HP Scitex FB500, Scitex FB700 User's Guide
HP Scitex FB500 Printer
HP Scitex FB700 Printer
User Guide
© Copyright 2010 Hewlett-Packard
Development Company, L.P.
The information contained herein is subject
to change without notice. The only
warranties for HP products and services are
set forth in the express warranty statements
accompanying such products and services.
Nothing herein should be construed as
constituting an additional warranty. HP shall
not be liable for technical or editorial errors
or omissions contained herein.
Part number CQ114-90027 Revision B
Table of contents
1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 1
Operating requirements ........................................................................................................................ 1
Electrical .............................................................................................................................. 1
Environmental ...................................................................................................................... 1
RIP ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Important operating notes .................................................................................................................... 2
Safety warnings .................................................................................................................................... 3
Quick tour ............................................................................................................................................. 4
Special features .................................................................................................................................... 6
Printheads ............................................................................................................................ 6
Ink system ............................................................................................................................ 6
Media handling .................................................................................................................... 6
Calibration ............................................................................................................................ 6
Performance and ease-of-use ............................................................................................. 7
Use the HP Embedded Web Server ..................................................................................................... 7
Connect to the HP Embedded Web Server ......................................................................... 7
Display the printer status ..................................................................................................... 7
Display the current control panel image .............................................................................. 7
Set the date and time ........................................................................................................... 7
Download a printer events file ............................................................................................. 8
Update the printer software ................................................................................................. 8
Transfer a custom media definition ...................................................................................... 8
Display job accounting information ...................................................................................... 8
Display printer usage data ................................................................................................... 8
2 Configure and load media .............................................................................................................................. 9
Configure media ................................................................................................................................... 9
Media Wizard ....................................................................................................................... 9
Work with the rigid media tables ........................................................................................................ 11
Load rigid media ................................................................................................................................. 12
Use the camera to locate the sheets ................................................................................. 13
Quick Load ......................................................................................................................... 14
Multi-sheet N-UP ............................................................................................................... 14
“Incomplete” rows .............................................................................................. 15
Load roll-fed media ............................................................................................................................. 15
Use the camera to locate the media .................................................................................. 17
ENWW iii
3 Load inks ....................................................................................................................................................... 19
Load inks ............................................................................................................................................ 19
Unload an empty ink box ................................................................................................... 19
Load a full ink box .............................................................................................................. 19
Order ink supplies .............................................................................................................................. 20
4 Printing jobs .................................................................................................................................................. 21
Available print modes ......................................................................................................................... 21
Stored jobs ......................................................................................................................................... 23
Thumbnail screen .............................................................................................................. 23
Properties screen ............................................................................................................... 24
Position and eject options .................................................................................................................. 25
Printing tips ......................................................................................................................................... 26
5 Use white ink ................................................................................................................................................. 27
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 27
White ink option overview .................................................................................................. 27
Types of white ink printing ................................................................................................. 27
White ink maintenance ...................................................................................................... 28
6 Use the control panel ................................................................................................................................... 29
Overview ............................................................................................................................................ 29
Home page ......................................................................................................................................... 29
Attention messages ........................................................................................................... 30
Printing page ...................................................................................................................................... 31
Printing Options menu ....................................................................................................... 32
Media page ......................................................................................................................................... 34
Media Settings menu ......................................................................................................... 35
Ink page .............................................................................................................................................. 35
Maintenance menu ............................................................................................................ 35
System page ...................................................................................................................................... 37
Tools menu ........................................................................................................................ 37
User Cleaning and Maintenance ....................................................................... 38
User Diagnostics ............................................................................................... 38
Service Printer ................................................................................................... 38
Print Menus ....................................................................................................... 39
Settings menu .................................................................................................................... 39
Language Selection ........................................................................................................... 39
System Information ............................................................................................................ 39
License .............................................................................................................................. 39
Menu tree ........................................................................................................................................... 40
Printing page ...................................................................................................................... 40
Media page ........................................................................................................................ 41
iv ENWW
Ink page ............................................................................................................................. 41
System page ...................................................................................................................... 41
7 Calibrate the printer ...................................................................................................................................... 45
When to calibrate ............................................................................................................................... 45
AutoJet ............................................................................................................................................... 45
Auto calibrations ................................................................................................................................. 46
Manual calibrations ............................................................................................................................ 46
Media Feed Calibration ...................................................................................................... 47
Manual BiDi Registration ................................................................................................... 48
Printhead X Calibration ...................................................................................................... 49
Manual Jet Mapping .......................................................................................................... 50
Report Individual Bad Jets ................................................................................ 51
Clear Individual Bad Jets .................................................................................. 52
View Current Bad Jets ...................................................................................... 52
Clear All Bad Jets for a Head ............................................................................ 52
Clear All Bad Jets .............................................................................................. 53
Default Registration Data ................................................................................................... 53
Unfixed Jets Report ............................................................................................................................ 53
Linearization ....................................................................................................................................... 53
8 Accessories ................................................................................................................................................... 55
Order accessories .............................................................................................................................. 55
9 User cleaning ................................................................................................................................................ 57
Schedule of tasks ............................................................................................................................... 57
Substitute cleaning procedures for air quality regulatory compliance ................................................ 58
Replace UV lamp bulb (500–1000 hours) .......................................................................................... 59
Remove the lamp housings ............................................................................................... 59
Remove the user-end lamp housing ................................................................. 60
Remove the service-end lamp housing ............................................................. 61
Remove the old UV lamp bulb ........................................................................................... 63
Material disposal: mercury lamps ...................................................................................... 64
Install the new UV lamp bulbs ........................................................................................... 64
Re-install the lamp housings .............................................................................................. 65
Re-install the user-end lamp housing ................................................................ 65
Re-install the service-end lamp housing ........................................................... 66
Clean the rail encoder strip (bi-weekly) .............................................................................................. 66
Clean ionizer needles (quarterly) ....................................................................................................... 67
Clean and lubricate rail strips (bi-weekly) ........................................................................................... 68
Clean the print head orifice plates (bi-weekly) ................................................................................... 70
Clean and lubricate the service station rails (monthly) ....................................................................... 71
Clean service station wiper (monthly) ................................................................................................ 72
ENWW v
Clean carriage wheels (monthly) ........................................................................................................ 73
Vacuum bottom of carriage (monthly) ................................................................................................ 76
Clean the carriage home sensor (monthly) ........................................................................................ 76
Replace the UV lamp filters (quarterly) .............................................................................................. 78
Clean the electronics box filters (quarterly) ........................................................................................ 79
Replace the service station wiper (quarterly) ..................................................................................... 80
Drain waste from service station (quarterly) ....................................................................................... 81
Clean the media thickness sensor roller (quarterly) ........................................................................... 81
Appendix A Specifications .............................................................................................................................. 83
Functional specifications .................................................................................................................... 83
Physical .............................................................................................................................................. 84
Power ................................................................................................................................................. 84
Environmental .................................................................................................................................... 86
Appendix B Troubleshooting .......................................................................................................................... 87
Troubleshooting checklist ................................................................................................................... 87
Warranty claims .................................................................................................................................. 88
CallMe@hp ......................................................................................................................................... 88
HP Customer Care ............................................................................................................................. 89
North America .................................................................................................................... 89
Europe, Middle East, and Africa ........................................................................................ 89
Asia and Pacific ................................................................................................................. 89
Latin America ..................................................................................................................... 89
Appendix C Image quality tips ........................................................................................................................ 91
Startup and check jet health ............................................................................................................... 91
Start with the printer in good working order ....................................................................... 91
Load media correctly ......................................................................................................... 91
Check jet health ................................................................................................................. 92
RIP settings ........................................................................................................................................ 92
Choose a resolution ........................................................................................................... 92
Choose a color profile ........................................................................................................ 93
Color matching ................................................................................................................................... 93
Index ................................................................................................................................................................... 95
vi ENWW
1Introduction
Operating requirements
Electrical
Make sure the line voltage meets the requirements. See
●
Use the supplied power cord. Plug it directly into a grounded electrical outlet. Do not lengthen
●
the power cord with an extension cord; the resulting drop in voltage could damage the printer.
To maintain vacuum to the printheads during printer power-down or unexpected power outages,
●
use the auxiliary 24 volt power supply (included in the accessory kit with universal power
adapters). Connect the 24 VDC jack on the vacuum assembly to either of two options:
◦
◦
Connect printer to its own electrical circuit. Do not connect the RIP, auxiliary power supply, or
●
UPS into the same circuit as the printer.
Environmental
Make sure the room is well ventilated, with a temperature and relative humidity within
●
specifications. Optimal printing occurs within these ranges. See
details.
The high power UV light emitted by the curing lamps reacts with oxygen and produces ozone.
●
This formation tends to be greatest during lamp startup. The printer should be operated in a wellventilated area to avoid minor effects such as headaches, fatigue, and dryness of the upper
respiratory tract. Normal air movement will mix the ozone with fresh air, causing it to revert back
to oxygen.
Specifications on page 83 for details.
UPS — customer-supplied uninterruptable power supply, output 100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz,
minimum of 15 watts of power, provides battery backup to the vacuum system in the event
of a power failure.
Wall outlet — 100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz, provides temporary power to the vacuum system
when it is necessary to power down the printer for service. See Appendix A, Technical
Specifications, for details.
Specifications on page 83 for
Store media and ink in an area with similar temperature and humidity conditions as the printer.
●
Locate the printer so that it can be connected to the RIP with the specified cable.
●
Locate the printer on a flat, level floor.
●
Locate the printer where its normal operating noise will not disturb quiet work areas.
●
DO NOT install the printer near humidifiers, refrigerators, fans, water faucets, heaters or similar
●
equipment.
DO NOT install the printer in areas where the temperature changes abruptly, such as near air
●
conditioners, in the path of direct sunlight, or near open doors or windows.
DO NOT expose the printer to flames or dust.
●
ENWW Operating requirements 1
RIP
The printer receives print jobs from a supported raster image processor (RIP). The RIP is installed
and connected during the printer installation process.
Important operating notes
UV CURE INK IS PERISHABLE. Unlike other inks used in wide format printing, UV cure ink has
●
a limited shelf life. White ink has a six month shelf life from the date of manufacture. Plan to
rotate your ink stock and use it promptly by the date printed on the ink box.
CAUTION: When the UV lamps are switched off, they undergo a controlled cool-down cycle.
Sudden removal of power from hot lamps, such as disconnecting the power cord or from a power
outage, can result in overheating and permanent damage. The lamps should be switched off only via
the printer software.
The media supply may be wound either printed-side-out or printed-side-in, but the takeup must
●
be loaded printed-side-in.
The default head height is set to 2.2 mm (0.085 in) above the media. (The space below the
●
carriage will measure 1.778 mm (0.070 in) due to the printhead protection frame around the
outside of the carriage.) The head height can be adjusted up or down at the control panel
(Printing page > Options).
The Media Wizard stores a set of operational parameters for predefined and user-defined media
●
types. When you load a new media type, select an existing Media Wizard set, or create a
custom set. Media Wizard parameter sets can be selected at any time from the control panel.
Wear cotton gloves when loading media to prevent fingerprints that could show after printing.
●
You can use a 90% solution of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to clean fingerprints and reduce static
electricity on synthetic media (allow to dry five minutes before printing).
DO NOT reprint over any output that has not completely cured (for example, due to a UV lamp
●
malfunction).
DO NOT rest or store a media roll on end, or you could cause edge creases that could strike the
●
printheads during printing. To avoid bowing, store sheet-fed media flat, not standing on end.
DO NOT set heavy objects on the power cord or printer cable; do not bend the cables or force
●
them into contorted positions.
DO NOT place heavy objects anywhere on the printer.
●
Since automatic head maintenance cannot occur when the printer is powered down, keep the
●
printer powered on at all times if possible. The printer will enter a power-saving Sleep Mode if
idle for a user-define period of time. If automatic head maintenance does not occur for an
extended period, manual purging may be necessary to restore the printheads to working
condition (see
will drip from the printheads due to loss of printhead vacuum, collect on the bottom of the
carriage, and drip into the printer or onto the media drive belt. Keep the printer connected to a
UPS to prevent vacuum loss to the printheads (see
If the printer will be completely powered down for an extended period (such as over a long
●
holiday period), all printheads should be emptied of ink (see Printhead Procedures under
Maintenance menu on page 35) and the bottom of the carriage cleaned. To resume printing,
the printheads must be refilled with ink, purged, and restored to working condition. See
cleaning on page 57 and Startup and check jet health on page 91 for instructions.
Startup and check jet health on page 91). If all power is lost to the printer, ink
Electrical on page 1).
User
2 Chapter 1 Introduction ENWW
Safety warnings
UV light — the ultraviolet (UV) curing lamps emit high power UV light. The printer must be
●
operated with all safety shielding installed to protect the operator from eye and skin damage.
When operated according to manufacturer’s instructions, safety glasses or other protective
clothing are not necessary.
Mechanical hazards — Keep fingers away from carriage and media path. Do not exceed the
●
maximum weight load of the input or output tables, as printed on the label.
Ink — read and practice safety guidelines as outlined in the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
●
for the ink, and post the document in the work area as required by prevailing law. Avoid any
contact with skin and eyes. Provide adequate general and local exhaust ventilation. Avoid
breathing vapors. Respirator protection may be required under exceptional circumstances when
excessive air contamination exists. None of the component substances have established
exposure standards per OSHA, NIOSH or ACGIH. Collect waste ink in container provided.
Dispose of ink according to MSDS and local regulations. Keep the waste-ink spigot closed
during printing.
Special ventilation is not required to meet US OSHA requirements on occupational exposure to
●
VOCs from the HP UV-curable inks used with the printer. Special ventilation equipment
installation is at the discretion of the customer; no specific HP recommendation is intended.
Customers should consult state and local requirements and regulations.
Electrical — WITH THE POWER SWITCH IN THE OFF POSITION, POWER MAY STILL BE
●
SUPPLIED TO THE PRINTER COMPONENTS. To completely cut power from the printer, you
must unplug the power cord from the power outlet.
Ozone — the high power UV light emitted by the curing lamps and ionizer bar reacts with
●
oxygen and produces ozone. This formation tends to be greatest during lamp startup. The lamps
include ozone filters to reduce ozone production. The printer should be operated in a wellventilated area to avoid minor effects such as headaches, fatigue, and dryness of the upper
respiratory tract. Normal air movement will mix the ozone with fresh air, causing it to revert back
to oxygen.
Hazardous waste — THE PRINTER ELECTRONICS ASSEMBLY CONTAINS A LITHIUM
●
BATTERY DEVICE. THERE IS A DANGER OF EXPLOSION IF THE BATTERY IS
INCORRECTLY REPLACED. The battery must be replaced only by authorized service
providers, and must be replaced only with the same or equivalent type. Dispose of this lithium
battery device in accordance with local, state (or province), and Federal (or country) solid waste
requirements.
ENWW Safety warnings 3
Quick tour
Figure 1-1 Input side
1. Touch-screen control panel
2. UV-filtered observation windows
3. Exhaust vents
4. Rigid media alignment pins
5. Electronics box (inside enclosure)
6. Data ports
7. Main power switch
8. Main power, takeup system power inlet ports, serial number and regulatory label (on lower
enclosure)
9. Media drive belt
10. Media input roller (inside cover)
11. Media alignment bar (inside cover)
4 Chapter 1 Introduction ENWW
12. Media output roller (inside cover)
Figure 1-2 Ink supply compartment
13. Profiler docking station
14. Ink homogenizer power outlet
15. Ink supply rack
16. Ink connections
17. Vacuum system auxiliary power inlet
18. Vacuum adjustment knob (factory adjustment, do not change)
Figure 1-3 Output side
19. Service station and printhead carriage access door
ENWW Quick tour 5
20. Printhead maintenance vacuum (inside enclosure)
21. Waste ink spigot
Special features
Printheads
Printheads — variable drop size, piezoelectric printheads.
●
Ink system
Off-Head System (OHS) — bulk ink boxes with integrated filters. No-drip quick connectors
●
simplify ink box replacement.
Onboard vacuum system — provides vacuum to maintain negative printhead pressure.
●
Patent-pending automated printhead service station — fully maintains the health of the
●
printheads while idle or in service, without operator intervention.
HP White Ink Homogenizer — part of the optional white ink upgrade accessory kit, keeps white
●
pigments dispersed for optimal print quality. The white ink upgrade option and white ink cartridge
are required to print with white ink. See
on page 20 for ordering information.
Media handling
Order accessories on page 55 and Order ink supplies
●
●
●
●
●
●
Calibration
The printer uses a high-resolution digital imaging sensor (camera) and embedded software to align
the printheads, and detect and replace missing jets. Manual and automatic calibrations are available.
●
●
Automatic head height — printer automatically sets the correct head height above the height of
sheet-fed media.
Automatic media width sensing — automatically detects the width and position of sheet-fed
media, for precise image placement (for white or light-colored media that the printer can detect).
Built-in static charge abatement — ionizer bars help dissipate static electric charge from
synthetic media.
Rigid media tables feature a flip-up top for space-saving storage.
Optional extension tables can be added to the ends of the standard tables to handle longer
sheets of media. See
Optional roll-fed media supply and takeup system is available to handle roll-fed media. See
Order accessories on page 55 for ordering information.
AutoSet calibration — automatically aligns printheads bidirectionally for precise positioning of
inkjet pixels, and runs AutoJet.
AutoJet calibration— compensates for most lost or misfiring jets by locating them and using
substitute jets without slowing printing speed.
Order accessories on page 55 for ordering information.
6 Chapter 1 Introduction ENWW
Performance and ease-of-use
Media Wizard — stores and recalls a set of operating parameters by media type and print mode,
●
for optimal printing performance. Includes a set of predefined settings for standard media. You
can also create and save custom settings for other media.
Edge-to-edge printing — provides the look of “full bleed” prints without trimming.
●
Stored jobs — stores print jobs on the printer's internal hard disk drive for subsequent reprinting
●
without having to resend it from the RIP.
Simplified control panel interface — touch-screen control panel with graphical interface presents
●
frequently-used functions. A menu provides access to less-frequently used functions and
troubleshooting help.
User assistance — control panel features online help, interactive procedures, scheduled
●
cleaning reminders, and diagnostics to assist the user, reducing training and troubleshooting
time.
HP Embedded Web Server — by entering the printer's IP address into the address bar of any
●
web browser on your local area network, you can view printer status, change certain settings,
upgrade the printer firmware, and download system log files.
Use the HP Embedded Web Server
When the printer is connected to your local area network (LAN), you can enter the printer's IP
address into the address bar of your web browser to display printer status, set the internal date and
time of the printer, download a log file, update the printer firmware, and transfer a custom Media
Wizard definition.
Connect to the HP Embedded Web Server
To connect to the Embedded Web Server, open a web browser on any computer connected to the
same network as the printer, and enter the printer's IP address into the browser (http://[ip-address]).
The printer's IP address is displayed on the System screen of the printer's control panel. When the
browser connects to the printer, the Embedded Web Server displays its home page.
Display the printer status
To display the printer status, including media type loaded and amount of ink remaining, select the
printer status option from the Embedded Web Server menu.
Display the current control panel image
To display an image of the screen that is currently displayed on the control panel, select the option
from the Embedded Web Server menu.
Set the date and time
To set the printer date and time, select this option from the Embedded Web Server menu. Enter the
current date and time as specified on this screen, and click the Set Time button.
NOTE: To ensure the proper scheduling of automatic maintenance operations and times and dates
in event logs, verify the correct local time on the printer, and adjust as needed for daylight savings
time changes if observed at your location.
ENWW Use the HP Embedded Web Server 7
Download a printer events file
The printer maintains a continuous log of its operations and settings in plain text files, which it stores
on its internal hard disk drive. These files are useful for troubleshooting. To access these files, select
the Get Printer Events Files option from the Embedded Web Server menu. From the list of files, click
the link to the file you want to view or save to your computer.
Update the printer software
HP occasionally issues new versions of the embedded software (printer firmware). After obtaining an
update file, you can use the Embedded Web Server to install it onto the printer.
From the Embedded Web Server, select the Update Printer Software option from the menu. Follow
the onscreen instructions to upload and install the software update.
Transfer a custom media definition
The Media Wizard enables you to define custom media definitions, in addition to the standard
definitions that are supplied with the printer. You can use the Embedded Web Server to download a
custom media definition from a printer to your computer, then upload it to a different printer.
When you select Retrieve Custom Media File from the web server, the web server displays a list of
custom media definitions that exist on the printer. Select one of these definitions, and it is saved to
your computer.
To send a custom media definition to a printer, enter its IP address into the web browser. When you
choose Select Custom Media File to Install from the web server, the web server prompts you to
browse to and enter the name of the file you want to send to the printer. When you click Send, the file
is sent to the printer. After the printer receives the file, it should be visible on the printer's control
panel in the list of media.
Display job accounting information
Select Job Accounting to display information for each print job, such as date and time printed, and
amount of media and ink used.
Display printer usage data
Select Printer Usage to display the cumulative amounts of sheet-fed media, roll-fed media, and ink
used for the life of the printer.
8 Chapter 1 Introduction ENWW
2 Configure and load media
Configure media
Before the printer will accept a print job, it must be configured for a specific media type. The currentlyconfigured media type, if any, is displayed on the Home page of the control panel.
1. If the control panel displays the media type you intend to load, press Load and go to
media on page 12. Otherwise, continue to the next step.
2. In the Activity Tray on the control panel, press the Media icon. The Media screen appears.
See
Use the control panel on page 29 for a complete description of the control panel screens
and options.
3. Press Configure.
The Select Media to Load menu appears.
4. Press a media name, or Create Media Type.
The list of media types ends with the option Create Media Type (page down to the end of the
list by pressing the page down button).
If you press a media name, a list of settings appears for you to review. See
●
on page 9 for a description of the settings.
If you press Create Media Type, the control panel prompts you to select a standard media
●
type to use as a starting point for the new media type settings. After you select a standard
media type, the control panel prompts you for a name for the new media type, then a list of
settings appears for you to review and change if necessary.
a description of the settings.
TIP: Start by using one of the standard media types. If you are not using a standard
media type, select the standard media type that most closely matches the media you are
using. Then only if necessary, create a new media type using the standard type you
selected as a starting point, and adjust it as needed.
Media Wizard on page 9 for
Load rigid
Media Wizard
5. Review and change (for previously-created custom media types only) the media settings as
needed.
6. Press Out or Proceed once or twice until the printer displays the prompt “Load media now?”
7. Press No to save your configuration and cancel the load process, or press Yes and proceed to
Load rigid media on page 12 or Load roll-fed media on page 15.
NOTE: When you create a custom media type on the printer, in order to print on the new media
type, you must also add the new media type using Media Manager for the Onyx RIP, or EasyMedia
for the Caldera RIP. Refer to the documentation for your RIP for instructions.
Media Wizard
To view or delete settings for an existing media type, press Media Wizard. The Media Wizard also
lets you create a media type without configuring it as the currently-loaded media.
ENWW Configure media 9
For each media type, the Media Wizard stores the following settings (as indicated, some settings
apply to either roll-fed or sheet-fed media only):
General Media Settings
●
Vacuum Fan Level — adjusts the amount of vacuum at the media drive belt. Observe the
◦
media as the fan speed changes. If the media is lifting off the belt, increase the fan speed.
If the media advance seems impeded by the vacuum, decrease the fan speed.
Feed Method — Rollfed (with optional supply and takeup system installed) or Cut Sheet.
◦
Visible to Printer — if Yes, the media sensor and image sensor will be used. If No, the
◦
media sensor and image sensor will not be used (with clear films, for example).
Use Rollers — sets whether the Input and Output media rollers are used (yes) or not used
◦
(no) with the Flat Media setting (see
rollers will move up or down as needed to be just above the surface of the media. When set
to No, the rollers will move to their highest point and remain there.
Weight — sets the media belt drive motor and media advance amount to handle Light (up
◦
to 22 kg (50 lb)) or Heavy (22-113 kg (50-250 lb)) media.
CAUTION: The input and output tables are rated at a maximum load of 68.0 kg (150 lb).
Do not exceed this maximum load.
Print Mode Specific Settings — for custom media types, this screen enables you to adjust the
●
settings for each print mode and color set combination. See
for a detailed description of print modes and color sets.
Load rigid media on page 12). When set to Yes, the
Available print modes on page 21
Print Mode — select the print mode whose settings you want to change.
◦
Color Set — select the color set whose settings you want to change.
◦
Change Print Mode Specific Settings — press this button to change the UV Lamps settings
◦
and Printing Delay for the print mode and color set you selected. A higher lamp setting
increases ink curing power, important at high speeds and for older lamps that are losing
their intensity; a lower setting for newer lamps extends their life.
Closing the shutter on the trailing lamp blocks the UV light from the lamp, which allows the
drop of jetted ink to spread out more before it is cured, resulting in a glossier look to the
print. The color profile used must take this into account for accurate color matching.
A longer printing delay helps dissipate heat from heat-sensitive substrates, while a shorter
delay speeds printing throughput.
10 Chapter 2 Configure and load media ENWW
Work with the rigid media tables
Figure 2-1 Output (1) and input (2) tables
The printer includes a set of standard input and output tables for rigid media handling: one for the
input side of the printer, and one for the output side. These tables are assembled, installed and
leveled when the printer is installed. The tables are designed to be used only when the tabletop is in
the horizontal position and latched to the printer. The latches, see (1)
release cable on page 11, are needed for safety, print quality, and to provide a ground path to
discharge the electrostatic charge from synthetic media.
Figure 2-2 Table latches and
The tabletop can be pivoted to a near-vertical position to save space during storage. After detaching
the tables from the printer, release the tabletop latches by pulling the release cable, see (2)
2-2 Table latches and release cable on page 11, under the tabletop. To return the tabletop to its
operating position, pivot the table top down and press down firmly to engage the latches.
Figure 2-2 Table latches and release cable
Optional extension tables are also available as an accessory, When properly assembled and
attached to the ends of the standard tables, the extension tables enable safe and reliable handling of
large media sheets. During use, the extension tables must be latched to the standard tables for
Figure
ENWW Work with the rigid media tables 11
safety, print quality, and to provide a ground path to discharge the electrostatic charge from synthetic
media. When not attached to the standard tables, the extension table tops are designed to pivot into
the storage position under their own weight.
CAUTION: The standard and accessory extension tables are intended for use only when attached
to the printer as described in these instructions. When not in use, the tables should be stored with the
table tops folded in the storage position. Use caution when operating the table tops and moving the
tables, to avoid personal injury or damage to property.
NOTE: If the accessory tables were properly leveled when they were installed, they should not have
to be leveled again. If sheet-fed media feed problems occur, make sure the accessory tables are
securely latched to the standard tables, and verify that the tables are level. You can use the spirit
(“bubble”) levels that are built into the sides of the table tops, or use a separate level. In either case,
check for level over the fixed support assembly first, then over the folding support, and adjust the
table wheels up or down as necessary.
Load rigid media
NOTE: See Table A-2 Media sizes on page 83 for a list of supported media sizes.
1. If the rigid media tables are not already installed, position the input and output tables at each
end of the media drive belt, and engage the attachment latches to the printer. Make sure that the
pivoting table tops are securely latched in the operating position.
NOTE: If you have the optional roll-fed media accessory installed, remove the foam press
rollers. The foam press rollers are not used with rigid media.
2. At the end of the Configure Media process (see Configure media on page 9), press Yes on the
control panel:
OR
from the Home page screen, press Load Media.
Before you can load, you must configure the media as explained in
3. On the control panel menu, press one of the following media rollers options, then press
Proceed:
Flat Media — if the rollers were set to “Yes” in the media configuration (see
●
media on page 9), the rollers will move up or down as needed to be just above the surface
of the media. If the rollers were set to “No”, the rollers will remain at their highest point and
will not be used. In either case, the full imageable length of the sheet is available for
printing.
Warped Media, Hold Down — when a sheet is loaded, the leading edge is advanced so
●
that it is underneath the output roller. Printing is allowed only until the trailing edge of the
sheet has reached the input roller. The imageable area of the sheet is reduced by 65.4 cm
(25.8 in) from both the leading and trailing edges.
Short Media — enables printing on sheets that are not long enough to reach the output
●
roller and thickness sensor at the same time. The media length can be less than 33 cm (13
in) but at least 11 cm (4 in).
NOTE: The media rollers are lowered to just above the media with any force or pressure, other
than their own weight. They are designed to hold down lighter weight media with at most a
moderate amount of warping. They may have no effect on heavier, badly warped media. For
best results, use the flattest available media.
Configure media on page 9.
Configure
12 Chapter 2 Configure and load media ENWW
4. On the control panel, enter the approximate or exact thickness of the media you are loading,
then press Proceed.
5. Load the sheet of media onto the input table, sliding it forward against the media alignment bar
(under the printhead carriage rail), then left along the media alignment bar until the media
touches the leftmost alignment pin.
6. Press Sheet Ready on the control panel, or Cancel to cancel the media load process.
TIP: Before you press Sheet Ready, you can press Turn On Lamps on the control panel to
initiate their warm-up cycle while you complete the subsequent steps in the load process. This
will enable printing to begin sooner than if you allow the lamps to be turned on automatically.
You can also change the head height at this time.
7. Select the media length from the list, or enter a length manually, then press Proceed.
The control panel asks for the number of sheets to feed.
8. Enter the number of sheets:
Single sheet
●
N-UP — for two or more sheets loaded at once across the width of the printer
●
The printer measures the media, and the control panel displays a summary screen of the
settings you specified.
9. Press Proceed, and press Proceed again to confirm that the media has loaded.
The Media page appears.
10. Send a print job from the RIP or print a Stored Job from the printer.
For multiple copy jobs ejected to the output side of the printer, the printer control panel will
prompt for the next sheet a short time before the previous sheet is done printing. Load the
subsequent sheet against the media alignment bar, and press Sheet Ready on the control panel.
The printer prints on the next sheet and will use the same option settings on all of the copies in
the print job.
Use the camera to locate the sheets
The on-carriage camera is used to locate the position of each sheet as part of the load process. To
specify load options:
1. On the Printing page, press Options.
2. From the Options menu, press Measure Media.
The Measure Media Frequency menu appears:
Measure only on first load — only the first row is measured, and those measurements are
●
used for all subsequent rows. Use the alignment pins to locate the sheets in subsequent
rows. This speeds throughput by eliminating the measurement step for each row.
Measure on all loads — each sheet in every row of sheets will be measured, and reported
●
to the server. This aids in accurate placement of edge-to-edge images. In this mode, use of
the alignment pins is unnecessary.
Don't measure media — does not measure the sheets, for fastest throughput. Use only if
●
there are wide margins on all four sides, or for transparent media, which the printer cannot
detect. Use the alignment pins to locate the sheets.
3. Press a Measure Media option.
ENWW Load rigid media 13
When you select a Measure Media option, the Measure Media Type menu appears. This
enables you to select a trade-off between image placement accuracy and throughput.
●
●
●
●
If the print job has wide margins, you can increase throughput with Minimal or One Edge. For
edge-to-edge printing, increase accuracy by selecting Standard or Maximal.
4. Press a Measure Media Type option.
After you select a Measure Media Type option, a message appears to remind you to load the
same number of sheets with every N-UP group, until they have all been printed. Press Proceed
to dismiss this message and return to the printer options menu.
Quick Load
After printing is complete, you can reload a sheet of the same media type and dimensions without
reconfiguring the media. Use Quick Load or Load:
Minimal — measures the media width once, locates leading edge near the user side on
subsequent loads.
Standard — measures the media width once, estimates skew by locating the leading edge
near the user and service sides on subsequent loads.
One Edge — on first load, measures both edges; on subsequent loads, measures the left
edge only.
Maximal — on every load, measures the media width at two points to estimate skew, finds
the leading edge near the user side.
NOTE: This option is available if you select Measure only on first load from the Measure Media
Frequency menu (see
1. Press Load on the Home Page screen.
The control panel displays a menu with a Quick Load and Load option.
To load a sheet of media with the same media type with the same dimensions as the
●
previous job, press Quick Load.
To load a sheet of media with the same media type with the same dimensions as the
●
previous job, but different flatness, thickness, or number of N-UP sheets, press Load. The
control panel allows you to respecify these options.
2. Place the media onto the media drive belt, and push it flush against the media alignment bar,
then left along the media alignment bar until it touches the leftmost alignment pin.
At this point, the control panel allows you to adjust the vacuum fans and head height off the
media.
3. Press Sheet Ready on the control panel.
The printer is ready to receive the next job from the RIP or Stored Jobs on the printer.
Multi-sheet N-UP
Multi-sheet N-UP allows you to print a multiple-copy job on multiple sheets across the belt, and
multiple rows of sheets, until the job is complete. Use the built-in media alignment pins for quick
positioning of the sheets across the printer's width. Align the left side of each sheet with one of the
pins, with a small space from the right edge of the sheet to the next pin, to allow for variations in
sheet dimensions. Alternatively, if you position the pins with zero clearance between the sheets and
Use the camera to locate the sheets on page 13).
14 Chapter 2 Configure and load media ENWW
each pin, before each print be sure to raise the pins over the thickness of the sheets; otherwise the
sheets could become skewed.
NOTE: When printing multi-sheet N-UP on media that cannot be detected by the printer's media
sensor (black, dark colored, reflective, or clear), the sheets in each row must be spaced equally.
To print multi-sheet N-UP, load multiple sheets on the printer, then send a print job from the RIP with
a quantity greater than or equal to the number of sheets you loaded. The printer will prompt you to
load more sheets until the number of copies you specified has been printed. You can also print
Stored Jobs as multi-sheet N-UP (see
This type of printing works best with an image that has wide margins on all four edges, but edge-toedge printing is also possible by carefully matching the dimensions of the image to the dimensions of
the media sheets. Margins are defined for each print job by the RIP.
The image is positioned horizontally (left-right) as defined on the Printing screen, under the Options
button.
“Incomplete” rows
You can print any number of copies in a multi-sheet N-UP job, even if the total number does not
divide evenly into the number of sheets per row. Only the last row may have a different number of
sheets.
For example: in a twenty-sheet job, you might be able to fit three sheets in each row, so you might
print six rows of three sheets, plus one row of two sheets (6x3=18, 1x2=2, 18+2=20). If the last row is
a partial row, load the sheets from the user end toward the service end.
Stored jobs on page 23 for details).
Load roll-fed media
Figure 2-3 Roll-fed media path
If the optional roll-fed media supply and takeup system is installed on the printer, you can print on rollfed media.
ENWW Load roll-fed media 15
NOTE: See Table A-2 Media sizes on page 83 for a list of supported media sizes.
1. If installed, detach the rigid media input and output tables from the printer, and set them aside.
2. Install the takeup spindle and empty cardboard core, see (8).
3. Load the media centered onto the supply spindle (1).
NOTE: To prevent fingerprints from showing on printed output, wear gloves while handling the
media.
4. Load the supply spindle onto the supply system bracket, with the media centered.
You can print on either side of the media by loading the spindle so the media spools off the
bottom of the roll or the top of the roll.
5. Configure the media as explained in
Media process, press Proceed on the control panel.
OR
If the media is already configured, from the Home page of the control panel, press Load.
NOTE: Be sure to enter the correct media thickness. The printer can detect the thickness of
sheet-fed media only if the media is loaded under the media thickness sensor, which is located
at the user end of the carriage rail. For roll-fed media (if enabled), use the manufacturer's
specification or use a caliper to measure the thickness.
The control panel displays a graphic and prompts you to remove the foam press roller.
6. As prompted by the control panel, raise the foam press roller (3) to the upper position, then
press Proceed.
7. Pull the media from the roll, pull it over the foam lift roller (2) (the foam press roller (3) should not
be in position yet) and lay it on the belt up to the input media roller (4). Then press Proceed.
TIP: The foam lift roller and foam press roller are intended for flexible roll medias such as scrim
vinyls. Using the foam rollers may cause media feed errors with heavier, less flexible roll stock
such as photobase papers. When printing on heavier stock, feed the media underneath both
rollers to bypass them.
8. On the control panel, press the upper (forward) Advance Media arrow button to advance the
media, with the vacuum fans on.
Configure media on page 9. At the end of the Configure
You may need to hold the media down on the belt until the vacuum grabs it.
9. Advance the media until it hangs on exit side down to the takeup roller. Do not tape the media to
the core at this time.
10. On the control panel, press Turn Off Fans.
11. Hold the upper (forward) Advance Media button down for about five seconds.
This will help smooth out wrinkles and equalize the tension of the media across the belt.
Since the fans are off, the media should not advance. If the media moves, hold onto the media
with your right hand while pressing Advance Media with your left hand.
12. Place the foam press roller (3) into operating position. Then press Proceed.
13. On the control panel, press Turn On Fans.
14. Lower the input (4) and output media rollers (5) to their operating positions.
15. Check for wrinkles in the media across the full length and width of the belt.
16 Chapter 2 Configure and load media ENWW
If you see any wrinkles, turn off the fans and smooth out the wrinkles with your hand.
16. Align the cardboard takeup core to the media and tighten the stops to lock the core in place.
17. Lift the first dancer bar (6) (with the gears), and lock in the upper position.
18. Pull the media under the first dancer bar, over second dancer bar (7), and down to the printer
side of takeup roller (8).
19. Looking down the length of the takeup roller from the user end, the roller rotates clockwise.
Ensure that the media is wrapped as shown in (8).
20. Tape the end of the media to printer side of takeup roller, starting in the middle and working out
to both ends.
Be sure to maintain even tension across the width of the media.
21. Release the dancer bar locking lever.
22. Press Proceed.
23. On the Select Thickness Units screen, press the option that corresponds to the units you will
use.
24. Enter the media length or press Cancel for an undefined length.
The printer measures the media width.
25. On the Front Page screen, press Proceed.
The Front Page screen appears on the control panel.
Use the camera to locate the media
For roll-fed media, you can choose between two levels of precision for finding the left (user end), and
right (service end) edges of the media.
1. On the Printing page, press Options.
2. From the Options menu, press Measure Media.
The Measure Media Frequency menu appears. This enables you to select a trade-off between
image placement accuracy and throughput.
When loading — locates the left and right edges only when loading a roll of media.
●
Before each copy — locates the left and right edges of the media before each print. This
●
enables the printer to compensate for any “drifting” of the media, and print the image at the
correct location.
3. Press a Measure Media Type option.
The Options menu reappears.
ENWW Load roll-fed media 17
18 Chapter 2 Configure and load media ENWW
3Load inks
NOTE: UV inks have a limited shelf life. The Warranty Ends date listed on the ink box label should
be taken into account when ordering inks, rotating ink in inventory, and planning print jobs. Printing
with an ink supply after this date may result in substandard image quality.
Load inks
The amount of ink in the ink supply box is tracked by the printer software and recorded on its
corresponding profiler. The control panel displays a bar graph with the ink levels in each ink box.
When the control panel shows that the ink is low, replace the ink box with a full ink box of the same
color, and replace the profiler.
NOTE: You may want to wear gloves (latex or nitrile) and have a paper towel handy to catch the
drops of ink that may fall from the ink tube connection during this procedure.
Figure 3-1 Ink boxes (both styles of connectors can be used with the printer)
Unload an empty ink box
1. Remove the profiler.
2. Lift the box out of its holder and turn the box upside down so the ink tube is pointing up.
3. Grasp the metal connector where the ink tube enters the printer, and push it up to release the
ink supply tube.
4. Remove and dispose of the ink box (refer to the Material Safety Data Sheet for proper disposal
procedures).
Load a full ink box
1. Open the new ink box and locate the supply connector.
2. Locate and remove the profiler, and set aside until step 5.
3. Shake, invert and install the ink box into position in the holder, so the ink supply tube is at the
bottom of the box.
ENWW Load inks 19
NOTE: The pigments in the inks can settle to the bottom of the ink box during storage. To
reduce inaccurate color in prints, invert and vigorously shake the ink box for at least one minute
before installing it into the printer.
4. Insert the ink tube connector into the metal connector on the printer.
The position for each ink color is shown on a label below each ink box and next to the profiler
docking station. The white ink box has a split “Y” supply line that connects the box to two ink
ports on the printer (Light Cyan/White and Light Magenta/White).
5. Install the profiler in the corresponding docking station slot.
NOTE: Printing with white ink requires you to install the optional White Ink Upgrade Kit and then
perform a white ink conversion. See
Order ink supplies
You can order the following ink supplies for your printer.
Table 3-1 Ink cartridges
Cartridge Part number
HP FB250 3L Cyan Scitex Ink Cartridge CH216A
HP FB250 3L Magenta Scitex Ink Cartridge CH217A
HP FB250 3L Yellow Scitex Ink Cartridge CH218A
Order accessories on page 55 for ordering instructions.
HP FB250 3L Black Scitex Ink Cartridge CH219A
HP FB250 3L Light Cyan Scitex Ink Cartridge CH220A
HP FB250 3L Light Magenta Scitex Ink Cartridge CH221A
HP FB251 2L White Scitex Ink Cartridge CQ123A
Table 3-2 Cleaning supplies
Printhead flush Part number
HP UV Printhead Flush CH122A
20 Chapter 3 Load inks ENWW
4 Printing jobs
Available print modes
You select a print mode for each print job at the external RIP. Refer to the RIP documentation for
instructions. Stored jobs can be printed in the mode originally specified by the RIP, or in any other
mode at the same resolution as it was sent from the RIP (see table for resolutions).
The printer can print in several different modes for the combination of image quality and speed that
you require. The modes are named after their intended applications. The higher-quality modes are
meant for closer viewing. The faster modes are meant for viewing from longer distances. Maximum
speeds shown in the table are for jobs with six colors, four colors, or four colors plus white spot
printing. White flood fills print at approximately 45% the other color modes.
NOTE: Printing with white ink requires you to install the optional White Ink Upgrade Kit and then
perform a white ink conversion. See
Table 4-1 FB500 print modes and maximum print speeds
Order accessories on page 55 for ordering instructions.
Print mode Maximum speed,
CMYKcm, CMYK,
CMYK+W
1 Max DPI — Saturated: for printing on backlit media)
Viewing distance: less than 1 m (3 ft)
2 Photo Plus: near offset quality
Viewing distance: less than 1 m (3 ft)
3 Photo: photo gloss
Viewing distance: less than 1 m (3 ft)
4 Indoor Signage Plus: higher quality point-of-purchase (POP)
Viewing distance: 1–2 m (3–6 ft)
5 Indoor Signage: standard point-of-purchase (POP)
Viewing distance: 1–2 m (3–6 ft)
6 Outdoor Signage Plus: medium viewing distance signage
Viewing distance: 2–3 m (6–10 ft)
7 Outdoor Signage: longer distance viewing signage (not available
for white ink jobs)
Viewing distance: 3–5 m (10–16 ft)
4.4 sqm/h
47 (sqft/h)
4.4 sqm/h
47 (sqft/h)
8.6 sqm/h
93 (sqft/h)
11.1 sqm/h
120 (sqft/h)
16.4 sqm/h
177 (sqft/h)
21.3 sqm/h
229 (sqft/h)
29.6 sqm/h
319 (sqft/h)
Maximum speed,
white flood
2.4 sqm/h
26 sqft/h
n/a
3.6 sqm/h
39 sqft/h
4.4 sqm/h
48 sqft/h
7.0 sqm/h
75 sqft/h
7.9 sqm/h
85 sqft/h
n/a
8 Express: very long distance viewing (not available for white ink
jobs)
Viewing distance: greater than 5 m (16 ft)
37.0 sqm/h
398 (sqft/h)
n/a
ENWW Available print modes 21
Table 4-2 FB700 print modes and maximum print speeds
Print mode Maximum speed,
1 Max DPI — Saturated: for printing on backlit media)
Viewing distance: less than 1 m (3 ft)
2 Photo Plus: near offset quality
Viewing distance: less than 1 m (3 ft)
3 Photo: photo gloss
Viewing distance: less than 1 m (3 ft)
4 Indoor Signage Plus: higher quality point-of-purchase (POP)
Viewing distance: 1–2 m (3–6 ft)
5 Indoor Signage: standard point-of-purchase (POP)
Viewing distance: 1–2 m (3–6 ft)
6 Outdoor Signage Plus: medium viewing distance signage
Viewing distance: 2–3 m (6–10 ft)
7 Outdoor Signage: longer distance viewing signage (not available
for white ink jobs)
Viewing distance: 3–5 m (10–16 ft)
CMYKcm, CMYK,
CMYK+W
5.0 sqm/h
55 sqft/h
5.0 sqm/h
54 sqft/h
9.9 sqm/h
107 sqft/h
12.8 sqm/h
138 sqft/h
18.8 sqm/h
202 sqft/h
24.3 sqm/h
261 sqft/h
34.0 sqm/h
366 sqft/h
Maximum speed,
white flood
2.7 sqm/h
29 sqft/h
n/a
4.1 sqm/h
44 sqft/h
5.1 sqm/h
55 sqft/h
7.9 sqm/h
85 sqft/h
9.0 sqm/h
97 sqft/h
n/a
8 Express: very long distance viewing (not available for white ink
jobs)
Viewing distance: greater than 5 m (16 ft)
9 Billboard: Billboards, far away (not available for white ink jobs)
Viewing distance: far away
42.2 sqm/h
455 sqft/h
80 sqm/h
861 sqft/h
n/a
n/a
The graph below shows the relative print speeds (horizontal axis) and image quality levels (vertical
axis) of each mode.
22 Chapter 4 Printing jobs ENWW
Figure 4-1 Speed and image quality by print mode
Q
Stored jobs
When you send a print job to the printer, you can save the job automatically on the printer’s hard disk
drive, on a rotating first-in-first-out (FIFO) basis. You can “lock” a job to prevent it from being rotated
out, but this reduces the amount of space available for subsequent jobs to be saved. You can also
save a stored job without printing it until you print it from the control panel, or only print the job without
saving it.
The printer can store up to twenty-four sheet-fed or roll-fed jobs. These jobs are retained on the
printer's disk, even when the printer power is cycled on and off. When the number of stored jobs
reaches the printer's storage capacity, subsequent print jobs will be printed but not stored.
If a job is too large to be saved, it is simply discarded from memory after printing. If a complete print
job has been received from the RIP and you cancel the print, it will still appear in the Stored Jobs
listing.
sqm/h (sqft/h)
Stored Jobs can be viewed and managed from the control panel.
Thumbnail screen
To print or manage Stored Jobs, press Jobs on the Home or Printing page. On this page, you can
view thumbnail images of the various jobs. Locked jobs (protected from automatic deletion) are
identified by a padlock icon on the thumbnail image.
From the Stored Job thumbnails screen, you can perform these operations on the print job:
Press Max Sizes to view the total image area that can be stored at each combination of
●
resolution and color set.
Press History to view a log of stored jobs activity.
●
ENWW Stored jobs 23
Press Settings to specify how jobs are stored and printed. This setting is saved even when the
●
printer is restarted.
Print & Save — prints the job and saves it to disk.
◦
Save Only — saves the job to disk without printing it. In this mode, the background color of
◦
the Stored Jobs section on the Home Page screen turns green.
Print Only — prints without saving the job to disk.
◦
Press 2–Sided to set up a two-sided print job using Stored Jobs, The printer will prompt you to
●
select a Stored Job for the front and back of the sheet. After printing, side one of the sheet will
be ejected to the input side of the printer, and you will be prompted to flip over and reload the
sheet for printing side two. After printing, the sheet will be ejected to the output side of the
printer.
TIP: When printing a two-sided print job from the Stored Jobs on the printer, and the Auto Eject
feature is disabled (set to “Off” under Printing page > Options > Eject Settings), Auto Eject will be
enabled or the printer will prompt you to change the Print Position setting before printing will proceed.
This is because double-sided printing by definition uses the Auto Eject feature. If necessary, you can
print the sides as two single-sided jobs, turning the media sheet over between sides.
Properties screen
To view the properties of a Stored Job, or to print a Stored Job, press the job's thumbnail image.
From the Stored Job properties screen, you can perform these operations on the print job:
To print the job, press Load & Print. The printer will prompt you for the number of copies to
●
print. If you have multiple sheets loaded, each copy will print on a separate sheet, and the printer
will prompt for additional sheets until the number of copies requested have been printed. You
can print the job in any print mode that use the same resolution as the original job.
To adjust the right, left, leading, or trailing margins, press Margin Settings. The leading and
●
trailing margins are applied to sheet-fed and roll-fed print jobs.
To change the print mode of a job, press Print Mode. You can only change the mode to one that
●
uses the resolution at which the job was RIPed. To print the job at a different resolution, re-send
the job from the RIP at the new resolution.
To delete the job, press Delete.
●
To lock or unlock the job, press the appropriate button. Locking a job prevents it from being
●
deleted, but subtracts from the available memory for Stored Jobs.
TIP: If you want to print on a media type that is different from the media specified in a Stored Job, or
if you will re-linearize the printer, do not reprint the Stored Job. For the best color, re-send the job
from the RIP instead.
When printing a job, the printer checks that the currently loaded media matches the media type that
was loaded when the job was stored. If different, a warning is raised. You can choose to not print the
job, or ignore the warning and print anyway.
Printing on a media type or in a print mode that is different from the original job may result in a color
shift.
TIP: While a print job is being received by the printer and saved to its internal hard disk (a process
called “spooling,”) you can switch the UV lamps on or off as desired, rather than wait for the entire job
to be spooled.
24 Chapter 4 Printing jobs ENWW
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