HP DesignJet Z6100 60 User Manual

							General advice
Use the following approach when you have any print-quality problem:
●To achieve the best performance from your printe
r, use only genuine HP supplies and accessories,
whose reliability and performance have been thorou ghly tested to give trouble-free performance and
best-quality prints. For details of recommended papers, see 
Order paper on page 49 .
● Make sure that the paper type that you select on 
the front panel is the same as the paper type that
is loaded in the printer. Make su re that the paper type has been calibrated. Also make sure that the
paper type that you select in your  software is the same as the paper type that you loaded in the
printer.
CAUTION: If you have the wrong paper type sele cted, you might experience poor print
quality and incorrect colors, and dama ge to the printheads might occur.
●Make sure that you are using th
e most appropriate print-quality  settings for your purposes. See Select
print quality on page 80. You are likely to see lower print qual ity if you have moved the print-quality
slider to the  Fast end of the scale, or set the custom quality level to  Fast.
● Make sure that your environmental conditions 
(temperature, humidity) are in the recommended
range. See 
Environmental specifications on page 191 .
● Make sure that your ink cartridges and printheads have not passed their expiration dates. See
Maintain the ink cartridges on page 139
.
● Avoid touching the paper while printing is in progress.
The Embedded Web Server Print Quality
Troubleshooting wizard
The Embedded Web Server Print Qual
ity Troubleshooting wizard is designed to help you resolve some
of the most common print-quality issu es that users encounter in large-format printing. The wizard guides
you through the resolution of th e following print-quality issues:
● Dark or light horizontal lines across the image (banding)
● Graininess
General advice 149
Troubleshoot images
 
						

							●Poor line quality
● Inaccurate color
To access the Embedded Web Server Print  Quality Troubleshooting wizard, click the Print Quality
Troubleshooting  link on the Support tab. Select the print-quality is sue that you are experiencing and
click the  Next button.
A list of suggestions for corrective action appears  along with help to guide you through the corrective
action.
Lines are too thick, too thin, or missing
1 . Verify that the paper type that you have loaded co
rresponds to the paper type that you selected on
the front panel and in your software.
2 . Make sure that you are using the appropriate print-quality settings for your purposes. See 
Select print
quality on page 80.
3 . If you are using a HP-GL/2 driver and the resolution of your image is greater than the printing
resolution, you might notice a loss of
 line quality. You can find the Max. Application
Resolution  option on the Windows driver  Advanced tab, under Document Options  > Printer
Features . If you change this option, reprint yo ur job if the problem has been solved.
4 . If lines are too thin or missing, 
print the Printhead status plot. See 
Use the Printhead status plot
on page 71.
5 . Try aligning the printheads. See 
Align the printheads on page 71. After alignment, reprint your job
if the problem has been solved.
6 .
Select the 
 icon on the printers front panel, and then  View loaded paper to see the paper-
advance calibration status. If the status is P ENDING, perform a paper-advance calibration. See
Perform paper advance calibration on page 46.
If the problem persists after you co mplete these actions, contact your  customer service representative for
further support.
Lines appear stepped or jagged
Use the following procedure if lines in your  image appear stepped or jagged when printed:
150 Chapter  11   Troubleshoot  print-quality issues
Troubleshoot images
 
						

							1. The problem might be inherent in the image. Try 
to improve the image within the software program
that you are using to edit it.
2 . Make sure that you are using appr
opriate print-quality settings. See 
Select print quality
on page 80.
3 . If you are using an HP-GL/2 driver, hange your image-rendering resolution to 300 dpi or 600 dpi,
depending on your printing need. The 
Max. Application Resolution option in the Windows
driver dialogs  Advanced tab, under Document Options  > Printer Features.
Parts of lines or text are missing
A high-quality large-format print job often requires a large amount of data, and in some specific workflows,
the output might not look like you  expected. Here are some suggestions  to help you to avoid this problem:
● Select a smaller page size and sc
ale to the final page size in the driver or on the front panel.
● Save the file in another format, such as TI
FF or EPS, and open it in another program.
● Use a RIP to print the file.
● Reduce the resolution of the bi
tmap images in your software.
● Select a lower print quality in order to re
duce the resolution of the printed image.
● On the  Advanced  tab of the Windows driver dialog, select  Document options, Printer
features , and then establish the following settings:
● Set Send job as bitmap  to Enabled  (HP-GL/2 driver only).
● Set 16-bit App. Compatibility  to Enabled .
● Set Max. Application resolution  to 300.
NOTE:These settings are described for troubles hooting purposes only and might adversely
affect the final output quality or the time necess ary to generate the print job. Therefore, restore
these settings to their default values if  they do not help to solve the problem.
Parts of lines or text are missing 151
Troubleshoot images
 
						

							Lines are printed double or in the wrong colors
This problem can have various visible symptoms:
● Colored lines are printed double, in different colors.
●The borders of colored blocks are the wrong color.
Use these steps to correct this kind of problem:
1
. Align the printheads. See 
Align the printheads on page 71
.
2 . Make sure that you are using appr
opriate print-quality settings. See 
Select print quality
on page 80.
Lines are blurred (ink bleeds from lines)
152 Chapter  11   Troubleshoot  print-quality issues
Troubleshoot images
 
						

							Humidity can cause ink to soak into the paper, making the lines look blurred and fuzzy. Try the following
remedies:
1 . Make sure that your environmental conditions (tem
perature, humidity) are suitable for high-quality
printing. See 
Environmental specifications on page 191 .
2 . Verify that the paper type that you select on the front panel is the same as the paper type that you
are using. To check, select the 
 icon from the printers fr
ont panel, and then select  View loaded
paper .
3 . Try changing to a heavier paper type, such 
as HP Heavyweight Coated Paper, HP Super
Heavyweight Coated  Paper, or Digital Fine Art paper.
4 . If you are using glossy paper, try changi
ng to a different type of glossy paper.
5 . Align the printheads. See 
Align the printheads on page 71
.
Lines are slightly warped
The paper itself might be warped. This  can happen if it has been used or stored in an extreme environment.
See 
Environmental specifications on page 191 .
Dark or light horizontal lines across the image
(banding)
Try the following remedies if your printed image suffe rs from added horizontal lines as shown (the color
may vary):
1 . Make sure that the paper type you 
have loaded corresponds to the pap er type that you select on the
front panel and in your software.
2 . Make sure that you are using appropriate pr
int-quality settings for your purposes. See 
Select print
quality on page 80. In some cases, you can overcome a prin t-quality problem merely by selecting a
higher print-quality level. For instance, if you have set the print-quality slider to  Fast, try setting it
to  Best . If you change the print-quality settings, reprint your job if the problem has been solved.
3 . Print the Printhead status plot. See 
Use the Printhead status plot on page 71.
Lines are slightly warped 153
Troubleshoot images
 
						

							4. Check the paper-advance calibration status on the fr
ont panel. If the status is PENDING, you should
perform paper-advance calibration. See 
Perform paper advance calibration on page 46.
5 . Try aligning the printheads. See 
Align the printheads on page 71. After alignment, reprint your job
if the problem has been solved.
If the problem persists, contac t your customer service representative for further support.
The image is grainy
1. Verify that the paper type you have loaded correspon
ds to the paper type that you select on the front
panel and in your software.
2 . Verify that you are printing on
 the correct side of the paper.
3 . Make sure that you are using appr
opriate print-quality settings. See 
Select print quality
on page 80. In some cases, you can overcome a print- quality problem merely by selecting a higher
print-quality level. For instance, if yo u have set the print-quality slider to Fast, try setting it to  Best.
If you change the print-quality settings, repr int your job if the problem has been solved.
4 . Try aligning the printheads. See 
Align the printheads on page 71. After alignment, reprint your job
if the problem has been solved.
5 . Check the paper-advance calibration status on the fr
ont panel. If the status is PENDING, you should
perform paper-advance calibration. See 
Perform paper advance calibration on page 46.
If the problem persists, contact  your customer service representative for further support. See 
HP Customer
Care on page 183.
The image has a metallic hue (bronzing)
Bronzing describes an image that has a metallic hue when it is viewed from specific angles. Bronzing
occurs most commonly when you print pigmented inks  on non-matte paper, such as photo paper. If you
are using standard print-quality options and the imag e contains the bronzing effect, move the slider to
Quality. See 
Select print quality on page 80 .
If you are experiencing bronzing when printing  grayscale images on glossy paper, try using the  Full Set
of Inks  printing option. To do so from the Windows driver, click the  Color tab and select  Print In
Grayscale , and then select the Full Set of Inks  option from the drop-down menu.
154 Chapter  11   Troubleshoot  print-quality issues
Troubleshoot images
 
						

							The printed output is not flat
If the paper does not lie flat when it comes out of the printer, but instead contains shallow waves, you are
likely to see defects in the printed image, such as vertical stripes. This ca n happen when you use thin
paper that becomes saturated with ink.
1 . Make sure that the paper type you 
have loaded corresponds to the pap er type that you select on the
front panel and in your software.
2 . Try changing to a thicker paper type, such as HP 
Heavyweight Coated Paper, HP Super Heavyweight
Coated Paper, or thicker Digital Fine Art papers.
The print smudges when touched
The black ink pigment can smudge when a finger or  pen touches it. This is particularly noticeable on:
vellum, translucent bond, film s, productivity photo paper, and natural tracing paper.
Try these remedies to reduce the smudging:
● Try to print in an environment that 
is not too humid for the printer. See 
Environmental
specifications on page 191.
● Change pure black objects in your image to a dar
k color, such as dark brown, so that they are
printed with colored inks instead of black ink.
● Use HP Heavyweight Coated Paper.
● Increase the drying time. See 
Change the drying time on page 49
.
Ink marks appear on the paper
This problem can occur for  several different reasons.
Smears on the front of coated paper
If a lot of ink is used on coated  paper, the paper absorbs the ink qu ickly and expands. As the printheads
move over the paper, the printheads come into  contact with the paper and smear the printed image.
The printed output is not flat 155
Troubleshoot images
 
						

							Whenever you notice this problem, cancel the printing job immediately. Press the Cancel button on the
front panel and also cancel the job from your co mputer software. Otherwise the soaked paper might
damage the printheads.
Try the following suggestions to avoid this problem:
● Use a recommended paper type. See 
Supported paper types on page 28.
● If the image you are printing contains intense 
color, try using HP Heavyweight Coated Paper.
● Use extended margins (see 
Adjust margins and layout options on page 82
), or try to increase the
margins by relocating the image within the page by using your software program.
● If necessary, try changing to a non-paper-
based material such as transparent film.
Smears or scratches on the front of glossy paper
Glossy paper can be extremely sensitive to the bin or to  anything else that it contacts soon after printing.
This depends on the amount of ink that has been de posited on the paper and the environmental conditions
at the time of printing. Avoid any contact with  the paper surface and handle the print with care.
Ink marks on the back of the paper
Ink residue on the platen or the input rollers is  likely to mark the back of the paper. See Clean the
platen on page 136.
Defects near the top of a print
In a defect that affects only the start of a print, wi thin 5.5 cm of the leading edge of the paper, a band
of inconsistent color appears:
Use these steps to avoid this problem:
1 . The easiest solution might be to select the  Extended Margins option in the driver, through the
Embedded Web Server, or on the front panel. Using  this remedy means that the area of the paper
affected by the problem (at the start of  the page) might not be printed on. See 
Adjust margins and
layout options on page 82.
2 . Align the printheads. See 
Align the printheads on page 71
.
3 . Make suer that you are using appr
opriate print-quality settings. See 
Select print quality
on page 80.
156 Chapter  11   Troubleshoot  print-quality issues
Troubleshoot images
 
						

							Colors are inaccurate
If the colors of your print do not match your expectations, try the following remedies:
1 . Verify that the paper type you have loaded correspon
ds to the paper type that you selected on the
front panel and in your software. 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 110 . If you have made any changes, reprint  your job if the problem has been solved.
2 . Verify that you are printing on
 the correct side of the paper.
3 . Make sure that you are using the ap
propriate print-quality settings. See 
Select print quality
on page 80. If you have selected the Fast options, you might not get ac curate colors. If you change
the print-quality settings, reprint your  job if the problem has been solved.
4 . If you are using Application Color Management, make sure that the color profile that you are using
corresponds to the selected pape
r type and print-quality settings. If you have doubts about which
color settings to use, see 
Color management on page 104 . If you need to cr eate a color profile,
see 
Color profiling on page 111 .
5 . If the problem consists of color differences between 
your print and your monitor, follow the instructions
in the “How to calibrate your moni tor” section of the HP Color Center. Reprint your job if the problem
has been solved.
6 . Print the Printhead status plot. See 
Use the Printhead status plot on page 71.
7 . Consult the HP Knowledge Center at 
http://www.hp.com/go/knowledge_center/djz6100/
 for
step-by-step color assistance with different soft ware programs (English language content only).
If the problem persists, contact  your customer service representative for further support. See 
Get help
on page 182.
PANTONE* colors are inaccurate
See HP Professional PANTONE* Emulation on page 116.
Colors between different HP  Designjets do not match
If you print an image on two differe nt printer models (for instance, on an HP Designjet Z6100 printer
series and an HP Designjet 5500  printer series), the colors of the two prints might not match well.
Matching two printing device s that use different ink chemistry, pape r chemistry, and printheads is unlikely
to be completely succ essful. Use the information provided here  is to attempt to make one printer match
another.
Colors are inaccurate 157
Troubleshoot images
 
						

							Print with PostScript drivers
The situation describes printing with the PostScript driver installed for that printer. In this example, we are
using an HP Designjet Z6100 printer series  and an HP Designjet 5500 printer series.
1 . Verify that both printers have th
e most recent firmware version. See 
Update the printer firmware
on page 141.
2 . Verify that you have the most recent printer driver
 for both printers. Download the latest versions for
any HP printer from 
http://www.hp.com/go/designjet .
3 . Make sure that Color Calibration is turned on. On
 the front panel of the HP Designjet Z6100, select
the 
 icon, and then select Printer configuration  > Color calibration  > On.
4 . Load the printers with 
the same type of paper.
5 . Verify that the Paper Type setting on the front pan
el corresponds to the paper that you have loaded.
6 . Use you normal settings to print your
 image on the HP Designjet 5500.
7 . Now prepare to print the same image on the HP Designjet Z6100.
In your software, set the color space of the image 
to emulate the HP Designjet 5500 and the specific
paper type that you used in that pr inter. The data sent to the driver must be already converted to this
emulation color space, which is a CMYK color spac e. See the online help for the software program
to find information about how to do this. In this  way, the Z6100 will emulate the colors that the 5500
can produce when printing on that paper type.
8 . In the PostScript driver for the 
HP Designjet Z6100, go to the Color Management section and set the
CMYK input profile to the same HP Designjet 5500  color space that you selected in the software (the
emulation color space).
NOTE: When trying to emulate another printer  you should always use CMYK colors, not
RGB.
9 . Set the rendering intent to Relative
 Colorimetric, or to Absolute Colorimetric if you want to emulate
the whiteness of the paper.
10. Print the image on the HP Designjet Z6100.
Print with HP-GL/2 drivers
The situation describes printing with the 
HP-GL/2 driver installed for that printer.
1 . Verify that both printers have th
e most recent firmware version. See 
Update the printer firmware
on page 141.
2 . Verify that you have the most re
cent printer drivers for both printers. You can download the latest
versions for any HP printer from 
http://www.hp.com/go/designjet.
3 . Make sure that Color Calibration is turned on. On
 the front panel of the HP Designjet Z6100 printer
series, select the 
 icon, then  Printer configuration  > Color calibration > On .
4 . Load the printers with 
the same type of paper.
5 . Verify that the Paper Type setting on the front 
panel corresponds to the paper you have loaded.
158 Chapter  11   Troubleshoot  print-quality issues
Troubleshoot images