ENCAD 215319-1, CADJET 3D User Manual

CADJET® 3D

Wide Format Inkjet Printer

User Guide

Text P/N 215319-1 Rev. B

Printing™ and Quality Imaging Supplies™ are trademarks of ENCAD, Inc. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Except as provided below, no part of this manual may be copied or distributed,

transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated in any human or computing language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic or otherwise, or disclosed to a third party without the express written permission of ENCAD, Inc., 6059 Cornerstone Court West, San Diego, CA 92121, U.S.A.

Certain manuals are distributed by ENCAD in an electronic format on CD-ROM or over the internet. The registered user of an ENCAD product whose manuals is distributed in this fashion may print one copy for their personal use only.

Revision History

Rev. A March 2000 Rev. B April 2000

CADJET® 3D User Guide

WARRANTY CLAIMS

United States

ENCAD®, Inc., warrants its printers (“PRODUCT”) to be free from defects in workmanship and materials for a period of one year from the date of purchase. In order to submit a Warranty claim, please contact the ENCAD Help Desk at (858) 452-4350.

ENCAD reserves the right to make changes or improvements to Products, without incurring any obligation to similarly alter Products previously purchased.

Buyer’s sole and exclusive rights pursuant to this Warranty shall be for the repair or replacement of defective Product. ENCAD specifically disclaims any and all other warranties, expressed or implied, including but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event shall ENCAD be liable for any loss of profit or other commercial damages, special, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages or claims, whatsoever.

This Warranty gives Buyer specific legal rights, and Buyer may also have other rights that vary from state to state.

This Warranty applies only to printers purchased from ENCAD, or authorized ENCAD distributors or dealers. The intent of this Warranty is to repair or replace defective Products subjected to normal wear and tear, when operated according to ENCAD instructions.

This warranty does not cover damage to the Product resulting from the following:

· Accident or negligence.

· Unauthorized modification of the Product.

· Adverse environmental conditions.

· Service of the Product by other than an ENCAD authorized service provider.

· Unauthorized or improper use, including but not limited to:

- Use in applications for which the Product was not designed.

- Using cartridges, ink, or media other than ENCAD QIS products.

- Lubricating any part of the printer.

Internationally: Contact your reseller for warranty information. Extended Warranty: An extended warranty is available for your printer. For information in the

U.S., call 1-800-45ENCAD. Internationally, contact your reseller for further information.

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CADJET® 3D User Guide

FCC Statement (U.S.A.)

The United States Federal Communications Commission has specified that the following notice be brought to the attention of users of the ENCAD printers.

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION RADIO AND TELEVISION INTERFERENCE FOR CLASS A DEVICE

Statement

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy, and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.

User Instructions: If the equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be

determined by turning the equipment on and off, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by ENCAD, Inc. could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

Note: This product was FCC certified under test conditions that included the use of shielded I/O cables and connectors between system components. To be in compliance with FCC regulations, the user must use shielded cables and connectors and install them properly.

CADJET® 3D User Guide

VDE statement

Hiermit wird bescheinigt, daß der Drucker in Übereinstimmung mit den Bestimmungen der BMPT-AmstbIVfg 234/1991 funkentstört ist. Der vorschriftsmäßige Betrieb mancher Geräte (z.B. Meßsender) kann allerdings gewissen Einschränkungen unterliegen. Beachten Sie deshalb die Hinweise in der Bedienungsanleitung.

Dem Zentralamt für Zulassungen im Fernmeldewesen würde den Inverkehrbringen dieses Gerätes angezeigt und die Berechtigung zur Überprüfung der Serie auf die Einhaltung der Bestimmungen eingeräumt.

Industry Canada

This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.

Cet apparell numérique de la classe A respecte toutes les exigences du Réglement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada.

Material safety data sheet

To obtain information on the proper use, handling, and disposal of any ENCAD QIS ink, consult the material safety data sheet included in the ink kit or obtain a copy from ENCAD, Inc. at:

6059 Cornerstone Court West San Diego, California 92121-3734 (858) 452-4350

International users should contact their local reseller.

CADJET® 3D User Guide

General operating safety

The use of a <HAR> cord set (rated 10A, 250VAC) with the proper plug configuration for the country where the device will be used, is required for continued safety compliance.

Ein harmonisiertes (<HAR>) Netzkabel (min. 10A, 250V~) mit dem vorgeschriebenen Netzstecker für das entsprechende Land in dem das Gerät installiert wird, ist unbedingt notwendig für die elektrische Sicherheit.

El uso de cable poder <marcado HAR> (capacidad de 10A, 250V~), con el enchufe apropiado para el país donde se use el producto, es requerido para acatamiento de seguridad eléctrica.

L' emploi d' un cordon surmoulé <HAR> (estimé 10A, 250V CA) avec la configuration de la fiche convenable pour le pays où l' appareil sera utilisé, est exigé pour la conformité à la sécurité continuée.

Manual conventions

➪ Indicates a procedure for you to follow in order to perform a specific function.

Read the accompanying explanatory text before following the step-by-step procedure.

! Indicates a warning. Ignoring the warning can damage the printer or result in an

unsatisfactorily printed image.

✓ Indicates a tip or suggestion that can make using the printer easier or improve

your printed images.

CADJET® 3D User Guide

Other reference materials

In addition to this guide, the following additional documentation is included with your printer:

Quick Start Guide - Tells you how to assemble and install the printer's hardware. Two CD-ROMs

One CD-ROM contains sample images. The other CD-ROM contains:

• this guide;

• Maintenance Guide, instructions for maintaining your printer;

• V/R Xpress driver;

• Heidi driver;

• ADI driver; and

• print server software.

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CADJET® 3D User Guide

Contents

Introduction ............................................................ 1-1

Printing .....................................................................................1-1

Obtaining quality results .............................................................1-2

Caring for your ink and cartridges ................................................1-3

Nine Factors that Affect Print Quality ...........................................1-4

Printer options ........................................................ 2-1

Returning to the default settings ..................................................2-1

Printing the settings ...................................................................2-1

Choosing print mode options .......................................................2-1

Important notes about image size vs. dpi......................................2-2

Color mode................................................................................2-3

Quality modes ...........................................................................2-3

Choosing feed media options ......................................................2-4

End of media .............................................................................2-4

Media counter............................................................................2-5

Choosing paper options ..............................................................2-6

Supply Type ..............................................................................2-6

Media standard ..........................................................................2-7

Margins ................................................................................... 2-10

Auto-Load Delay ...................................................................... 2-11

Auto-Cut ................................................................................. 2-11

Save Media ............................................................................. 2-11

Auto-Wipe ............................................................................... 2-12

Defining user setup .................................................................. 2-12

Choosing a language ................................................................ 2-13

Choosing ink options ................................................................ 2-13

Printer Default Settings ............................................................. 2-16

Printing ................................................................... 3-1

ENCAD V/R Xpress driver ...........................................................3-1

Heidi driver ................................................................................3-8

ADI driver ................................................................................ 3-12

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CADJET® 3D User Guide

HPGL/2.................................................................... 4-1

CAD printing modes ...................................................................4-1

Printing vector data ....................................................................4-1

Accessing HPGL/2 features ........................................................4-2

Palette select ............................................................................4-2

Control ......................................................................................4-3

Rotation ....................................................................................4-4

Reprints ....................................................................................4-4

Nesting .....................................................................................4-5

Nest wait time ...........................................................................4-6

Ink limit .....................................................................................4-7

HPGL/2 Test File .......................................................................4-7

Installing additional memory ..................................A-1

Acceptable SIMM sizes ............................................................. A-1

SIMM installation ...................................................................... A-1

Serial Communications and Cabling.......................B-1

RS-422 cable requirements ........................................................ B-1

Setting serial communications parameters .................................. B-2

Setting the baud rate................................................................. B-2

Setting the parity bit .................................................................. B-2

Menu tree ................................................................ C-1

Main menu at a glance .............................................................. C-1

Main menu ............................................................................... C-2

Feed media menu ..................................................................... C-3

Setup menu at a glance ............................................................. C-4

Setup menu.............................................................................. C-5

Utility menu at a glance............................................................ C-10

Utility menu .............................................................................C-11

Calibration Menu ...................................................................... C-12

Service Menu........................................................................... C-13

Technical information ............................................. D-1

Error messages....................................................... E-1

Error Messages ........................................................................ E-1

Cartridge Errors ........................................................................ E-1

CADJET® 3D User Guide

Troubleshooting ...................................................... F-1

Troubleshooting quick list ........................................................... F-1

Isolating problems ...................................................................... F-1

Printer Health ............................................................................ F-2

Data Transfer ...........................................................................F-12

Application Software.................................................................F-15

Calling for Help ........................................................................F-17

Customer Technical Support .....................................................F-17

Introduction 1

This User Guide provides complete information on the CADJET® 3D printer.

The printer is a wide-format color inkjet printer that gives you professional-quality output with all the brilliance and gloss of liquid ink. For CAD, engineering, architectural, creative and business professionals, this printer lets you experience the value of exceptional graphics quality and cut hours of production time, while giving you the dramatic impact of high fidelity images.

Printing

Wide format inkjet printers let you create printed pieces the length of a roll of media (up to 300'). Only Extreme Color Printing™ combines the technical sophistication of the CADJET printer with the unique qualities of ENCAD CIS ink and media.

Your printer features a continuous-feeding ink system which uses 500ml reservoirs for each color, so you never have to worry about running out of ink halfway through a big print job. Before starting a print job, just look at the transparent plastic reservoirs to check the ink supply. When the ink supply is low, just open the cap and refill.

Introduction 1-2

CADJET® 3D User Guide

The printers accept raster-oriented data in the form of HP RTL format. In this mode, printing begins immediately after the first complete line of HP RTL data is received. Depending on the software used, millions of colors are possible, yielding superb results.

If your applications do not support HP RTL, there are several software utilities available to convert various raster file formats (TIFF, GIF, BMP, etc.) into HP RTL. There are also more than 50 Raster Image Processors (RIPs) which convert Postscript or CGM to HP RTL. When choosing a RIP or a file format converter for output to the printer, make sure it has the features you need. (Contact your ENCAD distributor or dealer for an up-to-date listing.)

Obtaining quality results

You have probably seen a demonstration of your printer's capabilities or sample output. If so, you are aware of the superb color graphics which can be obtained, and the variety of papers and films you can use. Note, however, that to obtain high-quality results, you must consider several factors. Follow the simple guidelines in the sections that follow to obtain excellent results.

Use the right inks and media

ENCAD’s commitment to Extreme Color encompasses media, ink, and cartridges. A team of color scientists and media specialists work with world class ink and media manufacturers to develop supplies that are scientifically matched to ENCAD printers. Used together, ENCAD inks and media provide the widest color gamut available, making our Quality Imaging Supplies ideal for applications from proofs to presentations.

ENCAD inks and media give you optimal image quality through:

• Scientifically matched ink and media

• Ultra-wide color gamut or process standard

• Media: bond paper, photogloss, vellum, and clear film.

Introduction 1-3

CADJET® 3D User Guide

Caring for your ink and cartridges

! Handle cartridges only on the plastic areas. Touching the copper electrical interconnect

or the inkjets can damage the cartridge.

• Be sure the ink in the cartridges matches the ink in the reservoirs.

• Do not mix inks.

• Do not shake ink refill containers.

• Store ink and cartridges in the same environment as the printer whenever possible.

• Removing cartridges may result in loss of negative pressure and cause the cartridge to leak through the jet plate. If you remove a cartridge from the printer, do not leave it exposed to the air for an extended period because the jets may clog. Replace the original tape on the jet plate. Place the cartridge in a cartridge garage or sealed plastic bag and store it in a closed area at room temperature. Keep it out of direct sunlight.

• Open new cartridges only when you are ready to install them.

• Use only ENCAD-brand ink refills and cartridges.

• Drawings containing both black and color elements require alignment of the cartridges to each other. See the Quick Start Guide for details.

Choose the right media

You can rely on ENCAD media for rich, vivid images across the entire color spectrum. ENCAD media is specially formulated to demanding specifications, strict performance criteria, and uncompromising quality controls. This assures superb interaction with CIS Ink and flawless performance with the printer.

Caring for your media

Store media in its original packaging in a cool, dry area until you are ready to use it. The environment should be stable; i.e., no extremes of heat and cold, and non-condensing humidity. If conditions are outside the operating ranges recommended for the printer, allow the media to acclimate in the operating environment for at least 48 hours before using it.

If you remove a roll of media from the printer, be sure to store it in a manner which keeps it clean and dust-free. Ideally, you should return it to its original packaging for storage.

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CADJET® 3D User Guide

Print on the correct side! Roll media is wound with the coated side out. Cut sheet media has an ink-receptive and a non-ink-receptive side. The sheets are notched to help you orient them correctly. To assure that you print on the correct side, be sure that the notch is in the upper right corner when you feed the sheet into the printer.

Handle with care! Handle your media carefully to avoid creases, scrapes, and tears. Avoid crushing or damaging roll media edges.

Wear cotton gloves! Film-based and photographic paper-based media are susceptible to absorbing skin oils. Fingerprints on the media prior to printing may result in visible fingerprints after ink is applied.

Choose the correct printing mode

There are four pre-defined printing modes, giving you freedom to tradeoff drawing quality and speed. When printing heavier renderings, maps, or art graphics, choose one of the enhanced printing modes (Normal or Best).

Use the right software

The quality of the software driver or the RIP can be very important, especially when printing continuous tone images or 3D renderings. Error diffusion or stochastic screening algorithms can yield photo-like images, even when these images are scaled to full size. Software without advanced imaging features may produce images which are grainy when enlarged.

Nine Factors that Affect Print Quality

Understanding all the factors that contribute to print quality is the only way to ensure perfect printing each and every time. This section details nine important factors; by controlling them, you can achieve the very best print quality possible.

1. Use the highest quality type of image possible.

2. Check to make sure the image is in focus and exposed properly.

3. Scan it with the best scanner possible.

4. Scan it at the proper resolution.

5. Color correct and sharpen the image with software.

6. Ensure your color profile accurately reflects the exact ink and media you are using.

7. Use the best diffusion pattern available in your RIP.

8. Use only the best possible ink and media combinations.

9. Make sure your cartridges are aligned and firing properly.

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CADJET® 3D User Guide

1. Original Image Type

The type of original image will determine the quality of your final inkjet print. The best image type is an original transparency (not a duplicate). They are extremely crisp with superb edge definition. Print film photos are not as good as they are already one generation removed from the original film. Also, because of the emulsion process of photo prints, edge definitions tend to be lost. Color prints can be used, but they have to be of very good quality to produce acceptable scaled prints. Digital photo files are newest image type. Many are unacceptable for large-format printing as they contain only a small fraction of the information contained in a film transparency.

For example, most digital cameras can only create a 1 MB file. This is not enough information for large inkjet prints. A file must be at least 10 - 12 MB for a fair print and 30 - 50 MB for a good E-size print (see scanning section). Only the best commercial digital cameras can achieve these files sizes. Digital files from other sources such as CD stock photography are usually created from scanned transparencies, so may be suitable for inkjet printing. Check with the manufacturer to ensure that the images are at least 10 - 12 MB and were created from drum-scanned transparencies.

The better CDs have images of 28MB or more stored in a TIFF format. These are preferable for great quality prints. If you use a file stored in PhotoCD format, make sure you use the highest resolution available. Images stored in compressed files such as JPEG, LZW, GIF, etc. can lose valuable data during the compression process. Avoid images stored this way if possible. If you have to use a compression file format for whatever reason, use JPEG. It is closer to a “lossless” compression.

2. Original Image Clarity and Color

The quality of the original photograph, transparency, or digital file plays a key role in final print quality as this is where the clarity and color of the image is created. If the original photographer took a picture that was not in focus, or was fuzzy for any reason, sharpening or after-effects cannot correct it and a poor inkjet print will result. Differences in film, speed, grain, or developing process can also affect quality of prints. If the image was too dark or too light, color correction cannot correct it and a poor inkjet print will result. The axiom of “garbage in, garbage out” applies to all printing, including inkjet printing. Companies that utilize a lot of photography for large-format inkjet printing should check for focus by using a loupe. If you have a good, in-focus original, you can maintain the image quality throughout the entire process.

Introduction 1-6

CADJET® 3D User Guide

3. Scanner Type

How you get the original image into the computer is important to the overall printing process as scanner quality varies greatly. Using a scanner that meets the requirement of the overall print quality is essential to have enough color fidelity and edge clarity. An image scanned with a low end scanner will lose detail, clarity, and color. It is important that you understand what type of image quality is required for your print and use the right scanner to achieve it.

Traditionally, drum scanners are ideal for retaining the best edge definition and color depth. If the original image is poor, an expensive drum scan may be a waste of money. Almost all service bureaus use drum scanners.

Flatbed scanners require an optional transparency adapter to scan transparencies.

4. Scan Resolution

Scanning the original at low resolution will degrade the large-format inkjet print quality. Scanning at resolution which is too high slows down the RIP and adds no quality to the image. Consequently, choosing the right resolution for the output print size (and thus, the amount of scaling needed after scanning) will determine what the optimum resolution is for each image.

The quality of the image you would like to produce is determined by the final output size and the file size. For example, if you want output a 36" x 36" image, the file size will be approximately 24MB for a fair-good quality image (75dpi), 43MB for a good-very good quality (100 dpi) and 97MB for an excellent quality (150 dpi) print.

Your service bureau can help you determine the optimum resolution to scan your image based on the size and quality of the image you would like to print.

DO NOT USE INTERPOLATED RESOLUTION OF YOUR SCANNER TO COMPUTE IMAGE SIZE

Most 300 dpi scanners can interpolate or “imitate” 600 dpi scanning. This is really not really scanning at 600 dpi and will degrade the image quality. When scanning, ensure that you are using the scanner's true optical resolution, not its interpolated resolution. Scanning at the highest optical resolution (300 dpi) is better than scanning at the scanner's highest interpolated resolution (600 dpi).

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CADJET® 3D User Guide

5. Post Scanning Color Correction and Sharpening

All scanned images, even those scanned on expensive drum scanners, must be color corrected and sharpened before using them for a large-format inkjet print. If you are using a service bureau for scanning images, their scanner operator will usually do this as part of the scanning fee. However, you should always check the image before using it. Although the process of color correction and sharpening are more detailed than can be explained within this document, the following outline will give you a good grasp of what is required:

Color Correction - all scanners give the image a slight color cast during the scanning process. This happens because all light sensing devices have a slight bias. The easiest way to correct most of this color cast is to use a function such as Auto Levels in PhotoShop. This function finds the whitest pixel and the darkest pixel in an image and distributes all colors in-between. This works well on 75% of all images that are properly exposed. In very dark night scenes or in very white snow background scenes, Auto Levels does not work properly and the correction must be made manually using histogram adjustments.

Sharpening using UnSharp Mask - all scanned images, even images scanned on the most expensive drum scanners, need to be sharpened. The best digital tool to do this with is a function called an unsharp mask (available in programs such as PhotoShop). An unsharp mask basically redefines the edges of images by adding a mask. Most unsharp mask tools allow you to set the pixel width of the mask and the amount of sharpening. A good start is to use a pixel width of 3 - 5, with an amount of 75%. Too much unsharp mask will give the whole image a hard, pixelated look. A little more unsharp mask can be used with inkjet images as they are somewhat diffused in the printing process, hiding any small amounts of oversharpening.

6. RIP Color Profile

The engine that converts your image into a series of C, M, Y, K dots is called the Raster Image Processor or RIP. Before it can actually create these dot patterns, it must first adjust for the colors of the inks, color of the media, dot volume of the cartridges on a particular machine, and the humidity/temperature of the environment on the day of printing (as this affects how far the ink will spread or dot gain). Most RIPs include what is commonly referred to as a color profile or color link. This profile is automatically used when you choose the media and ink within the software.

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CADJET® 3D User Guide

7. RIP Diffusion/Dither Patterns

Images that are going to be printed on an inkjet printer are eventually divided into C, M, Y, K and rasterized into dots using patterns that cause the eye to see a continuous tone image. These patterns are called many things, such as frequency modulated screening, diffusion patterns, dither patterns, screen patterns, etc. There are various types of screening that are better for photographic images. Stochastic screening was developed specifically for the CMYK process to avoid the problem of visually perceptible banding that occurs with other pattern types. It does this by pseudo-random placement of dots. Variations of the stochastic strategy have evolved into even better patterns. Each RIP manufacturer uses different names to describe its particular variation on the stochastic theme. To get the best print quality, make sure you are using the best possible diffusion pattern available from the RIP software you are using. Also remember that a different diffusion pattern should be used for spot color objects (such as filled vector objects). If you are printing an image that contains both photographs and spot color objects, use the diffusion pattern designed for photos.

8. Ink and Media

Using the right ink and media is a much bigger factor in print quality than most inkjet users realize. It takes many months of using a printer before a user begins to understand what an exceptional print looks like. Then and only then can they fully appreciate what quality materials and inks can do. Inks must be developed specifically for a particular head, otherwise, cartridge reliability will be severely reduced. ENCAD inks are specifically developed for ENCAD cartridges, printers, and media. These inks create the perfect ink drop shape, trajectory, and landing shape when used with ENCAD cartridges. The media controls the color, dot gain, and durability of the final print. As the ink must chemically interact with the media, only medias developed specifically for a particular ink can achieve the perfect dot shape that leads to improved image quality. Additionally, the chemical bond created through co-developed inks and medias is much better than independently developed inks and medias. Although many people will not be able to visually perceive differences in quality inks and medias initially (poor inks and medias show more pronounced visual defects), a less-than-optimal image quality, image color, or image durability will likely develop over time. Chemical compatibility between inks (made for a specific head technology) and medias is a key, and often overlooked ingredient to print quality.

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CADJET® 3D User Guide

9. Cartridge Preparation and Alignment

The single most overlooked factor in image color accuracy and quality is cartridge alignment. Even if you carefully control factors 1 though 8, a printer with poor cartridge alignment or unmaintained heads can severely deteriorate image quality. Cartridge maintenance and alignment are key to producing images that exhibit the best of what a printer is capable of. Printer wiping stations must be kept clean so that heads stay clean. Cartridges need to be aligned and checked to be sure that all nozzles are working properly. Use a loupe to evaluate the registration of test patterns to achieve the best possible accuracy. Whenever you adjust, move, or replace a cartridge, take the time to realign the cartridges. Alignment errors of a single pixel (or single digit in the alignment process) will affect both color and image quality.

Printer options 2

You can define printer options through your application software or by choosing settings from the printer's control panel. The following printer options are described in this chapter:

• Initialize (return to printer default settings)

• Print Mode

• Paper Options

• User Setup

Returning to the default settings

Pressing the Setup/User Setup/Init Settings buttons returns all printer options to the factory defaults. All saved user settings are lost. The table at the end of this chapter shows the printer defaults.

Printing the settings

Pressing the Setup/User Setup/Print Settings buttons causes the printer to print a listing of its current settings. Be sure to have paper loaded before you start.

Choosing print mode options

Your printer offers several print modes which let you make tradeoffs between speed and quality.

The print mode you use depends on various factors, such as your software application, whether you’re printing in color or monochrome, and the type of media you’re using. Each print mode directly affects the printing speed and quality of the image you print, so you should understand the differences.

Each of the print modes attempts to strike a balance between speed and quality, with the quality mode providing quality images at a reasonable printing speed for most users. Whenever you choose a print mode other than Normal, you will choose to emphasize either speed or quality.

Print mode options include color mode and print quality. Default print mode settings are summarized in the table which follows.

MODE DPI # OF

PASSES

DRAFT 600X600 1 SUPER DRAFT 600X300 1 NORMAL 600X600 3 BEST 600X600 4

Important notes about image size vs. dpi

For best results, be sure the printer dpi setting matches the image resolution in the file you are printing.

CADJET® 3D User Guide

The printer always prints at 600 dpi, even when the dpi setting in the Print Mode menu is set to 300 dpi. The dpi setting refers to the resolution at which your image is created, not the resolution at which it is printed.

Image (file)

resolution

300 dpi 300 dpi 1 input pixel prints as 4

300 dpi 600 dpi 1 input pixel prints as 1

600 dpi 300 dpi 1 input pixel prints as 1

600 dpi 600 dpi 1 input pixel prints as 1

Printer dpi

setting

output pixels.

output pixel.

Effect on printed output

The printed image is the same size as the original.

The printed image is 1/4 the size of the original.

The printed image is four times the size of the original.

The printed image is the same size as the original.

Printer Options 2-2

Color mode

Color mode refers to whether you are printing in color, grayscale or monochrome.

CADJET® 3D User Guide

➪

To choose the color mode

1 Press Setup/Print Mode/Color Mode. 2 Choose Color, Mono, or Gray. 3 Press OK.

Quality modes

There are four print quality modes. Draft and Super Draft modes are suited for line drawings and drawings with light solid fills, the types of images created by most CAD users. These modes are not recommended for printing images, because bleeding may occur in areas of heavy fills or dark shading when printed with these modes.

Draft - This mode generally is used when speed is more important than quality. Use it to check position, layout, color, etc. It will rarely be used for finished quality images. This is a single pass mode.

Super Draft - This mode is twice as fast as draft, but trades resolution for speed. It will rarely be used for finished quality images. This is a single pass mode.

Normal - This setting is useful for fast, better than average quality printing on paper media. This is a three pass mode.

➪

Best - For images that have sections of high quality continuous tone where quality is more important than printing speed. This is a four pass mode.

To choose print quality

1 Press Setup/Print Mode/Quality Mode. 2 Choose the desired quality. 3 Press OK.

Printer Options 2-3

Choosing feed media options

Feed media options allow you to:

• define End of Media

• display/enter Media Counter values

Note: Media feeding and loading are described in the Quick Start Guide.

End of media

There are circumstances where the media does not fully advance through the printer. In this case, the carriage board sensor continues to detect the presence of media and the printer continues to print. This creates a mess as the printer continues to lay down ink on the same portion of media.

If the End of Media feature is set to FEEDER STOP, the printer will look for an abnormally long absence of the loop of media that occurs between the feeder roll and the platen. After 20 seconds, the printer enters pause mode just as if the you had pressed PAUSE from the main menu. The printer will remain in pause mode until you press PAUSE (which toggles to the resume state) or you press RESET. Pressing PAUSE allows you to continue the current print at your discretion.

CADJET® 3D User Guide

A few rules regarding the End of Media feature:

• will not work with Cut Sheet selected as supply type.

• setting is remembered across power cycles.

• setting is not stored as a user parameter.

• setting cannot be changed once a plot begins to print.

• if you press PAUSE to resume the print, detection is disabled for the remainder of the print.

• if enabled, detection is reinstated at the beginning of each print.

• when the printer is in pause mode due to End of Media, the printer will beep 3 times every 20 seconds until the PAUSE or RESET buttons are pressed.

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CADJET® 3D User Guide

➪

Media counter

To set end of media feeder stop

1 Press Feed Media/End of Media. 2 Choose Feeder Stop. 3 Press OK.

Media Counter gives you a means of estimating the amount of media left on a roll. When a new roll of media, or a used roll where the remaining length is known, is installed on the printer, you can enter the length of the roll into the printer's front panel display. As the printer prints, this amount is decremented. You can view the estimated amount of media remaining on the printer's front panel display. When you are ready to remove the roll, you can print the estimated amount of media remaining on the roll. When you reload this media, you can use this figure to enter into the printer's front panel display. The media counter can be reset to 0 to avoid confusion if the media counter is not being used. The media counter will not decrement below 0. The current value of the media counter is maintained across power cycles. The current value is not stored as a user parameter.

➪

To enter a media length value

1 Press Feed Media/Media Counter. 2 Set the media length.

3 Press OK.

To display the current value

1 Press Feed Media/Display Counter. 2 View the current value. 3 Press EXIT.

To print the current value

1 Press Feed Media/Display Counter. 2 Press Print Counter. 3 Press EXIT.

Printer Options 2-5

CADJET® 3D User Guide

➪

To reset the media counter

1 Press Feed Media/Media Counter. 2 Press Reset Counter.

3 Press OK.

Choosing paper options

Paper options let you define the following:

• Supply Type • Media Standard

• Margins • Auto-Load Delay

• Auto-Cut • Save Media

• Auto-Wipe

Note: Media feeding and loading are described in the Quick Start Guide.

Supply Type

This setting allows you to select your supply options. The available options are sheet and roll. Select sheet if you intend to use cut sheet stock. Select roll if you are going to use roll paper.

➪

To choose supply type

1 Press Setup/Paper Option/Supply Type. 2 Choose the supply type. 3 Press OK.

Printer Options 2-6

Media standard

When you create an image, you determine its size at the computer. It's important that you know the size of the image and load the appropriate size media because the printer automatically defines the print area based on the loaded media's width. Be sure that the media you load is wide enough to accommodate the image. If extra length is required, use roll media. If the media is smaller than the image, the image may be truncated. Minimum media width is 11".

CADJET® 3D User Guide

➪

To choose the media standard

1 Press Setup/Paper Option/Media Standard. 2 Choose the size of media you are loading. 3 Press OK.

The tables which follow provide details on the media sizes and maximum printing areas for roll and sheet media.

Printer Options 2-7

CADJET® 3D User Guide

Media Sizes and Maximum Printing Areas for Roll Media

Paper Size Normal Print Area Expanded Print Area

GRAPHICS (U.S. OFFSET)

19.0" x 25.0" 17.8" x 23.8" 18.6" x 24.6"

20.0" x 28.0" 18.8" x 26.8" 19.6" x 27.6"

22.0" x 26.0" 20.8" x 24.8" 21.6" x 25.6"

23.0" x 35.0" 21.8' x 33.8" 22.6" x 34.6"

24.0" x 29.0" 22.8" x 27.8" 23.6" x 28.6"

25.0" x 38.0" 23.8" x 36.8" 24.6" x 37.6"

26.0' x 38.0 24.8" x 35.8" 25.6" x 37.6"

27.0" x 39.0 25.8" x 37.8" 26.6" x 38.6"

30.0" x 42.0" 28.8" x 40.8" 29.6" x 41.6"

32.0" x 44.0" 30.8" x 42.8" 31.6" x 43.6"

35.0" x 45.0" 33.8" x 43.8" 34.6" x 44.6"

36.0" x 45.0" 34.8" x 43.8" 35.6" x 44.6"

40.0" x 50.0" 38.8" x 48.8" 39.6" x 49.6"

42.0" x 65.0" 40.8" x 63.8" 41.6 x 64.6"

48.0" x 65.0" 46.8" x 63.8" 47.6" x 64.6"

50.0" x 65.0" 48.8" x 63.8" 49.6" x 64.6"

54.0" x 65.0" 52.8" x 63.8" 53.6" x 64.6"

60.0" x 65.0" 58.8" x 63.8" 59.6" x 64.6"

U.S. ARCHITECTURAL

A 9.0" x 12.0" 7.8" x 10.8" 8.6" x 11.6" B 12.0" x 18.0" 10.8" x 16.8" 11.6" x 17.6" C 18.0" x 24.0" 16.8" x 22.8" 17.6" x 23.6" D 24.0" x 36.0" 22.8" x 34.8" 23.6" x 35.6" E 36.0" x 48.0" 34.8" x 46.8" 35.6" x 47.6"

U.S. ENGINEERING

B 11.0" x 17.0" 9.8" x 15.8" 11.6" x 16.6" C 17.0" x 22.0" 15.8" x 20.8" 16.6" x 21.6" D 22.0" x 34.0" 20.8" x 32.8" 21.6" x 33.6" E 34.0" x 44.0" 32.8" x 42.8" 33.6" x 43.6"

ISO-A

A3 297 x 420 mm 267 x 390 mm 287 x 410 mm A2 420 x 594 mm 390 x 564 mm 410 x 584 mm A1 594 x 840 mm 564 x 811 mm 584 x 831 mm

625 x 880 mm 595 x 850 mm 615 x 870 mm

A0 841 x 1189 mm 811 x 1159 mm 831 x 1179 mm

METRIC-DIN

A3 337 x 460 mm 307 x 430 mm 327 x 450 mm A2 460 x 634 mm 430 x 604 mm 450 x 624 mm

610 x 860 mm 580 x 830 mm 600 x 850 mm

A1 634 x 881 mm 604 x 851 mm 624 x 871 mm

860 x 1220 mm 830 x 1190 mm 850 x 1200 mm

A0 881 x 1129 mm 851 x 1199 mm 871 x 1219 mm

1000 x 1414 mm 970 x 1384 mm 990 x 1404 mm 1189 x 1682 mm 1159 x 1652 mm 1179 x 1672 mm

ISO-B

B4 250 x 353 mm 220 x 323 mm 240 x 343 mm B3 353 x 500 mm 323 x 470 mm 343 x 490 mm B2 500 x 707 mm 470 x 677 mm 490 x 697 mm B1 707 x 1000 mm 677 x 970 mm 697 x 990 mm

Printer Options 2-8

CADJET® 3D User Guide

Media Sizes and Maximum Printing Areas for Sheet Media

Paper Size Normal Print Area Expanded Print Area

GRAPHICS (U.S. OFFSET)

19.0" x 25.0" 17.8" x 22.4" 18.6" x 22.8"

20.0" x 28.0" 18.8" x 25.4" 19.6" x 25.8"

22.0" x 26.0" 20.8" x 23.4" 21.6" x 23.8"

23.0" x 35.0" 21.8" x 32.4" 22.6" x 32.8"

24.0" x 29.0" 22.8" x 26.4" 23.6" x 26.8"

25.0" x 38.0" 23.8" x 35.4" 24.6" x 35.8"

26.0" x 38.0" 24.8" x 35.4" 25.6" x 35.8"

27.0" x 39.0" 25.8" x 36.4" 26.6" x 36.8"

30.0" x 42.0" 28.8" x 49.4" 29.6" x 39.8"

32.0" x 44.0" 30.8" x 41.4" 31.6" x 41.8"

35.0" x 45.0" 33.8" x 42.4" 34.6" x 42.8"

36.0" x 45.0" 34.8" x 42.4" 35.6" x 42.8"

40.0" x 50.0" 38.8" x 47.4" 39.6" x 47.8"

42.0" x 65.0" 40.8" x 62.4" 41.6 x 62.8"

48.0" x 65.0" 46.8" x 62.4" 47.6" x 62.8"

50.0" x 65.0" 48.8" x 62.4" 49.6" x 62.8"

54.0" x 65.0" 52.8" x 62.4" 53.6" x 62.8"

60.0" x 65.0" 58.8" x 62.4" 59.6" x 62.8"

U.S. ARCHITECTURAL

A 9.0" x 12.0" 7.8" x 9.4" 8.6" x 9.8" B 12.0" x 18.0" 10.8" x 15.4" 11.6" x 15.8" C 18.0" x 24.0" 16.8" x 21.4" 17.6" x 21.8" D 24.0" x 36.0" 22.8" x 33.4" 23.6" x 33.8" E 36.0" x 48.0" 34.8" x 44.0" 35.6" x 44.4"

U.S. ENGINEERING

A 8.5" x 11.0" 7.3" x 8.4" 8.1" x 8.8" B 11.0" x 17.0" 9.8" x 14.4" 10.6" x 14.8" C 17.0" x 22.0" 15.8" x 19.4" 16.6" x 19.8" D 22.0" x 34.0" 20.8" x 31.4" 21.6" x 31.8" E 34.0" x 44.0" 32.8" x 40.0" 33.6" x 40.4"

ISO-A

A4 210 x 297 mm 180 x 232 mm 200 x 242 mm A3 297 x 420 mm 267 x 355 mm 287 x 365 mm A2 420 x 594 mm 390 x 529 mm 410 x 539 mm A1 594 x 840 mm 564 x 775 mm 584 x 785 mm

625 x 880 mm 595 x 815 mm 615 x 825 mm

A0 841 x 1189 mm 811 x 1124 mm 831 x 1134 mm

METRIC-DIN

A4 250 x 337 mm 220 x 272 mm 240 x 282 mm A3 337 x 460 mm 307 x 395 mm 327 x 405 mm A2 460 x 634 mm 430 x 567 mm 450 x 579 mm

610 x 860 mm 580 x 795 mm 600 x 805 mm

A1 634 x 881 mm 804 x 816 mm 624 x 826 mm

860 x 1220 mm 830 x 1155 mm 850 x 1165 mm

A0 881 x 1229 mm 851 x 1164 mm 871 x 1174 mm

1000 x 1414 mm 970 x 1349 mm 990 x 1359 mm 1189 x 1682 mm 1158 x 1617 mm 1179 x 1627 mm

ISO-B

B4 250 x 353 mm 220 x 288 mm 240 x 298 mm B3 353 x 500 mm 323 x 435 mm 343 x 445 mm B2 500 x 707 mm 470 x 642 mm 490 x 652 mm B1 707 x 1000 mm 677 x 935 mm 697 x 945 mm

Printer Options 2-9

Margins

Margins can be set to Normal or Expanded. The Expanded setting expands the print area and decreases the margins.

Any part of the image that extends into the margin will be clipped. When the Margins option is set to Expanded, make sure that you align the media accurately using the guide on the right of the platen so that the ink doesn’t exceed the edge of the media.

Cut sheet maximum printing area Normal: 0.59" (15 mm) margin on each of three sides and 1.38"

(35 mm) margin on the fourth side. Expanded: 0.197" (5 mm) margin on each of three sides and a 1.38"

(35 mm) margin on the fourth side.

CADJET® 3D User Guide

Rollfeed maximum printing area Normal: 0.59" (15 mm) margin on all sides. Expanded: 0.197" (5 mm) margin on all sides.

Printer Options 2-10

CADJET® 3D User Guide

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Auto-Load Delay

➪

Auto-Cut

To set margins

1 Press Setup/Paper Option/Margins. 2 Choose Normal or Expanded. 3 Press OK.

Auto-Load Delay lets you set the time between when the printer senses the media and when printing starts. This lets you manually reposition the media if necessary. The default is 6 seconds, selectable from a range of 1-12 seconds.

To set auto-load delay

1 Press Setup/Paper Option/Auto-Load Delay. 2 Choose the delay time. 3 Press OK.

When the Auto-Cut option is set to on, the printer automatically cuts the media when the image is complete. Be sure the image is dry before cutting, turn on the dryer and/or specify a Dry Time. See “Setting a Dry Time” in this chapter for the procedure. You can select Cut from the control panel at any time to cut the media.

➪

Save Media

To set auto-cut

1 Press Setup/Paper Option/Auto-Cut. 2 Choose On or Off. 3 Press OK.

When the Save Media is On (the default), the media advances only as far as needed to print the image. With the Save Media option turned off, the printer advances the full print area of the loaded media. For example, if a 36 inch roll is loaded, the printer advances the length of the print area for a standard 36 x 48" sheet even if the printed image is only 30 inches long.

Printer Options 2-11

CADJET® 3D User Guide

➪

Auto-Wipe

➪

Defining user setup

To turn off Save Media

1 Press Setup/Paper Option/Save Media. 2 Choose Off. 3 Press OK.

The cartridge jet plates are periodically wiped during printing. The default for this function is OFF.

To turn on the wiper

1 Press Setup/Paper Option/Auto-Wipe. 2 Choose On. 3 Press OK.

You can save the options you use most frequently so you don’t have to reconfigure the printer each time you print an image. You can define up to eight different combinations of options and save them with a user number ranging from 1-8. Select the user number you want to use before sending an image to the printer. If your printer driver has hostcontrolled settings, the user setup may be overridden. If possible, disable the driver control settings.

You can save settings for the following options:

• Cut On or Off • Auto-Wipe On or Off • Save Media On or Off

• Media Standard • Color Mode • Normal or Expanded Margins

• Drying Time • Parity

• Baud Rate • Quality Mode

Printer Options 2-12

CADJET® 3D User Guide

➪

Choosing a language

➪

To save user setup

1 Press Setup/User Setup/Save User. 2 Scroll to the number for the user settings. 3 Press OK.

To use a previously saved user setting

1 Press Setup/User Setup/Select User. 2 Scroll to the number for the user settings (i.e., user 1, user 2, etc.) to use. 3 Press OK.

Printer menus and options can be displayed in the following languages: English, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, simplified and traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

To choose a language

1 Press Setup/User Setup/Language. 2 Choose the language to display. 3 Press OK.

Choosing ink options

Ink reduction

Ink reduction lets you reduce the percentage of ink laid down by the printer. This feature applies only to HPGL/2 format images (vector-based images) and has no effect on continuous tone images. It is especially useful for images with large amounts of printed area and helps to avoid bleeding or oversaturating the media. It does, however, change the appearance of colors, so you may want to run a small test print.

➪

To set ink reduction

1 Press Setup/Ink Option/Ink Reduction. 2 Choose a reduction percentage - 12.5, 25%, 37.5, or 50%. 3 Press OK.

Printer Options 2-13

Ink Preheat

Cartridge heat settings are optimized for ENCAD media being printed in a standard office environment. If you are experiencing banding, poor fills, or over dot gain, and you have tried all other means to correct these conditions, you may want to experiment with the ink preheat settings. These will vary depending on the ambient temperature where the printer is located and the media and ink used.

Defaults for the heater setting are determined by the ink type in use. The printer determines this by reading the chip on the back of each cartridge. When you adjust the ink settings, you are increasing or decreasing the heat from the default temperature. Pressing the + (plus) button increases the temperature, pressing - (minus) decreases it. When you have reached the limits of the temperature range, the panel will display either MAX or OFF. These settings are saved in the printer. If you change to a different type of ink, you may need to change the heater settings to accommodate the new ink type.

If you are working in a cold or dry environment, try turning the heat up for a larger dot size. If the heat is turned up too far, the ink may run or sputter. If you are working in a humid or hot environment, turn the heat down for a smaller dot size.

CADJET® 3D User Guide

➪

Dry time

➪

To set the ink preheat time

1 Press Setup/Ink Option/Ink Preheat. 2 Choose a preheat value. 3 Press OK.

Unattended prints might require drying time to prevent the ink from smearing when the image touches previously printed images. In addition, you may want to change drying time depending on the media you are using, the ambient temperature and the humidity. Dry Time values range from 10 seconds to 60 minutes. When the Dry Time has expired, the printer cuts the image and begins printing the next image in the buffer.

To set the dry time

1 Press Setup/Ink Option/Dry Time. 2 Choose a time from 10 seconds to 60 minutes. 3 Press OK.

Printer Options 2-14

LCD Contrast

The LCD Contrast function lets you adjust the brightness of the control panel. The range is 1-16, where 16 is less contrast. The default is 8. Note that if brightness is set too high, you may not be able to see the text displayed on the control panel.

CADJET® 3D User Guide

➪

To set LCD contrast

1 Press Setup/User Setup/LCD Contrast. 2 Choose the contrast value. 3 Press OK.

Printer Options 2-15

Printer Default Settings

USER SETTINGS DEFAULT OTHER OPTIONS

COLOR MODE COLOR MONO, GRAY QUALITY MODE NORMAL DRAFT, SUPER DRAFT, BEST AUTO-LOAD DELAY 6 1-12 SEC. MEDIA STANDARD ALL US ENGR, US ARCH, ISO A, MET ALL, US ALL,

MARGINS NORMAL EXPANDED AUTO CUT ON OFF SAVE MEDIA ON OFF AUTO WIPE OFF ON CALIB XY ON OFF SELECT USER 1 1 TO 8 SAVE USER 1 1 TO 8 UNITS SELECT ENGLISH METRIC LANGUAGE ENGLISH GERMAN, FRENCH, ITALIAN, SPANISH,

DRY TIME 0 0:10, 0:20, … 60:00 BAUD RATE 9600 19200, 38400 PARITY BIT NONE EVEN, ODD

SYSTEM SETTINGS DEFAULT OTHER OPTIONS

SUPPLY TYPE ROLL SHEET LCD CONTRAST 8 1-16 END OF MEDIA FEEDER STOP NORMAL MEDIA COUNTER 0 1-500 FT.

CALIBRATION SETTINGS DEFAULT OTHER OPTIONS

DEADBAND 44 0…196 SLOW DEADBAND 0 -2…+2 CYAN VERTICAL 0 -9…+9 MAGENTA VERTICAL 0 -9…+9 YELLOW VERTICAL 0 -9…+9 CYAN HORIZONTAL 0 -9…+9 MAGENTA HORIZONTAL 0 -9…+9 YELLOW HORIZONTAL 0 -9…+9 PAPER AXIS 33.00 32-34

CADJET® 3D User Guide

GRAPHICS, MET OVER A, ISO B, SPECIAL

PORTUGUESE, JAPANESE. CHINESE, KOREAN

Printer Options 2-16

Printing 3

The way you print from your computer depends on the driver you have installed. Your printer comes with the following drivers:

• ENCAD V/R Xpress driver for general use

• Heidi driver - for printing files created with AutoCAD 2000 and LT 2000

• ADI driver - for printing files created with versions of AutoCAD prior to 2000.

ENCAD V/R Xpress driver

The ENCAD V/R Xpress driver is a raster image processor (RIP) designed to print large, complex raster and vector images.

Features

• Prints raster and vector data

• Automatically tiles prints and allows overlap adjustment

• Supports various print sizings

• Allows viewing/editing of final raster image prior to printing

• Allows halftone adjustment and gamma corrections

• Allows brightness and contrast adjustments

• Automatically fits plots to paper size or custom size

• Windows plots

• Rotates plots

• Provides ENCAD printer controls Use the ENCAD V/R Xpress driver for printing files created by most applications. Basic

printing instructions are included here: further details are included in the on-line help provided with the driver.

Using the ENCAD V/R Xpress driver efficiently

This driver generates an intermediate file, which is then RIPed and sent to your printer. For maximum efficiency, the smaller the intermediate file, the better. This is controlled by

the Paper Size setting on the Page Setup of the Print Properties dialog. However, if a small Paper Size is used (e.g., A or Letter size) and the resulting print is to

be scaled much larger (i.e., greater than four times), pixilation could occur. If a large Paper Size is used (e.g., D size) and the resulting print is either smaller or the

same size, the intermediate file is much larger and will take much longer to generate. Best results are obtained when your final prints are between a scale of 1x to 3x from

your original paper size. The Advanced Page of the Print Properties dialog allows you to select a scale for your

output, which affects how the data from your application package is scaled for the intermediate file.

Leave this Scaling at 100% and let the driver scale your data for you.

CADJET® 3D User Guide

Default scaling is 100%. Modify this in the Plot Layout dialog of the Main Dialog.

Printing a file

The main function of the driver is to allow you to print a file according to your specifications. Basic print options are described here - further details are available in the on-line help.

➪

To print a file

1 Open the file from within the application. 2 Choose File/Print. 3 Select a printer. 4 Change basic print options, such as number of copies and page range, as

needed. When a print option is available in your application’s Print dialog box, set it with your application. Use the ENCAD Printer Driver properties dialog boxes only to change print settings unavailable in your application’s Print dialog box.

5 Open the printer properties dialog box and change the driver print settings,

as needed. Most applications provide a Properties, Options, or Printers button on the Print dialog box for accessing the printer properties. For more information, refer to the on-line help.

6 Click OK.

Printing 3-2

Printer Options

CADJET® 3D User Guide

Name Select a printer. Your default printer will be automatically filled in.

Other printers can be selected from the pull-down menu. Paper Size The Paper Size for your printer. Select from the pull-down menu. Copies Enter the number of copies desired. Properties . . . Opens a dialog which lists the properties of the currently selected

printer. Click on any property to edit it. Save Paper Automatically cuts the plot where the image ends. Preview Lets you view and edit the data prior to printing. Print to File Sends the output to a printer format file.

Printing 3-3

Orientation Options

Select either Portrait or Landscape. By default, this field reflects the setting in the Properties dialog for your printer.

Color Adjustment Options

Smooth Halftone Uses the Floyd-Steinberg method of rendering halftones. Produces

Pattern Halftone Separates halftone screening with different frequencies/angles. Detail Halftone Default. It separates halftone screening with the same frequency/angle.

Advanced . . . Brings up the Color Adjustment dialog to configure halftone, gamma

Layout Options

Fit To Enter a scale factor to size your plot. The default plot size is a scale of

100%.

CADJET® 3D User Guide

output with smooth transitions. Good for input with lots of colors.

Best setting for inkjet printers.

correction, brightness and contrast options.

Scale To Scales your plot to a specific page size, for example, D size. The pull-

Annotation . . . Displays the Annotation dialog to configure plot axes/outlines and tiling

Job Processing Options

My Computer Runs the driver on your local computer.

down menu lists your currently defined page sizes and lets you define a

custom size.

options.

Printing 3-4

Printer Properties Dialog

CADJET® 3D User Guide

This dialog allows you to set ENCAD properties for this run.

Print Quality Select either Draft, SuperDraft, Normal or Best Paper Source Select either cut sheet or roll Margins Select normal or expanded Auto-cut Whether or not the plotter cuts the plot at the end Media Standard Select the standard you are using Dry Time Select the number of seconds desired Use Plotter Panel Settings Determines whether certain printing parameters are set

in the software application or overriden by the plotter’s from panel

display. Auto Wiping Whether or not to wipe the heads during printing Ink Reduction Reduces the amount of ink layed down on HP-GL/2 plots Port Select the port the printer is connected to

Printing 3-5

Color adjustment dialog

CADJET® 3D User Guide

Halftone /Gamma Page Selects the output quality of halftone screening. Smooth Uses the Floyd-Steinberg method of rendering halftones. Produces

output with smooth transitions. Good for input with lots of colors. Pattern It separates halftone screening with different frequencies/angles. Detail Default. It separates halftone screening with the same frequency/angle.

Best setting for inkjet printers. Gamma Correction Affects all data in the print, both raster and vector. Lightens or

darkens each toner individually or all four toners together. Unlock a

toner by clicking the lock symbol, and then moving the slider separately.

Select a sample image to see how your changes affect an image.

Brightness/contrast tab

The Brightness and Contrast sliders affect all data in the print. Brightness and Contrast range from -100 to +100, representing percentages. Negative brightness values darken the image while positive values lighten the image. Negative contrast values muddy the image while positive values sharpen it. Select a sample image to see the effect of your changes.

Printing 3-6

Embedded image tab

Embedded image adjustment allows you to change the RGB (red, green, blue) values of your 24-bit RGB image. RGB values range from -100 to +100, representing percentages. Negative values darken colors, positive values lighten colors. Unlock a color by clicking the lock symbol, then move the slider separately. Select a sample image to see the effect of your changes.

Other options tab

Negate Colors Check this button to create the negative of a monochrome plot or the

Overlay Check this button to overlay each page in a PostScript file on top of each

Merge Control Check this button to merge image and vector data colors when printed.

Annotation dialog

CADJET® 3D User Guide

complement of a colored plot.

other. There is no limit to the number of pages that can be overlaid. If

off, each page will be plotted separately. Not available for HP-GL/2.

Axis & Outline tab

Plot axes are rulers around the data of the plot. Axes are placed in margins around the plot, whose x and y dimensions are configurable.

Turn on plot axes by clicking the check box.

Axis Placement/Size Options tab

Side Left, Bottom, Top, and Right. Choose from 1 to all 4 sides. Width This is the y dimension of the axis margin. Enter a real number in

inches. The x dimension is always the length of the data.

Axis Contents Options tab

Character Height The height of the numbers on the axes. Enter a real

number in inches or def. Def means fit the numbers. Tick Height Tick height is the height of the large tick marks. Enter a real number in

inches or def. The small tick marks equal 1/2 the large tick marks. Def

means fit the tick marks.

Turn on a plot outline by clicking the check box. Outline Options A plot outline surrounds the plot's data. Width An integer number of dots (nibs) for the thickness of the outline.

Printing 3-7

Heidi driver

Use the Heidi driver to print files created with AutoCAD 2000. Details on the print options are included in the on-line help provided with the driver.

CADJET® 3D User Guide

➪

Device and Document Settings

To print from the Heidi driver:

1 Open the document from AutoCAD 2000 or LT 2000. 2 Choose File/Print. 3 Select a printer. 4 Change basic print options, such as number of copies and page range, as

needed. When a print option is available in your application’s Print dialog box, set it with your application.

5 Open the printer properties dialog box and change the driver print settings as

needed. For more information, refer to the on-line help.

Source: Select "Roll" or "Sheet" feed media source. Width: The width setting is unused. Size: Select media size. Most media sizes have four similar listings for combinations of

normal or expanded margins and long or short edge feed of the media. Expanded margins provide the maximum possible image area on the media. Expanded margins are indicated by the word "expand" in the media size. Normal margins provide a larger border area around the image. When media size is listed with the shorter dimension first, then the short edge of the media should be fed into the printer, and the short edge will be the leading edge out of the printer. When media size is listed with the longer dimension first, then the long edge of the media should be fed into the printer, and the long edge will be the leading edge out of the printer.

Note that this media feed direction is different than the image orientation (portrait or landscape). Set the image orientation at plot time on AutoCAD's "Plot Settings" page. Portrait orientation puts the bottom of the image at the short edge, and landscape puts the bottom of the image at the long edge of the media.

Max Plot Area: This reports the maximum plot area or image area that will be available on the selected paper size. The Max Plot Area depends on the paper source (roll or sheet), margins (normal or expanded), and the media feed direction (short or long edge feed).

Printing 3-8

CADJET® 3D User Guide

Destination: Choose a combination of the following items. Some may not be available for with certain printer models.

Save Paper: When selected, the plotter will feed the paper only as far as the actual plot image rather than to declared plot size. In other words, the plotter will not feed paper on which there is no image.

Cutter On: Activates the plotter's cutter at the end of each plot. Plot will be cut only after the specified dry-time has elapsed.

Take Up On: Activates the plotter's paper take-up device, if available. Graphics, Vector Graphics: For this driver, the vector graphics settings apply to both

vector and raster entities. Colors or Color Depth: Select either color or monochrome. With color, there are 255

output colors available, using AutoCAD standard 255-color palette. Under monochrome, select either 1 shade of gray (all black) or select 255 shades of gray.

Resolution (Res.): Sets the ENCAD plotter resolution. For some plotter models, the "600 dpi" choice is unavailable when the plotter is set for "Colors". Some printer models might require ink reduction at 600 dpi. Select "Custom Properties" to set ink reduction.

Additional Settings: ENCAD printers

Pen Settings: In AutoCAD 2000, pen settings such as lineweights, colors, hatching, fills and shading are handled in AutoCAD plot style pages.

Copies: Select the number of copies to plot at plot time on AutoCAD's "Plot Device" page.

Polygon mode: Polygon mode, available as pen setting in Release 14, is not available in AutoCAD 2000. Use AutoCAD commands to fill regions with a solid hatch.

Color Palette: This AutoCAD 2000 HDI driver uses AutoCAD's standard 255 color palette.

Four-head mono: available.

Custom Properties

Plot quality: Select the quality of the plot. Select from the list of predefined quality levels. Or select "Use Printer Settings" to use the quality level defined by the settings at the printers control panel. Or select User Defined to make detailed selection of plotter parameters that affect plot quality. For some plotter models, the Quality will be limited to "Normal" for 600 dpi plots. See also: "User Defined Quality"

Printing 3-9

CADJET® 3D User Guide

Plot color merge control: Controls the appearance of the intersecting elements. Merge colors: All colors at the intersection will mix together. The intersection might be

darker or a different color and may cause the ink to bleed. Colors overwrite each other: Only, the top (last) layer will plot. Be careful that some

elements may be masked by others using this mode. Using overwrite gives you the ability to mask out some elements from others. For example, you can fill an area with color, mask a part of the area with white color, and add a title in the white area to make it stand out. Use AutoCAD's DRAWORDER command to specify the plotting order.

Output format: The driver can send data to the plotter in either of two plotter languages, ENCAD RTL (Raster Transfer Language) or HPGL/2.

ENCAD RTL format: Your computer will do most of the processing of the plot image and send raster data to the plotter.

HPGL/2. format: Vector data is sent to the plotter in a vector format, and the plotter does most of the image processing. HPGL/2. data format is usually much more compact and is produced more quickly by AutoCAD and the driver than the RTL format.

Raster images will plot in both ENCAD RTL mode and HPGL/2. mode. In HPGL/2. mode, the printer can randomly mix HPGL/2. vector and raster data, subject only to the limit of memory available in the printer.

If you have trouble plotting raster images in HPGL/2. mode due to these printer characteristics, plot instead in ENCAD RTL mode.

Ink controls: Ink controls are useful to prevent overinking problems. Using the controls will also cause a slight color shift on your output. Because images and media are all different, you may need to experiment until you find settings that best suits your needs.

Reduction, %: Specifies the percentage decrease for the amount of ink applied by the plotter. The reduction percentage applies to all shade values. If you're printing light fills and shades, you can use the maximum amount of ink, 0% ink reduction.

However, anytime you are printing dark shades or heavy fills, you run the risk of bleeding or pooling. If this occurs, increase the amount of ink reduction. Using ink reduction can cause solid lines (particularly of lighter colors) to appear as dotted lines.

Ink limit, %: Specifies the maximum amount of ink that the plotter will apply. The limit only applies to colors that exceed the limit. (In contrast, Reduction % above applies to all colors). The maximum of 300% means that on average, as many as 3 ink dots can be applied to each dot position. Keep the limit at 300% unless you are having ink problems.

Printing 3-10

Dry time, minutes: Specifies the time lapse before the plotter actually cuts the media and drops the plot in the catch tray. Use for heavily inked plots in roll-feed mode.

Raster image controls: These controls affect plotting of raster image entities. The settings allow adjustments for different kinds of papers and inks. Also, to adjust specific images in your drawing, use AutoCAD's "IMAGEADJUST" command.

Gamma: The gamma setting affects the intensity of the midrange color values. 2.8 is a normal value to use as a start. Higher values provide more vivid colors. Lower values provide muddier looking colors.

Dot density, %: Dot density affects the number of dots and amount of ink that the plotter uses to render the colors. For media on which the ink bleeds more readily, use a lower density. As a start, use 90% for plain paper, and 130% for coated paper

About: Displays version information about this plotter driver.

Heidi Driver Notes

1. For RTL-only plots, test pages and calibration plots may not plot if there is insuffi-

cient computer memory. Users will get a screen message saying the plot is not possible. The problem is caused by AutoCAD not allowing enough memory to transfer these simple plots to the plotter. A workaround for this is to send smaller test files. Normal AutoCAD plots will work and transfer to the printer without problems.

CADJET® 3D User Guide

2. The plot progress dialog will seem unresponsive at times, especially when driver

needs to send packets of plot information to the plotter. This is an Autodesk problem.

3. Autodesk’s plot stamp utility does not work with AutoCAD LT 2000. LT 2000 is not

designed to accept add-in applications.

4. To Enable the Plot Stamp utility for AutoCAD 2000:

a. In AutoCAD use APPLOAD or the ARX command to load the acpltstamp.arx

(located in default AutoCAD 2000 folder i.e., C:\Program Files\ACAD2000\).

b. The command to set up the Plot stamp is PLOTSTAMP. There is also a

scriptable -PLOTSTAMP.

Note: After loading, it will be persistent in all future launches of AutoCAD unless you unload it explicitly with the APPLOAD or the ARX command.

Printing 3-11

ADI driver

The ENCAD ADI driver lets you print to ENCAD printers from AutoCAD. Use it to print files created with AutoCAD DOS and Windows Releases 12, 13, 14, and 1 5. This driver uses the HP-RTL command language to send data to the printer. For details on its installation and use, refer to the user guide provided on the CD-ROM.

CADJET® 3D User Guide

➪

Stopping Printing

To print from the ADI driver:

1 Open a drawing into AutoCAD's drawing editor. Select the printer icon, print

or plot from the FILES menu, or enter plot at AutoCAD's Command prompt to print a drawing.

2 AutoCAD will display a plot configuration dialog box. Make the selections

necessary to specify your drawing. If the ENCAD driver does not appear as the name at the top of the dialog box, click the Device and Default Selection button, click on the ENCAD driver, and click OK.

3 From the Plot Configuration box, click the Pen Assignments button to set

pens for each color in your AutoCAD drawing. See the discussion on colors and printer pens below.

4 After all settings are to your satisfaction, choose OK to start the printing

process.

To stop the printing process while AutoCAD is sending data to the printer, abort by typing:

Ctrl-C in DOS Releases 12, 13; and Escape key in Windows Releases 12, 13, 14.

Spooling

The driver uses AutoCAD dispatcher functions for all communication with the printer. As a result, the driver supports the use of an optional separate spooler. The use and configuration of a spooler is described in your AutoCAD Installation and Performance Guide. See also the section below on AutoCAD's Autospool facility.

Further details on printing with the ADI driver are included on the CD-ROM.

Printing 3-12

HPGL/2 4

This chapter discusses setting printing parameters generally used with vectorbased files, including palette selection, printer control, rotation, reprints, nesting and ink limit.

ENCAD's implementation of HPGL/2 supports vector/raster merge and conforms to "The HPGL/2 and HP RTL Reference Guide, Third Edition" by HewlettPackard Company (Addison-Wesley, 1997, ISBN 0-201-31014-7). Please refer to this guide for details on HPGL/2 commands.

CAD printing modes

Your printer offers several print modes which let you make tradeoffs between speed and quality. The procedure for selecting print modes is described in the Printer Reference Guide on the system CD-ROM.

The print mode you use depends on various factors, such as your drawing application, whether you’re printing in color or monochrome, and what type of media you’re using. Each print mode directly affects the printing speed and quality of the image you print, so you should understand the differences.

Draft or Super Draft modes are suited for line drawings and drawings with light solid fills, the types of images created by most CAD users. These modes are not recommended for continuous tone printing images, because bleeding may occur in areas of heavy fills or dark shading when printed with these modes.

Printing vector data

When printing vector data, you can control certain options from your software application, or you can assign control to the printer and set its options. Whether you assign control to the software (the default) or the printer depends on your personal preferences. You might choose to override software control because the software is not providing the features you want.

HPGL/2 4-2

CADJET

3D User Guide

Accessing HPGL/2 features

The following functions are available from the HPGL/2 menu: palette select, printer vs. software control, rotation, reprints, nesting and ink limit.

➪

To access HPGL/2 features

1 From the main menu, press Setup Menu/HPGL/2 Menu.

The HP-GL/2 menu displays with further options.

Palette Select Nesting Menu

Control Reprints

Rotation Ink Limit

Exit

Palette select

Palette select lets you choose either the HPGL/2 or AutoCAD palette. Both palettes allow 256 active colors with eight colors predefined. The predefined colors for each palette are shown in the following table.

HP-GL/2 AutoCAD

Pen 0 White White Pen 1 Black Red Pen 2 Red Yellow Pen 3 Green Green Pen 4 Yellow Cyan Pen 5 Blue Blue Pen 6 Magenta Magenta Pen 7 Cyan Black

➪

To choose a palette type

1 From the main menu, press Setup Menu/HPGL/2 menu/Palette

Select.

2 On the Palette Select menu, choose either AutoCAD or HPGL/2 and

press OK.

HPGL/2 4-3

CADJET

3D User Guide

Control

Control determines whether certain printing parameters are set in the software application or overridden by the printer's front panel. Control overrides the following parameters of the HPGL/2 header file: repeat plot (RP) and enable auto cutter (EC).

Repeat Plot: With Control set to Printer, the printer will ignore RP commands in the plot file and only print one plot. From the printer's front panel you can specify additional copies using the Reprints menu.

Enable Auto Cutter: With Control set to Printer, the printer will ignore EC commands in the plot file and will not automatically cut after each plot. From the printer's front panel, you can enable automatic cutting or initiate a command for a single cut.

✓ Do not override software control when sending merged raster/vector data to the

printer.

➪

To set control

1 From the main menu, press Setup Menu/HPGL/2 menu/Control. 2 On the Control menu, choose either Software or Printer and press

OK.

HPGL/2 4-4

CADJET

3D User Guide

Rotation

The printer automatically prints an image with the long side on the paper axis. To better fit images and save media, you can use the Rotation option to turn vector files counterclockwise 90 degrees at a time. If the rotation specified won't fit on the media or contains raster images, it will not be rotated. When the Rotate value is set to AUTO, the algorithm will automatically rotate the plot if it determines that the rotation will save media (regardless of whether Nesting is enabled). If Rotate is set to 0, the plot will not be rotated. The Control function does not override the RO command in the plot file.

Note: Rotation is supported for HPGL/2 files only. It is not supported for RTL files.

➪

To rotate the image

1 From the main menu, press Setup Menu/HPGL/2 menu/Rotation.

2 From the Rotation menu, choose the rotation angle (0, 90, 180, 270,

auto) and press OK.

Reprints

You can print up to 99 copies of a specific vector file. When Reprint is set to 0, only one image is printed.

➪

To make multiple prints

1 From the main menu, press Setup Menu/HPGL/2 menu/Reprints.

2 On the Reprints menu, enter the number of reprints (0 to 99) and

press OK.

HPGL/2 4-5

CADJET

3D User Guide

Nesting

Nesting allows the user to save media by printing multiple plots along the horizontal width of the media. This feature makes the most efficient use of consumables and reduces the time required to print multiple plots.

When nesting is active, HPGL/2 plots will be stored within the printer, accumulating in a nest. Printing will only begin when a nest becomes full, when a nesting timeout occurs, if printer memory is exhausted, or when a plot that is incompatible with the current nest is received.

A nest is full when the printer determines that no further jobs can be fitted across the page.

Nest timeouts are governed by the Nest Time parameter, which is set via the printer’s front panel.

If the printer runs out of memory, the current nest will be printed immediately, so that memory may be reclaimed for use by new plots.

An incompatible plot is either a non-HPGL/2 plot or an HPGL/2 plot which has different job characteristics than the current nest, such as quality, dpi, or margins.

If any of the following plot parameters are different between one plot and the next, the last plot will be incompatible with the current nest, causing the nest to begin printing immediately.

Parameters which are monitored for Nest compatibility:

• Print quality;

• Number of passes;

• Print direction;

• Speed;

• Color mode;

• DPI;

• Dry time;

• Margins;

• Wipe on/off; and

• Media Save.

HPGL/2 4-6

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3D User Guide

The following parameters will not affect nesting:

• Ink limiting;

• Replots;

• If Auto Rotation is enabled, then the nesting algorithm is free to rotate the plot if it determines that doing so will save media. Plots are sequentially fitted across the page from right to left; and

• The HPGL/2 EC command can be used to control cutting. If any plot in a nest has the cutter enabled, the plotter will cut after the nest.

➪

To enable nesting

1 From the main menu, press Setup Menu/HPGL/2 menu/Nesting

Menu.

2 On the Nesting menu, choose Nest On or Off and press OK.

Nest wait time

Nesting Wait Time is the amount of time the printer waits for the next plot to fill the current nest.

The printer will begin printing whenever the printer has been idle for the specified time interval. The time is reset whenever a print job is received.

➪

To define nesting wait time

1 From the main menu, press Setup Menu/HPGL/2 menu/Nesting

Menu.

2 On the Nesting menu, choose Nest/On and press OK. 3 On the Nesting menu, choose Nest Time. 4 On the Nest Time menu, choose the Nest Time (30 seconds, 1

minute, 2 minutes) and press OK.

HPGL/2 4-7

CADJET

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Ink limit

The printer can assign an ink limit to polygon fills and wide vectors. This helps prevent bleeding when printing on inexpensive inkjet media. The default for this option is On. If you are using high quality media, this option may not be needed and can be turned off.

➪

To enable the ink limit

1 From the main menu, press Setup Menu/HPGL/2 menu/Ink Limit. 2 In the Ink Limit menu, choose On and press OK.

HPGL/2 Test File

To assist in diagnosing potential problems with your printer, we have placed an HPGL/2 test file in the printers ROM memory. The colors that print on the test file are the RGB values for those colors as defined in AutoCAD. Front Panel settings for Ink Reduction and Ink Limiting have no effect on this file. All other printer options such as Number of Passes and Carriage Speed are available.

➪

To print the test file

1 From the main menu, press Utility Menu/Service Menu/Test Print.

Installing additional memory A

The CADJET 3D ships with 64 MB of RAM and is upgradable to a maximum of 128 MB, 64 MB per socket. Additional memory helps to free the host computer more quickly.

Acceptable SIMM sizes

Printer memory may be upgraded by installing 72-pin 60 nanosecond (or faster) SIMMs that are either 32 or 36 bits wide. (The printer does not use parity bits.) The SIMMs must not exceed a height of 2 inches (5 cm) and must conform to JEDEC Std. 21-C, release 4.

The printer will accept 4 MB, 8 MB, 16 MB, 32 MB or 64 MB SIMMs. Recommended SIMMs are ENCAD P/N 210610 (32MB SIMM).

SIMM installation

The SIMMs are located on the MPCB inside the right cover. The MPCB comes with one SIMM slot empty and a 32 MB RAM SIMM installed on the board. The following procedures describe how to remove the right cover, remove any currently installed SIMM(s), install new SIMM(s) and replace the cover. You will need a #2 Phillips screwdriver to complete the procedures.

➪

! ALWAYS UNPLUG THE POWER CORD BEFORE BEGINNING. ! To avoid static damage to the printer, never touch the circuit board or its components

without first touching the bright metal portions of the printer. Static damage is more likely when the relative humidity is low. If possible, wear a grounding strap when touching the circuit board.

To remove the right cover

1 Disconnect the power and the interface cables. 2 Remove the printer's top cover. 3 Remove the three screws under the right side of the printer which attach the

right side cover and the two screws which attach the cover to the right plate. 4 Slide back the pin that holds the right cover to the rear cover. 5 Move the right cover, being careful to clear the parallel port on the back of

the unit.

6 Carefully disconnect the ribbon cable

from the connector on the PC board

and the other two cables that go to the

cover.

CADJET® 3D User Guide

➪

To remove the SIMMs

1 Facing the top of the SIMMs, push the

side clips gently to the outside (away

from the SIMM). 2 Push over and pull out, being careful

not to damage the fingers on the top.

To install the new SIMM

1 Insert at a 45 degree angle and slowly push the SIMM to a 90o angle

until the two side clips snap into place. Make sure the SIMM is fully

seated.

2 Carefully reconnect the ribbon cable harness to the connector on the

PC board. Reattach the other connectors removed earlier. 3 Reinstall the right cover and top cover.

Installing additional memory A-2

This appendix defines the serial cable requirements for connecting the printer to your DOS or UNIX based systems. It also includes instructions for setting serial communication parameters.

RS-422 cable requirements

You may build this cable or purchase it from ENCAD, Inc. For connecting to an Apple Macintosh, use the standard ImageWriter II cable.

HSKO

HSKI 2

TXD- 3

GND

RXD- 5

TXD+ 6

GPI

RXD+ 8

Mini-Din-8

Plug

TXD

3 RXD

RTS

5 CTS 6 DSR 7 GND 8 DCD

DTR

22 RI

DB-25S Female

3 TXD

RXD

7 RTS 8 CTS 6 DSR 5 GND

DCD

4 DTR

DB-9S

Female

Serial Communications and Cabling B

HSKO

HSKI 2

TXD-3GND4RXD-5TXD+

GPI 7

RXD+82

TXD

3 RXD 3

RTS45

CTS56

DSR67

GND

8 DCD 8

DTR

22 RI 22

2 (3)

TXD

3 (2) RXD

4 (7)

RTS

5 (8)

CTS

6 (6)

DSR

7 (5)

GND

8 (1) DCD

20 (4)

DTR

22 (9) RI

Mini-Din-8

DB-25S (DB-9S)

Female

Mac to Hayes Modem Cable

Belkin F2V088 or equivalent.

Do not use cable from

PC Accessories!

Laplink

Serial Cable.

DB-25S

Female

DB-25P

Male

Serial communications and cabling B-2

CADJET

3D User Guide

Setting serial communications parameters

If your software or hardware platform only has serial communication capability, check the manuals provided with your system for the required communication parameters prior to setting the RS-422/232 options on the printer.

Setting the baud rate

Baud rate is the data transmission rate (in bits per second) between your computer and the printer. The Serial Communications menu lets you select from the following baud rates: 9600, 19200, 38400.

➪

To set the baud rate

1 Select Setup/Serial Communications Menu/Baud Rate. 2 Choose the desired rate. 3 Press OK.

Setting the parity bit

The Serial Communications menu lets you select from the following parity options: Even, Odd, None

➪

To set the parity bit

1 Select Setup/Serial Communications Menu/Parity Bit. 2 Choose the desired option. 3 Press OK.

Menu tree C

This section contains an overview of the printer's menu tree. In the figures that follow, items in italics indicate that selecting the option gives access to a menu with further options. Items in bold are the default option.

Main menu at a glance

Main Menu Load Media

Cut Pause Reset

Feed Media Menu

Forward

Media Counter Display Counter

Backward

End of Media

Exit

Setup Menu Print Mode Menu

Paper Options Menu HPGL/2 Menu User Setup Menu Ink Option Menu Serial Comm Menu

Exit

Utility Menu Prime

Access Cartridge

Color Calib Menu Calibration Menu

Display Settings Print Settings

Service Menu

Exit

Menu Tree C-2

CADJET

3D User Guide

Main menu

Load Media Feed Media Menu

Cut Setup Menu

Pause Utility Menu

Reset

Load Media moves media into or away from the platen. Cut cuts media. Feed Media Menu provides access to further options for moving the media forward or

backward; setting end of media; and entering/displaying media length values.

Pause provides access to further options for canceling print jobs,

reinitializing the printer, or examining the job.

Reset clears the print buffer. When cancelling a print, first remove it from

the computer's print queue, then press the Reset button on the

printer. Setup Menu provides access to further submenus for setting printing options. Utility Menu provides access to further submenus for calibration and other func-

tions.

Menu Tree C-3

CADJET

3D User Guide

Feed media menu

Forward Backward

l l l l

Media Counter End of Media

l l

Display Counter Exit

Forward advances media toward the front of the printer. Media Counter provides access to additional options where the length of a roll of

media can be entered and the media counter reset.

Display Counter displays a screen where the current value of the media length can

be viewed and printed on the media. Backward moves media toward the back of the printer. End of Media provides access to another screen where the End of Media can be

redefined to look for an abnormally long absence of the loop of

media that occurs between the feeder roll and the platen. Exit returns to main menu.

Menu Tree C-4

CADJET

3D User Guide

Setup menu at a glance

Setup Print Mode Menu

Color Mode Color, mono, gray Quality Mode draft, super draft, normal, best

Exit

Paper Option Menu

Supply Type Sheet, Roll Media Standard All, US_Engr, US_Arch, ISO_A, ISO_B,

Special, MET OVER A, Graphics, US_All, Met_All

Margins Normal, Expanded Auto-Load Delay 1-12, 6 Auto-Cut On/Off Save Media On/Off Auto-Wipe On/Off

Exit

User Setup Menu

Select User 1-8, 1 Save User 1-8, 1 Units Select English, Metric Language English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese,

Japanese, Chinese, Korean Init Settings Print Settings LCD Contrast 1-16, 8 (16 is less contrast) Exit

Ink Option Menu

Ink Reduction 0, 12.5, 25, 37.5, 50 Ink Preheat Menu -4 (off) to 3 (max) for each cartridge Dry Time 0, 0:10, to 1 minute in 5 second increments, then 1:00…60:00

Exit

Serial Comm Menu

Baud Rate 9600, 19200, 38400 Parity Bit Even, Odd, None

Exit

Menu Tree C-5

CADJET

3D User Guide

Setup menu

Print Mode Menu User Setup Menu

Paper Option Menu Ink Option Menu

Serial Comm Menu

HPGL/2 Menu Exit

Print Mode Menu provides access to options for color and quality. Paper Option Menu provides access to options for loading paper. HPGL/2 Menu provides access to options for setting HPGL/2 features. User Setup Menu provides access to options for defining and saving user settings. Ink Option Menu provides access to options for setting ink reduction, ink preheat, dryer

on/off, and dry time. Serial Comm Menu provides access to options for setting communications parameters. Exit returns to the main menu.

Print Mode

Color Mode

Quality Mode

lll

Exit

Color mode provides access to a further menu to select color (default), mono-

chrome, or grayscale printing. Quality mode provides access to a further menu to select the print mode. Exit returns to the Setup menu.

Menu Tree C-6

CADJET

3D User Guide

Paper Option Menu

Supply Type Auto-Cut

Media Standard Save Media

Margins Auto-Wipe

Auto-Load Delay Exit

Supply type provides access to a further menu to select the supply type: roll or

sheet. Media standard provides access to a further menu to select the media standard: All,

US_Engr, US_Arch, ISO_A, Met over A, ISO_B, Special, Graphics,

US_All, Met_All. Margins provides access to a further menu to change the available plot area

based on the margin type elected. Select Normal or Expanded

margins. Auto-Load Delay provides access to a further menu to change the delay between when

the media is positioned for loading and when loading occurs. This

allows users to adjust the media if necessary. Select 1-12 seconds.

Default = 6. Auto-Cut provides access to a further menu to turn Auto-Cut Off or On. When

On, the printer cuts the media after printing is complete. Save Media provides access to a further menu to turn Save media On or Off.

When set to On, printing will stop at the end of the image rather than

scrolling out the full paper size. Auto-Wipe provides access to a further menu to turn the Auto-wipe function, On

or Off. When On, the cartridges are wiped during printing. Exit returns to the Setup menu.

Menu Tree C-7

CADJET

3D User Guide

HPGL/2 Menu

Palette Select Nesting Menu

Control Reprints

Rotation Ink Limit

Exit

Palette Select provides access to a further menu to select an AutoCAD color palette

or a generic HPGL/2 palette. Control determines whether certain printing parameters are set in the soft-

ware application or overriden by the printer's fron panel display. Rotation provides access to a further menu to enable rotation and set the

rotation angle. Nesting Menu provides access to a further menu that controls nesting. Reprints controls the number of copies that are printed. Ink Limit limits the amount of ink that is used in polygon fills and wide vectors. Exit returns to the Setup menu.

Menu Tree C-8

CADJET

3D User Guide

User Setup Menu

Select User Init Settings

Save User Print Settings

Units Select LCD Contrast

Language Exit

Select user provides access to a further menu to select a previously saved user

configuration. Default = User 1. Save user provides access to a further menu to save the current printer configu-

ration to the selected user number. Default = User 1. Units select provides access to a further menu to choose the calibration units:

English or Metric. Language provides access to a further menu to select the language used for the

display. Choose from English, German, French, Italian, Spanish,

Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Korean. Init settings returns the printer to its default settings. All previously saved options

are erased. Print settings prints the current printer settings. LCD contrast lets you select the contrast level of the display. Range is 1-16, 8

(default) (16 is less contrast) Exit returns to the Setup menu.

Menu Tree C-9

CADJET

3D User Guide

Ink Option Menu

Ink Reduction

Ink Preheat

Dry Time

l l l l

Exit

Ink reduction provides access to a further menu in which to set the percentage by

which to decrease the amount of ink emitted to help prevent bleeding or pooling of ink. Options are 0, 12.5, 25, 37.5, and 50.

Ink preheat provides access to a further menu in which you can select the

cartridge for which you want to set the preheat value. Then you can set the ink preheat value for each cartridge. Options are -4 (off) to 3 (max).

Dry time provides access to a further menu to select the dry time in the range

of 0 seconds (default) to 60 minutes. When enabled, the printer waits the selected amount of time after printing before cutting the media or advancing to the next print.

Exit returns to the Setup menu.

Serial Comm Menu

Baud Rate

Data Bits

Parity Bit

Exit

Baud rate provides access to a further menu to select the baud rate: 9600

(default), 19200, 38400.

Parity bits provides access to a further menu to select parity: None (default),

Even, Odd.

Exit returns to the Setup menu.

Menu Tree C-10

CADJET

3D User Guide

Utility menu at a glance

Utility

Prime

Access Cartridge

Color Calib Menu

Calibration Menu

Use Calib XY On/Off Paper Axis Test

Color Db Menu Paper Axis 32.00 - 34.00 (33.00 default) Open Jet Menu

Display settings Print settings

Service menu

Servo PWM Test* Servo Cycle Test* Accessory Menu* Carriage Test*

Color Test

Continuous Test*

Exit

* tech support only

Menu Tree C-11

CADJET® 3D User Guide

Utility menu

Prime Display Settings

Access Cartridge Print Settings

Color Calib Menu

Service Menu

Calibration Menu

Exit

Prime prints the prime pattern. Access Cartridge moves the ink carriage away from the service station for installing

and replacing cartridges and the media cutter.

Color Calib Menu provides access to further menus for printing the color calibration test

pattern and for entering values determined by examining the test patterns.

Calibration Menu provides access to a further menu for calibration options and diag-

nostics.

Display Settings displays information such as paper and page width and height, on

time, and cumulative plot time.

Print Settings prints information such as media size, firmware revision, RAM size,

and plot hours. Service Menu for use by technical support only. Exit returns to the main menu.

Menu Tree C-12

CADJET

3D User Guide

Color Calibration Menu

Cyan Vertical Cyan Horizontal

Magenta Vertical Magenta Horizontal

Yellow Vertical Yellow Horizontal

Calib Print Test Exit

Cyan Vertical provides access to a further menu in which you can set a value to

adjust the vertical alignment of the cyan cartridge. Magenta Vertical provides access to a further menu in which you can set a value to

adjust the vertical alignment of the magenta cartridge. Yellow Vertical provides access to a further menu in which you can set a value to

adjust the vertical alignment of the yellow cartridge. Calib Print Test prints the Current Heads, Horizontal and Vertical test patterns. Cyan Horizontal provides access to a further menu in which you can set a value to

adjust the horizontal alignment of the cyan cartridge. Magenta Horizontal provides access to a further menu in which you can set a value to

adjust the horizontal alignment of the magenta cartridge. Yellow Horizontal provides access to a further menu in which you can set a value to

adjust the horizontal alignment of the yellow cartridge. Exit returns to the Utility menu.

Calibration Menu

Use Calib XY Open Jet Menu

Paper Axis Test Paper Axis

Color Db Menu

Exit

Use Calib XY provides access to a further menu in which you can set this function

On (default) or Off.

Menu Tree C-13

CADJET

3D User Guide

Paper Axis Test prints the paper axis test pattern. Color Db Menu provides access to a further set of menus in which you can print the

color deadband test pattern and set deadband velocity compensation

for each cartridge. Open Jet Menu provides access to a further set of menus in which you can print the

jet status pattern and set the compensation for jets in each cartridge. Paper Axis provides access to a further menu in which to enter values deter-

mined by examining the paper axis test pattern.

Service Menu

Calibration Menu About

Diagnostics Menu Cartridge Info

Test Print

Exit

Calibration Menu provides access to calibration options. Diagnostics Menu provides access to a further set of menus for performing diagnostics

(tech support only) and for printing the color test. About provides information about the printer's firmware version, BROM,

RAM, and printer size. Cartridge Info provides information about the type and color of ink in each cartridge

stall, and the extent to which the cartridge is used. Cartridge usage is

displayed in milliliters. The display changes in 2ml increments. 290ml

indicates that the cartridge should be replaced. When 300ml is

displayed, the cartridge will stop functioning. Test Print automatically prints a test file stored in ROM on the printer. Use only

under direction of technical support.

Technical information D

MEDIA TYPES:

Photo paper, paper matte, drafting films, and specialty.

MEDIA ROLL PARAMETERS

Inner roll core: 2" and 3" Max. outside roll diameter: 4" and 6" Max. roll width: 36"

RESOLUTION:

600 x 600 dpi 300 x 300 dpi

FEATURES:

Rollfeed with cutter 8 user-savable settings Power PC 33 MHZ processor ink cartridges (4) 500 ml ink reservoirs (4) Ink priming system

LINE LENGTH ACCURACY:

+/- 0.2% in paper and carriage axis using

roll feed, 4 mil drafting matte film.

Image frame length (X-axis) variation +/-

0.2% and width (Y-axis) variation +/-0.06% +/- 0.024" (.6mm).

BUFFER:

Two 72-pin, 32-bit wide DRAM sockets. 64 MB standard User upgradeable to 128 MB 60 ns or faster, ENCAD approved.

INTERFACES:

Bidirectional Parallel (IEEE 1284) RS-422 422 to 9 pin 232 for self-service 100BaseT

BAUD RATES:

9600; 19200; 38400

POWER:

180-264 VAC 48-63 Hz Consumption:

20 W Idle 100 W Typical 150 W Maximum

OPERATING ENVIRONMENT:

41° - 95°F (5°- 35°C) 20-80% RH, Non-condensing

STORAGE ENVIRONMENT:

-5° - 140°F (-21°- 60°C) 5-80% RH, Non-condensing

CERTIFICATIONS:

Safety

CSA, CSE/NRTL, (equivalent to UL1950) TUV GS EN 50 082-1 EN 60 950 UL1950 NOM-019-SCFI-1993 IEC 950 AS/NZS 3260

EMI

FCC Class A CSA C108.8 EN 55 022 Class A CE Mark CISPR 22- Class A AS/NZS 3548

Made in the U.S.A.

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DIMENSIONS

Height (with stand) 44" (112cm) Width 71" (196cm) Depth 28" (71cm)

Weight (assembled)

printer & stand 101 lbs. (45 kg)

Print width 11" min. to 36" max. printable with 0.20 inch (5mm) margin on each

edge, except for cut sheet

Error messages E

These display messages are helpful in determining the status of the printer and possible corrective action when operation does not appear to be normal.

Error Messages

Error messages consist of the message “Internal ERROR: Shutdown” on line 2 of the display. On line 4, a specific message will appear. If you cannot clear the error, record the message and the sequence of events leading to the message so that you can describe the problem to technical support personnel.

If the “Servo shutdown” message displayed, cycle the printer's power to clear the error.

Cartridge Errors

The printer automatically performs tests on the cartridges and uses the information to improve image quality, monitor cartridge life, and update the user with system status. Some tests are performed between prints and require no user input, while others require user input.

The following table shows cartridge-related error messages:

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Error Message Corrective Action

Unrecognized cartridge Be sure the cartridge is the correct cartridge for

your printer model. Your printer will not work with cartridges from other models. Remember, the printer is reading the value programmed into the chip on the cartridge, it is not actually detecting the cartridge type. Replace the cartridge if necessary.

Cartridge end of life attained. Replace cartridge. You can check cartridge status

by choosing Cartridge Info from the Service menu. Cartridge usage is displayed in milliliters. The display changes in 2ml increments. 290ml indicates that the cartridge should be replaced. When 300ml is displayed, the cartridge will stop functioning.

Unrecognized ink type. Be sure the cartridge is the correct cartridge for

your printer model. Your printer will not work with cartridges from other models. Ink type information is stored on the cartridge chip. If you are using a new type of ink which has been introduced since you purchased your printer, you will need to upgrade the printer's firmware to accommodate the new ink type.

To clear the error, turn the printer off and then on again. Press Utility/Service Menu/ Cartridge Info to determine the cartridge for which the error message is displayed. Press Utility Menu/Access Cartridges to move the carriage to the position which allows replacement of the ink cartridges. Check to make sure you have the correct cartridge for your printer model installed in each position, that they all contain the same type of ink and all cartridges are installed properly. Install new cartridges if necessary.

Troubleshooting F

This appendix contains valuable information to help you solve the most common printer problems. The problems addressed are divided into these types:

· Printer health

· Print quality

· Data transfer

· Application software

Troubleshooting quick list

Many common problems can be solved by checking for just three items:

· Is the printer connected to a good power source?

· If using a serial cable, do serial I/O settings match on the printer and computer?

· Does the printer driver software match the emulation selected on the printer?

Isolating problems

You can quickly isolate problems to either the printer, computer/printer interface, or application software using the following procedure:

1. Turn the printer OFF, then ON.

2. Load media, then run a prime to assure that all jets fire. (See the Quick Start Guide.)

3. Perform a color calibration. (See the Quick Start Guide.)

If your printer fails during any of the above steps, call your reseller or call Technical Support. Otherwise, continue with the steps that follow.

4. Send a sample print directly to the printer through the parallel port. For example, on Windows 95/98, type: copy /b <filename>.rtl lpt1. On Windows NT type: print /d:lpt1 <filename>.

5. If your computer is running on a network, login and copy the sample file to the printer over the network.

6. If steps 4 or 5 fail, repeat them using another computer.

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If any of these steps fail, your printer may not be correctly connected to your computer and/or network. Contact your network administrator or your ENCAD dealer. Otherwise, continue with the steps that follow.

7. Print directly to the printer from several software applications.

8. If you are networked, login and try printing from several software applications.

9. If steps 7 or 8 fail, repeat them using another computer or remove from the network and test standalone.

If one application fails, but others print successfully, that can indicate a problem with a specific software package. Call technical support of the failed product. If all the applications fail, determine what they have in common; for example, a RIP box or Windows driver. Call technical support of the particular vendor.

Printer Health

Printer will not turn on

Make sure the power cord is securely attached to the printer and plugged into an operating outlet.

Make sure the power switch is turned on.

Printer intermittently reboots

Clean and reseat memory SIMMs. Test and replace memory SIMMs. (See Appendix A of this guide.) Check that power is coming to the printer.

Display does not come on

Check that the power cord is plugged in and the printer switch is turned on. Push any control panel button. The display should come on.

Printing doesn’t start immediately when a file is sent

A short delay between sending the file and starting to print is normal, particularly if you are using a serial port. If you are using the serial port, make sure you’re using the correct interface cable and that it is securely connected to the proper ports on both the printer and the computer. (ENCAD serial cable PN 203977)

If you are using a serial interface, make sure that the RS-422 settings match the require-

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ments of your hardware and software. (See Appendix B of this guide.) If you are using a Windows application, be sure the Print Manager is OFF.

File will not print

If you are using a serial cable, check that it is ENCAD PN 203977 for PC and Unix systems. Be sure that RS422 settings in your software match those on your printer. If you are using a parallel cable, be sure it meets the specifications of IEEE 1284.

Check your electrical connections. From your software application, print to a file and send the file to the printer in DOS

using the DOS Copy command. At the DOS prompt, type COPY /b filename portname (LPT or COM port). Alternately, use the GO.EXE program. To print the file, type GO filename. This program is supplied on your Utilities disk and can also be downloaded from the ENCAD web site. In Windows 95/98, you can use the EFPU, available on the System CD.

Slow printing under Windows

Windows applications naturally print slower than DOS applications. Be sure the Windows Print Manager is turned OFF.

Automatic cutter doesn’t work or tears the paper

Make sure the Auto-Cut option is set to ON. Make sure Media Supply Type is set to Roll. Make sure the cutter is properly installed. (See the Quick Start Guide.) TURN POWER OFF and clean the inside of the black belt using alcohol and a lint-

free cloth. Push the carriage back and forth to access all areas of the belt. Manually push the carriage all the way to the left to force the cutter to drop. Turn power on.

If the cutter is worn, replace it. You should replace the cutter after every 200 plots (more or less, depending on the type of media used).

Carriage jams

Check for paper jams or blockage. Be sure the service station is lowering. If it does not lower, push it left and down, or

the cutter will not disengage.

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Carriage axis failure

This may be caused by using matte paper which may curl and cause carriage axis failure. Be sure to use inkjet quality media.

An obstruction in the path of the carriage assembly is hindering carriage movement. The obstruction may or may not be visible. Other common causes include dirty encoder strip, media interference, worn carriage bushings, cutter malfunction, and loose trailing cable connections.

After checking the following items, reboot the printer to ensure proper operation. Note: If the error recurs, observe whether the carriage is in the same or different loca-

tion. If the carriage is in the same spot, check the encoder strip for visible damage (clear

plastic strip under the trailing cable tray and above the belt) Refer to the figure which follows.

Printer front view

Encoder strip under second trailing cable cover level, (clear plastic strip directly behind the shaft)

Verify that carriage movement is free and smooth by turning the power off and moving the carriage from one end of the shaft to the other (make sure there is no binding and that nothing is blocking the carriage movement ). (MAKE SURE POWER IS OFF BE-

FORE PERFORMING THIS STEP.)

Clean the top and bottom of the encoder strip using a cotton swab and distilled water (let it dry completely ~ approximately 30 minutes) before trying to operate the printer).

Remove the cutter from the left side of the carriage and check it for visible damage. Make sure cutter version 3 (or newer) is installed (see the following figure).

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Check the shaft for visible damage (carriage moves back and forth on it during operation).

Clean the shaft with a lint free cloth and isopropyl alcohol (let it dry completely before trying to operate the printer).

Check the belt for visible damage such as fraying and pieces coming off it. Check the trailing cable (cable that moves during printer operation) for visible dam-

age. Check whether the idler assembly (located at the left end of the belt) moves freely.

Check whether it is cracked or broken.

Cannot draw ink during initial siphon

Check that the quick release fitting connection to the ink reservoir is secure. Check whether contaminants have blocked the ink delivery lines. If necessary, flush

the lines with distilled water, then reprime.

Initial siphon cannot be established

Check that ink reservoirs are full. Check ink delivery system for leaks in the lines, at the tubing connection, and at the

quick connect coupling to the reservoir. If leaks cannot be stopped, call Technical Support.

Ink cartridges do not fire properly

Be sure that cartridges and the service station are cleaned periodically to maintain good print quality. (See the Maintenance Guide.)

Cartridges may wear out after extended use. Try replacing the cartridge. Store cartridges in a sealed container at room temperature when not in use for ex-

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tended periods of time. Make sure the protective tape is removed from the cartridges. Remove the cartridge and reinstall it, or clean the electrical contact on the cartridge and

carrier. Be sure it is clean and dry. Be sure the cartridge is seated properly. (See the Quick Start Guide.)

Check that ink is being fed through the delivery lines. If necessary, use the NovaPrime to pull ink out of the nozzle plate to remove trapped air bubbles.

Be sure the ink reservoirs are not empty.

Cartridges leaking

Check that reservoirs are not overfilled. Ensure needle assembly is tightly fastened on top of cartridge.

Various nozzles are clogged or stop firing

Repeat prime several times. Remove, clean, and reinstall cartridge; repeat prime. Do not use alcohol on the jet area. Clean service station; clean cartridge again; repeat prime. Clean cartridge electrical contacts using a cotton swab moistened with water. Dry

contact. Repeat prime. Do not use acetone or any other harsh cleaner as this may cause damage to the flex cable.

Nozzle may have failed. Replace cartridge. Check for nozzle clogs by using the NovaPrime on the cartridge nozzle plate.

Check to see whether spray from printing has contaminated the flex contact. Remove the cartridge and wipe the carriage flex and cartridge flex with a cotton swab moistened with water.

Run the jet status plot as described in the Quick Start Guide. If sections of the print are missing, add the affected jets to the compensation list. Replace the cartridge if necessary.

Ink spills on the flex cable

Flex cable refers to the copper contacts on the carriage where the cartridge seats. Clean

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the flex cable gently with a cotton swab moistened with water. Do not use acetone or any other harsh cleaner as this may cause damage to the flex cable.

Printer settings are lost when printer is turned off or rebooted

Be sure to save your printer settings to a User number. (See "Saving User Settings" in Chapter 2.) When you are ready to print, select the User number that you saved.

What if I need a firmware upgrade?

You can download firmware upgrades from ENCAD’s Internet web page (www.encad.com).

Firmware Download Procedure (Upgrade/Printer Refresh)

You can download the new firmware directly from the diskette, but if you copy the xxxx.ROM and GO.EXE files to a temporary directory on your hard drive, it will load faster.

For Windows:

1. Ensure the printer is turned ON and you have your parallel cable (IEEE

1284) attached between the parallel port on the printer and the parallel port on the host computer.

2. From a DOS prompt type: GO xxxx.ROM and press <ENTER>. Note: For NT systems, click on Start\Programs\Command Prompt. At the

DOS prompt go to the location of the .ROM file. Then type: PRINT / D:LPT1 \XXXX.ROM and press Enter.

Approximately 20 - 40 seconds later a single beep should be heard, indicating the download was successful. After a one second delay, the printer will automatically reboot. The printer should come up normally. Verify the new firmware revision by sequencing through Utility Menu - Service Menu About menu.

3. If multiple beeps are heard, reboot printer and reseat parallel port connection. Resend the .ROM file to the printer.

For Macintosh:

1. Ensure the printer is turned ON and you have your ImageWriter II cable (RS422-232) attached between the serial port on the printer and the serial port on the host computer.

2. Place the xxxx.ROM file in the Spool folder on the Mac and run the spooler. You don’t need the GO.EXE application. Approximately 20 - 40 seconds

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later a single beep should be heard, indicating the download was successful. After a one second delay, the printer will automatically reboot. The printer should come up normally. Verify the new firmware revision by sequencing through Utility Menu - Service Menu - About menu.

3. If multiple beeps are heard, reboot printer and reseat serial port connection. Resend the .ROM file to the printer.

Print Quality

Many of the print quality concerns can be resolved by priming, cleaning, and calibrating the cartridges. When this is the case, “Prime, clean, calibrate, or replace” is indicated with other solutions. Refer to the following chapters for details:

Prime - see Quick Start Guide Clean - see Maintenance Guide Calibrate - see Quick Start Guide Replace - see Maintenance Guide

No print appears

Check that tape has been removed from the printhead of the cartridge.

White lines or large gaps on print or portions of characters missing

Prime, clean, calibrate, or replace cartridges. Check if the ink reservoir is empty. Refill if necessary. Make sure the media feeds freely.

Overall print quality is poor

Prime, clean, calibrate, or replace cartridges. Make sure the printer is positioned on level ground. Use a higher quality print mode. Be sure you are using the correct inks and media.

Cartridge spits small amounts of ink on paper

Nozzle plate may be flooded. Try using a lower firing rate or replacing the cartridge.

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Adjust cartridge preheat as described in Chapter 2.

Streak marks

Clean the service station at least once a week, or more often, depending on the number of prints you are running. (See the Maintenance Guide.)

Prime, clean, calibrate, or replace cartridges.

Line drawings exhibit bleeding

Be sure you are printing on the coated side of the media. Load cut sheet media so that the notch is on the side closest to the carriage. Roll feed media should be loaded so the coated side is on the outside.

If your application software permits, use gamma correction to lighten the color. Too much air may have been drawn into the cartridge during extended operation. Add

5 ml of ink and reinstall the cartridge.

Colors print as monochrome

Be sure the Color/Mono mode is set correctly. To change a specific drawing from monochrome to color or vice versa, you must switch the Color/Mono setting and retransmit the file.

Ink smears after removing the print

Be sure the ink is dry before removing the print. If you are printing area fills, you may want to set the Dry Time option. (See "Setting a Dry Time" in Chapter 2.) Turn the dryer on.

Smudged or dark characters

Be sure you are using the correct type of paper for the application. Make sure the paper is straight and unwrinkled when loading it into the printer. Prime, clean, calibrate, or replace cartridges. Try a different print mode.

Improperly formed or misaligned characters

Calibrate cartridges.

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Color problems or shadowing

Calibrate cartridges.

Excessive graininess

Perform color deadband compensation. Refer to the Quick Start Guide.

Ghosting

The temperature of the print cartridge affects the size of the dots it prints. When the cartridge is warmer it produces slightly larger dots than when it is cool. Several things affect the temperature of the cartridge including the ambient temperature, the number of dots that have recently been printed and the cartridge heater circuit. This change in temperature and subsequent spot size causes what is referred to as “ghosting” or “parasitic suppression”. Ghosting can occur when printing unidirectional if their is an area in the image in which the cartridge is not firing (i.e. a white box within a filled area). Since the cartridge cooled down while it wasn’t printing, a light area can appear adjacent to the non-printed area. This light area is “ghosting”. By using the cartridge heaters to warm the cartridge in these non-printed areas, the change in temperature and therefore “ghosting” is minimized. Refer to the figure below which illustrates cartridge heat vs. spot size.

STEPS TO MINIMIZE GHOSTING (PARASITIC SUPPRESSION)

1. Use the preheat function and set the heat to 4 on all the cartridges.

- On the Main Menu, press Setup Menu/Ink Options Menu/Ink Preheat Menu. In the Ink Preheat menu you will see Cyan - Preheat, Yellow Preheat, Magenta - Preheat, and Black Preheat.

Go into first preheat function and adjust the value to 4 and press OK. Continue this with the three remaining preheat functions.

2. Slow the carriage speed down to 5 or lower. On the Main Menu, press Setup Menu/Print Mode Menu/Carriage Speed. In

the Carriage Speed menu, adjust the value to 5 or less and press OK. If you are printing using software to control the printer, you need to make these adjustments in the software.

3. Put the printer in a bi-directional mode. On the Main Menu, press Setup Menu/Print Mode Menu/Print Direction. In

the Print Direction menu, adjust the value to BI and press OK. If you are printing using software to control the printer, make these adjustments in the software.

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Colors are not correct or sections of print missing

Prime, clean, calibrate, or replace cartridges.

Print contains only partial image

Check the settings of the Margins option. When Margins are set to Normal (the default), the print area is smaller than when Margins are set to Expanded. Try setting the Margins option to Expanded to make the print area larger.

The printer may not have correctly sized your media. Use the Manual Load option to load your media. (See the Quick Start Guide.)

The printer automatically prints in portrait orientation (X axis = paper axis). If you rotated the image in your application to save paper, set the paper size to the next larger size (for example, if you are printing a C size image, choose D size paper). Be sure to set Save Media to ON. This stops the printer from scrolling the full paper height.

Jagged vertical lines

Prime, clean, calibrate, or replace cartridges. If these suggestions fail, call Technical Support for instructions on cleaning the encoder

strip and performing deadband calibration.

Splotchy area fill

Try using photo mode. If the problem persists, prime, clean, calibrate, or replace cartridges. Adjust cartridge preheat as described in Chapter 2.

Excessive banding in area fills

Consistent banding is generally a hardware problem; inconsistent banding is generally a software problem.

Use specially coated inkjet media. We provides a full line of high quality inkjet media. Change the Print Mode option to 4-pass. (See "Print Modes" in Chapter 2.) Prime, clean, calibrate, or replace cartridges. Set wiper function to off. Adjust cartridge preheat as described in Chapter 2.

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Portions of lines are missing

Prime, clean, calibrate, or replace cartridges. Clean service station; clean cartridge again; repeat prime. Clean carriage flex cable and cartridge electrical contacts; repeat prime. Do not use

alcohol, acetone, or other cleansers. Use a cotton swab moistened in distilled water. Use tap water if distilled water is not available.

Poor vertical or horizontal line quality

Perform color calibration. (See the Quick Start Guide.)

Data Transfer

Printer doesn’t generate a print

Be sure your printer is connected to the port to which you are sending the file. If you are printing over a network, you will need to determine whether the problem is in

the network. Try connecting the printer directly to your computer and send the file again.

Parallel printing doesn’t work

Some UNIX workstations have difficulty communicating with the printer using a parallel connection. Try connecting the printer to the network using a network interface box.

To ensure the highest quality and reliability of the data that is sent to the printers, the IEEE standard 1284 parallel cable is required to be used when utilizing the parallel port on the printers.

This standard uses shielded twisted pair technology that reduces noise and increases performance at higher transfer speeds.

To order from ENCAD, use part number 208559. Be sure that your parallel cable does not exceed the maximum of 10 ft. Try using another parallel cable. Be sure that it is securely connected.

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Serial printing does not work

Verify that the serial cable is properly connected. Be sure that your baud rate, parity, and emulation are set correctly. (See "Setting Serial

Communication Parameters" in Appendix B.) If you are using a serial cable provided by a vendor other than ENCAD, be sure that the

pinouts match those in Appendix B. If the non-ENCAD serial cable is not working, order ENCAD cable 203977 (for MAC and Unix systems).

Be sure that your serial cable does not exceed the maximum length of 25 ft.

Problems connecting to a Macintosh workstation

Use the Macintosh chooser level drivers provided by our third-party developers. These drivers generally provide their own cable or parallel cards. One of these drivers is PowerPlot by GDT Softworks (refer to the Software Support Matrix). This is a raster driver similar to MacPlot Raster, but it includes a cable that converts serial to parallel. This cable is connected to the Macintosh’s printer port (serial) and to the printer’s parallel port.

Serial RS-232/422 Connection

The printer uses an ImageWriter II cable with a 8 pin DIN connector on the printer end.

Parallel Connection

Use the Creative Solutions Centronics board which is available from a Macintosh computer store.

No output when printing from Unix

If you encounter “no output” problems when printing from Unix, try the following:

1. Check the printer hardware.

• Check that the printer is plugged in and turned on.

• Check that the cable is connected to the port on the printer and the port on the

workstation or server.

· Check that the cable is the correct cable and is not defective.

· If the printer is connected to a serial port, make sure the cable supports hardware flow control. A NULL modem adapter needs to support this.

· Check that hardware switches for the port are correctly set.

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· Use the printer’s self-test feature or run the demo print to assure that the printer is functioning.

· Check that the baud settings for the computer and printer are correct. If the settings do not match, the file may be printed incorrectly or not at all.

2. Verify network connections.

• On a print client or server, type ping system-name and press Return. This

command checks that the network link between the print server and print client is set up correctly.

If the message says the system is alive, the network is functioning. The message also tells you that either a naming service or the local /etc/hosts file has translated the host (system) name entered into an IP address. If it hasn’t, you must enter the IP address.

• If you get a “not available” message, check the following:

• How is NIS or NIS+ set up at the site?

• Do you need to take additional steps to allow the print servers and print

clients to communicate with each other?

• If your site is not running NIS or NIS+, have you entered the IP address

for the print server in each client’s /etc/hosts file and entered all print client IP addresses in the /etc/hosts file of the print server?

• Check that the port monitor is configured correctly on the print server.

• Check that the network listen services are registered with the port

monitor on the print server.

3. Check the LP print service.

• On both the print server and print client, make sure the LP print service is

running.

• On both the print server and client, make sure the printer is accepting re-

quests.

• On both the print server and print client, make sure the printer is enabled to

print requests.

• On the print server, make sure the printer is connected to the correct serial

port.

• On both the print server and print client, make sure the printer is configured

properly.

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• On the print server, make sure the printer is not waiting because of a fault.

• Make sure the printer is not set up as a login terminal.

Application Software

Isolating a problem to your software

Sometimes printing problems are application software-specific. Try printing the “Demo Plot” on the Utilities disk. If the demo prints, the printer’s health

is probably good. Try printing a simple file from your application or from another application. If this prints

correctly, the problem may be with your software. If you are using a Windows application and the file does not print from Windows, try

printing a file from DOS. If this prints correctly, your problem may be with your Windows driver or Windows setup.

Difficulty generating prints ranging from A to D size

Many software applications limit the maximum print size to “C” or “D” size due to the way that they map their internal coordinate system to memory.

Some applications which limit maximum print size are listed below:

• Microsoft Word: 22 x 22”

• Lotus 123: 17 x 22”

• CorelDRAW: 30 x 30” (TIFF files are limited to 11 x 17”)

• Microsoft Project: 36 x 61”

• Micrographx Designer: 68” maximum

• Ashlar Vellum: 101” maximum

Windows GDI Print Length Limitation

The Windows operating system uses a Graphics Device Interface which limits printing to 16,000 pixels. The paper length at 300 dots per inch is equal to 16,000 divided by 300. What all this means is:

There is a limit of 53" for vector data in Windows 95. For raster images, the limit is 109".

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These limits are imposed by the Windows 95 Graphics Device Interface (GDI). The limitation of 53" is based upon a 16,000 pixel limit for a vector. The printer has a resolution of 300 Dots Per Inch (DPI). To find the largest size divide 16,000 by 300 to get the size in inches. (53.333"). The limitation of 109" is for the size of the digital word that is sent between the application and the driver. This word is 16-bits long. The maximum positive value that can be placed in a 16-bit word is 32,767. Therefore, by dividing 32,767 by 300 we get 109.223". Many Windows applications limit the maximum print size to "C" or "D" size due to the way that they map their internal coordinate system to memory. Some applications which limit maximum print size are listed below:

Microsoft Word: 22" x 22" Micrographx Designer: 68" maximum Lotus 123: 17" x 22" Ashlar Vellum: 101" maximum Microsoft Project: 36" x 61" Adobe PageMaker: 42" x 42" QuarkXPress: 48" x 48" CorelDRAW: 30" x 30"*

*(TIFF files are limited to 11" x 17")

*Note: This is a 30" x 30" page size, and is relevant to Corel 5.0 applications only. CorelDRAW 6 is now capable of supporting page sizes beyond 36 x 36 inches to a maximum of 150 feet x 150 feet. Due to a limitation in the HP DesignJet 650C Series printers driver, the maximum attainable page size is approximately 55 x 55 inches. Larger page sizes may be attainable if the resolution in the driver is lowered. This limitation also applies to the HP 750C plotter, and 16 bit plotter drivers under Win95. Programs that use their own internal drivers that bypass the Windows operating system are not real common but they do exist. Also, other driver programs or RIPs were created specifically to achieve special capabilities including: increased speed, scaling, color correction / calibration, extended print length, etc.

These programs don't use their own O/S (operating system). But, they create certain conditions that bypass those particular areas of the Windows O/S limitations. Some programs with internal drivers to print from include: AutoCAD, MicroStation, FlexiSign Pro, PosterShop, CactusJet, etc. External printer driver RIPs are made by Pisa, Fiery (EFI), ZenoGraphics, Intelligent Systems, Wasatch, etc.

It should also be noted that this limitation is only because of the GDI limitations. ENCAD plotters do not have this limitation. Length limitations are a function of software or RIP parameters. Any conflicts that do not use the GDI interface should be directed to the software vendors.

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Calling for Help

If you have tried the suggestions in this manual and still need assistance, call the ENCAD dealer where you purchased your printer.

Before you call technical support for help, be sure that you have all of the following information available:

Printer Information

model firmware revision (letter) memory serial number

Computer Information

model operating system connection (serial or parallel)

Customer Technical Support

To resolve printer problems, use the suggestions provided in this guide. If you continue to have problems, you can get help from any of the following:

Troubleshooting F-18

CADJET® 3D User Guide

ENCAD Support Numbers and Websites

ENCAD Inc. 6059 Cornerstone Ct., West San Diego, CA 92121-3734

Main Number (858) 452-0882 Priority Support* (900) 555-ENCAD Toll-free Customer Support** (877) ENCAD-TS Customer Support (858) 452-4350 Customer Support FAX (858) 546-0659 Home Page www.encad.com/ Technical Support page and www.encad.com/support/index.htm Knowledge Base List Server www.encad.com/forms/listserv.htm Warranty Cartridge Exchange (858) 678-2373 Supplies Sales (888) 747-9303 No. American Sales (800) 45-ENCAD

ENCAD-France

Customer Support 011-33-1-305-10041 Customer Support FAX 011-33-1-305-17080

ENCAD-Germany

Customer Support 011-49-89-609-5540 Customer Support FAX 011-49-89-609-4192

ENCAD-Asia

Customer Support 011-852-2881-8969 Customer Support FAX 011-852-2881-0912

*Priority support is available for all customers - warranty and non-warranty. The cost of $2.50 per minute is billed directly to your phone bill. Be sure to have your printer's serial number when calling. ** available for all customers - warranty and non-warranty. For non-warranty customers, the cost is $25.00 per call which can be billed to a credit card. Be sure to have your printer's serial number when calling.

ENCAD 215319-1, CADJET 3D User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual