HP Z5200 Owners Manual

							8.To insert a new printhead first remove the orange protective caps.
9.The printhead is designed to prevent you from acci dentally inserting it into the wrong slot. Check
that the colored label on the printhead matches the colored label of the carriage slot into which the
printhead is to be inserted. Insert the printhead  slowly and vertically, straight down. It may be
damaged if you insert it too fast, or at an an gle, or if you rotate it as you insert it.
10. Insert all other printheads that need to be installed, and close the carriage cover.
11.Close the Window.
12.When all the printheads have been inserted correctly  and accepted by the printer, the printer will
beep. If the printer does not beep w hen you insert the printhead and the  Replace message appears
on the front panel display, the printhead may need to be reinserted.
The front panel display confirms  that all printheads are correctly inserted. The printer will start
checking and preparing the printheads. The front  panel display confirms that all printheads are
correctly inserted. The pr inter will start checking and preparing the printheads. The default routine
process, when all printheads are changed, take s 25 minutes. If the printer finds problems in
preparing the printheads, it will take  longer, up to 55 minutes. For a single printhead insertion, the
times vary between 15 and 35 minutes. After all printheads are checked and prepared, for the
printhead realignment.
ENWW Printhead Information, Replacement and Alignment 17 
						

							Aligning Printheads
Precise alignment between printheads is essential for accurate colors, smooth color transitions, and
sharp edges in graphical elements. Your printer ha s an automatic printhead alignment process which
runs whenever a printhead has been accessed or replaced.
In cases where the paper has jammed, you have used  a custom paper, or are experiencing problems
with color accuracy you may need to align the printheads. If the paper has jammed, it is recommended
that you reinsert the printheads and initiate the realignment procedure with the Image Quality
Maintenance menu.
NOTE: Do not use transparent and semi-transparent  paper to align the printheads. Photo paper is
recommended for the best quality.
Reinsert Printheads Procedure
1. If the realignment process is running and the wro ng paper is loaded, press the cancel key on the
front panel. Do not print if the realignment  process has been canceled. You can restart the
alignment with the Image Quality Maintenance menu procedure.
2. Load the paper you wish to use. You can use a roll or cut sheet.
3. Remove and reinsert all the printheads, see Remove  a printhead and Insert a printhead. This will
start the printhead alignment procedure.
4. Ensure the transparent window closed, as a strong light source near the printer during printhead
realignment can affect alignment.
5. The process will take ab out six minutes. Wait until the front panel disp lay shows the process
complete before using the printer.
Image Quality Maintenance Procedure
1. Load the paper you wish to use. You can use a roll or cut sheet, however, it must be at least a 16
inches roll, or an A2 portrait sheet (420mm x 594 mm). Do not use transparent and semi-transparent
paper to align the printheads. Photo paper is recommended for the best results; plain, bond and
thin coated papers provide acceptable but marginal results.
2. Press the  Menu key to return to the ma in menu and select the Image Quality Maintenance  menu
icon.
3. Select  Align printheads . The printer will check to see if it has enough paper to run the realignment.
18 Chapter 1   Ink Supplies Troubleshooting & Print Quality ENWW 
						

							4.If the loaded paper  is satisfactory, the prin ter will run the realignment  and print a realignment
pattern. Ensure the transparent window is closed,  as a strong light source near the printer during
printhead realignment can affect alignment.
Figure 1-1   Z5200 Plot:
5.The process will take about eight minutes. Wait until the front panel display shows the process
complete before using the printer.
Scanning errors during alignment
If the alignment process fails, a Scanning problems  message appears on the front panel. This means
that the alignment has not completed successfully. Ther efore the printer is not aligned and the alignment
should be repeated before printing with good image quality. The problem may be due to:
● The paper used was not valid, repeat the alignment with valid paper.
● Printhead health problems, clean printheads.
● The alignment was done with the transparent window open, repeat the alignment with the window
closed.
If the problem persists after using valid paper, clean ing the printheads, and keeping the window closed,
there may be a Failure in the scanning system needi ng reparation or the printheads, although clean,
may not work and need to be replaced.
ENWW Printhead Information, Replacement and Alignment 19 
						

							Ink Cartridge and Printhead Status Messages
Ink Cartridge Status Messages
OKThe Ink Cartridge is operating correctly and no action is
required.
MissingThere is no Ink Cartridge present, or it is not properly
connected to the printer
LowThe Low  message is an early warn ing sign and it is advisable
that new supplies should be obtained of that particular color.
The amount of ink remaining in the Ink Cartridge depends on
it’s capacity, but there is approximately 14% of ink available for
the user.
Very LowWhen the Very Low  message is displayed, overnight printing
should not be attempted. Changing the Ink Cartridge is
strongly recommended to prevent the printer from stopping
halfway through a print. There is approximately 8% of ink
available for the user.
EmptyThe printer will stop and will not be able to continue printing
until a new Ink Cartridge has been installed. If this occurs
halfway through printing an im age, you should check the
quality of this image, as stopping mid-plot can affect the print.
It would be recommended to reprint the image once a new Ink
Cartridge has been installed.
ReseatYou are recommended to remove the Ink Cartridge and then
reinsert it.
ReplaceYou are recommended to replace the Ink Cartridge with a new
Ink Cartridge.
AlteredThere is something unexpected about the Ink Cartridges
status.
Expired The Ink Cartridge has passed the expiration date.
Printhead status messages
OKThe Printhead is operating correctly and no action is required.
MissingThere is no Printhead present, or it is not properly connected
to the printer.
Test printhead
separatelyYou are recommended to test the pr intheads individually to find
the failing printhead. Remove all the printheads and insert
them alone one by one, Closing the latch and the carriage
cover after every insertion. T he front panel display will indicate
the failing one showing the reseat or replace message. 
ReseatYou are recommended to start the printhead removal process
from the front panel, but instead of removing the printhead,
simply press the OK key on the front panel.
ReplaceYou are recommended to remove the printhead and then
reinsert it; if that fails, clean the electrical connections; if that
fails, replace the printhead with a new printhead.
Replacement
incompleteA printhead replacement process has not completed
successfully, relaunch the replac ement process and let it finish
completely (it is not needed to change the printheads). 
Remove The printhead is not a suitable type for use in printing (for
instance, a setup printhead).
20 Chapter 1   Ink Supplies Troubleshooting & Print Quality ENWW 
						

							Solving Ink Supplies Problems
Most of the problems that you could encounter when working with the ink supplies are solved with
guidance from the front panel. A full list of front panel messages  are supplied in the User’s Guide.
You Cannot Insert the Ink Cartridge Into the Printer
1.Ensure that you have the  correct hp Ink Cartridge.
2. Ensure that the Ink Ca rtridge is the correct color for that slot.
3. Ensure that the Ink Cartridge is the correct orientation, with the color coded label at the top.
NOTE: Never clean inside the Ink Cartridge slots as this can cause damage to the Printer.
You Cannot Insert the Pr inthead Into the Printer
1.Ensure that you have th e correct hp Printhead.
2. Ensure that the printhead is the correct color for that slot.
3. Ensure that the printhead is in the correct orientation.
4. Ensure that the protective cap  is removed from the Printhead.
The front panel says to reset  or replace a printhead
1.From the front panel, turn  the power off then ON.
2. Check the front panel display message, if it shows the ready message, the printer is ready to print.
If the problem remains continue with the next step.
3. Remove the printhead.
4. Clean the electrical connections on the backside of the printhead with a lint free cloth. You can
carefully use a mild rubbing alcohol if moisture is needed to remove residue. Do not use water.
You can use the Flex Contacts Cleaning Tool.
This is a delicate process and may damage the printhead. Do not touch the nozzles on the bottom
side of the printhead, especially not with any alcohol.
ENWW Solving Ink Supplies Problems 21 
						

							5.Reinsert the printhead.
6. Check the front panel display message. If the problem remains, try a new printhead.
Maintaining and Cleaning the Printheads
Clean the printheads
As long as the printer is kept turned on, an automatic cleaning is performed periodically. This ensures
there is fresh ink in the nozzles and prevents nozzle clogs, which ensures color accuracy.
If you have not already done so, please refer to Horizontal lines across the image (banding) and The
Image Diagnostics Print before proceeding.
To clean the printheads, press the Menu key to return to the main menu and select the Image Quality
Maintenance menu icon, then Clean printheads. If you have gone through the Image Quality Diagnostic
print process, you know wh ich colors are failing. Select to the pair of printheads which contain the failing
colors. If you are not sure which colors to clea n, you can also select to clean all printheads.
Cleaning all printheads takes about nine minutes. Clea ning a single pair of printheads takes about six
minutes. Cleaning all printheads uses more ink than cleaning a single pair.
If you have cleaned the printheads using the Clean  printheads procedure from the front panel and are
still experiencing image quality problems, you can try  cleaning the printhead nozzles manually using the
following procedure.
NOTE: This is a delicate process and may damage  the printhead. Do not touch the electrical
connections on the backside of the printhead.
You must remove the printhead (see Remove a prin thead) and using a cotton swab and a little de-
ionized, distilled water, or Carriage  Interconnect Wiper clean the bottom of the printhead until the residue
is removed.
Flex Contacts Cleaning Tool
NOTE: The Flex Contacts Cleaning Tool is part of the Maintenance Tool Kit which can be ordered
using Part Number Q5669- 60690. All the instructio ns needed to use the Flex Contacts Cleaning Tool
will be packaged with the kit.
Whenever you replace the Printhead, check the empty  slots to see if they need cleaning. In extreme
circumstances, when a Prin thead is inserted, it is possible that the Printer  will not recognize it due to
the build-up of ink on the electrical connection  between the Printhead and the Carriage Assembly.
Included with the Printer is a Flex  Contacts Cleaning Tool. This tool  is provided in a separate package.
It also contains replacement sponges and an instruction sheet. This tool should be used for cleaning
the electrical interconnects  of both the Carriage Assembly and the Printhead.
If the front panel displays the message “Reseat” or “R eplace” next to the offending printhead, try cleaning
the flex circuits of the Carr iage and the Printheads using the Carriage Interconnect Wiper.
22 Chapter 1   Ink Supplies Troubleshooting & Print Quality ENWW 
						

							NOTE:Do not touch, wipe or attempt to clean the printhead nozzles. This can damage the printhead
and reduce print quality.
Print Quality
Print Quality Troubleshooting Actions
NOTE: Phone support: For some Print Quality problems, a Call Agent can try and troubleshoot the
Printer by requesting the Customer to perform cert ain actions. Using this process, most problems can
resolved without the need of an on-site visit.
When faced with a Print Quality problem, perform the following actions in order to resolve the problem:
1. Printer Configuration:
● Check that the paper type loaded corresponds to
 the paper type selected in the front panel
and in the software. You can verify the paper type selected through the Front Panel ( Main
Menu / Paper menu / View loaded paper ).
● Make sure that the correct Prin
t Quality settings are used for different types of print content.
● Dry time should be set to “
Optimal”.
2. Perform Printhead recovery ( Main Menu/Image Quality Maintenance /Clean Printheads ).
3. Media:
● Select the correct media type throug
h the front panel when loading it.
● Make sure that HP or HP-approved media is being used.
4. Perform the Printhead Alignment ( Main Menu/ Image Quality Maintenance / Align Printheads ),
using the same paper type with which you were experiencing unacceptable image quality, if feasible
(some paper types are not suitable for Printhead Alignment).
5. Check if the latest version of the  firmware is installed. If not, install the latest firmware revision.
ENWW Print Quality 23 
						

							The Service Image Quality Diagnostic Print
What is the Service Image  Quality Diagnostic Print?
The Printer contains an internal Image Quality Test  which helps you to diagnose the possible source of
any image quality defects. The Service IQ Diagnos tic Print is available in the following options:
1. Image Quality Service Best Plot . This plot helps you to diagnose in more detail the possible source
of any image quality defects. It is acce ssible through the Service Utility Menu.
The Image Quality Service Best Plot  uses the Best Print Mode and is divided in to three parts as
follows:
● Diagnostic Part 1: Prin
thead Reliability Test. T he purpose of this test is to identify which
Printhead is faulty.
● Diagnostic Part 2: Printhead Alignment Test. This
 test is designed to check any color-to-color
and bi-directional misalignment the printer may have.
● Diagnostic Part 3: Printheads and Paper Advance 
test. This test is designed to check whether
the Printheads and the Media Advance Mechanism are working correctly.
2. Image Quality Service Normal Plot . This plot is the same as the Image Quality Service Best Plot
but uses the Normal Print Mode.
3. Advanced Diagnostic Plot . These tests provide more information of the IQ defects that we could
find in the  Image Quality Service  plot. For more information, refer to 
The Advanced Diagnostic
Prints on page 29.
Considerations for Printing the Diagnostic Print
1. The IQ Diagnostic Print prints in A3 and B sizes so you must have media loaded (roll or sheet) that
is this size or larger.
2. Use the same type of media that the customer was using when they found the image quality
problem.
3. If the customer is using non-HP media and afte r the Image Quality Test you still have the same
image quality problems, change to genuine HP media and repeat the Image Quality Test.
4. If you do not see any problems with the Image Quality Test, the problem may not be with the printer
itself. The problem may be with the RIP or the driver.
If you do see problems with the Image Quality Test , continue with the Advanced Diagnostic procedures
which will help you diagnose the problem.
Printing the Diagnostic Print
1. In the Service Utilities submenu, scroll to “ Diagnostic Print” and press OK.
24 Chapter 1   Ink Supplies Troubleshooting & Print Quality ENWW 
						

							2.You will be given thre e options. Use the Arrow keys to make the selection and press the  OK key
to start printing the required Diagnostic Print or to enter the Advanced Diagnostics menu.
3. If you selected the Advanced Diagnostics Prints in the previous step, use the  Arrow keys to make
the required selection Paper Advance, Visual Alignment Diagnostic, Nozzle Health, Force Drop
Detection or Print Banding Plot, and press the  Enter key to start printing.
4.Make sure media is loaded, the Media Lever is lowered and that the Ink System is correctly
installed. Press the  OK key to print the Diagnostic Print or press  Back/ Cancel  to exit without printing
the Diagnostic Print.
5. The selected Diagnostic Print will now be printed.
Reading the Diagnostic Print Results
Diagnostic Part 1:  Printhead Reliability
The Nozzle Print Test is de signed to check if the Printhead nozzles print correctly.
The nozzles (bottom of the plot) are printed in a on e-pass full swath mode. The diagnostics test prints
out every single nozzle of each Printhead without applying an error hiding or alignment algorithm.
For each Printhead, you can see both th e adjacent and the consecutive nozzles.
ENWW Reading the Diagnostic Print Results 25 
						

							If any nozzles are not printing correctly they will be shown on the right of each Printhead Nozzle test.
There is a series of numbered stepped diagonal lines. If one or more of the nozzles are clogged,
malfunctioning or mispositioned, you will see that th e stepped lines are broken or misdirected in one or
more places.
Below, the stepped lines highlighted in yellow are  broken. When the line is completely broken, this
means the nozzle is out.
Below, the stepped lines highlighted in yellow are misdirected. When the line is  misdirected, this means
the nozzle is malfunctioning or out of position.
On the left of each Printhead Nozzle test, there is  a series of horizontal straight lines. If one or more
nozzles are misdirected there will be uneq ual spaces between the corresponding lines.
Corrective Action
If the printer has nozzle defects, you can still ge t perfect print quality results. The printer can
automatically compensate for nozzle defects, so  there is no need to replace the Printhead.
The method of improving Nozzle Defects is to:
1. Recover the Printheads, using the Front Panel ( Main Menu/Image Quality Maintenance /Clean
Printheads option.
2. Reprint the Printhead Nozzles Test Plot to verify  that the defective nozzles have been corrected.
3. If the problem continues, replace the defective Printhead.
Diagnostic Part 2:  Printhead Alignment
This test is designed to check any color-to-color and bi-directional misalignment the printer may have.
26 Chapter 1   Ink Supplies Troubleshooting & Print Quality ENWW