HP Designjet L28500 User's Guide

DESIGNJET L28500 printer series
User’s guide
Edition: 3rd edition
© 2013 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
Legal notices
The information contained herein is subject to change without notice.
Trademarks
Microsoft® and Windows® are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Table of contents
1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1
Safety precautions ................................................................................................................................................. 1
The printer’s main features ................................................................................................................................... 4
The printer’s main components ............................................................................................................................ 5
The Embedded Web Server ................................................................................................................................... 9
Turn the printer on and off .................................................................................................................................. 11
Restart the printer ............................................................................................................................................... 11
2 Connectivity and software instructions ......................................................................................................... 13
Connection method ............................................................................................................................................. 13
Connect to a network .......................................................................................................................................... 13
3 Basic setup options ...................................................................................................................................... 15
Printer setup options ........................................................................................................................................... 15
Embedded Web Server setup options ................................................................................................................. 17
4 Handle the substrate ................................................................................................................................... 21
Overview .............................................................................................................................................................. 21
Porous substrates ............................................................................................................................................... 24
Load a roll onto the spindle ................................................................................................................................. 25
Load a roll into the printer (automatically) ......................................................................................................... 28
Load a roll into the printer (manually) ................................................................................................................ 31
Load a cut sheet into the printer ......................................................................................................................... 34
Unload a roll from the printer ............................................................................................................................. 35
The take-up reel .................................................................................................................................................. 35
The edge holders ................................................................................................................................................. 44
The loading accessory ......................................................................................................................................... 45
Double-sided printing .......................................................................................................................................... 49
View information about the substrate ................................................................................................................ 51
Substrate length tracking ................................................................................................................................... 51
Form feed and cut ................................................................................................................................................ 53
Store the substrate .............................................................................................................................................. 53
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5 Substrate settings ....................................................................................................................................... 55
Download media presets ..................................................................................................................................... 55
Add a new substrate ............................................................................................................................................ 55
Faster printing ..................................................................................................................................................... 66
Color calibration .................................................................................................................................................. 66
Color profiles ....................................................................................................................................................... 67
Color reproduction tricks ..................................................................................................................................... 67
6 Retrieving usage information ....................................................................................................................... 69
Get accounting information ................................................................................................................................ 70
Check usage statistics ......................................................................................................................................... 70
Check usage statistics for a job ........................................................................................................................... 70
Request accounting data by E-mail .................................................................................................................... 70
7 The ink system ............................................................................................................................................ 73
Ink system components ...................................................................................................................................... 73
Order ink supplies ................................................................................................................................................ 77
8 Print options ............................................................................................................................................... 79
Printer states ....................................................................................................................................................... 79
Change margins ................................................................................................................................................... 79
Request the printer’s internal prints ................................................................................................................... 80
9 Accessories ................................................................................................................................................. 81
Order accessories ................................................................................................................................................ 81
10 Printer status ............................................................................................................................................ 83
Check printer status ............................................................................................................................................ 83
Check the status of the ink system ..................................................................................................................... 83
Check the status of the ink cartridges ................................................................................................................ 83
Check the status of a printhead .......................................................................................................................... 84
Check the file system .......................................................................................................................................... 84
Printer alerts ........................................................................................................................................................ 84
11 Firmware update ....................................................................................................................................... 87
12 Hardware maintenance .............................................................................................................................. 89
Ink system tips ..................................................................................................................................................... 89
Align the printheads ............................................................................................................................................ 89
Clean and lubricate the carriage rail ................................................................................................................... 90
Clean the electrical connections on a printhead ................................................................................................. 92
Clean the exterior of the printer .......................................................................................................................... 96
Clean the platen ................................................................................................................................................... 97
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Clean (recover) the printheads ............................................................................................................................ 99
Clean the substrate-advance sensor window .................................................................................................. 100
Maintain the ink cartridges ................................................................................................................................ 100
Move or store the printer .................................................................................................................................. 101
Replace an ink cartridge .................................................................................................................................... 101
Replace the ink maintenance kit ....................................................................................................................... 105
Replace a printhead ........................................................................................................................................... 110
Replace the printhead cleaning kit ................................................................................................................... 116
Service maintenance ......................................................................................................................................... 121
13 Troubleshoot print-quality issues ............................................................................................................. 123
General printing advice ..................................................................................................................................... 123
Use the printhead status plot ........................................................................................................................... 123
Graininess .......................................................................................................................................................... 124
Horizontal banding ............................................................................................................................................ 125
Vertical banding ................................................................................................................................................. 127
The print is deformed into a curved shape ....................................................................................................... 128
Misaligned colors ............................................................................................................................................... 128
Color intensity varies ......................................................................................................................................... 128
Lack of sharpness .............................................................................................................................................. 129
Black areas look hazy ........................................................................................................................................ 129
Ink smears ......................................................................................................................................................... 130
Subtle stains or uneven appearance ................................................................................................................. 130
The ink smudges when touched, or looks oily .................................................................................................. 130
The dimensions of the print are wrong ............................................................................................................. 131
Tiling issues ....................................................................................................................................................... 131
14 Troubleshoot substrate issues .................................................................................................................. 133
The substrate cannot be loaded successfully .................................................................................................. 133
The substrate is mispositioned ......................................................................................................................... 134
The substrate has jammed ................................................................................................................................ 134
The substrate is deformed or wrinkled ............................................................................................................. 137
The substrate has shrunk or expanded ............................................................................................................ 137
The substrate has bow deformation ................................................................................................................. 138
The automatic cutter does not work ................................................................................................................. 139
Take-up reel substrate jam ............................................................................................................................... 139
Take-up reel does not wind .............................................................................................................................. 139
15 Troubleshoot ink-system issues ............................................................................................................... 141
Ink maintenance kit needs to be installed ........................................................................................................ 141
Cannot insert an ink cartridge ........................................................................................................................... 141
Cannot insert a printhead .................................................................................................................................. 141
Cannot insert the printhead cleaning cartridge ................................................................................................ 141
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Front panel recommends reseating or replacing a printhead .......................................................................... 141
Clean the printheads ......................................................................................................................................... 142
Align the printheads .......................................................................................................................................... 142
16 Troubleshoot other issues ........................................................................................................................ 145
The printer cannot get an IP address ................................................................................................................ 145
Cannot access the Embedded Web Server ........................................................................................................ 145
The printer is not printing ................................................................................................................................. 146
The software program slows down or stalls while generating the print job ................................................... 146
The printer seems slow ..................................................................................................................................... 146
Communication failures between computer and printer ................................................................................. 146
The platen rollers squeak ................................................................................................................................. 147
17 Front-panel error messages ..................................................................................................................... 149
Printer logs ........................................................................................................................................................ 151
18 When you need help ................................................................................................................................. 153
Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 153
Documentation .................................................................................................................................................. 153
Customer Self Repair ......................................................................................................................................... 153
HP Customer Care Centers ................................................................................................................................ 153
Service information ........................................................................................................................................... 154
19 Printer specifications ............................................................................................................................... 155
Functional specifications .................................................................................................................................. 155
Physical specifications ...................................................................................................................................... 157
Memory specifications ...................................................................................................................................... 157
Power specifications ......................................................................................................................................... 157
Environmental specifications ............................................................................................................................ 157
Acoustic specifications ...................................................................................................................................... 158
Appendix A Summary of common printing problems ....................................................................................... 159
Glossary ....................................................................................................................................................... 161
Index ........................................................................................................................................................... 165
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1 Introduction

Safety precautions

Before using your printer, read the following safety precautions to make sure you use the equipment safely.
You are expected to have the appropriate technical training and experience necessary to be aware of hazards to which you may be exposed in performing a task, and take appropriate measures to minimize the risks to yourself and to other people.

General safety guidelines

There are no operator-serviceable parts inside the printer except those covered by HP's Customer Self Repair program (see service personnel.
http://www.hp.com/go/selfrepair/). Refer servicing of other parts to qualified
Turn off the printer and call your service representative in any of the following cases.
The power cord or plug is damaged.
Liquid has entered the printer.
There is smoke or an unusual smell coming from the printer.
The printer has been dropped or the drying or curing module has been damaged.
The printer's built-in Residual Current Circuit Breaker (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) has been repeatedly tripped.
The printer is not operating normally.
Turn off the printer in either of the following cases.
During a thunderstorm
During a power failure

Electrical shock hazard

WARNING! The drying and curing modules operate at hazardous voltages capable of causing death or
serious personal injury.
Ensure that the power is disconnected from the branch circuit breaker of the PDU, and that the printer’s main power switch is off, before servicing the printer.
To avoid the risk of electric shock:
Do not attempt to dismantle the drying and curing modules or the electrical control cabinet.
Do not remove or open any other closed system covers or plugs.
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Heat hazard

The drying and curing subsystems of the printer operate at high temperatures and can cause burns if touched. To avoid personal injury, take the following precautions.

Fire hazard

The drying and curing subsystems of the printer operate at high temperatures. Call your service representative if the printer's built-in Residual Current Circuit Breaker (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) is repeatedly tripped.
To avoid the risk of fire, take the following precautions.
Do not insert objects through slots in the printer.
Test the functionality of the Residual Current Circuit Breaker (RCCB) every 6 months.
Do not touch the internal enclosures of the printer's drying and curing modules. Even after opening the window latch that disconnects drying and curing power, the internal surfaces could be hot.
Take special care when accessing the substrate path.
Use the power supply voltage specified on the nameplate.
An electrician is required for the setup and configuration of the building’s electrical system used to power the printer, and for printer installation. Make sure that your electrician is appropriately certified according to local regulations and supplied with all the information regarding the electrical configuration.
The electrician should connect the power cord as specified in the Site preparation guide and Assembly instructions. Three-phase lines are required, each protected by a branch circuit breaker. The power
cable is not provided with the printer.
Do not insert objects through slots in the printer.
Take care not to spill liquid on the printer.
Do not use aerosol products that contain flammable gases inside or around the printer.
Do not block or cover the openings in the printer body that are provided for ventilation.
Do not attempt to dismantle the drying or curing module, or the electrical control cabinet.
Ensure that the operating temperature of the substrate, as recommended by its manufacturer, is not exceeded. If this information is not available from the manufacturer, be sure to use only substrates suitable for operating temperatures of 125°C (257°F) or higher.
Do not load substrates with auto-ignition temperatures below 250°C (482°F). See note below.
NOTE: Test method based on EN ISO 6942:2002; Evaluation of materials and material assemblies when
exposed to a source of radiant heat, method B. The test conditions, to determine the temperature when the substrate starts ignition (either flame or glow) were: Heat flux density: 30 kW/m², copper calorimeter, K type thermocouple.

Mechanical hazard

The printer has moving parts that could cause injury. To avoid personal injury, take the following precautions when working close to the printer.
Keep your clothing and all parts of your body away from the printer's moving parts.
Avoid wearing necklaces, bracelets, and other hanging objects.
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If your hair is long, try to secure it so that it will not fall into the printer.
Take care that sleeves or gloves do not get caught in the printer's moving parts.
Avoid standing close to the fans, which could cause injury and could also affect print quality (by obstructing the air flow).
Do not touch gears or moving rolls during printing.

Heavy substrate hazard

Special care must be taken to avoid personal injury when handling heavy substrates.
Handling heavy substrate rolls may require more than one person. Care must be taken to avoid back strain and/or injury.
Consider using a forklift, pallet truck, or other handling equipment.
When handling heavy substrate rolls, wear personal protective equipment including boots and gloves.

Ink handling

Your printer does not use solvent inks and does not have the traditional problems associated with them. However, HP recommends that you wear gloves when handling ink system components.

Warnings and cautions

The following symbols are used in this manual to ensure the proper use of the printer and to prevent the printer from being damaged. Follow the instructions marked with these symbols.
WARNING! Failure to follow the guidelines marked with this symbol could result in serious personal injury
or death.
CAUTION: Failure to follow the guidelines marked with this symbol could result in minor personal injury or
damage to the product.

Warning labels

Label Explanation
Risk of burns. Do not touch the internal enclosures of drying and curing modules of the printer.
Risk of burns. Do not touch the drying enclosure of the printer. Even after opening the window latch, which disconnects the power to the drying and curing modules, the internal surfaces could be hot.
Electric shock hazard. There are no operator-serviceable parts inside the printer. Refer servicing to qualified service personnel.
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Label Explanation
See installation instructions before connecting to the supply. Ensure that the input voltage is within the printer's rated voltage range, and select the correct printer 3-phase configuration.
Risk of trapped hands.
Risk of trapped fingers. Do not touch spindle gears while moving.
Do not put objects on top of the printer. Do not cover the top fans.

The printer’s main features

Your printer is a color inkjet printer designed for printing high-quality images on flexible substrates from
0.584 m (23 in) to 2.64 m (104 in) wide. Some major features of the printer are shown below:
Printing speeds in draft mode of up to 70 m²/h (753 ft²/h).
Environmentally friendly, odorless, aqueous latex inks in six colors
No special ventilation required, no hazardous waste
775 ml ink cartridges
Print on a wide range of substratesincluding most low-cost, uncoated, solvent-compatible substrates
A range of HP recyclable substrates is available
You are recommended to wear gloves when handling ink cartridges, printhead cleaning cartridges, and the printhead cleaning container.
Durable prints with outdoor display permanence up to three years unlaminated, five years laminated
Accurate and consistent color reproduction with automatic color calibration (built-in spectrophotometer) for most substrates
To send print jobs to your printer, you will need Raster Image Processor (RIP) software, which should be run on a separate computer. RIP software is available from various different companies; it is not provided with the printer.
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The printer’s main components

The following views of the printer illustrate its main components.

Front view

1. Ink cartridge
2. Platen
3. Printhead
4. Printhead carriage
5. Ink funnel and ink tube assembly
6. Front panel
7. Printhead cleaning cartridge
8. Substrate-adjustment lever
9. Take-up reel motor
10. Tension bar
11. Spindle
12. Take-up reel
13. Spindle stop
14. Spindle lock lever
15. Curing module
16. Drying module
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Rear view

1. Printhead cleaning container
2. Sockets for communication cables and optional accessories
3. Power switch and power socket
4. Residual current circuit breakers for the heating components
5. Ink filter

Edge holders case

The case is normally attached to the rear of the printer, and contains the two edge holders when they are not in use.
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Drying enclosure

Take-up reel motor

1. Take-up reel lever
2. Winding-direction switch
3. Manual winding buttons
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Loading accessory

The loading accessory helps you to load some substrate types that are difficult to load without it. See The
loading accessory on page 45.

The front panel

Your printer's front panel is located at the front right of the printer. It has the following important functions:
Assists you in troubleshooting issues
Is used when performing certain physical operations, such as unloading substrate and maintaining the printer
Displays information in brief about the status of the printer
Displays warning and error messages, when appropriate, along with audio alerts to call attention to a warning or message
The front panel has a large central area to display dynamic information and icons. On the left and right sides you can see up to six fixed icons at different times. Normally they are not all displayed at the same time.
Left and right fixed icons
Press
Press
to return to the home screen.
to view this User's guide on the front panel.
Press
Press
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to go to the previous item.
to go to the next item.
Press screen.
to go back to the previous screen. This does not discard any changes made in the current
Press
Home screen dynamic icons
The following items are displayed only on the home screen.
Press loading substrate or replacing ink supplies. A smaller warning icon appears if there are actions that
need to be performed.
To the right of the above button is a message showing the printer status or the most important current alert. Press this message to see a list of all current alerts, with an icon indicating the severity of each alert.
Press
Most of the central part of the screen is divided into four parts, summarizing the state of the ink cartridges, the substrate, the printheads and printhead cleaning kit, and the network. For more information on any of these, press that part of the screen.
If the printer is left idle for some time, it goes into sleep mode and switches off the front-panel display. To change the time that elapses before sleep mode, press
Sleep mode wait time. You can set a time between 1 and 240 minutes.
The printer wakes from sleep mode and switches on the front-panel display whenever there is some external interaction with it.
to cancel the current process.
to view information about printer status, change printer settings, or initiate actions such as
to view information about the job that is currently printing.
, then , then Setup > Front panel options >
Information about specific uses of the front panel can be found throughout this guide.

The Embedded Web Server

The Embedded Web Server is a Web server running inside the printer. You can use it to obtain printer information, manage settings and presets, align printheads, upload new firmware and troubleshoot problems. Service engineers can use it to retrieve internal information that helps to diagnose printer problems.
You can access the Embedded Web Server remotely by using an ordinary Web browser running on any computer. See
The Embedded Web Server window displays three separate tabs. Buttons near the top of each page provide access to online help and supplies reordering.
Access the Embedded Web Server on page 17.
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Main tab

The Main tab provides information about the following items.

Setup tab

The Setup tab enables you to complete these tasks.
Substrate, ink, printhead and maintenance status
Temperatures of the drying and curing modules
Substrate and ink usage and accounting
Specify printer settings such as units of measurement and refresh date
Specify network and security settings
Set the date and time
Update firmware
Align printheads
Upload media presets
Sign up for the Customer Involvement Program and configure your participation

Support tab

The Support tab offers various kinds of help with your printer.
Browse helpful information from a variety of sources
Troubleshoot problems
Access HP Designjet links for technical support with your printer and accessories
Access service support pages that show current and historical data on the usage of your printer
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Turn the printer on and off

To turn on the printer, ensure that the residual current circuit breakers are in the up position and the power switch at the rear of the printer is turned on. If the printer does not start automatically, press the Power button on the front panel.
You can leave the printer on without wasting energy. Leaving it on improves response time. When the printer has not been used for a certain period of time, it saves power by going into sleep mode. Any interaction with the printer returns it to active mode, and it can resume printing immediately.
If you want to turn the printer on or off, the normal and recommended method is to use the Power button on the front panel.
When you turn off the printer this way, the printheads are automatically stored with the printhead cleaning cartridge, which prevents them from drying out.
However, if you plan to leave the printer turned off for a long period of time, you are recommended to turn it off using the Power button, and then also turn off the power switch at the rear.
To turn it back on later, use the power switch at the rear. If the printer does not start automatically, press the
Power button on the front panel.
When the printer is turned on, it takes about 5 minutes to initialize itself.

Restart the printer

In some circumstances you may be advised to restart the printer. To do so, press the Power button on the front panel to turn the printer off. Wait a few moments, then press the Power button again. This should restart the printer.
If the printer fails to restart, try the following alternative procedure.
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1. Turn off the printer by using the power switch at the rear of the printer. Check that the residual current
circuit breakers are in the up position.
2. Wait for 10 seconds.
3. Turn on the printer by using the power switch.
4. Make sure that the Power light on the front panel illuminates. If it does not, use the Power button to
turn on the printer.
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2 Connectivity and software instructions

Connection method

Your printer can be connected in the following way.
Connection type Speed Maximum cable length Other factors
Gigabit Ethernet Fast; varies according to
NOTE: The speed of any network connection depends on all the components that are used in the network,
which can include network interface cards, hubs, routers, switches, and cables. If any one of these components cannot operate at high speed, you will have a low-speed connection. The speed of your network connection can also be affected by the total amount of traffic from other devices on the network.

Connect to a network

Before you begin, check your equipment:
The printer should be set up and turned on.
The Gigabit switch or router should be on and functioning correctly.
All computers on the network should be turned on and connected to the network.
The printer should be connected to the switch.
When the printer is connected to the network and turned on, you should see the printer's IP address appear on the front panel (12.34.12.34 in this example). Make a note of the IP address: you can use it later to access the Embedded Web Server.
network traffic
Long (100 m=328 ft) Requires extra equipment
(switches)
If you see this screen without the IP address, either the printer is not successfully connected to the network, or your network has no DHCP server. In the latter case, you will have to set the IP address manually: see
printer cannot get an IP address on page 145.
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The
Refer to the RIP instructions (not provided by HP) to install the software RIP.
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3 Basic setup options

Printer setup options

Change the language of the front panel

Two methods are available to change the language that is used for the front-panel menus and messages.
If you can understand the current front panel language, go to the front panel and press
, then Setup > Front panel options > Language.
If you cannot understand the current front panel language, start with the printer turned off. Turn it on. As soon as icons appear on the front panel, press
Whichever method you used, the language selection menu should now appear on the front panel.
Highlight your preferred language, then press the OK button.

View or set the date and time

To view or set the printer's date and time, go to the front panel and press , then , then Setup > Front panel options > Date and time options.
, then
followed by . The front panel blinks briefly.

Set altitude

If your printer is operating at a significant altitude above sea level, go to the front panel and press , then
, then Setup > Select altitude, to tell the printer its operating altitude.

Request e-mail notification of specific error conditions

1. In the Embedded Web Server (see Access the Embedded Web Server on page 17), go to the E-mail
server page on the Setup tab and ensure that the following fields are correctly filled in:
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SMTP server. This is the IP address of the outgoing mail server (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol [SMTP]) that processes all e-mail messages from the printer. If the mail server requires authentication, e-mail notifications will not work.
Printer e-mail address. Each e-mail message that the printer sends must include a return address. This address does not need to be a real, functional e-mail address, but it should be unique, so that recipients of the message can identify the printer that sent it
2. Go to the Notification page, which is also on the Setup tab.
3. Click the New icon to request new notifications, or click the Edit icon to edit notifications that have
already been set up. Then specify the e-mail addresses to which notifications are sent, and select the incidents that result in notification messages.

Change the warming duration

When there are no more jobs to print, or you want to pre-warm the printer (Prepare printing option in the RIP), the printer´s drying and curing heaters remain on for the specified time and temperature in case another job arrives or in case you need to avoid any print-quality problem that could be caused by an incorrect temperature in the print zone. To choose the temperatures and how long you need the heaters to
continue working in this situation, go to the front panel and press
Substrate handling options > Warming temperature [45–55] ºC and/or Warm-up duration [5–120] min.

Change the sleep mode setting

, then , then Substrate >
If the printer is left turned on but unused for a certain period of time, it automatically goes into sleep mode to save power. The default period of time it waits is 30 minutes. To change the time the printer waits before it
goes into sleep mode, go to the front panel and press
Sleep mode wait time. Enter in minutes the wait time that you want, then press OK.

Turn audio alerts on or off

To turn the printer's audio alerts on or off, go to the front panel and press , then , then Setup > Front panel options > Enable audio alert or Disable audio alert. By default, audio alerts are enabled.

Change the front panel display brightness

To change the brightness of the front-panel display, press , then , then Setup > Front panel options > Display brightness, then select a value by moving the scroll bar. Press OK to save the value.

Change the units of measurement

To change the units of measurement that appear on the front panel, press , then , then Setup > Front panel options > Unit selection, then English or Metric.
The units of measurement can also be changed in the Embedded Web Server.
, then , then Setup > Front panel options >

Restore factory settings

To restore the printer settings to their original values as set in the factory, go to the front panel and press
, then , then Setup > Resets > Restore factory settings. This option restores all of the printer
settings except the Gigabit Ethernet settings.
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Embedded Web Server setup options

Access the Embedded Web Server

Use the Embedded Web Server to view printer information remotely through an ordinary Web browser running on any computer.
The following browsers are known to be compatible with the Embedded Web Server:
Internet Explorer 6 and later for Windows
Safari 2 and later for Mac OS X
Mozilla Firefox 2 and later
Google Chrome 7
To use the Embedded Web Server on any computer, open your Web browser and type the printer's IP address in the browser's address bar. The printer's IP address appears on the front panel's home screen (12.34.12.34 in this example):
If you follow these instructions but fail to open the Embedded Web Server, see Cannot access the Embedded
Web Server on page 145.

Change the language of the Embedded Web Server

The Embedded Web Server functions in the following languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan, French, Italian, German, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. It uses the language that you specified in your Web browser options. If you specify a language that it cannot support, it functions in English.
To change the language, change your Web browser's language setting. For example, in Internet Explorer version 6, go to the Tools menu and select Internet Options > Languages. Make sure that the language you want is at the top of the list in the dialog box.
To complete the change, close and reopen your Web browser.

Restrict access to the printer

From the Embedded Web Server, you can select Setup > Security to set an administrator password. Once set, this password must be given in order to perform the following printer functions.
Change printer settings.
Update the firmware.
Change the printer's date and time.
Clear accounting information.
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For more information, see the Embedded Web Server's online help.
If you forget the administrator password, you can delete the current password from the front panel: press
, then , then Setup > Connectivity > Advanced > Embedded Web Server > Reset EWS password.

Join the Customer Involvement Program

Join the Customer Involvement Program (CIP) and help us create better products for you. The printer usage data that we collect will help us determine how you use your printer, and which product features are the most important to you. All data is collected and used in accordance with the HP Privacy Policy. There are no mandatory surveys or follow-up emails. No personal contact information is collected. You can stop participating at any time.
Customer Involvement Program participation is configured with the Embedded Web Server, in particular the AutoSend page of the Setup tab, which looks like this.
To sign up for the CIP, perform the following configuration steps.
1. Check the Enable AutoSend box. This is the main control for the CIP program. If it is checked you may be
participating, depending on the rest of the configuration. If it is unchecked, you are not.
2. Click the Test and Apply button in the lower right corner of the screen. After a while you will see the
result of the test in a window like the following:
3. If the first message in the Result of AutoSend Settings window is Success and all items have a green
check mark in front of them, as shown above, then the configuration is complete. At this point you can browse to another tab of the Embedded Web Server, or close your browser window.
If the message is anything else, for instance Partial Success, and there are red cross marks in front of any items, then you may need to configure a proxy server: an ‘intermediary’ computer which sits in between your printer and the Internet, and can ‘talk’ to both. The resulting window may look like this.
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Return to the AutoSend page, and perform the following steps:
a. Enable (check) the Enable Proxy Server box in the lower part of the window.
b. If you know the URL of your proxy server (for example, http://proxy.mycompany.com; ask your
network administrator or IT staff), select the URL Address button and enter the URL in the corresponding box. If you know the IP address of your proxy server (for example, 192.0.0.1), select the IP address button and enter the address into the corresponding boxes.
c. Enter the proxy port in the Port box; the value is site-specific, but usually it is port 80.
d. User name and password may be required for some proxy servers; if so, enter them into the
corresponding boxes. If you’re not sure, leave these fields empty.
For example, the AutoSend tab page might now look like this.
4. Click the Test and Apply button in the lower right corner of the screen. If the first message in the Result
of AutoSend Settings window is Success and all items have a green check mark in front of them, then the configuration is complete. At this point you can browse to another tab of the Embedded Web Server, or close your browser window. If any items have a red cross mark in front of them, you may have to check and correct your proxy settings, as above.
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4 Handle the substrate

Overview

You can print on a wide variety of printing materials, all of which are referred to in this guide as substrates.

Substrate tips

Choosing the correct substrate for your needs is an essential step in ensuring good print quality.
Here are some tips about substrate usage.
Allow all substrates to adapt to room conditions, out of the packaging, for 24 hours before using them for printing.
Handle film and photo substrates by the edges, or wear cotton gloves. Skin oils can be transferred to the substrate, leaving fingerprint marks.
Keep the substrate tightly wound on the roll throughout the loading and unloading procedures. To make sure that the roll stays tightly wound, consider using tape to stick the leading edge of the roll to the core just before removing the roll from the printer. You can keep the roll taped during storage. If the roll starts to unwind, it can become difficult to handle.
NOTE: The use of tape to stick the leading edge of the roll to the core is especially important for heavy
substrates, because the inherent stiffness of the substrate can cause it to loosen and unwind from the core.
Using the take-up reel with some substrates, such as textiles, may give the printer better control of the substrate and is likely to improve print quality.
Print quality could be impaired if you use a substrate that is unsuitable for your image.
Make sure that the appropriate print-quality setting is selected in the RIP.
Whenever you load a roll, the front panel prompts you to specify the substrate family that you are loading. For good print quality, it is essential to specify this correctly. Check that the substrate belongs to the family named on the front panel, and check also that it matches the substrate profile in the RIP.
If the substrate family shown on the front panel does not correspond to the substrate that you have loaded, take one of the following actions:
Reload the roll into the printer and select the correct substrate family. See
printer on page 35 and Load a roll into the printer (automatically) on page 28.
At the printer's front panel, press
, then , then Substrate > Change loaded substrate.
Unload a roll from the
ENWW Overview 21
NOTE: Substrate advance calibration is not performed automatically when the substrate family
is changed from the front panel. To request the calibration manually, see
Adjust the substrate
advance on page 126.
For more substrate tips, see
the printer (manually) on page 31.
CAUTION: Removing the substrate from the printer manually without using the front panel could damage
the printer. Do this only when necessary to clear a substrate jam.

Supported substrate families

Substrate family Description
Self-Adhesive PVC films with adhesive on one side and a detachable liner. There are two main types classified by
Banner Usually a polyester mesh coated with PVC. There are also recyclable versions to cover the same
Textile Textiles are usually made of polyester or cotton yarns. Some open textiles come with a removable liner to
application purpose: calendered (for flat surfaces) and cast (for complex 3D curves). The film may have different finishes: white, transparent, reflective, or perforated.
Examples: HP Air Release Adhesive Gloss Cast Vinyl, Avery MPI3000 (calendered), Avery MPI1005 (cast), 3M IJ-380 (cast)
applications (green banners). Banners have a wide range of grammage and can be grouped into frontlit, backlit, and block-out categories.
Examples: HP Durable Frontlit Scrim Banner, Ultraflex Normandy Pro, Verseidag banners
prevent the ink from passing through the substrate. Very stiff textiles (such as canvases) should preferably be loaded as “Low temp (incl. HP Photoreal)" substrate. The use of porous substrates without a liner is not recommended.
Load a roll into the printer (automatically) on page 28 and Load a roll into
Film Usually a polyester film, although there are other materials. Select this family setting for substrates that
Synthetic Paper Substrates manufactured using synthetic resins, mainly extruded from polypropylene (PP). They have
Paper-Aqueous Light paper-based (cellulose) substrates with a coating compatible with water-based inks, or offset paper.
Paper-Solvent Paper-based (cellulose) substrates with a top coating compatible with solvent inks. Weight is usually
Low temp (incl. HP Photoreal)
Mesh An open and resistant polyester mesh coated with PVC and mainly used for building wrap applications.
can resist temperatures over 95°C (200°F), otherwise load them as "Low temp (incl. HP Photoreal)" substrate.
Example: Intelicoat SBL-7 Polyester Backlit Film
characteristics similar to those of plastic film, but their appearance and properties are similar to regular paper made from wood pulp.
Example: Ilford Omnijet Dry Glossy Portable Display Film
These substrates are not compatible with solvent inks. Weight is usually around 100 g/m².
between 120 and 200 g/m².
Examples: HP Blue Back Billboard Paper, Intelicoat GPIOF140, blue back substrates
Substrates sensitive to high temperatures (PP, HDPE, PET thin films), and paper-based (cellulose) substrates with top coating that have a high stiffness and grammage (200 g/m² or higher).
Example: HP Photorealistic Poster Paper
These substrates have a removable liner to prevent the ink from passing through the substrate.
Example: Ultraflex Stripmesh
The HP Media Finder is a tool that allows you to search for substrates (HP and third-party) that have been tested and shown to be compatible with your printer. The tool allows searching by manufacturer brand, substrate type, application or geographical availability. It can be found at
http://www.hp.com/go/
latexmediafinder/.
22 Chapter 4 Handle the substrate ENWW

Supported HP substrates

Substrate Recycle Take Back FSC Oeko
Banners
HP HDPE Reinforced Banner
HP Double-sided HDPE Reinforced Banner
HP Durable Frontlit Scrim Banner
Self-adhesive materials
HP Air Release Adhesive Gloss Cast Vinyl
HP One-view Perforated Adhesive Window Vinyl
HP Permanent Gloss Adhesive Vinyl
HP Permanent Matte Adhesive Vinyl
Films
HP Backlit Polyester Film
Fabrics
HP Heavy Textile Banner
HP Light Textile Display Banner
Papers
HP PVC-free Wall Paper (Greenguard, AgBB)
HP White Satin Poster Paper
HP Photo-realistic Poster Paper
HP Blue Back Billboard Paper
Specialty materials
HP DuPont Tyvek Banner
HP Satin Canvas
Key
Recycle: Substrates that can be recycled through commonly available recycling programs.
TakeBack: HP offers the HP Large-format Media TakeBack program in North America and Europe through which most HP recyclable substrates can be returned, availability varies. For details, visit http://www.hp.com/recycle/. Aside from this program, recycling opportunities for these products are currently only available in limited areas. Customers should consult local recycling resources for recycling these products.
FSC-certified papers carry the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Mixed Sources label, signifying that these substrates support the development of responsible forest management worldwide. The wood comes from FSC-certified well-managed forests, company-controlled sources and/or recycled material.
ENWW Overview 23
Unprinted HP Heavy Textile Banner, HP Light Textile Display Banner and HP Wrinkle-free Flag with Liner are Oeko-Tex-certified according to Oeko-Tex Standard 100, which is a globally uniform testing and certification system for textile raw materials, intermediate and end products at all stages of production. Tested for emissions of chemicals such as pesticides, allergy-inducing dyestuffs or tin-organic compounds.
Greenguard HP PVC-free Wall Paper printed using HP Latex Inks is listed in the GREENGUARD product list
AgBB The Committee for Health-related Evaluation of Building Products, AgBB, establishes the

Porous substrates

Substrates of limited porosity may be used with this printer, but very porous substrates could damage the printer.
To check the porosity of your substrate, proceed as follows.
1. If the printer has any substrate loaded, unload it.
2. Cut a piece of self-adhesive vinyl white gloss 15 × 50 mm (0.6 × 2 in) in size.
3. Stick it to the platen as shown.
of low-emitting products and is tested to the GREENGUARD Children & Schools standard. The print is neither GREENGUARD nor GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certified. The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) authorized standards developer that establishes acceptable indoor air standards for indoor products, environments, and buildings. See
fundamentals for a uniform and reproducible health-related evaluation of building products in Germany, including criteria for testing and an evaluation scheme for health-related evaluation of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from building products used for application indoors.
http://www.greenguard.org/.
4. Load the substrate that you want to check.
5. Open your RIP software.
6. Download the test file from inside the printer: http://printerIP/hp/device/webAccess/images/
Ink_trespassing_check.pdf, where printerIP is the IP address of your printer.
7. Print the test file using the number of passes and media preset that you intend to use in future with this
substrate (or a similar profile in terms of ink limit).
8. Unload the substrate.
24 Chapter 4 Handle the substrate ENWW
9. Remove the strip of self-adhesive vinyl from the platen.
10. Look at the self-adhesive vinyl you have taken from the platen.
If the strip is completely white (has no ink on it), the tested substrate is non-porous and can be used for printing as described in this guide.
If the strip is significantly non-white (as in the above example), the tested substrate is porous and should not be used with this printer.
If the strip is lighter in color than PANTONE 427C, the tested substrate may be used for short print runs.
NOTE: Printing on porous substrates can cause a decrease in print quality that would require a service
repair not covered by your warranty.
11. Clean the platen: see Clean the platen on page 97.

Load a roll onto the spindle

TIP: As an alternative to the description here, you can see an animation of this process in the front panel:
press
1. Make sure that the printer wheels are locked (the brake lever is pressed down) to prevent the printer
2. If the tension bar is in its upper position, lower it by lifting the lever.
, then , then Substrate > Substrate load > Learn how to load spindle.
from moving.
ENWW Load a roll onto the spindle 25
3. Lift the spindle lock lever to disengage the spindle.
4. Remove the spindle from the printer.
CAUTION: Do not insert your fingers into the spindle supports.
The spindle has a stop at each end to keep the roll in position. Remove the blue stop at the left end to mount a new roll (the stop at the other end can also be removed, if you wish). The stop slides along the spindle to hold rolls of different widths.
5. Unlock the blue stop.
26 Chapter 4 Handle the substrate ENWW
6. Remove the stop from the left end of the spindle.
7. Slide the spindle into the roll. If the roll is long and heavy, you may need two people to handle it.
8. The right stop of the spindle has two positions: one for rolls of the printer's maximum width, and
another for narrower rolls. Remember to use the second position for narrower rolls, which improves the drying process and allows higher printing speeds.
ENWW Load a roll onto the spindle 27
9. Put the blue stop on to the upper end of the spindle, and push it towards the end of the roll.
10. Lock the blue stop when it is in contact with the substrate.
11. Ease the spindle into the printer.
If you regularly use different substrates, you can change rolls more quickly if you pre-load rolls of different substrates on different spindles. Extra spindles are available for purchase.

Load a roll into the printer (automatically)

To start this procedure, you need to have a roll loaded on the spindle. See Load a roll onto the spindle
on page 25.
The normal minimum substrate width is 23 inches (584 mm). To load substrates down to a minimum width of 10 inches (254 mm), go to the front panel and press
options > Enable narrow substrate. With this option, print quality is not guaranteed.
, then , then Substrate > Substrate handling
TIP: To load a roll of textile material, see The loading accessory on page 45.
28 Chapter 4 Handle the substrate ENWW
TIP: When loading very thin or very thick substrates, or substrates with a tendency to curl, you should
follow the manual loading procedure to reduce the risk of substrate jams and printhead crashes; see
Load a
roll into the printer (manually) on page 31.
1.
At the printer's front panel, press
, then , then Substrate > Substrate load > Load roll.
2. Carefully insert the leading edge of the substrate above the black-ribbed roller, making sure the
substrate remains taut during the process. Avoid rewinding the substrate manually, unless the printer asks you to do so.
WARNING! Take care not to touch the rubber wheels on the platen while loading substrate. These
wheels can rotate and trap skin, hair or clothing.
WARNING! Take care not to push your fingers inside the printer's substrate path.
The printer beeps when it detects and accepts the leading edge of the substrate.
3. The front panel may prompt you to remove the edge holders from the platen, if the printer believes
they are present (it may be wrong: it has no sensor to detect them).
ENWW Load a roll into the printer (automatically) 29
4. Select the type of substrate you are loading.
NOTE: You should select the name of the particular substrate that you are using in your RIP software,
not in the front panel.
NOTE: The RIP substrate setting will overwrite the front panel setting.
5. You have the option of entering the length of substrate on the roll. If you choose to do so, the amount
of substrate that is subsequently used is then tracked. See
Substrate length tracking on page 51.
6. The printer checks the substrate in various ways and may ask you to correct problems with skew or
tension.
NOTE: You can specify the maximum permitted amount of skew at the front panel: press , then
, then Substrate > Substrate handling options > Max skew setting.
7. Wait until the substrate emerges from the printer, as shown below.
NOTE: If you have an unexpected problem at any stage of the substrate loading process, see The
substrate cannot be loaded successfully on page 133.
8. If you are loading transparent substrate without opaque borders, you are asked to enter the width of
the substrate and the distance of the right edge from the printer's side plate (as indicated by the ruler on the front of the curing module).
30 Chapter 4 Handle the substrate ENWW
9. If you have chosen double-sided printing, the front panel may ask a question about it at this point.
10. The printer calibrates the substrate advance.
11. The printer indicates that it is ready for printing.
Take care not to cover the top fans.
For instructions on how to use the take-up reel, see The take-up reel on page 35.

Load a roll into the printer (manually)

The manual loading process should be used in the following cases:
The substrate is unusually thin or unusually thick.
The substrate has ragged edges.
The substrate tends to curl at the edges.
The printing side of the substrate faces outwards.
In other cases, the automatic loading process is recommended: see
(automatically) on page 28.
To start this procedure, you need to have a roll loaded on the spindle. See
on page 25.
The normal minimum substrate width is 23 inches (584 mm). To load substrates down to a minimum width of 10 inches (254 mm), go to the front panel and press
options > Enable narrow substrate. With this option, print quality is not guaranteed.
TIP: To load a roll of textile material see The loading accessory on page 45.
, then , then Substrate > Substrate handling
Load a roll into the printer
Load a roll onto the spindle
ENWW Load a roll into the printer (manually) 31
1.
At the printer's front panel, press
This step is optional: you can alternatively begin at step 2.
The front panel may prompt you to remove the edge holders from the platen, if the printer believes they are present (it may be wrong: it has no sensor to detect them).
2. Lift the substrate-adjustment lever as far up as it will go.
, then , then Substrate > Substrate load > Manual load.
3. Carefully insert the leading edge of the substrate above the black-ribbed roller, making sure the
substrate remains taut during the process. Avoid rewinding the substrate manually, unless the printer asks you to do so.
4. Continue to feed the substrate until it reaches the printing platen. Open the window to help pull the
substrate through.
WARNING! Do not touch the printer's drying enclosure. Even after you have opened the window latch,
which disconnects the power to the drying and curing modules, the internal surfaces could be hot.
TIP: If the substrate you are using tends to curl, keep feeding the substrate until the edge is out of the
printer. You are also recommended to use the take-up reel, or to disable the cutter from the front panel if not using the take-up reel.
32 Chapter 4 Handle the substrate ENWW
5. Pull down the substrate-adjustment lever as far as it will go.
6. Select the type of substrate you are loading.
NOTE: You should select the name of the particular substrate that you are using in your RIP software,
not in the front panel.
TIP: When loading very thin substrates, always select the substrate type as Banner to minimize the
vacuum pressure applied while loading; when loading very thick substrates, always select the substrate type as HP Photorealistic to maximize the vacuum pressure. After loading and before printing, go to
the front panel and change to the correct type for the substrate you are loading: press
, then ,
then Substrate > Change loaded substrate.
TIP: When manually loading textile substrates that you intend to use with the take-up reel, before
selecting the substrate type it is a good idea to use the Move substrate option in theSubstrate menu to advance the substrate beyond the point where it may jam in the printer. This avoids the possibility of a substrate jam at this stage and also some other substrate issues; and it enables you to skip the normal check for skew.
7. The printer checks the substrate in various ways and may ask you to correct problems with skew or
tension.
NOTE: You can specify the maximum permitted amount of skew at the front panel: press , then
, then Substrate > Substrate handling options > Max skew setting.
8. If you are loading transparent substrate without opaque borders, you are asked to enter the width of
the substrate and the distance of the right edge from the printer's side plate (as indicated by the ruler on the front of the curing module).
9. If you have chosen double-sided printing, the front panel may ask a question about it at this point.
10. The printer calibrates the substrate advance.
ENWW Load a roll into the printer (manually) 33
11. The printer indicates that it is ready for printing.
Take care not to cover the top fans.

Load a cut sheet into the printer

The printer is designed to be used with rolls of substrate. It is possible to load cut sheets into the printer, but print quality cannot be guaranteed, and you may have some difficulty in avoiding skew.
The sheet should be at least 1067 mm (42 in) long.
Load the sheet by following the normal roll loading process (automatic or manual, depending on the substrate).
During the loading process, the printer tries to detect the winding direction of the roll by turning the spindle in both directions. When the substrate is not attached to the spindle, the following message appears.
A cut sheet is likely to be loaded with excessive skew, and the printer may not be able to correct it automatically. If the skew as measured by the printer exceeds 3 mm/m, you are recommended to stop
34 Chapter 4 Handle the substrate ENWW
loading and try again. However, if the skew is tolerable, you can consider skipping the automatic skew correction. To do so, when prompted, choose Continue with current skew.

Unload a roll from the printer

1. If you used the take-up reel during printing, unload the printed roll from the take-up reel. See Unload a
roll from the take-up reel on page 42.
2.
On the printer's front panel, press
3. If the printer has been tracking the length of the substrate, the front panel displays the remaining
length so that you can note it for future reference. See
Press OK to continue.
4. When the printer has rewound the roll, lift the spindle lock lever.
5. Remove the roll from the printer, pulling out the right end on the right side of the printer first. Do not
insert your fingers into the spindle supports during the removal process.
, then , then Substrate > Substrate unload > Unload roll.
Substrate length tracking on page 51.

The take-up reel

The take-up reel must be enabled and operated from the front panel. When the take-up reel is enabled, the Take-up reel enabled message appears on the Substrate tab on the front panel. If the take-up reel is not
enabled and you would like to enable it, press
Yes to confirm, and follow the instructions on the front panel.

The tension bar

When in use, the take-up reel requires a dangling loop of substrate weighed down by the tension bar.
ENWW Unload a roll from the printer 35
, then , then Substrate > Enable take-up reel. Press
The tension bar has a counterweight to increase output tension. It can be set in one of two positions (in or out), depending on the substrate type.
With textile substrates only, it should be at the front.

Load a roll onto the take-up reel

1.
On the printer's front panel, press
36 Chapter 4 Handle the substrate ENWW
, then , then Substrate > Enable take-up reel.
2. The front panel offers you the choice of loading the take-up reel immediately, or during printing.
If you decide to load the take-up reel during printing, familiarize yourself with the procedural steps. Loading the take-up reel during printing requires you to complete the procedure while the printer is feeding and printing substrate. Loading the take-up reel during printing saves approximately 1.5 m (4.9 ft) of substrate.
TIP: If you have already loaded the take-up reel, but the printer fails to recognize that it is loaded, you
can save some time by selecting Load it during printing.
TIP: You are recommended to keep the take-up reel winding-direction switch in the off position (see
Unload a roll from the take-up reel on page 42) to avoid unwanted movements when loading the
take-up reel while printing. Once you have the leading edge of the substrate attached to the core, and the substrate is straight, switch the winding-direction switch to position 1 or 2, as you prefer. Setting 1 winds the substrate so that the printed image faces in, setting 2 winds the substrate so that the printed image faces out.
The following steps assume that you have decided to load immediately. If you decide to load later, during printing, you must complete the same operations without guidance from the front panel.
3. Ensure that the tension bar is in its raised position (up).
4. Unlock the take-up reel by lifting the two levers.
ENWW The take-up reel 37
5. Remove the take-up reel.
6. Unlock the blue stop.
7. Remove the stop from the left end of the spindle.
8. Load the core onto the take-up reel. The core should be at least as wide as the substrate.
38 Chapter 4 Handle the substrate ENWW
9. Replace the blue stop on the take-up reel. Slide it into contact with the core, then lock it.
10. Load the take-up reel into the printer by pushing firmly on both ends.
11. Use the Move substrate option in the front panel's Substrate menu to advance the substrate. Continue
advancing the substrate until it reaches the spindle.
ENWW The take-up reel 39
12. Pass the substrate between the diverter and the tension bar.
13. Pull down the center of the substrate's leading edge to straighten the substrate. Do not attempt to pull
more substrate out of the printer.
NOTE: If you are loading the take-up reel during printing you do not need to pull the substrate taut.
Tape the substrate to the spindle core when an adequate length of substrate has fed from the printer after printing begins.
14. Ensure that the right-hand edge of the substrate is aligned with the right-hand stop on the take-up reel.
40 Chapter 4 Handle the substrate ENWW
15. Tape the leading edge of the substrate to the core in the center, then at each side. Make sure that the
substrate is straight.
16. Use the advance button on the take-up reel motor to advance the take-up reel one turn, to make sure
that the substrate is firmly attached to the core.
17. Press the OK button on the front panel. The printer advances the substrate.
ENWW The take-up reel 41
18. Lift the lever to lower the tension bar.
19. Use the winding-direction switch on the take-up reel motor to select the winding direction. Setting 1
winds the substrate so that the printed image faces in. Setting 2 winds the substrate so that the printed image faces out.
20. Press the OK button on the front panel. The Take-up reel has been successfully installed message
appears.
21. The following image shows how the printer looks when it is operating. As substrate is fed from the
printer, it drops down to the tension bar, over the diverter, then down again to the take-up reel.
NOTE: The cutter is disabled when the take-up reel is in use.

Unload a roll from the take-up reel

1.
On the printer's front panel, press
, then , then Substrate > Disable take-up reel.
The printer advances the substrate to allow for cutting.
42 Chapter 4 Handle the substrate ENWW
2. Switch the winding-direction switch to the off position. The switch is in the off position when it is
centered (in other words, when the switch is neither in position 1 nor position 2).
3. Raise the tension bar to its upper position.
4. Use the advance button on the take-up reel motor to wind the excess substrate around the take-up
reel.
5. Press the OK button on the front panel. The printer asks you to cut the substrate manually.
6. Use the advance button on the take-up reel motor to wind the remainder of the substrate around the
take-up reel.
7. Press the OK button on the front panel.
The front panel displays the amount of printed substrate that is on the take-up reel.
ENWW The take-up reel 43
8. Unlock the take-up reel by lifting both levers.
9. Remove the roll from the printer, pulling out the end on the right side of the printer first. Do not insert
your fingers into the spindle supports during the removal process.
10. To remove the roll from the printer after you have unloaded the take-up reel, see Unload a roll from the
printer on page 35.

The edge holders

The edge holders are designed to prevent the edges of the substrate from rising while printing is in progress. They are recommended for textile and double-sided printing (even if the front panel does not suggest them), and are not normally necessary in other situations. When not in use, they can be stored in their case at the rear of the printer.
If you choose to use them, you should place them on the platen when prompted by the front panel (this prompt appears when using the loading accessory). Open the window, place the edge holders, then close the window.
WARNING! Do not touch the printer's drying enclosure. Even after you have opened the window latch, which
disconnects the power to the drying and curing modules, the internal surfaces could be hot.
The edge holders should be placed on the platen so that they slightly overlap the left and right edges of the substrate. The edge holders fit into holes in the platen, and they are magnetic, which helps them to stay in place.
44 Chapter 4 Handle the substrate ENWW
Slide the edge holder to the left or right with your fingers so that you can see the edge of the substrate in the two square holes in the side of the edge holder.
The following picture shows an edge holder correctly placed.
NOTE: When you use the edge holders, your prints should have a minimum margin of 10 mm.
NOTE: Remove the edge holders when the end-of-roll message appears.

The loading accessory

The loading accessory is designed to help in loading banner/textile/mesh substrates. It is recommended when loading such substrates, but not obligatory.
The printer comes with two loading accessories: one for rolls up to 1.55 m (61 in) wide and one for rolls up to
2.64 m (104 in) wide. The smaller loading accessory can also be used for wide rolls if you prefer.
NOTE: The edge holders can be used whether or not you decide not to use the loading accessory.
1. Select Load with accessory from the Substrate Load menu on the front panel.
ENWW The loading accessory 45
NOTE: If you select Load with accessory, a message is displayed asking whether you want to use the
edge holders.
2. Lay the textile loading accessory on the floor and flip forward enough of the white flaps to cover the
width of the substrate.
3. Pull some of the substrate from the roll and put the leading edge on the loading accessory.
46 Chapter 4 Handle the substrate ENWW
4. Flip the white flaps back to cover the leading edge of the substrate. The black patches are magnetic and
grip the substrate.
5. Lift the loading accessory and the leading edge of the substrate together.
6. Load the substrate manually, see Load a roll into the printer (manually) on page 31.
ENWW The loading accessory 47
7. The loading accessory passes through the printer's substrate path with the substrate.
8. The front panel asks whether you want to use the edge holders. See The edge holders on page 44.
9. Select the type of substrate you are loading.
NOTE: You should select the name of the particular substrate that you are using in your RIP software,
not in the front panel.
TIP: When loading very thin substrates, always select the substrate type as Banner to minimize the
vacuum pressure applied while loading; when loading very thick substrates, always select the substrate type as HP Photorealistic to maximize the vacuum pressure. After loading and before printing, go to
the front panel and change to the correct type for the substrate you are loading: press
, then ,
then Substrate > Change loaded substrate.
10. After passing through the printer, the loading accessory can be removed by hand.
11. The printer checks the substrate in various ways and may ask you to correct problems with skew or
tension.
NOTE: You can specify the maximum permitted amount of skew at the front panel: press , then
, then Substrate > Substrate handling options > Max skew setting.
48 Chapter 4 Handle the substrate ENWW
12. If you are loading transparent substrate without opaque borders, you are asked to enter the width of
the substrate and the distance of the right edge from the printer's side plate (as indicated by the ruler on the front of the curing module).
13. If you have chosen double-sided printing, the front panel may ask a question about it at this point.
14. The printer calibrates the substrate advance.
15. The front panel recommends using the take-up reel. You can choose to load the take-up reel now, or
later during printing; or you can choose not to use it at all. See
16. Complete the loading process as usual and adjust the skew if necessary.
The take-up reel on page 35.

Double-sided printing

The printer can be used to print on both sides of the substrate, in the following way.
NOTE: The print should be at least 28 cm (11 in) wide, otherwise the printer will not be able to find the
reference line when printing the second side.
Outline
1. Tell the printer that you intend to print on both sides.
2. The printer prints the content that you want to appear on the first side. After each job, the printer prints
a black reference line that is used to align the matching job on the second side.
3. Cut and unload the substrate.
4. Reload the cut substrate upside down and starting at the end. The reference line marking the end of the
first side should be face down and near the leading edge.
5. The printer finds the reference line, and uses it to start printing the second side in the right place.
Double-sided printing can be selected in your RIP software or at the printer's front panel. The RIP setting takes precedence: if double-sided printing is explicitly turned on or off in the RIP software, the front panel setting is ignored.
NOTE: If you try to move the substrate while printing on either side, the front panel asks for confirmation,
because any such movement prevents correct alignment between the two sides.
ENWW Double-sided printing 49
Double-sided printing in detail
1. Load the substrate in the normal way for the substrate you are using.
2.
On the printer's front panel, press Return to the home screen and check that the printer status is shown as Ready to print side A.
Alternatively, select double-sided printing in your RIP software.
NOTE: The automatic cutter and the extra bottom margin are both disabled during double-sided
printing.
3. Send one or more jobs to be printed on the first side. Before printing the first job, the printer may
advance the substrate by about 0.5 m (20 in) so that the second side can be completely cured. After each job, the printer prints a black reference line that is used to align the matching job on the second side.
NOTE: The chance of visible misalignment between the two sides increases with the length of the job.
For this reason, in double-sided printing you are recommended not to print any single job that is longer than 3 m (10 ft).
4.
After printing, advance the substrate a little by going to the front panel and pressing then Substrate > Move substrate.
If you plan to attach the substrate to the take-up reel before printing the second side, advance the substrate enough to achieve this.
If you plan to attach the substrate to the take-up reel while printing the second side, advance the substrate about 10 cm (4 in).
, then , then Substrate > Double-sided printing > Side A.
, then ,
5.
Cut the substrate, either manually or by going to the front panel and pressing Substrate > Form feed and cut. Before cutting, ensure that the total length of the cut substrate is more
than 2 m (6 ft 7 in), otherwise you may be unable to load it successfully.
NOTE: The Form feed and cut command will not work if the substrate cannot be cut by the cutter.
6.
Press
7. Reload the substrate with the first (printed) side facing up as it enters the printer, and with the
reference line near the leading edge. Reload if necessary until the printer finds less than 1 mm/m skew.
TIP: Although it is not strictly necessary, you may find it quicker to use the manual loading procedure
as an initial approximation, and then allow the printer to find the reference line more accurately. See
Load a roll into the printer (manually) on page 31. If you use only the automatic loading procedure, the
printer may take some time to find the reference line.
TIP: You are recommended to use the edge holders when printing the second side, which means using
the manual loading procedure.
TIP: If you have deliberately not attached the substrate to a spindle, and the front panel reports that
the substrate may be detached from the core, or that the feeding direction is not detected, you can ignore the message and continue.
8. The front panel asks, Would you like to load substrate for printing as side B? Select Yes.
, then , then Substrate > Substrate unload.
, then , then
9. The printer searches for the reference line on the substrate. If it fails to find it, the front panel asks you
to move the substrate using the Up and Down keys until the reference line is aligned with the permanent line on the platen. You may find it useful to mark where the reference line is on the other side of the substrate.
50 Chapter 4 Handle the substrate ENWW
NOTE: If you know that the automatic search for the reference line is not working (perhaps because
the substrate-advance sensor is dirty), you can turn it off: press
Substrate handling options > Enable auto line detection > Off.
10. Send one or more jobs to be printed on the second side. If you send more than one job, they should be
sent in reverse order, because printing starts at the end of the second side and works back towards the beginning.
NOTE: The jobs printed on the second side should probably be rotated 180 degrees, and may need to
be slightly reduced in size to compensate for the contraction of the substrate after passing once through the printer. See
The substrate has shrunk or expanded on page 137.

View information about the substrate

On the front panel's home screen, press .
The following information appears on the front panel:
The roll status
The substrate family that you have selected
The width of the substrate in millimeters (estimated by the printer)
, then , then Substrate >
If no substrate is loaded, the message Out of substrate appears.
The same information appears on the Embedded Web Server's Supplies page.

Substrate length tracking

The substrate length tracking feature enables you to keep track of how much substrate you have used and how much is remaining on the roll.
1. When the roll is first loaded onto the printer you have the option to enter the length of substrate on the
roll. The amount of substrate that is subsequently used is then tracked.
ENWW View information about the substrate 51
2. When the substrate is unloaded, the front panel displays the amount remaining so that you can note it
for future reference.
3. Next time the substrate is loaded, you can enter the remaining length, and the printer again tracks the
substrate as it is used. If the substrate was never actually unloaded, for example if there was a substrate jam and the substrate was unloaded and the printer was turned off and on, if you select Last known length the printer will apply the values from when the jam occurred (if the tracking feature was enabled).
The remaining length of substrate is always displayed in the Substrate area of the front panel. This information may also be displayed in your RIP.
Enable/disable the length tracking feature
1.
The length tracking feature can be disabled or enabled from the front panel. Press
, then ,
then Substrate > Substrate handling options > Substrate length tracking.
2. Select On or Off.
52 Chapter 4 Handle the substrate ENWW

Form feed and cut

The Form feed and cut option is available from the printer's front panel. If you press , then , then Substrate > Form feed and cut, the printer normally advances and cuts the substrate. Here is a list of its
other functions:
If the printer is waiting for more pages to be nested, Form feed and cut cancels the waiting time and prints the available pages immediately.
If the printer is drying the ink after printing, Form feed and cut cancels the waiting time and releases the page immediately.
If the take-up reel is enabled, Form feed and cut advances the substrate 10 cm (3.9 in), but does not cut it.
NOTE: The cutter is disabled when the take-up reel is in use, and when a banner or textile substrate is
loaded.

Store the substrate

The following are tips for storing substrate:
Always keep unused rolls wrapped in the plastic wrap to prevent discoloration and dust accumulation. Rewrap partially used rolls if they are not being used.
Do not stack rolls.
Allow all substrates to adapt to room conditions out of the packaging for 24 hours before printing.
Handle film and glossy substrates by the edges or wear cotton gloves. Skin oils can be transferred to the substrate, leaving fingerprint marks.
Keep the substrate tightly wound on the roll throughout the loading and unloading procedures. If the roll starts to unwind, it can become difficult to handle.
ENWW Form feed and cut 53
54 Chapter 4 Handle the substrate ENWW

5 Substrate settings

Download media presets

Each supported substrate has its own characteristics. The printer changes the way it prints on each different substrate. The RIP requires a description of the requirements of each substrate. This description is called the “media preset”.
The media preset contains the ICC color profile, which describes the color characteristics of the substrate. It also contains information about other characteristics (RIP and printer settings, such as drying and curing temperatures, vacuum pressure and substrate advance compensation) and requirements of the substrate that are not directly related to color. Media presets for your printer are installed in the RIP.
The RIP contains media presets for only the most commonly used substrates. If you buy a substrate for which your RIP has no preset, you can obtain a preset for a new substrate in the following ways:
Try to download the media preset from the substrate manufacturer's Web site.
If it is not there, try to download it from the RIP company's Web site.
If it is not there, check availability using the HP Media Finder search application located at
http://www.hp.com/go/latexmediafinder/
If you cannot find it anywhere, create a new media preset in the RIP, or copy a similar existing media preset and modify it. See
Further information can be found at

Add a new substrate

This section is provided in case you decide to make your own media preset. Normally there is no need to do this if you can find ready-made presets for all the substrates that you use.
Add a new substrate on page 55.
http://www.hp.com/go/L28500/solutions/.
ENWW Download media presets 55

Summary

Select printer settings and color profile

The correct printer settings for your substrate may be available from your RIP vendor or substrate vendor. If not, you can start by copying printer settings from a similar substrate of the same family. See
substrate families on page 22.
If you cannot find a similar substrate for some reason, here are some recommended default settings for each substrate family.
56 Chapter 5 Substrate settings ENWW
Supported
Substrate family Drying
temp.
Self-Adhesive 55 105 30 Yes Yes 0 15 25
Banner 50 100 45 Yes No 0 15 5
Textile 55 100 45 Yes No 0 15 20
Film 55 95 30 Yes Yes 0 15 25
Synthetic Paper 50 80 30 Yes Yes 0 15 40
Paper-Aqueous 45 70 30 Yes Yes 0 15 20
Paper-Solvent 50 90 30 Yes Yes 0 15 25
Curing
temp.
Heating
airflow
Auto-
tracking
(OMAS)
Cutter Sub-
strate-
advance
compensa
tion
Input
tension
Vacuum
Low temp (incl. HP Photoreal)
Mesh 50 95 30 Yes Yes 0 15 30
50 80 30 Yes Yes 0 15 40
The various settings mentioned above are described below.
Setting Description If too low If too high
Passes The number of passes specifies
how many times the printheads will print over the same area of the substrate.
Drying temp. The heat applied in the printing
zone removes water and fixes the image to the substrate.
Curing temp. Curing is needed to coalesce the
latex, creating a polymeric film which acts as a protective layer, while at the same time removing the remaining co-solvents from the print. Curing is vital to ensure the durability of the printed images.
The amount of ink fired per time unit is larger and ink has less time to dry on the substrate. This may create coalescence and banding. The boundaries between passes may be more visible. However, printing speed is relatively high.
Print-quality defects such as banding, bleeding and coalescence may occur.
The print may emerge not fully polymerized, so that the ink smears when rubbed. The print may appear wet, after printing or later. You may need to increase the number of passes to achieve adequate curing.
Colors are vivid, print quality is high. However, printing speed is relatively low. A lower curing temperature is needed, otherwise the substrate may be deformed.
Thermal marks may be seen on the substrate; they may appear as vertical bands in some colors. The substrate may wrinkle on the platen, causing vertical banding, ink smears or substrate jams.
The substrate may wrinkle under the curing module, causing defects such as blisters or liner detachment. The substrate wrinkles may also cause vertical banding or ink smears at the beginning of the following plot.
Heating airflow Airflow helps to remove the
Substrate advance compensation
evaporated water from the print zone and thus allows more efficient drying.
Your printer was calibrated at the factory to ensure that it advances the substrate accurately when using supported substrates in normal environmental conditions. However, you may find it useful to adjust the substrate advance when printing in an unusual but stable temperature or humidity level, or if the substrate-advance sensor is not working.
In general, use the substrate family default value.
You may see horizontal banding or grain.
You may see horizontal banding or grain.
ENWW Add a new substrate 57
Setting Description If too low If too high
Input tension Tension is applied to the substrate
from the input spindle. It needs to be constant over the full width of the substrate, thus substrate load is a critical operation.
Vacuum The vacuum applied to the
substrate at the printing zone helps to hold the substrate down on the print platen, keeping the distance to the printheads constant.
Bidirectional Specifies whether printheads print
in both directions, when moving from left to right and from right to left.
High ink level The maximum quantity of ink will
be laid on the substrate (the High ink level option available only when the number of passes is 10 or more). The ink quantity may be reduced by the RIP color profile.
The substrate skews and may become increasingly wrinkled in the printing zone. Also, substrate advance may be irregular, resulting in horizontal banding.
The substrate may lift up off the platen and touch the printheads. This can smear the printed image, cause vertical banding, cause a substrate jam or even damage the printheads.
If Bidirectional is selected, the amount of ink fired per unit of time is larger, and therefore print quality defects such as coalescence and banding may occur, especially at the sides of the plot. However, printing speed is high.
If not selected, colors may look washed-out.
The substrate may be permanently deformed or damaged. Substrate advance problems may appear in extreme cases.
For sticky substrates, friction could be too high and substrate advance irregular, resulting in horizontal banding or irregular grainy patches.
If Bidirectional is unchecked then the printing is unidirectional and the speed is relatively low.
TIP: You are recommended to
keep Bidirectional selected in all cases, increasing the number of passes if necessary to avoid coalescence and banding.
If selected, there can be excess of ink and some problems related to poor drying and curing.
TIP: Select High ink level for
backlit and some textile applications, or if you want high color saturation.
Cutter The printer's built-in cutter can cut
the substrate automatically between each print.
Auto tracking (OMAS) The substrate-advance sensor
(also known as the Optical Media Advance Sensor, OMAS) is located under the print platen; it can track the substrate advance automatically.
Disable the cutter in the following cases:
You want to increase the speed of printing.
You want to use the take-up reel.
You want to cut the substrate manually.
The leading edge of the substrate tends to curl and cause substrate jams.
In some cases, the cutter is automatically disabled.
Disable the sensor in the following cases:
The substrate allows ink to pass through to the platen. Clean the sensor after using this substrate.
You are instructed to do so by the front panel, because the sensor is dirty or unable to track this particular substrate.

Load the substrate and print the diagnostic plot

1. Load the substrate in the normal way, paying particular attention to the following points.
58 Chapter 5 Substrate settings ENWW
The stop at the right-hand end of the spindle has two possible positions on the spindle. Always use the leftmost position if possible. Use the rightmost position only if the substrate roll requires the full width of the spindle.
Turn off the substrate-advance sensor (OMAS) in the RIP if the substrate is transparent or its underside is dark, or if the printer recommends you to do so.
Align the printheads.
2. Open the HP diagnostic chart in the RIP. The chart is stored in your printer, at http://ip-addr/hp/device/
webAccess/images/new.tif, where ip-addr is the IP address of your printer.
3. Select a suitable number of passes for the substrate family. See
on page 61.
4. Reset your print mode to default category values for that print mode.
5. Print the plot.

Change settings while printing

You can use the front panel to change the following settings while printing.
To change temperature, vacuum and inter-pass dry time settings while printing: press Adjustments, and choose the setting that you want to adjust. You can use the arrow keys to adjust the
curing temperature, the drying temperature, the vacuum pressure or the inter-pass dry time (delay between passes). The changes that you make take effect immediately, but they are not saved: the next job will use the settings in the media preset as usual. If you want to change the settings permanently, you must change them in the media preset in the RIP.
To change substrate advance calibration while printing (in case of banding): press Adjustments > Adjust substrate advance. You can use the arrow keys to adjust the substrate advance.
The changes that you make take effect immediately, but they are not saved for the next job. See also
Substrate advance adjustment on the fly on page 126.
To enable or disable extra printhead cleaning while printing: press quality maintenance > Extra PH cleaning. In this case, the change of setting is saved for subsequent
jobs.
Select the number of passes
, then
, then
, then , then Ink > Image-
NOTE: Extra printhead cleaning shortens the life of the printhead cleaning cartridge.

Advanced settings

Here are some more advanced settings, which you are not recommended to change, unless you have problems that you cannot resolve any other way.
The drying and curing temperatures used by the printer are determined by adding the offset to the base temperature. The base temperatures shown in the table are the default values for each substrate family, but may be changed by the printer depending on the printer settings in use. You cannot change the base temperatures yourself, but you can change the offsets. The base warm-up drying temperature is determined by the RIP.
Your RIP may have an option to return all settings to their default values.
Substrate family
Self­Adhesive
ENWW Add a new substrate 59
Warm-up
drying
temperatu
re offset
59508009500.70
Warm-up
curing
temperatu
re
Warm-up
curing
temperatu
re offset
Cool-down
drying
temperatu
re
Cool-down
drying
temperatu
re offset
Cool-down
curing
temperatu
re
Cool-down
curing
temperatu
re offset
Minimum
drying power
Inter-pass
drying
time
Substrate family
Banner 5 95 0 80 0 90 0 0.7 0
Textile 5 85 0 80 0 90 0 0.7 0
Film 5 85 0 80 0 100 0 0.7 0
Warm-up
drying
temperatu
re offset
Warm-up
curing
temperatu
re
Warm-up
curing
temperatu
re offset
Cool-down
drying
temperatu
re
Cool-down
drying
temperatu
re offset
Cool-down
curing
temperatu
re
Cool-down
curing
temperatu
re offset
Minimum
drying power
Inter-pass
drying
time
Synthetic Paper
Paper­Aqueous
Paper­Solvent
Low temp (incl. HP Photoreal)
Mesh 58508009500.70
5800750850 0 0
5600750850 0 0
57507509000.70
5800750850 0 0
The various settings mentioned above are described below.
Setting Description If too low If too high
Warm-up drying temperature
Warm-up drying temperature offset
The base temperature that the substrate in the print zone must reach before printing starts.
This offset is added to the base warm-up drying temperature, and the total is displayed in the front panel while the printer is preparing to print.
This setting is determined by the RIP. You cannot change it.
Bleeding or coalescence may appear in the first 200-300 mm of the print.
A longer time to start printing is required. Vertical banding or ink smears may occur.
Warm-up curing temperature
Warm-up curing temperature offset
Cool-down drying temperature
Cool-down drying temperature offset
Cool-down curing temperature
The base temperature that the substrate in the curing zone must reach before printing starts.
This offset is added to the base warm-up curing temperature, and the total is displayed in the front panel while the printer is preparing to print.
The base temperature at which the substrate can be under the drying module without being damaged. At the end of a job, the substrate is not stopped until this temperature is reached.
This offset is added to the base cool-down drying temperature.
The base temperature at which the substrate can be under the curing module without being damaged. At the end of a job, the substrate is not stopped until this temperature is reached.
This setting is determined by the printer. You cannot change it.
The beginning of the print is not fully dry, or looks oily.
This setting is determined by the printer. You cannot change it.
A long time is needed to finish the print.
This setting is determined by the printer. You cannot change it.
Substrate degradation (blisters, adhesive detachment) at the beginning of the print.
The substrate at the beginning of the next print may be damaged, because it has stopped moving under too high a temperature. This case is uncommon.
60 Chapter 5 Substrate settings ENWW
Setting Description If too low If too high
Cool-down curing temperature offset
Minimum drying power
Inter-pass drying time A delay between consecutive

Temperature profile

Many of the main and advanced substrate settings are related to temperature control, since this is a critical area for correct printing results with latex inks on a wide variety of substrates. The diagram below graphically represents the evolution of drying and curing temperatures during the various printing phases.
This offset is added to the base cool-down curing temperature.
The minimum power applied in the drying module while printing, so the substrate does not cool too much in lightly inked areas.
passes of the printhead carriage across the substrate.
A long time is needed to finish the print.
A heavily inked area that comes after a lightly inked area will have bleeding or coalescence defects.
Drying and/or curing may not be sufficient in some cases.
The end of the print may be damaged if the cutter is disabled.
The substrate is damaged in blank or lightly inked areas of the print, especially with a high number of passes.
Printing is slower.
NOTE: Target temperatures and time are not to scale. For the specific values used for a given substrate
type (family), consult the main and advanced settings tables above.
NOTE: tp time can be modified through the printer’s front panel.

Select the number of passes

Increasing the number of passes will tend to improve the print quality but reduce the speed of printing.
NOTE: The following table is for bidirectional printing only, and with normal ink limit, unless otherwise
indicated.
ENWW Add a new substrate 61
Passes Carr.
speed
2 Speed X X X X X Low ink Low ink Low ink X
2 Std X X X X X Low ink Low ink Low ink X
4 Speed No Maybe No No No Maybe Maybe Maybe No
4 Std No Maybe No No No Maybe Maybe Maybe No
6 Speed Maybe Wide No No No Wide Wide Wide Maybe
6 Std Maybe Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes Maybe
8 Speed Wide Yes Maybe Maybe No Yes Yes Yes Yes
8 Std Yes Yes Maybe Maybe Maybe Yes Yes Yes Yes
10 Speed Yes Yes
10 Std Yes Yes Maybe Maybe Maybe Yes Yes Yes Yes
12 Speed Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
12 Std Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
16 Speed Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
16 Std Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Self-
Adhes.
Banner
Textile
Yes
1
3
2
Film
Maybe Maybe Yes Yes Yes Yes
Synth.
Paper
Paper-
Aqueous
Paper-
Solvent
Low
temp
Mesh
Key
18 uni Std Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
20–28 Std Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
1
Normal or high ink limit may be used
2
High ink limit should be used
3
Recommended with normal ink limit; may be worth trying with high ink limit
X: Do not use
No: Expect low print quality
Low ink: May be worth trying for extra speed, but with a very low ink limit
Maybe: May be worth trying for extra speed
Wide: Recommended only for printed images wider than 60 in (236 mm).
Yes: Recommended
Uni: Unidirectional printing only
NOTE: More specific settings for many substrates from different vendors are available in the HP Media
Finder at
http://www.hp.com/go/latexmediafinder/.
NOTE: After selecting the number of passes, make sure to reset your print mode to default category values
for that print mode.
Tips
4 to 16 passes should cover most printing needs.
2 to 6 passes provide lower print quality. Also, the color gamut will be slightly reduced, as total ink is limited to allow for drying and curing.
62 Chapter 5 Substrate settings ENWW
For time-critical applications, 2 to 16 passes using a higher carriage speed (1.5 m/s (60 in/s) versus the standard speed of 1 m/s (40 in/s)) can be selected from the RIP.
The increased carriage speed provides about a 15 to 30% gain in throughput (m²/h).
Minor color shifts may be noticed if you reuse presets obtained with the standard carriage speed. You may wish to create a new preset for the higher carriage speed.
For high-ink applications, you are recommended to use at least 8 passes, depending on the substrate family. Print modes of 20 and more passes have been included to ensure proper drying and curing in certain cases.
1200 dpi print resolution is available in the 18-pass print mode only. Make sure you have a specific media preset for this print mode, because reusing others may not deliver the expected print quality.
For fast layout proofing on cheap substrates, a low-ink 2-pass print mode has been enabled on paper­based substrates. This mode is not intended for use with higher-quality substrate families, as drying and curing will not work properly. This is not designed to be a production print mode, but for occasional usage, as prolonged 2-pass printing may harm your printheads.

Check the quantity of ink on the substrate

Check that the ink quantities in your media preset are adequate. Look at the color patches in the HP diagnostic chart and check that the patches have the correct amount of ink using the guidelines below:
1. Too much ink: There are several possible symptoms of this problem.
The last two or three scales of the chart look the same.
Vertical bands.
ENWW Add a new substrate 63
Horizontal bands.
Coalescence, grain (can be caused by an excess of light ink).
Try reducing the amount of ink in your RIP software, then reprint the chart and check again.
You may have chosen a media preset that uses more ink than your substrate allows. Consult your RIP documentation to make sure you’re applying the right media preset, and to find out how to lower the total ink limits of the media preset. For a quick solution, you could change to a different media preset that uses less ink: for example, paper-aqueous presets use less ink than self-adhesive presets.
2. Correct amount of ink: The top level of each patch shows a smooth gradient, there are no visible
defects and increasing amounts of ink result in increasing color density.
64 Chapter 5 Substrate settings ENWW
3. Too little ink: The whole chart looks washed out.
Try increasing the amount of ink in your RIP software, then reprint the chart and check again.
You may have chosen a media preset that uses less ink than your substrate allows. Consult your RIP documentation to make sure you’re applying the right media preset, and to find out how to increase the total ink limits of the media preset. For a quick solution, you could change to a different media preset that uses more ink: for example, self-adhesive presets use more ink than paper-aqueous presets.
NOTE: Backlit and some textile substrates usually need to be used with the “High Ink Limit” option enabled
in the RIP.
ENWW Add a new substrate 65

Faster printing

The obvious way to increase speed is to reduce the number of print passes and/or increase the carriage speed to 1.5 m/s (60 in/s), although these will tend to reduce print quality. Bear in mind the following considerations.
With fewer than 10 passes, you may see an increase in grain.
With fewer than 8 passes, the printer is more sensitive to substrate advance problems.
With fewer than 8 passes, you may need to reduce the ink quantity to improve print quality.
With carriage speed at 1.5 m/s (60 in/s), you may need longer inter-pass drying times or a lower ink quantity for proper drying.
If you want to use the high ink level option, you must use at least 10 passes.
As you reduce the number of passes, the best curing temperature may be more difficult to find, and may be more sensitive to the ambient temperature and humidity.
Here are some other suggestions for increasing the speed of printing.
Concatenating prints saves time, because one can be sent while another is being printed.
Disable the cutter: press With most substrates, this saves some time at the end of the printing process.
Increase the cool-down curing temperatures. This also saves some time at the end of the printing process, but may cause slight substrate deformation, depending on the substrate.
NOTE: Printing continuously for more than 2 hours can reduce the life of the printheads. An occasional brief
pause allows the printer to service the printheads.
See also The printer seems slow on page 146.

Color calibration

The purpose of color calibration is to produce consistent colors with the specific printheads, inks and substrate that you are using, and in your particular environmental conditions. After color calibration, you can expect to get identical prints from your printer on different occasions.
Color calibration can be launched from your RIP software; see your RIP documentation for details.
In outline, the process consists of the following steps.
1. A calibration test chart is printed.
2. The HP Embedded Spectrophotometer (or, if you prefer, a different spectrophotometer) scans and
measures the test chart.
, then , then Substrate > Substrate handling options > Cutter > Off.
3. The RIP uses the measurements to calculate the necessary correction factors for consistent color
printing on that substrate.
Color calibration with the Embedded Spectrophotometer is not recommended for the following substrate types. It may be possible to calibrate some of these substrates by using an external color measurement device.
Non-opaque substrates such as clear film, backlit substrates, and some textiles.
Substrates with an uneven surface, such as perforated vinyl or punched-window substrates.
66 Chapter 5 Substrate settings ENWW
Substrates that suffer deformation from drying and curing, such as paper-based substrates.
Very elastic substrates, such as some textiles without liner.
Substrates suitable for color calibration include even-surfaced adhesive vinyls (neither punched nor perforated), PVC banners and some opaque, stiff textiles.
Some textiles require the take-up reel for successful printing. However, the take-up reel may fail to cope with the backward movement of the substrate between the printing and scanning phases of color calibration. To avoid this problem, proceed as follows.
1. Ensure that the take-up reel is enabled.
2. Advance the substrate until the tension bar reaches its lowest position.
3. Manually rewind the take-up reel, using the buttons on the take-up reel motor, to collect the substrate
and raise the tension bar until it almost touches the take-up reel.
4. Set the take-up reel's winding direction to neutral.
5. Launch color calibration from the RIP.
6. When the color calibration has finished, you can re-enable the take-up reel.

Color profiles

Color calibration provides consistent colors, but consistent colors are not necessarily accurate. For instance, if your printer prints all colors as black, its colors may be consistent but they are not accurate.
In order to print accurate colors, it is necessary to convert the color values in your files to the color values that will produce the correct colors from your printer, your inks and your substrate. A color profile is a description of a printer, ink and substrate combination that contains all the information needed for these color conversions.
NOTE: Although color profiles obtained in one particular print mode can be reused when printing with other
print modes, the most accurate color reproduction can only be achieved if profiling is made with exactly the same print mode that is used for printing. For example, if you use a color profile obtained with a 10-pass STANDARD print mode, you may see some color difference when you use it to print with an 8-pass SPEED print mode
These color conversions are performed by your Raster Image Processor (RIP), not by the printer. For further information on the use of color profiles, see the documentation for your application software and for your RIP.
In addition to the color profiles used for printing, you may wish to calibrate and profile your monitor (display device), so that the colors you see on the screen relate more closely to those that you see on your prints.

Color reproduction tricks

Latex inks are a new technology, and there are some important guidelines when doing color separations (such as when creating or modifying a new media preset within your RIP) that will help to optimize the printer output in terms of color gamut, ink usage and print quality. These are as follows:
To achieve the best dark colors in vinyl gloss and other substrates, use as much black and as little composite (CMY) as possible when creating the ICC profile.
Light inks should be avoided as much as possible in high-density colors such as secondaries and tertiaries (dark red, blue, green, ...).
Light inks should be restricted to the lowest-density colors, starting the use of dark inks as early as possible. Typically, a color of more than 50% density should not contain any light inks.
ENWW Color profiles 67
Light inks should be used at no more than 50% of maximum quantity. An excessive amount of light inks can create gloss artifacts in vinyl gloss substrates.
For tiling applications, using the RIP to add a small inter-pass delay of 0.5 to 1 second will yield better color matching from left to right.
Please refer to your RIP documentation for details of how to create or modify media presets.
Presets for HP-branded substrates have been created following the above recommendations in order to optimize black and dark colors. You can find the HP media preset for your substrate family at
http://www.hp.com/go/latexmediafinder/.
68 Chapter 5 Substrate settings ENWW

6 Retrieving usage information

Get accounting information
Check usage statistics
Check usage statistics for a job
Request accounting data by E-mail
ENWW 69

Get accounting information

There are various different ways of getting accounting information from your product.
View product usage statistics for the whole lifetime of the product, see
on page 70.
Request accounting data by E-mail. The product sends data in XML at regular intervals to a specified E­mail address; the data may be interpreted and summarized by a third-party application, or displayed as an Excel spreadsheet. See
Use a third-party application to request product status, product usage or job accounting data from the product through the Internet. The product provides data in XML to the application whenever requested. HP provides a Software Development Kit to facilitate the development of such applications.
Request accounting data by E-mail on page 70.

Check usage statistics

There are two ways of checking your product's usage statistics.
NOTE: The accuracy of the usage statistics is not guaranteed.
From the Embedded Web Server, go to the Main tab and select History > Usage.
From the front panel, press Print usage report.
, then , then Setup > Internal prints > User information prints >

Check usage statistics for a job

Check usage statistics
You can use the Embedded Web Server to check usage statistics for a particular job: go to the Main tab and select History > Accounting.
NOTE: The accuracy of the usage statistics is not guaranteed.

Request accounting data by E-mail

1. Obtain the IP address of the outgoing mail server (SMTP) from your IT department; this is required in
order to send e-mail messages.
2. Ensure that the outgoing e-mail server is configured to enable relaying of e-mail messages that the
product will send.
3. Open your Web browser and connect to the product’s Embedded Web Server.
4. Select the Setup tab.
5. From the Configuration menu in the left-hand column, select Date & Time.
6. Ensure that the product's date and time have been set correctly.
7. From the Configuration menu, select E-mail server..
8. Enter the IP address of the outgoing mail server (SMTP).
9. Specify an e-mail address for the product. The latter does not need to be a valid e-mail address,
because the product will not receive messages; but it should have the form of an e-mail address. It serves to identify the product when it sends e-mail messages.
10. From the Configuration menu, select Printer settings.
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11. In the Accounting section, if you set Require account ID to On, then every time someone sends a print
job to the product, he or she must provide an account ID: for example, an ID corresponding to his or her department or to a specific project or client. If someone sends a job without providing an account ID, the product will hold the unidentified job in the queue without printing it until an account ID is provided.
If you set Require account ID to Off, then the product will print all jobs whether or not they have an account ID.
12. Set Send accounting files to Enabled.
13. Set Send accounting files to to the e-mail address (or addresses) to which you want the accounting
information sent. This may be an address that you have created specifically to receive automatically generated messages from the product.
14. Set Send accounting files every to the frequency with which you want the information sent, choosing a
specific number of days or prints.
15. You may want to set Exclude personal information from accounting e-mail to On, so that the
accounting messages will not contain personal information. If this option is Off, information such as user name, job name, and account ID will be included.
When you have completed the above steps, the product will send accounting data by E-mail with the frequency that you specified. The data are provided in XML and can easily be interpreted by a third-party program. The data provided on each print job include when the job was submitted, when the job was printed, the printing time, the type of image, the number of pages, the number of copies, the paper type and size, the amount of each color of ink used and various other attributes of the job. Accounting data are also provided on scan and copy jobs.
You can download an Excel template from HP's Web site (
http://www.hp.com/go/designjet/accounting/) that
will enable you to display the XML data more readably in the form of a spreadsheet.
Analysis of the accounting data will enable you to bill customers precisely and flexibly for the use of your product. You can, for instance:
Bill each customer for the total amount of ink and paper used by that customer over a particular period.
Bill each customer separately per job.
Bill each customer separately for each project, broken down by job.
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7 The ink system

Ink system components

Ink cartridges

The printer's six ink cartridges provide magenta, light magenta, black, yellow, light cyan and cyan ink to the printheads. Each cartridge has a capacity of 775 ml.
Ink cartridges require no maintenance or cleaning, but must be shaken before installation. High-quality printing results continue even when the ink levels are getting low.
CAUTION: Avoid touching pins, leads, and circuitry when handling ink cartridges because these elements
are sensitive to electrostatic discharge. Such devices are called ESD-sensitive devices. See
on page 161. Electrostatic discharges are one of the main hazards to electronics products. This type of
damage can reduce the life expectancy of the device.

Printheads

The printheads deposit ink on the substrate. Each printhead is connected to two ink cartridges. For example, the printhead shown below draws ink from the light magenta and magenta cartridges.
Glossary
The printheads are extremely durable and do not need to be replaced every time an ink cartridge is replaced. They provide excellent results even when the ink cartridges contain a low level of ink.
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To maintain optimum print quality, the printheads are automatically tested at regular intervals, and automatically serviced when necessary. This takes a little time and can occasionally delay printing.
When a printhead eventually needs to be replaced, the front panel will display a message.
CAUTION: Avoid touching pins, leads, and circuitry when handling printheads because these elements are
sensitive to electrostatic discharge. Such devices are called ESD-sensitive devices. See
on page 161. Electrostatic discharges are one of the main hazards to electronics products. This type of
damage can reduce the life expectancy of the device.

Printhead cleaning kit

The printhead cleaning kit contains the printhead cleaning cartridge, the ink funnel and the ink filter.
Printhead cleaning cartridge
The printhead cleaning cartridge cleans and maintains the printheads, and seals the printheads when they are not in use to prevent them from drying out.
Glossary
Ink funnel
The cartridge contains a roll of cloth, which is used to clean the printheads. You are notified when 92% of the roll has been used, after which the cartridge should continue to function for about another 140 m² (1500 ft²) of printed area. A new roll lasts for about 1850 m² (20000 ft²) of printed area.
NOTE: These figures can vary considerably depending on the image density, the print mode, and the
ambient temperature. The cloth will be exhausted much faster with a high-density print, many passes, a hot environment, and if you have selected the Extra PH cleaning option in the front panel because of a print­quality problem (see need it.
NOTE: The printhead cleaning cartridge is checked to detect end of roll when the printer is turned on and at
the end of each print job.
The printer will refuse to start a print job if it detects the end of the cleaning roll. You should then replace the printhead cleaning cartridge with a new one.
The ink funnel collects waste ink produced during printhead servicing. It is important that this funnel is installed, as it prevents significant deposits of ink over various other printer parts.
From the ink funnel, the waste ink passes through the ink tube assembly into the printhead cleaning container.
Horizontal banding on page 125). Remember to turn this option off when you no longer
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Ink filter
The ink filter filters tiny droplets of waste ink before they pass into the printhead cleaning container.

Printhead cleaning container

The printhead cleaning container stores waste ink collected by the ink funnel.

The ink maintenance kit

The ink maintenance kit contains the following components.
The ink funnel, which collects tiny droplets of waste ink produced during printhead servicing.
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The ink tube assembly, which passes tiny droplets of waste ink collected by the ink funnel to the printhead cleaning container
If the printer asks you to replace the ink tube assembly, you should replace the ink funnel and the ink filter at the same time.
The ink filter, which filters tiny droplets of waste ink before they pass into the printhead cleaning container.
These components are designed to keep the printer's waste ink from damaging the printer and dirtying the environment.
In order to keep the printer and its surroundings clean, you must ensure that these components are correctly installed and maintained. In particular, these steps are essential:
1. Connect the ink tube assembly.
2. Insert the ink funnel.
3. Insert the ink filter and close the filter box.
4. Install the printhead cleaning container.
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If the printer continues operating while these components are incorrectly installed or incorrectly connected, HP will not be responsible for any resulting damage or cleaning expenses.
The printer displays a message on the front panel if it detects any problem with these components.

Order ink supplies

You can order the following ink supplies for your printer.
Table 7-1 Ink cartridges
Cartridge Capacity (ml) Part number
HP 792 Black Latex Designjet Ink Cartridge 775 CN705A
HP 792 Cyan Latex Designjet Ink Cartridge 775 CN706A
HP 792 Magenta Latex Designjet Ink Cartridge 775 CN707A
HP 792 Yellow Latex Designjet Ink Cartridge 775 CN708A
HP 792 Light Cyan Latex Designjet Ink Cartridge 775 CN709A
HP 792 Light Magenta Latex Designjet Ink Cartridge 775 CN710A
Table 7-2 Printheads
Printhead Part number
HP 792 Yellow and Black Designjet Printhead CN702A
HP 792 Cyan and Light Cyan Designjet Printhead CN703A
HP 792 Magenta and Light Magenta Designjet Printhead CN704A
Table 7-3 Waste management system
Kit Part number
HP 792 Designjet Printhead Cleaning Kit CR278A
HP 792 Designjet Ink Maintenance Kit CR279A
HP 789/792 Designjet Printhead Cleaning Container CH622A
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8 Print options

Printer states

The printer may be in any one of the following states; some of them require waiting.
Ready (cold): The printer is powered on but has not printed yet, and the heaters are not turned on.
Preparing to print: The printer is warming up the heaters and preparing the printheads to print. This takes 1 to 8 min.
Ready for substrate
Ready for side A/B
Printing
Printing side A/B
Curing: This takes 1.5 to 5 min.
Finishing: The printer is cooling down and preparing for stand-by. This takes 0.5 to 5 min.
If jobs of the same print mode as the already-printed file are sent while the printer is Curing (if the cutter is not enabled) or Finishing, the printer goes to Preparing to print.
To save time between prints, concatenate jobs with the same print mode (same number of passes) and turn the cutter off to skip the Curing and Finishing states. You can also use nesting to print several jobs in the same workflow.
Even if the cutter is on or successive jobs use different print modes, it is better to print them all together without delays to minimize the time spent in Preparing to print.

Change margins

The printer margins determine the area between the edges of your image and the edges of the substrate.
The margins for a particular print job are selected in the RIP software; if the job exceeds the substrate width, it will be clipped.
The front panel offers additional settings for the bottom margin: see settings apply only to single prints when the cutter is not in use. The bottom margin is not applied between several prints sent at the same time, nor during double-sided printing.
Table 19-5 Margins on page 156. These
To set the bottom margin at the front panel, press
options > Extra bottom margin.
NOTE: The extra bottom margin set in the front panel is applied in addition to the bottom margin selected
in the RIP.
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, then , then Substrate > Substrate handling

Request the printer’s internal prints

The internal prints provide various kinds of information about your printer. Request these prints from the front panel, without using a computer.
Before requesting any internal print, make sure that substrate is loaded and that the Ready message appears on the front-panel display.
To print an internal print, press internal print that you want.
The following internal prints are available:
Usage report: Shows estimates of the total number of prints, number of prints by substrate family, number of prints by print-quality option, and total amount of ink used per color. The accuracy of these estimates is not guaranteed.
Service information: Provides information that service engineers require.
, then , then Setup > Internal prints, then select the type of
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9 Accessories

Order accessories

The following accessories can be ordered for your printer.
TIP: Spare spindles ease the process of switching between different substrates.
Name Product number
HP Designjet Soft Media Loading Accessory 104-in CZ278A
HP Designjet Soft Media Loading Accessory 61-in CR765A
HP Designjet L28500 104-in Printer 3-in Spindle CZ277A
HP Designjet L2x500 User Maintenance Kit CQ201A
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10 Printer status

Check printer status

The front panel and the Embedded Web Server both display the status of the printer, the loaded substrate and the ink system.

Check the status of the ink system

1. Access the Embedded Web Server (see above).
2. Go to the Supplies page on the Main tab.
The Supplies page shows you the status of the loaded substrate, the ink cartridges, the printheads, the heaters, the printhead cleaning kit, the ink funnel, and the ink maintenance kit.
The traffic light shows whether maintenance is required. For further information, click View details.

Check the status of the ink cartridges

You can see the ink levels in your ink cartridges on the front panel's home screen. For more details about any particular ink cartridge, press Ink information and then press the color of the cartridge. The following information is shown.
Color
Status
Ink level
Capacity
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Product name
Product number
Serial number
Expiration date
Warranty status
Manufacturer
You can also view the status of the ink cartridges in the Embedded Web Server.

Check the status of a printhead

The printer automatically checks and services the printheads after each print. Follow these steps to get more information on your printheads.
1. On the front panel's home screen, press
2. Select the printhead for which you want to see information.
3. The front panel shows the following information:
Status
Color
Product name
Product number
Serial number
Ink fired
Warranty status
You can also use the Embedded Web Server to check the printhead status and the warranty status.
NOTE: If the warranty status is See warranty note, this indicates that non-HP ink is being used. Printer
service or repairs required as a result of using "non-HP" ink are not covered under warranty. See the Legal Information document for detailed warranty implications.
.

Check the file system

It is possible to check the integrity of the file system on the printer's hard disk, and automatically correct any errors. You are recommended to do this about once every six months, or if you notice any trouble in accessing files on the hard disk.
To execute the file system check, go to the front panel and press tasks > File system check.
If the printer is aware of damage to the file system, for instance after a severe software problem, it may start a file system check automatically. This can take about half an hour.
, then , then Preventive maint.

Printer alerts

The printer can communicate two types of alerts:
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Errors: When the printer is unable to print.
Warnings: When the printer needs attention for an adjustment, such as a calibration, preventive maintenance or ink cartridge replacement.
Printer alerts appear in the front panel and in the Embedded Web Server. In some cases, the printer may also make an audible beep to draw your attention to the alert. If you do not want to hear the beeps, you can disable them from the front panel.
Front-panel display: The front panel shows only one alert at a time, which is judged to be the most important. It generally requires the user to press the OK key for confirmation, but in the case of a warning, it disappears after a while. Some alerts reappear when the printer is idle and there is nothing more important to report.
Embedded Web Server: The alert displayed in the front panel also appears in the top right corner of the Embedded Web Server window.
An alert may require you to perform a maintenance operation; see
The following alerts require a service engineer:
Service Maintenance Kit 1
Service Maintenance Kit 2
Service Maintenance Kit 3
Hardware maintenance on page 89.
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11 Firmware update

The printer's various functions are controlled by software that resides in the printer, also known as firmware.
From time to time, firmware updates from Hewlett-Packard become available. These updates increase the printer's functionality and enhance its features.
When installing the printer for the first time you may be asked to update the firmware. For this purpose, you need a USB flash drive with the following specifications:
USB 2.0-compatible
2 GB capacity
FAT preformatted
No hardware encryption
Firmware update using a USB flash drive
1. Download the firmware update from
flash drive.
IMPORTANT: The USB flash drive should contain only one firmware file (.fmw) in the drive's root
folder, and no other files.
2. Connect the USB flash drive to the USB connector at the rear of the printer and follow the instructions
on the front panel.
Subsequent firmware updates can be installed in your printer in the same way, or by using the printer's Embedded Web Server.
Firmware update using the Embedded Web Server
1. To access the Embedded Web Server from any computer, see
2. In the Embedded Web Server, select the Setup tab and then Firmware update.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to download the firmware file and store it on your hard disk. Then
select the downloaded .fmw file and click Update.
If you experience very slow progress while uploading the firmware file to the printer, the reason could be that you are using a proxy server. In that case, try bypassing the proxy server and accessing the Embedded Web Server directly.
http://www.hp.com/go/L28500/support/ and store it on the USB
Check printer status on page 83.
In Internet Explorer 6 for Windows, go to Tools > Internet Options > Connections > LAN Settings, and select the Bypass proxy server for local addresses check box. Alternatively, for more precise
ENWW 87
control, click the Advanced button and add the printer's IP address to the list of exceptions, for which the proxy server is not used.
In Firefox 3.0 for Windows, go to Tools > Options > Network > Connection > Settings, and select the Direct connection to the Internet check box. Alternatively, when the Manual proxy configuration check box is selected, add the printer's IP address to the list of exceptions, for which the proxy server is not used.
In Firefox 2.0 for Linux, go to Edit > Preferences > Network > Connection > Settings, and select the Direct connection to the Internet check box. Alternatively, when the Manual proxy configuration check box is selected, add the printer's IP address to the list of exceptions, for which the proxy server is not used.
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12 Hardware maintenance

For the tasks in this chapter, you may need the User Maintenance Kit that was provided with your printer.

Ink system tips

For best results, always follow these guidelines:
Follow the instructions on the front panel during installation.
Allow the printer and the printhead cleaning cartridge to clean the printheads automatically.
Avoid unnecessary removal of the ink cartridges and printheads.
The ink cartridges should never be removed while the printer is printing. They should be removed only when the printer is ready for you to replace them. The front panel guides you through the replacement procedure.
Make sure that you comply with all applicable laws and regulations when disposing of ink system consumables.
NOTE: Shake the ink cartridges and printheads vigorously before installing them.

Align the printheads

The printer performs printhead alignment whenever printheads are replaced. If no substrate is loaded when a printhead is replaced, the printer will perform the alignment the next time you load substrate.
You may also be recommended to align the printheads to solve a print-quality problem.

Automatic alignment

First make sure that you have a roll of opaque, white substrate loaded in the printer. Colored substrates, glossy canvas, coarse textiles, and transparent materials such as translucent bond, clear film, tracing substrate and vellum are not suitable for automatic printhead alignment. For these substrates, you should align the printheads manually (see supported substrate first, then change to the special substrate. Alignment settings are retained through substrate changes until a new printhead alignment is performed.
To request printhead alignment from the front panel (if the alignment is not performed automatically), press
, then , then Ink > Image-quality maintenance > Align printheads > Auto PH alignment.
Manual alignment on page 90) or perform the automatic alignment on a
To request printhead alignment from the Embedded Web Server, select the Setup tab, then select Printhead alignment > Automatic printhead alignment > Print.
The process takes about 10 minutes and starts immediately, unless an image is currently being printed. If a print job is in process, the alignment will be done as soon as the current print job is finished.
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Manual alignment

To request a manual printhead alignment from the front panel, press , then , then Ink > Image­quality maintenance > Align printheads > Manual PH alignment > Print alignment pattern.
To request manual printhead alignment from the Embedded Web Server, select the Setup tab, then select Printhead alignment > Manual printhead alignment > Print.
The printer prints 18 rows labelled from A to R. Inspect the print and write down the number of the straightest line in each row (for example, A:9).
When you have done this, enter the correction values into the front panel or the Embedded Web Server.
To enter the correction values in the front panel, press maintenance > Align printheads > Manual PH alignment > Enter correction values. Enter each value into
the window labelled with the same letter as the corresponding pattern.
To enter the correction values in the Embedded Web Server, select the Setup tab, then select Printhead alignment > Manual printhead alignment, and enter each value into the window labelled with the same letter as the corresponding pattern.

Clean and lubricate the carriage rail

NOTE: Under some workflows, or/and site conditions such as in warm ambient temperature, which are
above the printer's operation specification (above 30ºC(86ºF)), or if there is significant ambient dust; the lubrication of the slider rods can be reduced or affected, which can in turn affect the performance of the printer.
NOTE: A visual explanation of the procedure to clean and lubricate the carriage rail can be found here:
http://www.hp.com/go/L28500/videos
1.
At the front panel, press
carriage rail.
2. Unlock and open the window.
, then , then Preventive maint. tasks > Clean and lubricate the
, then , then Ink > Image-quality
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3. Clean the carriage rail using a lint-free cloth dampened with 95% ethanol. Take care to clean the whole
rail, including the part under the left cover.
NOTE: 95% ethanol is not provided in the Maintenance Kit.
CAUTION: Ethanol is highly flammable. Observe the manufacturer’s safety precautions.
CAUTION: Do not use commercial cleaners or abrasive cleaners.
CAUTION: While cleaning, be careful not to damage the metal strip located on top of the rail.
4. Wait until the rail is dry, then close the window. The carriage moves to the center of the printer so that
you can reach the part of the rail under the right cover.
5. Unlock and open the printer window.
6. Clean the carriage rail area under the right cover as described in step 3.
7. Take the bottle of oil from the Maintenance Kit that is supplied with your printer (a replacement kit can
be ordered if necessary).
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8. Deposit a very thin zig-zag trickle of oil along the rail on both sides of the carriage. There is a video
showing the process here:
NOTE: While lubricating, be careful not to drop oil on the metal strip located on top of the rail.
9. Clean the substrate jam reflector using a lint-free cloth dampened with distilled water. If you find dried
ink that you cannot remove, try using a lint-free cloth dampened with 95% ethanol.
http://www.hp.com/go/L28500/videos
10. Press OK at the front panel.
11. Close and lock the window.
12. The Carriage Assembly moves along the rail to distribute the oil along the rail.
13. The Front Panel prompts for confirmation that the lubrication processes has been done. Press OK to
confirm.

Clean the electrical connections on a printhead

It is possible that the printer will not recognize a printhead after it has been installed. This can happen when ink builds up on the electrical connections between the printhead and the printhead carriage. Under these circumstances, HP recommends that you clean the electrical connections on the printhead. However, routine cleaning of the connections when no problems are apparent is not recommended.
A carriage interconnect wiper is included with your printer in the User Maintenance Kit.
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Use this to clean the electrical interconnects on both the printhead carriage and the printhead if the Reseat or Replace message persists next to the printhead on the front-panel display.
1. Remove a new pre-moistened replacement sponge from its pouch.
A supply of sponges is included in the box with the wiper. If all sponges have been used, more can be obtained by calling your service representative.
2. Open the carriage interconnect wiper.
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3. Load the sponge by positioning the sponge on the face of the carriage interconnect wiper with the
shorter tab in the locating slot.
4. Close the carriage interconnect wiper, trapping the sponge in place.
5. Open the printhead carriage latch and extract the printhead that is causing the problem, as indicated on
the front panel. See
Replace a printhead on page 110.
6. Insert the carriage interconnect wiper into the printhead slot at the back. Wipe the electrical contacts by
inserting the tool between the electrical connections at the back of the slot and the steel spring, with the sponge facing away from you and towards the electrical contacts. Try to avoid picking up any ink deposit that may have accumulated on the bottom surface of the slot.
CAUTION: If the carriage remains in the central part of the printer for more than 7 minutes, it
attempts to return to its home position to the right.
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