itself?

The reason why this concerns me is that whereas, this would not be a problem when mounting and matting photographs it would actually result in a very objectionable print (just my opinion off course) when printing a portfolio where you would see the noticeable shift between the white borders covered with the GE and the plain paper white, ie. the gloss differential problem that the GE was meant to defeat. Needless to say, neither cutting the paper nor using the economy mode are compromises that I would like to accept.

Thank you all in advance.

Tastes differ so I can only write down how I solved it, that method must be 4 years old now.

With gloss enhancer over the entire print page I cut off the 4-5 mm print margins that are not covered. As simple as that. Could be that borderless printing of gloss on rolls covers the print margins as well but I do not like borderless printing.

With gloss enhancer in Economy mode I use a print filter in Qimage that shifts the RGB 255-255-255 areas to 254-255-255, there's no color change in the image but the gloss enhancer is printed in the white areas of the image that way. Not on the Qimage borders and not on the print margins . That is what I like most. Kind of spot varnish effect like in offset printing but with a milder gloss difference between image and borders.

I do not print from Photoshop but I checked whether a similar Economy mode method would work in that case. I edited a Z3100 gloss ICC profile that the RGB 255-255-255 areas became 254-254-255. That did the trick with Photoshop. No color change in the image and if it would happen then the little yellow taken out is compensated by the slightly warmer gloss enhancer. It didn't work with Qimage though, indicates that there are differences between LCMS and Photoshop's CS2 color engines, normally not a problem though.

Both the Z3100 and Z3200 behave the same. All done in a Windows  environment. Could be that with a Mac and/or a more recent PS CS version things are different. Notice that in the profile I had to change R and G to get the effect and in the Qimage print filter only Red.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

[Mc]

Thanks Ernst for the tip, the technique you described looks interesting.

I don't own a Z3200 and have been looking at Epson 7880 and HP z3200 as possible options but was a bit concerned about the implementation of the GE on the HP. I will try and see if I can get a test printed using  your technique.

Cheers,

Manny

[deanwork]

Yea, Ernst shared that technique with us several years ago and it does work.

The GE is just like any other ink channel, it stops where a slight border is demanded.

Since I only print on rolls it has never been even a slight issue with me, but if you are restricted to specific sheets out of a box Ernst's method does indeed work.

john