HP DesignJet Z2100 44 User Manual

							Whenever you notice this problem, cancel the printing job immediately. Press the Cancel key and also
cancel the job from your computer application. Soaked paper can damage the printheads.
Try the following suggestions to avoid this problem:
1.Check that the paper type you have loaded corresponds to the paper type selected in the front
panel and in your software. To check on the front panel, use the View loaded paper key.
2.Use a recommended paper type (see 
Order paper on page 104) and the correct print settings.
3.If using sheet paper, try rotating the sheet 90 degrees. The orientation of the paper fibers may
affect performance.
4.Try changing to a thicker paper type, such as HP Heavyweight Coated Paper, HP Super
Heavyweight Coated Paper, or thicker Digital Fine Art papers.
5.Try to increase the margins by relocating the image to the center of the page using your software
application.
Ink marks on the back of the paper
This can happen after a lot of borderless printing, especially with non-standard paper sizes. Ink residues
on the platen are likely to mark the back of the paper.
Clean the platen with a soft cloth. Clean each rib separately without touching the foam between the ribs.
Edges of objects are stepped or not sharp
If edges of objects or lines appear to be poorly defined or lighter in density, and you have already set
the print-quality slider to Quality in the driver dialog (Mac OS Print dialog), select the custom print-quality
options, and try setting the quality level to Normal. See 
Printing on page 41.
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							Edges of objects are darker than expected
If edges of objects seem darker than expected, and you have already set the print-quality slider to
Quality in the driver dialog (Mac OS Print dialog), select the custom print-quality options, and try setting
the quality level to Normal. See 
Printing on page 41.
Bronzing
If you are printing on photo paper with gray and black ink only, and you experience a gloss differential
problem when fluorescent light is directly reflected towards you from the print, producing bronzed
reflections from the ink, try one of the following:
●Use the Full set of inks option (see 
Print in gray shades on page 49)
●Display the print vertically or behind glass
Black and white prints do not look neutral
Consider using the Gray and Black inks only only. See Print in gray shades on page 49.
Horizontal lines at the end of a cut sheet print
This type of defect affects only the end of a print, within approximately 30 mm of the trailing edge of the
paper. You may see some very thin horizontal lines across the print.
To avoid this problem:
1.Print the Image Diagnostics Print. See 
The Image Diagnostics Print on page 135.
2.Consider printing with roll paper.
3.Consider using larger margins around your image.
Vertical lines of different colors
If your print has vertical bands of different colors along it:
1.Try using thicker paper, choosing from the recommended paper types such as HP Heavyweight
Coated Paper and HP Super Heavyweight Paper. See 
Order paper on page 104.
2.Try using higher print-quality settings (see 
Printing on page 41). For instance, if you have set the
Print Quality slider to Speed, try setting it to Quality; if you have already set it to Quality, try
selecting custom options and then More Passes.
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							White spots on the print
You may notice white spots on the print. This is probably due to paper fibers, dust, or loose coating
material. To avoid this problem:
1.Try cleaning the paper manually with a brush before printing, to remove any loose fibers or particles.
2.Always keep the cover of your printer closed.
3.Protect your paper rolls and sheets by storing them in bags or boxes.
Colors are inaccurate
If the colors of your print do not match your expectations, try the following:
1.Check that the paper type you have loaded corresponds to the paper type selected in the front
panel and in your software. To check on the front panel, use the View loaded paper key. At the
same time, check the color calibration status. If the status is RECOMMENDED or OBSOLETE,
you should perform color calibration: see 
Color calibration on page 58. If you have made any
changes, you may wish to reprint your job in case the problem has been solved.
2.Check that you are printing on the correct side of the paper.
3.Check that you are using appropriate print-quality settings (see 
Printing on page 41). If you have
selected the Speed or Fast options, you may not get the most accurate colors. If you change the
print-quality settings, you may wish to reprint your job at this point in case the problem has been
solved.
4.If you are using Application Color Management, check that the color profile you are using
corresponds to the selected paper type and print-quality settings. If you have doubts about which
color settings to use, see 
Color management on page 51. If you need to create a color profile,
see 
Color profiling on page 59.
5.If the problem consists of color differences between your print and your monitor, please follow the
instructions in the “How to calibrate your monitor” section of the HP Color Center. At this point, you
may wish to reprint your job in case the problem has been solved.
6.Print the Image Diagnostics Print. See 
The Image Diagnostics Print on page 135.
If the problem persists despite all the above actions, contact your customer service representative for
further support.
Color accuracy using EPS or PDF images in page layout applications
Page layout applications such as Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress do not support color management
of EPS, PDF, or grayscale files.
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							If you have to use such files, try to ensure that the EPS, PDF, or grayscale images are already in the
same color space that you intend to use later on in Adobe InDesign or QuarkXPress. For instance, if
your final goal is to print the job in a press that follows the SWOP standard, convert the image into SWOP
when you create it.
The image is incomplete (clipped at the bottom)
●Did you press Cancel before all the data were received by the printer? If so, you have ended the
data transmission and will have to print the page again.
●The I/O timeout setting may be too short. This setting determines how long the printer waits for
the computer to send more data, before deciding that the job is finished. From the front panel,
increase the I/O timeout setting to a longer period and then send the print again. From the
Connectivity menu 
, select Advanced > Select I/O timeout.
●There may be a communications problem between your computer and the printer. Check your USB
or network cable.
●Check to make sure that your software settings are correct for your current page size (for example,
long-axis prints).
●If you are using network software, make sure it has not timed out.
The image is clipped
Clipping normally indicates a discrepancy between the actual printable area on the loaded paper and
the printable area as understood by your software. You can often identify this kind of problem before
printing by previewing your print (see 
Preview a print on page 45).
●Check the actual printable area for the paper size you have loaded.
printable area = paper size – margins
●Check what your software understands to be the printable area (which it may call printing area
or imageable area). For example, some software applications assume standard printable areas
that are larger than those used in this printer.
●If you have defined a custom page size with very narrow margins, the printer may impose its own
minimal margins, clipping your image slightly. You may want to consider using a larger paper size,
or borderless printing (see 
Select margins options on page 43).
●If your image contains its own margins, you may be able to print it successfully by using the Clip
Contents by Margins option (see 
Select margins options on page 43).
●If you are trying to print a very long image on a roll, check that your software is capable of printing
an image of that size.
●You may have asked to rotate the page from portrait to landscape on a paper size that is not wide
enough.
●If necessary, reduce the size of the image or document in your software application, so it fits
between the margins.
There is another possible explanation for a clipped image. Some applications, such as Adobe
Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and CorelDRAW, use an internal 16-bit coordinate system which means
that they cannot handle an image of more than 32,768 pixels. If you try to print an image larger than this
from these applications, the bottom of the image will be clipped. In this case, the only way to print the
whole image is to reduce the resolution so that the whole image requires fewer than 32,768 pixels. The
Windows driver dialog includes an option called 16-bit App. Compatibility, which can be used to reduce
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							the resolution of such images automatically. You can find this option in the Advanced tab, under
Document Options > Printer Features.
Some objects are missing from the printed image
Large quantities of data may be necessary to print a high-quality large-format print job, and in some
specific workflows there may be issues that can lead to some objects missing from the output. Here are
some recommendations for the use of the Windows driver dialog in these cases.
●In the Advanced tab, select Document options, Printer features, and set Send job as bitmap
to Enabled (HP-GL/2 driver only).
●In the Advanced tab, select Document options, Printer features, and set 16-bit App.
Compatibility to Enabled.
●In the Advanced tab, select Document options, Printer features, and set Max. Application
resolution to 300.
The above settings are mentioned for troubleshooting purposes and may adversely affect the final output
quality or the time necessary to generate the print job. Therefore, they should be restored to their default
values if they do not help to solve the problem.
If you are working under Mac OS, the above settings are not available. Instead, you could try reducing
the resolution of bitmap images in your application software.
A PDF file is clipped or objects are missing
In older versions of Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader, large PDF files could be clipped or lose some
objects when printing with the HP-GL/2 driver at high resolution. In order to avoid such problems,
upgrade your Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader software to the latest version. From version 7 onwards,
these problems should be solved.
The Image Diagnostics Print
The Image Diagnostics Print consists of patterns designed to highlight printhead reliability problems. It
helps you to check the performance of the printheads that are currently installed in your printer, and
whether any printhead suffers from clogging or other problems.
To print the Image Diagnostics Print:
1.Use the same paper type that you were using when you detected a problem.
2.Use the View loaded paper key on the front panel to check that the selected paper type is the same
as the paper type loaded into the printer.
3.
At the printers front panel, select the Image Quality Maintenance menu icon 
, then Print
diagnostic image.
It takes about two minutes to print the Image Diagnostics Print.
The print is divided into two parts, both of which test printhead performance.
●Part 1 (top) consists of rectangles of pure colors, one for each printhead. This part represents the
print quality that you will get from each color.
●Part 2 (bottom) consists of small dashes, one for each nozzle on each printhead. This part
complements the first, and aims more specifically to detect how many faulty nozzles each printhead
has.
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							Please look carefully at the print. The names of the colors are shown above the rectangles and in the
center of the patterns of dashes.
First look at the upper part of the print (part 1). Each colored rectangle should be a uniform color without
any horizontal lines across it.
Then look at the bottom part of the print (part 2). For each individual colored pattern, check that most
of the dashes are present.
If you see horizontal lines in part 1 and also missing dashes in part 2 for the same color, the printhead
responsible needs cleaning. However, if the rectangles look solid, do not worry about just a few missing
dashes in part 2; these are acceptable because the printer can compensate for a few clogged nozzles.
Here is an example of a light gray printhead in a good state:
And here is an example of the same printhead in a bad state:
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							Corrective action
1.Clean any faulty printheads (see Clean the printheads on page 141). Then reprint the Image
Diagnostics Print to see whether the problem has been solved.
2.If the problem remains, clean the printheads again, and reprint the Image Diagnostics Print to see
whether the problem has been solved.
3.If the problem remains, consider cleaning your printheads manually (see 
Clean the printheads
on page 141). You could also try reprinting your current print job, in case it now prints satisfactorily.
4.If the problem remains, try cleaning the printhead drop detector. The printer normally notifies you
when this is necessary, but it may be worth trying even if the printer has not suggested it. See
Clean the printhead drop detector on page 142.
5.If the problem still remains, replace any persistently faulty printheads (see 
Handling ink cartridges
and printheads on page 81), or contact HP Support (see Contact HP Support on page 160).
If you still have a problem
If you still experience print-quality problems after applying the advice in this chapter, here are some
further things that you can do:
●Try using a higher print-quality option. See 
Printing on page 41.
●Check the driver you are using to print with. If it is a non-HP driver, consult the driver vendor about
the problem. You could also try using the correct HP driver, if feasible. The latest HP drivers can
be downloaded from 
http://www.hp.com/go/designjet/.
●If you are using a non-HP RIP, its settings may be incorrect. See the documentation that came with
the RIP.
●Check that your printers firmware is up to date. See 
Update the firmware on page 100.
●Check that you have the right settings in your software application.
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							13 Troubleshooting ink cartridge and
printhead issues
●Cannot insert an ink cartridge
●
Ink cartridge status messages
●
Cannot insert a printhead
●
The front-panel display recommends reseating or replacing a printhead
●
Clean the printheads
●
Clean the printhead drop detector
●
Align the printheads
●
Printhead status messages
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							Cannot insert an ink cartridge
1.Check that you have the correct type of cartridge (model number).
2.Check that the colored label on the cartridge is the same color as the label on the slot.
3.Check that the cartridge is correctly oriented, with the letter or letters marking the cartridge label
right-side up and readable.
CAUTIONNever clean inside the ink cartridge slots.
Ink cartridge status messages
These are the possible ink cartridge status messages:
●OK: the cartridge is working normally, with no known problems.
●Missing: there is no cartridge present, or it is not correctly connected to the printer.
●Low: the ink level is low.
●Very low: the ink level is very low.
●Empty: the cartridge is empty.
●Reseat: you are recommended to remove the cartridge and then reinsert it.
●Replace: you are recommended to replace the cartridge with a new cartridge.
●Altered: there is something unexpected about the cartridges status.
●Expired: it is past the cartridges expiration date.
Cannot insert a printhead
1.Check that you have the correct type of printhead (model number).
2.Check that you have removed the two orange protective caps from the printhead.
3.Check that the colored label on the printhead is the same color as the label on the slot.
4.Check that the printhead is correctly oriented (compare with the others).
5.Check that you have correctly closed and latched the carriage lid, see Insert a printhead
on page 88.
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