HP (Hewlett-Packard) FlexJet E, StudioJet User Manual

User Guide

Ioline FlexJet E & StudioJet Printers

User Notice

Trademarks

Ioline, StudioJet and FlexJet E printers are trademarks of Ioline Corporation. HP is a trademark of the Hewlett-Packard Company. Other product names, logos, designs, titles, words or phrases mentioned within this publication may be trademarks, service marks, or trade names of Ioline Corporation or other entities and may be registered in certain jurisdictions including internationally.

Ioline Disclaimer

IOLINE CORPORATION PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OR MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL IOLINE, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE), EVEN IF IOLINE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.

Limit of Liability Statement

It is the responsibility of the operator of the printer to monitor the performance of the printer and maintain it in proper working condition by following the instructions in this User Guide. It is the responsibility of the operator of the printer to follow all safety precautions and warnings that are described in this User Guide. Ioline Corporation is not responsible for injuries that may occur as a result of unsafe use. Ioline Corporation is not responsible for substandard operational performance as a result of failure to maintain the printer as described in this User Guide.

© 2003-2008 Ioline Corporation. All rights reserved. This manual may not be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, transmitted or converted to any electronic or machine-readable form in whole or in part without prior written approval of Ioline Corporation.

Service and Support

If you require assistance with an Ioline product, your local Ioline dealer or authorized service center is ready to help. Support information is also available 24/7 on the Ioline Web site—or you may contact Ioline directly:

Ioline Corporation

14140 NE 200th Street

Woodinville, Washington 98072 U.S.A.

Ioline Customer Service Department

Monday through Friday

7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. U.S. Pacic Time

Voice: 1.425.398.8282

Fax: 1.425.398.8383

support@ioline.com

www.ioline.com

Part Number 109619 Rev. 1

Ioline FlexJet E

Printers

User Guide

Table of Contents

Safety & Cautions

Visual Reference Guide

Chapter 1 Overview

Getting Started ................................................................................................. 15

How The Ioline FlexJet E and StudioJet printers Work ................................ 16

Chapter 2 Installation

Printer Assembly .............................................................................................. 17

Unpacking the Printer ......................................................................................................... 17

Assembling the Stand .......................................................................................................... 17

Attaching the Printer to the Stand ................................................................................... 17

Connect the printer to the Computer: Overview ....................................................... 17

Cable Connections .............................................................................................................. 18

Serial Conguration ............................................................................................................. 18

COM Port .............................................................................................................................. 18

Baud Rate ............................................................................................................................... 19

Other Serial Port Settings .................................................................................................. 19

Software Setup Options ..................................................................................................... 19

Power On ........................................................................................................... 21

Installing FlexPlot and the Control Center ................................................... 21

Chapter 3 Operation

Keypad Controls ............................................................................................... 23

Start/Stop ............................................................................................................................... 23

Clean ....................................................................................................................................... 24

Quality .................................................................................................................................... 24

Set Origin ............................................................................................................................... 24

Arrow Keys ............................................................................................................................ 25

Page Advance ......................................................................................................................... 25

Unroll (FlexJet E Only) ........................................................................................................ 25

Special Key Combinations .............................................................................. 25

Roll Up (FlexJet E Only) ..................................................................................................... 25

Reset Serial Port Baud Rate ............................................................................................... 25

Restore Factory Default Settings ...................................................................................... 25

The Control Center ......................................................................................... 26

Overview ................................................................................................................................ 26

Changing System Settings ................................................................................................... 26

Control Center Menu Bar Features ............................................................... 27

File ........................................................................................................................................... 27

Communications .................................................................................................................. 27

Tools ........................................................................................................................................ 27

Help ......................................................................................................................................... 27

Control Center Menu Options ........................................................................ 28

Software Version ................................................................................................................... 28

Cartridge Count ................................................................................................................... 28

Get Plotter Data .................................................................................................................. 28

Plotter Data (check box) .................................................................................................... 28

Line Width .............................................................................................................................. 28

Scale ......................................................................................................................................... 28

Frame Size .............................................................................................................................. 28

Quality Setting ...................................................................................................................... 29

Measurement Units .............................................................................................................. 29

Consumables ..................................................................................................... 29

Paper ....................................................................................................................................... 29

Ink ............................................................................................................................................ 29

Guidelines for Installing a Cartridge

* ............................................................................................................................................... 29

Printing a Marker ............................................................................................. 30

Overview ................................................................................................................................ 30

General Guidelines .............................................................................................................. 30

Loading Paper on the StudioJet ...................................................................... 31

Loading Paper on the FlexJet E Printer ......................................................... 31

Installing the Take-up Shaft (FlexJet E Models only) ............................................ 32

Feeding Paper (FlexJet E Models only) ................................................................ 33

Tape Paper to the Take-up Shaft (FlexJet E Models only) .................................. 34

Positioning the Pinchwheels ............................................................................ 34

Insert Front Dancer Bar (FlexJet E Models only) ............................................... 35

Insert Read Dancer Bar (FlexJet E 2H+ Models only) ........................................ 36

Set an Origin ..................................................................................................... 36

Sending Plot Files ............................................................................................. 36

Pausing a Marker Plot ...................................................................................... 36

Canceling a Marker Plot .................................................................................. 37

Removing Markers from the Take-up Shaft (FlexJet E Models only) ................. 37

Manually Freeing the Take-up Shaft (FlexJet E Models only) ............................ 38

Automatically Freeing the Take-Up Shaft (FlexJet E Models only) .................. 39

Reattach Paper to the Take-up Shaft (FlexJet E Models only) .......................... 39

Printing to the Floor ........................................................................................ 40

Chapter 4 Routine Maintenance

Cleaning the Drive Shaft ................................................................................. 41

Cleaning the Platen and Traverse ................................................................... 41

Cleaning the Support Blocks (FlexJet E Models only) ....................................... 42

Size Calibration ................................................................................................ 42

Prepare the Printer (See the Operation chapter) ............................................................... 42

Use the Control Center to Gather the Calibration Data .......................................... 43

Enter the Calibration Data: ................................................................................................ 43

Cartridge Calibration ....................................................................................... 44

Prepare the Printer .............................................................................................................. 44

Motion Adjust (Carriage Scan Alignment) ..................................................................... 45

Frame Gap (Paper Scan Alignment) ................................................................................. 45

Cartridge Maintenance and Handling ............................................................ 46

Check Cartridges ................................................................................................................. 46

Automatic Cleaning Procedure ......................................................................................... 46

Manual Cleaning Procedure ............................................................................................... 47

Print Cartridge Storage ................................................................................... 48

Short-term Storage (7 days or less) ................................................................................. 48

Long-term Storage (greater than 7 days) ........................................................................ 48

Updating Firmware using the Control Center .............................................. 48

Summary ................................................................................................................................. 48

Prepare the printer for a Firmware Update ................................................................... 48

Check the Current Firmware Version ............................................................................. 48

Update the Firmware .......................................................................................................... 49

Reset Calibration Values ..................................................................................................... 50

Chapter 5 Troubleshooting

General Troubleshooting .................................................................................. 51

Media Tracking .................................................................................................. 51

Printing Quality ................................................................................................ 52

Line Quality ....................................................................................................... 52

Serial Communication ..................................................................................... 52

Keypad Error Codes ......................................................................................... 53

Legend ..................................................................................................................................... 53

Common Issues ................................................................................................ 54

Common Issues (FlexJet E Models only) ............................................................. 57

Chapter 6 End Notes

Service & Support ............................................................................................ 59

Getting Help ..................................................................................................... 59

Customer Service ............................................................................................. 60

Your Comments Are Requested ..................................................................... 60

Before you contact Support… ........................................................................ 61

The FCC Wants You to Know... ........................................................................ 62

Glossary

Index

NOTES

The Ioline FlexJet E and StudioJet printers have many fast moving components. Please read and follow these safety guidelines before beginning operation of the printer:

n Do not try to repair the machine without factory authoriza-

tion. Only qualied service personnel should attempt any

disassembly or access to internal components. If external mechanical adjustments are necessary, turn off the printer and disconnect it from all power sources (both the computer and the wall outlet).

Safety &

Cautions

n Be careful with hair, jewelry, or loose clothing near the printer.

They can become caught in the mechanical parts.

n Never attempt to move the carriage by hand when the power is

on. Always use the Arrow keys to move the carriage. To park

the carriage safely in the Service Station and protect the print cartridges, press the Clean button.

n Keep hands away

from the carriage when the printer is in operation. The car-

riage will automatically move to touch the left end plate then back to the right end (the Service Station position) when the power is turned on.

n Never insert hands or other objects into the Service Station

area on the right side of the printer. The carriage occasionally

enters this area without warning and could collide with an obstruction, potentially causing and injury.

Figure 1. Hold the bottom surfaces of the

end covers to avoid injury to your ngers.

n Be careful when moving or lifting the printer. Moving the

FlexJet E printer requires at least 2 people. To avoid injury to your ngers, do not lift either model by the end plates. Hold the bottom surfaces of the end covers to lift or move them. See Figure 1.

n Keep ngers away from the drive shaft when the printer is in

Visual Reference Guide

KEY

A. Left End Cover B. Right End Cover C. Take-up Motor D. Stand Leveling Foot E. Feed Roll F. Take-up Shaft

Rear Panel Behind Right End Cover

G. Feed Shaft H. Dancer Bar I. Stand AA. Power Switch BB. Serial Port CC. USB Port

AA BB

The Ioline FlexJet E Printer Front View.

Visual Reference Guide

KEY

J. Drive Shaft Marker K. Pinchwheel L. Traverse or Carriage Rail M. Carriage Assembly N. Platen P. Ink Cartridge Latch

Q. Ink Cartridge Stall R. Pinchwheel Lever S. Keypad T. Service Station

U. Take Up Sensors

The Ioline FlexJet E Printer Front View Close-up

Visual Reference Guide

KEY

A. Left End Cover B. Drive Shaft Marker C. Pinchwheel Lever D. Pinchwheel E. Drive Shaft

F. Right End Cover G. Keypad H. Stand Leg I. Inkjet Cartridge J. Carriage

D E

K. Stand Leveling Foot L. Feed Shaft M. Cross-member N. Platen O. Traverse

Figure 5. The Ioline StudioJet Front View.

Unless otherwise noted, diagrams and descriptions depicting Ioline FlexJet E printer models also apply to the Ioline StudioJet in this manual.

Getting Started

Chapter 1

Overview

Thank you for purchasing the Ioline FlexJet E or StudioJet printer.

This manual contains instructions and guidelines for setting up, operating and maintaining your Ioline printer. The following components are needed to create markers:

n A FlexJet E printer assembled according to the directions out-

lined in the FlexJet E Printer or StudioJet Quick Start Guide.

n A computer system that is properly installed and has a func-

tioning serial or USB port.

n Apparel design software loaded into the computer according to

the installation instructions.

n Printing media and ink cartridges that are within the guidelines

stated under the Operation chapter.

n Depending on the communications setup, Ioline FlexPlot soft-

ware is required if your CAD software does not create compat-

ible les.

In order to output to the FlexJet E or StudioJet printer, your apparel design software must create plot les in HPGL 7475 or DM/PL format. Alternatively, you can output markers using the FlexPlot software, included with the printer. FlexPlot imports and

converts a variety of le formats

for output to your Ioline printer.

Note

The Ioline Control Center and FlexPlot will only run on the Windows® 2000/XP/Vista operating systems. Most design software provides drivers for Ioline printers. Contact Ioline customer service if you need assistance with drivers.

LEFT EDGE OF PLOT

LOWER EDGE OF PLOT

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

How The Ioline FlexJet E and StudioJet printers Work

The FlexJet E and StudioJet printers create printed images through synchronized media and carriage motion. Files are sent to the printer

from a computer or le server via a serial or USB* connection.

When the printer receives a le, the electronic logic system translates

the vector image into X-axis (paper motion) and Y-axis (carriage motion) instructions and uses digital feedback to ensure plot accuracy.

The FlexJet E and StudioJet printers break the plot le into frame segments in order to plot long markers. The FlexJet E printer then rolls the frame segments onto a take-up shaft. The FlexJet E printer can roll up to 600 yards onto the take-up shaft at a time. The Studio-

Jet plots to the oor.

Left side of FlexJet E printer Right side of FlexJet E printer

In this manual the right and left side refers to the right and left side of the front of the printers. Design software usually refers to the Origin (or Start Point) as “lower left” because it is the lower left corner of a plot. The plot is usually oriented in the printer rotated 90 degrees counter clockwise as shown in Figure

5. The lower left corner of the

plot is physically on the right side of the printer.

* Note: The StudioJet has a serial

port. The FlexJet E has both a se-

rial port and a USB port.

Note

Origin at right side of printer and lower left on plot

Figure 7. The X- and Y-axes and origin (top view).

An overview of the complete setup procedure is described in detail in the FlexJet E Printer and StudioJet Quick Start Guides (provided in the Accessory Kit).

Chapter 2

Installation

Printer Assembly

Unpacking the Printer

Carefully remove the printer from the box and place it on a at,

stable surface. This procedure requires two people. Check the packing list to ensure that all of the accessories are present. (See the FlexJet E printer or StudioJet Quick Start Guide for more information.) Save all packing materials and the box.

Assembling the Stand

Assemble and level the stand using the hardware included in the Accessory Kit and directions outlined in the See the FlexJet E printer or

StudioJet Quick Start Guide.

Attaching the Printer to the Stand

Attach the printer to the stand with the top bars resting in the notches in the stand legs. Use the hardware as indicated in the See the FlexJet E or StudioJet Quick Start Guide.

Connect the printer to the Computer: Overview

Connect the printer to your computer via serial cable (provided in the Accessory Kit). The corresponding serial port on your computer may be either a 9-pin or 25-pin male receptacle. If the computer has 25-pin serial ports, a 25- to 9-pin adapter is necessary.

Once connected, select the correct port and data rate in your apparel design software, FlexPlot and/or the Control Center. Consult the design software manual or the dealer for further information. Information on conguring FlexPlot and the Control Center follows in the Operation chapter.

Caution

Do not hold the printer head by the bottom edge

of the end plates when attaching it to the stand. Fingers and hands might get pinched between the end plates and stand legs. Hold the bottom of the end covers when handling the printer. (See Figure 1.)

Caution

Before connecting the

printer to your PC, make

sure the computer and the printer both have the power turned off. Ioline recommends using a surge protector power strip for both the printer and the computer.

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Cable Connections

When connecting the printer to the computer by serial cable:

1. Make sure that power to the printer is off. Power is off when the switch is in the “0” position, and is turned on when placed in the “1” position.

2. Connect the supplied serial cable and power cord to the panel on the back right end cover of the printer. Lock the serial cable to the port on the printer with the thumb screws.

COM Ports

Figure 8. The serial cable and power cord plug into the sockets in the back of the right end cover.

3. Plug the printer power cable into a wall socket or a surge protector.

4. Make sure that power is off to the computer.

5. Connect the serial cable to a 9-pin male serial port on the back of the computer. (If your computer has a 25-pin connector, acquire a 25-pin to 9-pin serial adapter to make the connection.) Tighten the thumbscrews.

Figure 9. PCs typically have two 9-pin serial ports, COM 1 and COM 2.

Serial Conguration

It is critical that the Control Center, FlexPlot software, and any other software that send data to the printer use the same COM port and baud rate that the printer is using.

COM Port

A PC typically has two external 9-pin male serial connections. These ports are often listed in the system settings as COM 1 and COM 2. Determine which port is connected to the printer, then select that port in all the software as instructed in the respective software user guides. (See Figure 10.)

Figure 10. FlexPlot Serial Port set-up window.

Baud Rate

The serial port on the printer has an adjustable baud rate. Available speeds are 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, and 115200. The default is set at the factory to 38,400. The baud rate is adjustable in the Control Center in the Communications>Settings window.

Chapter 2: Installation

Other Serial Port Settings

You may also need to set additional serial port settings, for instance, when you use a terminal program. The recommended conguration settings are:

Data Bits: 8

Parity: None

Stop Bits: 1

Flow Control: Software or Xon/Xoff

Software Setup Options

Ioline recommends using FlexPlot for marker making on the printer. FlexPlot offers the most robust and exible workow available

for creating output. It’s especially useful when many le formats are

used, a common situation for service bureaus. To set-up and learn how to use the software, see the FlexPlot User Guide.

The printer is designed to work in many different production environments. The type of marker printing you do will often determine your preferred communication method. Two typical methods for sending markers are:

1. Plot directly from the marker or design software to the

printer. (See Figure 11.)

Unlike other marker printers, the FlexJet E and StudioJet print-

ers are capable of operating as stand-alone devices with no extra software running on the computer. This method works if your CAD software includes a driver for any Ioline product, such as the Ioline 600Ae or the Summit 2200. It will also work if the CAD software can create a compatible HPGL- or DM/PL-formatted le.

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

CAD

Software

HPGL

DM/PL

FlexJet E printer

Figure 11. Workow: output direct from CAD software (without FlexPlot).

2. Use FlexPlot software to convert les before sending them to the printer for output.

The printer includes the FlexPlot software which will convert

many different les into a format that is compatible with the

printer. It also provides an advanced marker queue management system and other tools to optimize the performance of the printer.

CAD

Software

[Network]

FlexPlot

HPGL

DM/PL

DXF

ASTM 6959

STD

(Alternate Conguration)

CAD

Software

FlexPlot

FlexJet E printer

Figure 12. Workow using FlexPlot for le conversion and output.

Chapter 2: Installation

Power On

Turn on the computer and the printer to make sure they both work. The printer power switch is located next to the power cord on the back of the machine, behind the keypad. When the paper is properly loaded and the printer is powered up, the carriage will move toward the left side of the machine, then return to the opposite side to park in the Service Station. The OK light will turn red and the Square light will turn green on the front panel after the start-up process has

nished.

If no paper is loaded when the printer is powered up, the printer displays an error message. The OK light will turn red and the Circle light will turn orange. This combination of lights indicates a paper out error. The keypad buttons do not work unless paper is properly loaded—or a small piece of masking tape is placed over the Paper Out sensor on the back of the printer. Once paper is loaded or the sensor is taped over, press the Start/Stop button to clear the orange circle and regain use of the keypad.

Installing FlexPlot and the Control Center

The printer includes two software interfaces: FlexPlot and the Control Center. FlexPlot will import and queue plot les from

many design programs to optimize production operations. The Control Center is an interface for adjusting parameters to optimize printer performance. The printer comes with a CD-ROM which has Microsoft Windows® 2000/XP/Vista versions of the programs as well as PDF user guides and the required Adobe® Acrobat® reader.

Caution

Keep hands and loose clothing away from all

moving parts of the printer. Make sure the Service Station opening in the right end plate is not obstructed and that the stall latches are lowered.

In this manual the right and left side refers to the right and left side of the front of the printer. Design software usually refers to the Origin (or Start Point) as “lower left” because it is the lower left corner of a plot. The plot is usually oriented in the printer rotated 90 degrees counter clockwise as shown in Figure

5. The lower left corner of the

plot is physically on the right side of the printer.

Note

1. Power on the computer and Windows®.

2. Insert the Ioline CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive (usually D:).

3. The installation program should start automatically. If it does not:

a. Select the Start button.

b. Choose Run.

c. Type D:\IOSETUP (substitute the correct letter if the CD-

ROM drive letter is not D:) and Click OK.

4. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

5. The FlexPlot User Guide has details on using the FlexPlot software. In this manual, see the section The Control Center for more details about the Control Center software.

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

This page intentionally left blank

Keypad Controls

The keypad provides access to the main functions of the printer.

Chapter 3

Operation

Figure 13. The Printer Keypad.

Start/Stop

The Start/Stop key toggles the printer online and ofine. If the Start/ Stop key is pressed during printing, the OK light turns red and

the machine will stop after it nishes printing the current scan. The

Arrow, Unroll and Paper Advance keys are active when in STOP mode. When the Start/Stop key is pressed again, the printer enters START mode, the OK light turns green and printing resumes exactly where it stopped.

START mode OK = green Arrow keys inoperable,

printer online (ready to receive instructions).

STOP mode OK = red Arrow keys operable,

printer ofine (not ready to receive instructions).

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Clean

Runs the print heads through a cleaning cycle in the Service Station. Put the printer in STOP mode and wait until the OK light turns red. Then press the Clean button. If the carriage is not already parked, it will return to the Service Station. After auto cleaning, the printer will react differently when you put it in green light (START) mode, depending on what it was doing just prior to the cleaning:

Printer state before auto cleaning—e.g. what the printer is doing just before it is put

in STOP (red light) mode

Printing in START mode (OK light is green) Resumes printing

Idle in START mode (OK light is green) Stays parked and capped.

Idle, in STOP mode (OK light is red) Stays parked and capped.

Printer reaction when put in

START mode after auto cleaning

Quality

Switches between the Best—or dark (600 dpi)—line mode and Draft mode (300 dpi), which prints lighter and consumes less ink. You can change line quality while the printer is printing.

Set Origin

The Set Origin key sets the initial origin or starting position for the marker. It’s best to always set a new origin point after cycling power. To set a new origin, press Start/Stop until the OK light turns red (STOP mode). Use the Arrow keys to move the carriage so that the white marker is positioned over the desired starting point. Press the Set Origin key. The OK light will turn green, indicating the printer is ready to accept plot les. (See Figure 14.)

Apparel design software usually refers to the origin as “lower left” because it is the lower left corner of a marker. Because the plot is usually oriented as shown in Figure 5, it is physically on the right side of the printer.

Note

Origin Marker

Figure 14. The Set Origin key sets the marker origin point directly below the top of the white origin marker on the carriage base—located on the right side.

Arrow Keys

Pressing the Arrow keys moves the carriage left or right. The Arrow keys are only active in STOP mode (see Start/Stop), when the OK light is red.

Page Advance

Pressing this button advances the paper in small increments. This is useful if a plot was removed from the printer and you need a paper leader to tape to the take-up shaft. The Page Advance key is only active in STOP mode (when the OK light is red).

Unroll (FlexJet E Only)

Unroll Material – Press the Start/Stop button until the OK light turns red. Press and release the Unroll button. The printer will unroll a short segment of paper from the take-up shaft.

Automatic Unroll – Press the Start/Stop button until the keypad light turns red. Press and hold the Unroll button. The printer will automatically unroll paper. To cancel Automatic mode, press the Start/Stop key again.

Chapter 3: Operation

For more details on removing plotted markers from the take-up shaft see Removing Markers from the Take-Up Shaft later in this chapter.

Note

Special Key Combinations

Roll Up (FlexJet E Only)

Use this function to roll material back onto the take-up shaft. Press and hold the Unroll and Right Arrow buttons at the same time. The rolling will continue until the dancer bar reaches the optical sensor. The Roll Up key is only active in STOP mode (when the OK light is red).

Reset Serial Port Baud Rate

This key combination will restore the serial port baud rate to the default speed of 38,400. This is useful for diagnostic testing of the communication system. Turn power off. Press and hold the Page Advance key as you turn power on again. Continue holding the key down until the OK light turns red and the Square light turns green.

Restore Factory Default Settings

This function replaces settings that are not working properly and can be used when manual calibration is unsuccessful. This key combination will restore all calibration values to the factory defaults. Turn power off. Press and hold the Unroll key as you power up again. Continue holding the key down until the OK light turns red and the Square light turns green.

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

To avoid communication port conicts, do not simultaneously

run more than one application that communicates with the printer.

Note

The Control Center

Overview

The Control Center is a utility program that does two things:

n Allows you to adjust settings to tailor output (e.g. scale, line

width) from the computer.

n Provides an interface to send completed les to the printer.

Figure 15. Control Center Main Menu.

Changing System Settings

A variety of settings are adjustable to t specic needs:

n Make sure the printer power is on and that the initialization

process is complete. The carriage will park, the keypad OK light will turn red and the Square light will turn green.

n The Screen Menu displays the primary settings that are adjust-

able. The Menu Bar contains utilities for setting up the Control Center and calibrating the printer.

n Changes only take effect after one of the Send buttons is

pushed.

Control Center Menu Bar Features

File

Send Plot File Print a PLT or PLX le.

Download Firmware Allows the user to download the lat-

est rmware version for the printer.

See the section Downloading Firmware in the Routine Maintenance

chapter for more information.

Exit Exit the Control Center.

Communications

Settings Select the COM port and baud rate

to match the printer.

Send Command Permits advanced users to manually

enter commands.

Chapter 3: Operation

Automatic Buffer Creates an End of Frame command Closing after a long communications delay.

By default this is set to On. Turn off for MAC computers.

USB Info USB Info displays hardware and

driver information about the direct USB connection.

Tools

Aux Sensor When checked, disables the Paper

Out sensor. The default is On. (The Paper Out sensor is an option on the

printer.)

Cartridge Calibration Displays tools to adjust print

cartridge alignment. See Routine

Maintenance for more details.

Size Calibration Allows adjustment of the size cali-

bration settings. See Routine Main-

tenance for more details.

About Your FlexJet Displays the licensing status of the

machine.

FlexJet Licensing Displays the licensing status and

licensing updates.

Help

Contents Displays the Help le.

About Displays Control Center version

information.

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Control Center Menu Options

Firmware Version and Base

Displays the current rmware version installed in the printer.

Enabled Heads

Displays how many cartridges are in active use by the printer.

Get Plotter Data

Reads and displays the current settings stored in the printer.

Plotter Data (check box)

Indicates when the displayed settings were successfully downloaded from the printer. If this box is unchecked, the Control Center was unable to connect with the printer Check the connections, baud rate and COM port . Press the Get Plotter Data button to attempt to download settings if the process failed during startup.

Loop Length

Controls the length of the take-up paper loop in the front of the machine. Shorter loops can help reduce paper jams when using challenging material like heat seal or very thin paper.

Line Width

Controls the weight of the plotted line using line width. Three levels are available; Thin, Normal, and Thick. Thin lines use less ink and

make ne details like Asian text and small pieces easier to see. Thick

lines use more ink to produce higher contrast lines. Used in conjunction with the Quality Setting (see below), the printer provides six options to produce visible lines using the least possible amount of ink.

Scale

The printer scale ranges from 1% to 999%. The factory default Scale is 100%. A scale set to 50% prints at half size. Changes do not take effect until the Set Scale button is pressed. Note: Both X- and Y-axes are set independently.

Frame Size

Most design software sends long plots to printers by breaking them into smaller pieces called frames. In general, design software does this automatically and adjusts the Frame Size in the printer to match. The Frame Size setting establishes clipping limits for each data frame. If the printed size of a plot frame exceeds the frame size set in the printer, the excess is clipped or thrown away. (If the plot is clipped, try increasing the Frame Size manually.) The factory-set

X-axis (paper direction) frame size is 46-in (116.8-cm), maximum is 21600-in (54,864-cm). Default and maximum Y-axis (carriage direction) frame size is 72-in (182.9-cm).

Quality Setting

Choose Draft or Best to control line density. Draft mode uses 300 DPI. Best mode uses 600 DPI. A lower DPI setting uses less ink by creating

a fainter line. Higher DPI uses more ink but makes a darker line. Use this setting in conjunction with the Line Width (see above) to nd a balance between saving ink and making clearly visible lines.

Measurement Units

Choose between English or Metric units for settings display.

Consumables

Chapter 3: Operation

Figure 16. The Hewlett-Packard 51645A (‘45’ cartridges)

are widely available.

Paper

Ioline recommends 27 to 35 pound recycled or bond paper, 36- to 74-in (91- to 188-cm) wide. The feed system supports rolls up to 600 yds long.

Ink

The Ioline FlexJet E and StudioJet printers require Hewlett-Packard 51645A or ‘45’ cartridges.

Guidelines for Installing a Cartridge

1. With the printer in STOP mode (red OK light), press the left arrow key to move the carriage out onto the platen away from the right end plate.

2. Open the blue stall latch and remove the old cartridge if one is present. Squeeze the handle between your ngers and pull forward, then up.

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Figure 17. Insert ink cartridge at an angle into the cartridge bay. Lock in place with the stall latch.

3. Insert the new cartridge with the print head pointing down toward the rear of the stall and at a slight outward angle. Press

rmly while rotating the top of cartridge toward the back of the

stall until it stops in an upright position. (See Figure 17.)

4. Close the stall latch. If the cartridge is inserted properly, the latch will snap shut and securely hold the cartridge. Do not force the latch. If the latch does not close properly, remove and reinsert the cartridge.

Printing a Marker

Overview

The basic steps required to print a marker on the printer are:

1. Turn the printer and computer power on.

2. Load paper.

3. Install cartridge in the stall.

4. Set an origin.

5. Start FlexPlot or your design application.*

6. Send marker/plot les.

These steps are outlined in the next several sections. In most cases the design les are sent to the printer from FlexPlot or the design ap- plication. If necessary, use the Ioline Control Center to send design

les or adjust settings.

* Refer to the FlexPlot User Guide

for information on set-up and

conguration.

General Guidelines

1. Good paper loading makes good plots. Follow loading instructions carefully.

2. Ensure that the paper roll is properly loaded on the feed shaft. Paper width determines the roll’s position on the shaft.

3. Keep the plastic feed shaft block clean and well lubricated.

4. Use the FlexPlot software for optimal le management and printing throughput.

Chapter 3: Operation



Loading Paper on the StudioJet

See the StudioJet Quick Start Guide.

Loading Paper on the FlexJet E

1. Before loading a new paper roll always make sure the drive shaft

is clean. See the Routine Maintenance section for more details.

2. Place a paper hub in each end of the paper roll using a rubber mallet.

3. Slide the feed shaft through the paper hubs and the paper roll. If a paper hub falls out, press it rmly back into the end of the paper roll and re-seat it with a rubber mallet.

4. For paper narrower than 70-in, center the paper roll on the feed shaft. Make sure the hubs remain securely in place. For paper greater than 70-in in width, offset the paper to the left slightly to avoid covering the Service Station area. Also leave a minimum 1/4 inch gap between the paper edge and the edge of the fan on the left side of the rear cover of the machine.

5. Use the supplied hex wrench to tighten both screws on each paper hub.

6. Check that the right support block is clear of debris and apply a light coating of white lithium grease (found in the Accessory Kit.)

Caution

Keep hands and loose clothing away from all moving parts.

7. Lift the feed shaft ends, one at a time, into the support blocks.

Support Block w/ Bearings

Feed Shaft

Paper Roll (Unrolls from behind)

Support Block (apply grease)

Hint

The FlexJet Set-up, Operating and Maintenance Video, provided on CD-ROM in the Accessory Kit, provides a helpful visual overview.

Note

Paper Hub (2)

Figure 18. Installing the feed shaft. (As shown on the FlexJet E model.)

Flanged Coupling

Make sure the paper unrolls from behind and towards the printer.

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Caution

Never touch the take-up

key or anged coupling

while they are rotating.

Serious personal injury could re-

sult. Turn

power off

rst.

Installing the Take-up Shaft

(FlexJet E only)

The Paper Out sensor on the back of the printer detects when the paper runs out. If paper isn’t loaded or if the take-up key is not positioned properly, place a small piece of masking tape over the Paper Out sensor before following the steps below. Remove the tape after the take-up key is properly positioned before installing paper.

1. If the take-up shaft has plotted markers on it, remove them. See

Removing Markers from the Take-up Shaft later in this chapter.

2. Turn the printer on (the switch is on the back of the left cover.)

3. Use the keypad Unroll key to rotate the take-up key until it is oriented perpendicular to the support block opening as shown in Figure 19.

4. Put the take-up shaft into the front support blocks with the

anged coupling at the right (keypad) end. Rotate the shaft until the slot in the anged coupling is aligned with the take-

up key. When the shaft slot and the key are aligned, push the

Rectangular slot

Take-up

Shaft

Figure 19. Installing the take-up shaft in the support blocks.

Flanged Coupling

Position take-up key as shown

Support Block

take-up shaft into place until it is seated in the support block.

Feeding Paper

(FlexJet E only)

Figure 20 represents the proper paper path. The left side of the diagram shows the paper path for a 1H FlexJet E. The right side shows the proper path for a FlexJet E with 2 or more heads.

1. Remove any printed markers from the take-up shaft and make sure the carriage is parked in the Service Station before feeding the paper. (To park the carriage, press Start/Stop. Wait for the OK light to turn red and press the Clean button.)

2. If the pinchwheels are lowered, raise them by pushing the pinchwheel lever away from the machine.

3. Pull a long leader of paper off of the paper roll and insert it through the stand, behind the plotting head between the platen and pinchwheels.

Chapter 3: Operation

4. Temporarily lock the paper in place by pulling the pinchwheel lever toward the machine to lower the pinchwheels.

Front Dancer Bar

Take-up

Shaft

Feed Roll

Proper Paper Path

1H FlexJet E

Figure 20. The correct paper feeding path on the Ioline FlexJet E printers. (See the

StudioJet Quick Start Guide for paper path instructions for the StudioJet.)

Proper Paper Path

2H+ FlexJet E

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

When installing or retaping paper, remove the front dancer bar and set it aside.

Note

Tape Paper to the Take-up Shaft

1. Stand in front of the machine.

2. Place 3 short pieces of masking tape within easy reach on the top

cover. (See Figure 21.)

3. Holding the edge of the paper with one hand, use your free hand to lower the pinchwheel lever to raise the pinchwheels.

4. Grasp the front edge of the paper with both hands and pull 20-in (51-cm) of paper over the platen and gray top bar and under the take-up shaft. (See Figure 20 for the proper paper path.)

5. Add tension to the feed roll by applying gentle pressure using the bottom of your foot.

6. To align the paper, gently pull it forward and side to side until the tension feels even.

7. Press and hold the paper on the center of the platen with your left hand, then lower the pinchwheels to lock the paper in place.

8. Attach the paper to the take-up shaft in the center and 2-in (5-cm) from each end with the tape.

Do not cover the hole in the platen with paper.

Tape the paper

in 3 places

Figure 21. Taping the paper to the take-up shaft.

Positioning the Pinchwheels

Pinchwheel position does not correspond to paper size. Always place all pinchwheels at the machine center.

1. Ensure that the paper is loaded as described in the previous steps and is taped to the take-up shaft.

2. Raise the pinchwheels by pushing the pinchwheel lever away from the machine.

Chapter 3: Operation

Pinchwheel

White Driveshaft Markers

Drive Shaft Segment

3. Make sure that the paper roll is tight on the feed shaft.

4. Move the pinchwheels into their proper positions over a tread and

under the white markers on the traverse rail. (See Figure 22.) Do

not place pinchwheels over drive shaft bearings.)

5. Lower the pinchwheels.

Drive Shaft Bearing

Figure 22. Positioning the pinchwheels.

Ensure that the paper roll is centered on the feed shaft.

Note

Insert Front Dancer Bar

(FlexJet E only)

1. With the pinchwheels lowered, hold the paper in place over the rear top bar.

2. Insert the front dancer bar into the dancer bar channel.

Front Dancer Bar (Silver light rod)

Figure 24. Inserting the dancer bar.

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Insert Rear Dancer Bar (2H+ FJE Models Only)

1. FJE models with two or more printheads and the high speed printing kit require that a heavy dancer bar is inserted in the rear dancer bar channel (see paper path in Feeding Paper).

2. Take the heavy dancer bar (painted black on some models) and insert the ends into the notches in the stand legs on the back of the machine as shown in the image below.

3. Use a hand on the rear rolling bar to slow rotation as the dancer bar slides into the channel and forms a rear paper loop.

Notch in Stand Leg

* See the FlexPlot User Guide or

your design application user guide for information on how to send

les to the printer.

Set an Origin

1. Ensure that cartridges are installed in the carriage stall(s). (See Guidelines for Installing a Cartridge earlier in this chapter.)

2. Turn on the power. After a brief pause, the carriage will glide to the left end plate, then return to the Service Station. When nished, the OK light turns red and the Square light turns green.

3. Press the Left Arrow key to position the carriage so that the tip of the white marker is over the desired starting point of the plot.

4. Press the Set Origin key. The OK light will turn green. The printer is ready to plot.

Sending Plot Files

Send plot les to the printer using FlexPlot or design software. Make sure the power is on and paper is loaded as described above. Also, be sure that a new origin is set with the Set Origin keypad button and that the printer is in Start mode (green light). From FlexPlot*:

1. Choose input le type and location then double click on the le.

2. Conversion will occur and the Send to Queue button is acti-

vated. Press this button to add the le to the queue.

3. Repeat steps 1 to 2 until the all les are queued then press Send.

Caution

Do not pull paper tight between the drive shaft

and the take-up shaft while printing is paused. Do not turn the feed roll or take-up roll by hand while printing is paused.

Pausing a Marker Plot

1. Pause a plot by pressing the Start/Stop key.

2. The OK light will change from green to red. The printer will nish printing the current scan, then pause.

3. Once printing stops, use the keypad keys to move the carriage, paper, and take-up shaft. When Start/Stop is pressed again (OK light turns green) printing will start again where it left off.

Canceling a Marker Plot

1. Press the Start/Stop key to place the printer in STOP mode (red

light). The printer will nish printing the current scan and pause.

2. To stop the computer from sending plot les to the printer, click the Abort button in FlexPlot.

3. Use the keypad Arrow keys to position the carriage for the start of

a new plot le as described earlier.

4. Press the Set Origin key to ready the printer for the next plot le.

Removing Markers from the Take-up Shaft

(FlexJet E Only)

1. Press Start/Stop until the OK light changes to red (STOP mode).

2. Wait for the plotting to halt.

3. Remove the dancer bar. Rest it on the top of the cover for storage.

4. Cut the paper with the supplied cutting tool, using the groove in the front of the platen as a guide.

5. Use one of the following methods to remove completed markers:

Chapter 3: Operation

Except when the feed roll is changed, it is best to leave the pinchwheels down when removing completed markers from the takeup roll. Leaving the pinchwheels down will help keep the paper aligned with the feed roll and reduce the time between printing operations.

Note

Method 1: Unroll with the take-up shaft in place

a. With the power off, rotate the take-up shaft by hand until

the rectangular opening in the anged coupling is perpendicular to the opening in the support block (see Figure 19).

b. Remove the shaft from the support blocks.

c. When unwound, the plotted image faces up, permitting

markers to be unrolled onto the cutting table with the take-up shaft in place.

Method 2: Manual unroll with the Unroll key

a. Press the Unroll key to unroll full markers in short steps.

b. Cut the marker free from the take-up shaft. Reattach the

paper to the take-up shaft with masking tape following the steps outlined under the section Reattach Paper to the Take- up Shaft later in this chapter before continuing printing.

Method 3: Automatic Unroll with the Unroll Key

a. Press and hold the Unroll key for 3 seconds; The take-up

shaft will automatically unroll.

b. Cancel automatic unroll at any time by pressing Start/Stop.

Method 4: Remove the shaft and unroll away from the machine

a. Cut the marker free, wind it manually or automatically with

the take-up motor, and remove the take-up shaft from the support blocks.

Caution

The take-up shaft is very heavy when many plots

have been rolled up. It is recommended that two or more people remove a full take-up roll from the machine.

Hint

An alternate method to ease removal of markers is to slide a 3-in cardboard core over the take-up shaft then tape paper to

it. The cardboard core will rotate slowly at rst—and may not raise

the front dancer bar—but will still roll up completed markers. Simply slide the core off the take up shaft when plotting is complete.

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Manually Freeing the Take-up Shaft

(FlexJet E Only)

Use this method to remove the take-up shaft from the completed roll without having to unroll the markers.

1. Tape the loose end of the roll down so that it cannot ap freely.

2. Rotate the take-up shaft by hand until the rectangular opening in the anged coupling is perpendicular to the opening in the support block (see Figure 19). Remove the shaft.

3. Stand the roll on end with the anged coupling pointing up. Rotate the take-up shaft counter clockwise (opposite to the direction that the paper was rolled on the machine. (See Figure 25.)

4. The larger the roll, the more rotations are required to free the shaft. When the shaft freely rotates, lay the roll on the ground.

5. Continue to twist the shaft counter clockwise while pulling it out of the paper roll until it is free.

Figure 25. Manually freeing the take-up shaft.

Chapter 3: Operation

Automatically Freeing the Take-Up Shaft

(FlexJet E Only)

Like the manual method, this method removes the take-up shaft from the completed roll without having to unroll the markers. The only difference is the use of the take-up motor.

1. Tape the loose end of the roll down so that it cannot ap free.

2. While one person lifts from the bottom and holds the paper roll still, press the Unroll key to rotate the take-up shaft opposite to the direction that the paper was rolled on the machine.

3. The larger the roll, the more rotations are required to free the shaft. When the shaft freely rotates in the roll, stop turning the take-up shaft. If the printer jams and the motor does not turn then do not unwind the roll with the motor. (See Manually Freeing the Take-Up Shaft above.)

4. Rotate the take-up shaft by hand until the rectangular opening

in the anged coupling is perpendicular to the opening in the

support block (see Figure 19). Remove the shaft and lay it on the ground.

Caution

The take-up shaft is very heavy when many plots

have been rolled up. It is recommended that two or more people remove the plotted paper roll from the machine.

5. Continue to twist the shaft counter clockwise while pulling it out of the paper roll until it is free.

Reattach Paper to the Take-up Shaft

(FlexJet E Only)

1. Use the Page Advance key to drive enough paper forward to wrap under and around the take-up shaft.

2. Make sure the paper wraps under the take-up shaft.

3. Follow the guidelines described in Taping Paper to the Take- Up Shaft.

Note

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Caution

If the paper bubbles or

wrinkles while it ows

over the platen surface, the carriage might catch the edge of the paper and tear it, causing a paper jam. Make sure that the paper is smoothly collecting on

the oor to avoid paper jams.

The front dancer bar should not be used when plotting to the oor.

Note

Printing to the Floor

With careful setup and constant supervision, the printer will print markers directly onto the oor. This method is NOT intended for printing long markers or unattended printing.

1. Thread the paper on the front of the machine. It should drape

off the platen, over the feed roll, and onto the oor.

2. Set an origin normally and begin plotting. Make sure that the

paper piles smoothly onto the oor. If it bunches up, it may

catch on the moving carriage and tear.

Chapter 4

Routine Maintenance

Cleaning the Drive Shaft

Clean the drive shaft regularly to assure accurate plotting:

1. Turn off the printer and disconnect the power cord.

2. Gently remove any accumulated dust and residue with the stiff nonmetal bristle brush provided in the Accessory Kit.

Figure 27. Cleaning the Drive Shaft.

Cleaning the Platen and Traverse

Dust and paper residue accumulate on the platen and traverse. Under regular use, clean every two weeks:

1. Turn off power to the printer.

2. Dampen a lint-free cloth with isopropyl (pharmacy) alcohol and gently wipe traverse rails until accumulated residue is removed.

Caution

Do not pray the printer with water, solvents or

other liquids. Use a nonmetal bristle brush or a cloth dampened with water or isopropyl alcohol. Keep the drive shaft bearings free of all liquids.

3. Use a lint-free cloth dampened with de-ionized water to clean ink splatters off the platen and excess ink out of the Ser- vice Station waste well.

Figure 28. The Service Station

Hint

Use antistatic spray to clean platen and traverse, if desired.

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Caution

Never touch the take-up

key or anged coupling

while they are rotating.

Serious personal injury could

result. Turn power off rst.

Cleaning the Support Blocks

(FlexJet E Only)

When dust and paper residue will accumulate on the take-up and feed shaft support blocks, frequent feed shaft jams can occur. Perform this procedure when debris inhibits easy rotation of the shaft.

1. Turn off power to the printer.

2. Remove the feed shaft and the take-up shaft.

3. Dampen a lint-free cloth with isopropyl (pharmacy) alcohol and gently wipe the plastic support blocks until accumulated residue is removed.

4. Apply a light coating of grease to the plastic feed shaft support block. White Lithium grease is supplied with the printer. 3-in-1™ brand oil is also a very good lubricant for the feed block.

5. Wipe down both ends of the feed and take-up shafts before reinstalling them.

Size Calibration

Over time, the printer may require calibration to account for normal wear. Calibration adjusts the output to match design intent.

Prepare the Printer (See the Operation chapter)

1. Load the printer with, at minimum, 46-in wide paper.

2. Install ink cartridges.

3. Using the Arrow keys, move the carriage so that the carriage notch is positioned about 1 inch from the right edge of the paper.

4. Press the Set Origin key to put the printer in START (green light) mode.

The Scale command does not

effect calibration values.

Note

Figure 29. Calibration screen in Control Center.

Chapter 4: Routine Maintenance



Use the Control Center to Gather the Calibration Data

1. Open the Control Center program.

2. Select Tools>Size Calibration from the Menu Bar. The window in Figure 30 will appear:

3. Press the Send Size Plot button to print the factory stored calibration box. The printer will print a box that is 40” (102-cm) long on the X-axis and 30-in (76-cm) wide on the Y-axis.

X1 X2

~40 in.

Figure 30. The Calibration box and measurements.

Only use Reset Calibration to restore original factory calibration settings.

Note

4. Precisely measure both sides (X) and the top and bottom (Y) of the box and record the results. Better accuracy in measurement equals better calibration.

5. Take the average of the horizontal (Y) values by adding them together and dividing by 2. Repeat this procedure for the vertical (X) values.

Example:

If X1 = 39.750-in and X2 = 39.700-in

The sum is 79.450-in (39.750-in + 39.700-in = 79.450-in)

The average is 39.725-in (79.450-in / 2 = 39.725-in)

The X calibration value is the average, 39.725-in

Enter the Calibration Data:

1. Enter the measured values in the boxes in the Calibration window. Make sure the printer is in START (green light) mode. Select the Set Calibration button.

2. The Control Center will send the calibration values to the printer and the new Calibration Setting will be displayed in the boxes in the window pictured in Figure 31.

3. Click on Done when nished.

Hint

The Get Plotter Data button will read the stored calibration settings from the printer and display them in the Factor windows.

Hint

The factory-set calibration values are written on a small sticker on the under side of the right end cover. (See Figure 33.)

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Cartridge alignment is not necessary for models with a single activated cartridge stall.

Note

Cartridge Calibration

There are three types of adjustments associated with the ink cartridges. Most line quality issues are resolved by adjusting these values.

n Cartridge Alignment is not necessary on the FlexJet E and Stu-

dioJet printers.

n Motion Adjustment aligns scans in the direction of carriage travel.

n Frame Gap aligns scans in the direction of paper movement.

Figure 31. Cartridge calibration window.

Prepare the Printer

1. Load the printer with paper. (Follow the loading instructions

under the Operation chapter.) Install cartridges.

2. Move the carriage using the Arrow keys so that the carriage notch is over the paper and roughly one inch from the right paper edge.

3. Put the printer in START (green light) mode by pressing the

Set Origin key. (See the Operation chapter for more details on preparing to plot.)

4. Start the Control Center software. Ensure that there are no errors when the program tries to communicate with the printer. If errors occur, check the cables and ensure that the correct port number and baud rate are selected. (See Connect the printer to

the Computer: Overview in the Installation chapter for information on serial port connections.)

Chapter 4: Routine Maintenance

Motion Adjust (Carriage Scan Alignment)

1. Press Select Alignment Plot.

2. Browse to the c:\Ioline\Calibration folder. Select the 40X8.plt test le.

3. The Motion Adjust box has one number for adjustment. The default value is 0.

4. Changing the values affects the next scan, created when moving from left to right.

5. Press the Set Motion button after making adjustments to the values.

Example:

a. Lines from the second scan shift left to align with the rst scan.

b. Decrease the Motion Adjust value by 1.

c. Press the Set Motion button.

d. Repeat the test until alignment is correct.

6. Click on Done when nished.

Figure 32. The Motion

Adjust Box.

Frame Gap (Paper Scan

Adding (+) numbers moves the second scan left.

Subtracting (-) moves the second scan right.

Note

Alignment)

1. Press Select Alignment Plot.

2. Browse to the c:\Ioline\Calibration folder. Select the 40X8.plt test le.

3. The Frame Gap box has one number for adjustment. The default value is 0.

4. Changing the values affects the next scan, created when moving paper forward through the printer.

5. Press the Set Gap button after making adjustments to the values.

Example:

a. Lines from the next scan have a small space gap between the previous

scan.

b. Decrease the Frame Gap value by 1.

c. Press the Set Gap button.

d. Repeat the test until alignment is correct.

6. Click on Done when nished.

Figure 33. The Frame Gap Box.

Note

Adding (+) numbers moves the scans further apart.

Subtracting (-) moves the scans closer together.

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Hint

Use Best Mode when testing print quality as the higher resolution (600 dpi) setting exercises more nozzles and pushes more ink out of the cartridge.

Cartridge Maintenance and Handling

A key to maintaining good print quality is proper print cartridge

maintenance. During printing, ink-spray, paper bers and dust can

build up on the print cartridge and eventually will degrade plot quality. In addition, when print cartridges sit inactive for a period of time, ink may dry in the nozzles and create an ink plug. This results in the appearance of white streaks in the printed text or graphic.

Check Cartridges

If you experience print quality problems, rst verify that the ink

cartridge is undamaged and is not out of ink:

1. Press the Start/Stop key.

2. If the carriage is parked in the Service Station, use the Left Ar- row key to move it out over the platen.

3. Open a blue stall latch and remove the cartridge.

4. Inspect the cartridge for damage and check the ink level indicator. If it is green, the cartridge still contains ink. If it is black, the cartridge is empty and needs replacing. (See Figure 36.)

Use only berless cloth as bers

will block the nozzles of the print cartridge.

The cloth must be moistened

with deionized water so it does not scratch the print cartridge. Scratches can blur line quality.

Note

6. If the cartridge is undamaged and still contains ink, move on to the Automatic Cleaning Procedure.

Automatic Cleaning Procedure

1. Press the Start/Stop key and wait until the OK light turns red.

2. Press the Clean key; The carriage will park in the Service Sta- tion and automatically clean the print heads.

3. When the cleaning process nishes, test the print quality again

in Best Mode (activated with the Quality key.) Press the Start/ Stop key. The OK light will turn green. If the printer was active

when you initiated Step 1, it will resume printing. If it was idle, send a marker to the print queue.

4. If print quality remains poor, the paper ber build-up may be

such that auto cleaning alone is insufcient for removing ink plugs from the nozzles. You may need to manually clean the print head.

Manual Cleaning Procedure

To maintain optimal print quality, manually clean cartridges after they sit idle for longer than two days—or are placed in storage. Wip-

ing the print head will clean out the nozzles and ring chambers.

A Cloth Should Be:

n Soft, berless, and moistened with deionized water.

Should NOT Be:

n Abrasive, made of small bers, dry nor contain chemical additives.

1. Press the Start/Stop key.

2. Using the Left Arrow key, reposition the carriage over the platen.

3. Open the latch for the rst cartridge and remove it.

Chapter 4: Routine Maintenance

4. Inspect the ink level indicator on the cartridge to verify the cartridge is not empty.

5. Dampen the cloth with de-ionized water.

6. Drag the surface of the cartridge print head over the surface of the cloth. Wipe slowly across the long-axis with the print cartridge facing down. Do not apply excessive force, as this could scratch the nozzle area.

7. Repeat until the print head leaves an evenly dark line of ink on the cloth.

8. When the cleaning process nishes, test the print quality again

in Best Mode (activated with the Quality key.) Press the Start/ Stop key. The OK light will turn green. If the printer was active

when you initiated Step 1, it will resume printing. If it was idle, send another marker to the print queue.

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Print Cartridge Storage

Short-term Storage (7 days or less)

n Simply leave the print cartridge in the machine, capped in the

Service Station.

n If the cartridge was not in the Ser-

vice Station, it may require manual

cleaning.

Long-term Storage (greater than 7 days)

n lace the print cartridge upside-

down in an air-tight container. Lay a sponge or cloth dampened with de-ionized water next to it to help prevent the cartridge from drying out.

Figure 34. Ink cartridges should be stored in an airtight container.

If the rmware le is a ZIP

archive, make sure it is decompressed before sending it to the

printer. You can download a ZIP

decompression utility at http://www.winzip.com if necessary.

Note

n To return the cartridge to service, follow the manual cleaning

procedure above.

Updating Firmware using the Control Center

Summary

1. Prepare the printer.

2. Check the Current Version.

3. Update the rmware.

Prepare the printer for a Firmware Update

1. Power on the PC and printer.

2. Ensure that the serial cable is connected between the PC and the printer.

3. Copy the rmware le to the folder c:\Ioline\Firmware (or another location that is easy to remember.)

Check the Current Firmware Version

1. Start the Control Center.

2. The main screen shows the current rmware version in the upper right corner.

Chapter 4: Routine Maintenance

3. If you do not see a rmware version displayed, please check

connections to the printer. Call Ioline Customer Service for help resolving communication issues.

Update the Firmware

1. Choose File>Download Firmware from the menu bar.

2. Press the Select Firmware button.

3. Follow the on-screen directions for restarting the printer so that it will accept new rmware. Press OK when the printer is ready (three yellow lights on the keypad.)

4. Use the le window to browse to the location where you stored the rmware le (e.g. c:\Ioline\Firmware.)

5. A download progress window will appear.

6. When the download nishes, the printer will go through the initialization process. When the printer is nished, the OK light

will turn red and the Square light will turn green.

7. Press the Done button.

8. The printer is ready for normal use. Perform test plots and verify that the calibration values are correct. If anything is not performing correctly, reset calibration values as described under the Reset Calibration Values section in this chapter.

The rmware lename usually looks like ‘xxxxx.mot’, where

xxxxx is the unique version number for your printer.

If the rmware le is a ZIP

archive, make sure it is decompressed before sending it to the

printer. You can download a ZIP

decompression utility at http://www.winzip.com if necessary.

Note

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Reset Calibration Values

Perform the steps below if calibration values have been altered:

1. With the printer in STOP mode, use the arrow keys to move the carriage to the center of the traverse.

2. Turn power off on the printer.

3. Copy the factory calibration values from the white sticker inside the service station (see Figure 35.) If no sticker is present, recalibrate the machine using the procedure available in this User Guide.

4. Press and hold the Unroll key on the keypad then turn printer power on.

5. When the OK light turns red, release the key.

6. Use the Control Center software to re-enter the calibration values copied from the sticker OR perform the calibration using the directions in this chapter.

7. Turn power off then back on to ensure the new calibration values take affect. Perform test plots to verify proper calibration and operation.

8. If you have any difculties, please contact Ioline Customer Service.

Figure 35. Factory calibration values on the sticker under the right end cover.

General Troubleshooting

If the printer is not working correctly the problem could arise from the computer, the cable, the design software or the printer.

Changes to the computer operating system or the installation of new

peripherals or software might cause conicts. If the computer or the

design software are causing a problem, consult your computer and/ or software manuals, or call your manufacturer or dealer.

If the problem is with the printer, begin by making sure power is on and that the cable between the machines is connected correctly. Consult the chart at the end of this chapter for more detailed troubleshooting techniques.

Chapter 5

Troubleshooting

Media Tracking

Tracking is the process that controls media motion over the platen and assures accurate lines. If the paper slips under the pinchwheels or is out of alignment, printing quality will degrade. To resolve

tracking difculties try the following suggestions:

n Install paper correctly. See the Operation chapter for more details.

n Make sure the paper path and dancer bar is set correctly (as

shown in Figures 18 and 22.)

n Inspect the paper for wrinkles or folds. Never use paper that is

folded, wrinkled, or torn in any way. It may cause paper jams.

n Make sure the pinchwheels are located as outlined under the

Operation chapter.

n The pinchwheels should never be positioned over bearings on

the drive shaft as paper tearing and bunching will occur. Verify that the pinchwheels are positioned over treads (e.g. under the white markers afxed to the traverse.)

n Check to make sure that the printer is level. See the FlexJet E

Printer or StudioJet Quick Start Guide for more information.

n The paper may slip when debris accumulates on the drive

shaft. Inspect and clean the drive shaft. Refer to the Routine Maintenance chapter for further information.

n Contact an Ioline distributor or Ioline Customer Service if you

are unable to resolve the problem or if the printer is damaged.

The FlexJet E & StudioJet Printers Service Manuals, available

on request from Ioline Customer Service, provides expanded troubleshooting information.

Note



Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Printing Quality

Good printing quality is dependent upon a number of different factors. The type of paper, environmental conditions, and operator habits are only a few of the variables that can affect the quality of a plot. It is important that the printer is loaded and maintained according to the guidelines under the Operation chapter.

If the scans (printing from a single pass) do not line up, see the sections on calibrating the printer in the Routine Maintenance chapter.

Line Quality

If the line quality is uneven try the following, in the order listed below:

1. Press Start/Stop then the Clean keys on the keypad to automatically clean the cartridges.

Black means empty

Use the Page Advance and Power Switch key combination

to reset baud rate:

Note

2. Inspect the ink level window on cartridge. If it is black, then the cartridge is empty. Replace it with a new one.

3. Remove the cartridge(s) and manually clean the print head with a (deionized) water-moistened, lint-free cloth. (See Cartridge Maintenance and

Handling under the Routine Maintenance chapter for more information.)

4. Plot on undamaged or higher quality paper that is free of wrinkles and bubbles.

5. Use genuine HP 45 cartridges as recommended by Ioline.

6. Contact an Ioline distributor or Ioline Customer Service if you need further help.

Figure 36. HP cartridges have an ink level indicator.

Serial Communication

The serial port on the printer has an adjustable baud rate. Available speeds are 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, and 115200. It is critical that the Control Center, FlexPlot or design software use the same baud rate that the printer is using.

Hint

Use the Control Center to change the baud rate to match the design software.

If there is ever any doubt about what baud rate the printer is using, Ioline recommends resetting it to the default of 38400. To reset the baud rate:

1. Turn off the power to the printer.

2. Press and hold the Page Advance key while turning power on.

3. Continue holding the Page Advance key until the OK light turns red and the Square light turns green.

4. Cycle power again (do not touch any keys this time) to ensure communications are reset.

If using a terminal program like TeraTerm printer, make sure to use 8 Data Bits, No Parity, 1 Stop Bit, and Xon/ Xoff Flow Control.

™

to communicate with the

Keypad Error Codes

Legend

G = Green light

R = Red light

Y = Yellow light

Chapter 5: Troubleshooting

Y-Blink = Blinking yellow light*

OFF = Unlit

G OFF OFF OFF Ready to Print, Origin Set

R OFF OFF OFF Paused / Ofine, Keypad Active

R G OFF OFF Power on reset nished.

R Y-Blink OFF OFF Cover open (obsolete)

R OFF Y-Blink OFF Paper Feed Out / Jammed

Y-Blink R R OFF X- (paper) axis jam

Y-Blink G R OFF Y- (carriage) axis jam

Y-Blink G G OFF TU (take-up) jam

Y-Blink R G OFF SS (Service Station) jam

n l

Figure 37. LED lights on the keypad.

Problem/Status

OFF R Y-Blink OFF Buffer Overow

Y-Blink OFF R OFF Init from EPROM failed

OFF R R OFF File syntax error

Y-Blink Y-Blink Y-Blink OFF Printer ready to receive rmware

Y-Blink OFF OFF OFF Motors off / System Stop

If keypad errors are not shown on the chart to the left, update the

rmware. Downloads are available on Ioline’s Web site or by contact-

ing Ioline Customer Service.

Note

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Common Issues

A marker plot doesn’t start at the correct point on the paper

Cause:

The origin is not set.

The printer does not complete the marker.

Cause:

1. Outdated software.

2. The frame/panel size is mismatched between the printer and the design software.

When a marker plot le is sent, nothing happens.

Cause:

A communication problem has occurred or the printer is in STOP (red light) mode.

Solution:

Position the pen where the plot should start. Press the Set Origin key.

Solution:

1. Visit the Ioline Web site to download upgrades. Or, contact Ioline Customer Service.

2. Check the panel size in the software. It should be equal to or lower than the printer panel size.

Send plot les from FlexPlot.

Solution:

Make certain the communication port

is connected and congured properly.

Position the marker on the carriage where the plot should start and press the Set Origin key to put the printer in START (green light) mode.

No power when printer is turned on; keypad lights stay dark.

Cause:

1. The power cord is damaged or disconnected.

2. The printer is damaged and

needs professional service.

Poor line quality.

Cause:

1. Ink cartridge is improperly installed.

2. Frame Gap setting is incorrect.

3. Carriage electronics or cables are damaged.

4. Ink cartridge is empty.

Solution:

1. Check the power connection.

2. Contact an Ioline distributor or Ioline Customer Service.

Solution:

1. Remove and reinstall ink cartridge.

2. Use the Control Center to adjust frame gap as shown in the Routine Maintenance chapter.

3. Contact Ioline customer service.

4. Install a new ink cartridge.

Jagged scan alignment.

Chapter 5: Troubleshooting

Cause:

1. Motion alignment is incorrect.

2. Platen or stand is not level.

3. Loose carriage pulley causing random/uneven gaps between scans.

Poor paper tracking.

Cause:

1. Paper is improperly loaded.

2. Bad paper roll or paper quality.

3. Pinchwheels not in correct location.

4 Feed paper roll is centered on

feed shaft.

5. Paper roll not centered on feed shaft.

6. Loose paper hubs.

Solution:

1. Use the Control Center to adjust motion alignment as shown in the Routine Maintenance chapter.

2. Follow the directions in the FlexJet E Printer or StudioJet Quick Start Guide to level the stand and platen.

3. Contact Ioline customer service.

Solution:

1. Reload and align paper.

2. Replace the paper roll.

3. Reposition the pinchwheels as indicated in the Operation chapter.

4. Center the paper roll on feed shaft (see Figure 16). Make sure screws are tight on both paper hubs.

5. Ensure the feed roll is centered on the feed shaft.

6. Tighten screws on the paper hubs.

Gap between each scan.

Cause:

1. Frame Gap setting is incorrect.

2. Ink cartridge is out of ink, dirty or the print head is plugged.

Pauses during printing.

Cause:

1. Vector density is very high due to ne detail or the design software is not using fonts embedded in the printer.

2. Communication baud rate is set very low.

Solution:

1. Use the Control Center to adjust frame gap as shown in the Routine Maintenance chapter.

2. Check ink level indicator. Replace cartridge if indicator is black. If cartridge is not empty, see Cartridge Maintenance

and Handling under the Routine Maintenance chapter.

Solution:

1. Reduce vector density, use embedded printer fonts, or increase communication baud rate.

2. Increase baud rate from the minimum of 9600 baud to the default of 38,400 or higher.

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Regular or intermittent paper tearing.

Cause:

1. Front dancer bar is not installed. (FlexJet E models only.)

2. Paper gets “yanked” by the machine during take up.

3. Paper is improperly loaded.

4. Paper buckles when plotting to

oor.

5. Paper roll damaged.

6. Paper not loaded correctly.

7. Platen not level.

Solution:

1. Install front or rear dancer bar.

2. Remove slack from paper roll before pressing Set Origin.

3. Reload paper and verify that it is in alignment.

4. Clear paper path.

5. Inspect the feed paper roll. Dropping the paper roll on an end can wrinkle the edge which can catch the carriage and cause a tear.

6. Correct paper loading is vital. Follow the steps in the Operation chapter to reset paper alignment. Make sure the front silver dancer bar is BELOW the front optical sensor before plotting.

7. Make sure the distance between the print heads and platen surface is the same at both the right and left side of the printer. Adjust the platen levelers as described in the FlexJet E Printer or StudioJet Quick Start Guide.

8. Outdated rmware does not

advance paper at startup.

9. Pinchwheels press on a drive shaft bearing.

8. Use the Control Center to

check the rmware version and

ensure it is 324 or greater.

9. With power off, raise the pinchwheels and align them with the white driveshaft markers on the traverse.

Common Issues

(FlexJet E Models only)

Take-up roll never rotates, paper loop is too long in front of machine.

Chapter 5: Troubleshooting

Cause:

1. Take-up motor is unplugged.

2. Dancer bar is below the lower sensor.

3. Lower sensor does not work.

Take-up roll does not stop; paper is pulled tight in front of machine.

Cause:

1. Operator accidentally activated the lower sensor when the dancer bar was higher than the upper sensor.

2. The upper sensor doesn’t work.

Take-up roll rotates when no dancer bar is in the machine.

Cause:

1. The operator accidentally

tripped the lower sensor.

Solution:

1. Plug in the take-up motor.

2. Roll paper up by pressing and holding the Unroll and Right Arrow key.

3. Contact Ioline customer service.

Solution:

1. Press Start/Stop 2 times, then press and hold the Unroll key to move the dancer bar to the

Top sensor.

2. Contact Ioline customer service.

Solution:

1. Activate the upper sensor by touching the sensor glass face.

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

This page intentionally left blank

Service & Support



Ioline has many years of experience working with designers, graders and marker makers. Feel free to contact us if you have questions—or to share information.

Getting Help

Chapter 6

End Notes

Hint

FlexJet E & StudioJet printers service manuals, technical bulletins, software updates and other information is available to FlexJet E & StudioJet printer owners on

www.ioline.com. Access is

free. Just contact Ioline Customer Service at support@ioline.com to set up a User Name and Password.

Ioline is committed to providing the highest quality service and support to its customers. If you need assistance with an Ioline FlexJet E or StudioJet printer, a number of resources are available:

1. First, refer to this User Guide for answers to your specic questions.

2. Many detailed troubleshooting and repair issues are listed in the FlexJet E & StudioJet Printers Service Manual, available upon request from Ioline Customer Service.

3. Consult the support section of the Ioline Web site: www.ioline.

com

. FlexJet E and StudioJet printer users must have a User

Name and Password to log into the site. Please contact Ioline

customer service to set up your free account.

4. For additional assistance, contact your local dealer or Ioline Customer Service. Contact information is listed under Customer Service in this chapter.

Any warranty servicing of this product not specically described in this manual must be authorized in writing by Ioline Customer Service. You may obtain service by calling or faxing Ioline Customer

Service. The technicians will help you determine the nature of the problem. If factory repair is necessary, you will receive a RMA (Return Material Authorization). Please gather the information indicated on the next page before contacting Ioline or your dealer.

1. When returning a machine, carefully package the equipment in its original container or packaging equivalent. You may purchase shipping containers from Ioline by contacting Ioline Customer Service. Ioline is not responsible for any damage

due to inadequate or improper packaging.

2. Carefully wrap and secure all items in the shipping container to

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

prevent damage. Seal the container and note the RMA number near the address block.

3. Ship the container using FED-EX or another approved carrier. COD shipments ARE NOT ACCEPTED. An Ioline representative will contact you prior to the start of work with an estimate of repair cost. All repairs are warranted for 90 days.

Customer Service

Ioline Corporation is committed to providing quality service and support to our customers. If you need assistance with an Ioline product, contact your local dealer or Ioline authorized service center. You may also contact:

Ioline Customer Service Department

Monday through Friday

7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. U.S. Pacic Time

Voice: 1.425.398.8282

Fax: 1.425.398.8383

support@ioline.com

www.ioline.com

Your Comments Are Requested

Ioline Corporation is interested in comments on our documentation and products. Please send corrections or suggestions to:

Ioline Corporation

14140 NE 200th Street

Woodinville, WA 98072 USA

Voice: 1.425.398.8282

Fax: 1.425.398.8383

info@ioline.com

www.ioline.com

This User Guide is provided for informational purposes only. The contents are subject to change without notice, and Ioline Corporation assumes no responsibility for any errors that are contained herein. No part of this User Guide may be copied, disseminated, or distributed without the express written consent of Ioline Corporation.

Before you contact Support…

Please gather the following information about your printer before contacting Ioline or your dealer for technical support:

Name:

Company

Name:

Phone

Number:

Fax:

E-mail:

Chapter 6: End Notes

Model:

Serial

Number*:

Date of

purchase:

Dealer:

Type of media

& ink used:

Type of

Computer:

Type of

design software:

New software

or peripherals:

Service history:

* You’ll nd the serial number above

the power switch on the back side of the right cover.

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

The FCC Wants You to Know...

This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used properly (in strict accordance with manufacturer instructions), it may cause interference to radio and television reception. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception - which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on - you are encouraged to try to correct the problem by one or more of the following measures:

n Use only shielded interface cables.

n Reorient the receiving antenna.

n Relocate the host computer with respect to the receiver.

n Move the host computer away from the receiver.

n Plug the host computer into a different outlet so that the host

computer and receiver are on different branch circuits.

This equipment was tested

and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC

Rules. These limits are designed

to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a

commercial environment. This

equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his or her own expense.

Note

If necessary, consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for additional suggestions. How To Identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference Problems, a booklet published by the Federal Communications Commission, is a helpful reference. Please contact the FCC to request a copy:

www.fcc.gov

Document stock number: 004-000-00345-4

This booklet is available from:

U.S. Government Printing Ofce

Washington, D.C. 20402

Glossary

Acceleration – The rate that a printer changes the

velocity of the carriage or the paper. Acceleration is measured in units of g (1 g = 32.2 ft/s2).

Arc – A segment of a circle, also called a curve.

Axis – A geometric guideline used to place a coordinate.

Bottom Cover – Metal housing that protects the

underside of the printer.

Control Panel – See Keypad.

Coordinate – A point that is referenced by its position

on the X- or Y-axes of a printer. Vector or arc segments connect coordinates to create printing paths.

Feed Loop – Slack material between the feed roll

and the printer.

Feed Shaft – Metal rod that holds the paper roll parallel to the printer and allows it to turn during feeding.

File Name Extensions – In DOS and Windows based programs, the three letters after the period in

a le name. With graphics les the three letters denote a le type such as the vector and bit map based

Encapsulated Postscript (EPS) and the vector based Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language (PLT).

Font – Refers to the style and width of letters, numbers, and symbols. Examples are Helvetica Bold or Times Roman.

Frame – Segment of a plot established by the design software. Frames can be any size up to 21600-in (X axis) by 72-in (Y axis). Markers are generally plotted as a series of frames.

Carriage – The component that holds the ink cartridge(s). It travels along the Y-axis on the traverse.

Dancer Bar – Rod that holds the feed loop and take-

up loop taut during printing.

DM/PL – Digital Microprocessor/Plotting Language. An instruction set used to send vector information to a machine that can represent the data as an image. DM/PL is used in software drivers for some design programs.

DPI – Dots Per Inch. Refers to the dot density or print resolution on paper.

Drive Shaft – The motor driven shaft that moves material through a friction feed printer. The printer drive shaft has a rough surface that grips the material.

Frame Size – The X axis length of each part of the plot as established by the design software. Frame size is also called tile size, page size, etc.

Friction Feed – Process where the material is fed through a printer by placing it between a motordriven drive shaft and tensioned pinchwheels.

Green Light Mode – See START Mode.

HPGL – Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language.

Instruction set used to send vector information to a machine that can represent data as an image. HPGL 7475 is the most common plot language used for communication between a printer and design software.

6464

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Keypad – Panel on the right side of the printer

where the user controls simple printer functions. Carriage and paper motion is accessible from here during Stop mode. Also called the Control Panel.

Mil – Thousandths of an inch or milli-inches. For

example; 75 mils is the same as .075 inches. 1 mil is equal to .025-mm.

Origin – Point marking the zero (0) coordinate on

the X and Y axes. Used as a starting reference by the printer. On an Ioline printer, the origin is set with the Set Origin key on the keypad.

Roll Feed – A method of pulling material from a roll

for printing.

Scan – A single pass of the carriage over the platen.

The printer may or may not print during a scan.

Sensor – The electronic eye that reads paper position by monitoring the dancer bar. The FlexJet E printer has top and bottom sensors. There are no sensors on the StudioJet printer.

Serial Communications – Method of sending information from a computer to a printer by sending 1 bit at a time through a cable. The serial port on a PC is a male (9- or 25-pin) connector.

Service Loop – See Feed Loop.

Service Station – Located underneath the right end

cover (behind the keypad). When the carriage is parked, the Service Station caps the inkjet cartridges for short-term storage of 2 days or less.

Panel – See Frame.

Paper Hub – Device that holds the feed paper roll in

position on the feed shaft.

Pinchwheel – Roller wheels that push the paper against the drive shaft when lowered into position by the square shaft.

Pinchwheel Lever – Lever connected to the square shaft that, when actuated, raises and lowers the pinchwheels.

Platen – Curved surface that houses the drive shaft and supports the material during printing.

Printer – A device that uses image data to produce output, usually on paper. In electronic marker making, printers create sewn good outlines on paper

from a set of coordinates stored in a computer le.

Red Light Mode – See STOP Mode.

Resolution – The smallest distance that a printer can

move the material or the carriage. Printer resolution

affects the accuracy of plot le reproduction on the

material.

Square Shaft – Shaft that raises and lowers the pinchwheels when rotated. Located behind the traverse assembly.

START Mode – OK light on the keypad is green. Printer is ready to print. See Set Origin or Start/Stop under Keypad Controls in the Operation chapter.

STOP Mode – OK light on the keypad is red. Printer is paused and ofine (e.g. not ready to print). See Set

Origin or Start/Stop under Keypad Controls in the Operation chapter.

Support Blocks – Plastic parts that hold the feed shaft and take-up shaft.

Take-up Loop – Slack material between the printer

and the take-up shaft. The dancer bar holds the takeup loop taut during printing.

Take-up Motor – The motor that rotates the take-up shaft on the FlexJet E printer.

Take-up Shaft – Metal rod that the plotted markers are rolled onto. The take-up shaft is driven by the take-up motor.

Throughput – The speed at which a printer completes a job. Represents the ability to process information and produce an image.

Traverse – Structure that supports and guides the carriage and holds the pinchwheel assemblies.

USB – Universal Serial Bus. High speed method for

transferring information from a PC to a peripheral like a printer.

Vector – A line segment between two coordinates.

Glossary

65 65

X-Axis – Theoretical horizontal line providing a

length reference point for the printer. Associated with paper movement over the platen.

Y–Axis – Theoretical vertical line providing a width

reference point for the printer. Associated with carriage movement across the traverse.

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

This page intentionally left blank

Index

Symbols

51645A 29

Acceleration 63

Accessory Kit 17, 31, 41

Active print cartridges 27

Alignment—See Calibration; See Troubleshooting

Arc

Arrow keys ix, 23, 24, 25, 37, 42, 44, 55

Buttons 25

Assembly

ASTM 6959

Automatic Buffer Closing 27

Automatic mode 25

Automatic unroll 25

Axis 63

Lifting technique ix

Cables

Power cord Serial 17, 18, 48—See also Serial port Socket and port locations on FlexJet E 18

CAD software

Calibration

Cartridge calibration window in Control Center 44 Control Center calibration screen 42 Factory default settings

Ink cartridges Measuring the calibration box 43 Motion adjust box 45 Plot size

Calibration box 45

Calibration folder 45

Calibration sticker 50

Cancel a print job 37

Carriage ix, xii, xiii, 16, 21, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 33, 36, 37, 40, 42,

44, 46, 47, 50, 53, 55, 56, 63, 64, 65

Images

Marker—See Set origin Parked, cartridges capped Parking 33 Positioning with Arrow Keys 25 Stall xii

18, 21, 41, 54

—See Design software

27, 42–46, 49, 50

43, 50

Calibration sticker 50

Close-up

xii

Baud rate 18, 19, 25, 27, 28, 44, 52, 57—See also Serial port

Adjusting Reset 25 Speed 19, 25

Bearings 35

Blade holder xiii

Bottom cover 63

Carriage motion—See Plot

Carriage rail

Carriage scan alignment

Cartridge alignment

Frame gap box 45

Cartridges

CDROM

Changing system settings

Clean

Button 24

Cleaning agents

Cleaning the drive shaft 41

xii, xiii—See Traverse

—See Ink cartridges

—See Control Center; See FlexPlot

ix, 24, 33, 41, 46, 52

—See Control Center

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Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Using the brush 41

Clipping

Communication

Communications 64

COM ports—See Serial port, USB

Computer

Consumables 29

Control Center

xiv

Serial

Automatic Buffer Closing 27 Baud rate 18, 19, 25, 27, 28, 44, 52, 57

Data bits 19, 53 Flow control 19, 53 Parity 19, 53

Stop bits 19 Conicts 26—See also Troubleshooting Get plotter data Ports—See Serial port, USB Settings

17, 61

Ink 29—See also Ink cartridges

Paper

Hubs 31

Installing feed shaft 31

Installing take-up shaft 32

Minimum width 42

Proper paper path 33

Reattaching after marker removal 39

Taping 34

Taping paper to take-up shaft 34

30–34

15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 26, 27, 28, 30, 43, 48, 54,

55, 56

Cartridge calibration 27 Cartridge count 28

Download rmware 27

Exit 27 Frame size 28 Get plotter data 28 Help about 27 Installation 21 Line width 28 Main Menu 26 Measurement units Menu Bar 27 Menu options 28 Quality setting 29 Scale 28 Screen Menu 26 Send command 27

Send plot le 27

Set key code 27 Set machine ID 27 Settings 27 Size calibration 27 Software version 28

Control panel 23, 63—See also Keypad

Conversion

Coordinate 63

Cross-member xiii

Customer service x, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 59, 60

Contact information 60

15, 20

Dancer bar 63

Front dancer bar channel 35 Insertion 35 Installation

Data bits 19, 53

Data rate—See Baud rate

Design software

Installation 15

DM/PL 15, 19, 20, 63

DPI 63—See also Printing Resolution

Drivers

Drive shaft ix, xiii, 31, 35, 36, 41, 51, 56, 63, 64

Maintenance 41

Drive shaft marker

Images

15, 17, 19, 24, 28, 36, 51, 52, 54, 57, 61, 63

15, 63

Using the brush 41

xii, xiii, 35

Location

xii

End of Frame 27—See also Automatic Buffer Closing

End plate

Error codes

Keypad errors

Factory default settings

Restoring

FCC 62

Feed loop 63

Feed Roll 33

Index

Feed roll x

Feed shaft x, 30, 31, 35, 42, 55, 63, 64

Flanged coupling 31

Installing feed shaft 31

Support block

File conversion 15

File formats 15, 19, 20, 63

File import 15

Files

Download rmware

File name extensions 63

EPS 27, 63

PLT 27, 63

PLX 27, 63

Plot le adjustments—See Control Center

Send plot le

Firmware

Software version

Updating 27, 48–50

FlexJet E Control Center—See Control Center

FlexJet E printer

Assembly

Connections 15, 17, 18, 19, 25, 52, 64

Front View x

Images

Front close-up xii Maintenance Operation 23–40 Pre-wiring for expansion 27 Rear view xi Set-up, Operating and Maintenance Video Settings 28 Start-up process 21

Flanged coupling 31, 32

27, 49

17–22

41–50

Frame gap

Eliminating or adjusting 45 Frame gap box 45

Frame gap box

Frame size 28, 63

Friction feed 63

Get plotter data 28

Getting started 15

Assembly 17 Connecting to computer 17 Unpacking the FlexJet E 17

Gray bar ix

Gray bars

Lifting by gray bars ix

Grease

Green light mode 63—See also START Mode

31, 42

Hardware—See FlexJet E Assembly

Help

59–61—See also FlexPlot and Control Center

Hex wrench

HPGL 15, 19, 20, 63

Hubs 31

FlexJet Quick Start Guide 15, 17, 51

FlexJet Service Manual 51

FlexPlot 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 30, 36, 37, 52—See also the

FlexPlot User Guide

Abort button Installation 21 Send to queue 36 Set-up window 19

Workow using CAD software 20 Workow with FlexPlot 20

Flow control

Font 63

Foot

Stand leveling foot close-up x

Frame

63—See also Plot

19, 53

Import 15

Ink 29

Ink cartridges 15, 30, 42, 44

Auto cleaning 24, 46 Calibration & alignment 27, 42, 43, 44, 45, 49, 50

Control Center cartridge calibration window 44

Motion adjust box 45 Cartridge count 28 Cleaning 47 Guidelines for installing 29–30

Install and lock in place 30 HP 51645A 29 Images

7070

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Cartridges in stalls xii

Ink Ink level indicator 46, 47, 52, 56

Empty cartridge 52 Maintenance and handling Requirements 29 Stalls xii, 29, 30 Storage 48

Air-tight container 48 Upgrading number of stalls

Installation 17–22

Ioline Corporation 60

46–48

Keypad xiii, 21, 23, 25, 26, 32, 36, 37, 49, 50, 52, 53, 63, 64

Arrow keys ix, 23, 24, 25, 37, 42, 44 Clean ix, 24, 33, 41, 46, 52 Close-up view of 23

—See Troubleshooting

Lights

LED lights 53 OK light

Page advance 25, 39, 52, 53 Quality 24 Reset serial port baud rate 25 Restore factory default settings 25 Roll Up 25 Set origin 24, 36, 37, 42, 44, 54, 56, 64 Special key combinations 25 Square light 21, 25, 26, 36, 53 Start/Stop 23, 24, 25, 33, 36, 37, 46, 47, 52, 64 Unroll 23, 25, 32, 37, 39, 50

Keypad error codes 53

21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 33, 36, 37, 46, 47, 49, 50,

53, 64

Maintenance 41–50

Lubricants 42

Manual unroll 25

Marker removal

Manually freeing take-up shaft 38

Markers

Measurement Units

Media 15, 16, 51, 61

Media roller xiii

Media tracking 51, 55

Mil

Motion adjust 45

—See also Plot

Removal

Starting position—See Plot Set origin

Control Center FlexPlot—See the FlexPlot User Guide

Motion adjust box 45

37–39—See also Unroll

Using cardboard tube

Ofine 23, 64

OK light 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 33, 36, 37, 46, 47, 49, 50, 53,

Operating system 21, 63

Optical sensor—See Sensor

Origin

Output

16, 21, 24, 36, 37, 42, 44, 53, 54, 56, 64

Marker on carriage 24 Location on plot 16

—See Printing

Left end cover x

Limit of liability statement x

Line quality—See Printing Quality; See also Troubleshooting

Line width

Loss of registration between frames

Lower left plot origin 16, 21

26, 28, 29—See also Printing Quality

Page advance 25, 39, 52, 53

Button 25

Panel

—See Frame

Paper

—See Consumables

Paper Hub

Paper jams

64—See also Consumables Paper Hubs

—See Troubleshooting

Index

Paper motion—See Plot

Paper Out sensor

Paper path 33, 34, 40, 56

Correct feeding path 33

Feed loop

Printing to oor 40

Paper path diagram 40 Sensor 64

Reattaching paper after marker removal

Take-up Loop 64

Taping paper to take-up shaft 25, 34, 37

Paper scan alignment 45—See also Frame gap

Paper sensor

Parity

Pause a print job 36

Pinchwheel xiii, 64

Pinchwheel Lever

Pinchwheel lever xii, xiii, 64

Pinchwheels

Platen xi, xii, xiii, 33, 41, 55, 56, 64

Platen leveling Foot xi

19, 53

Images

Location

Position 34, 35

Outer and inner pinchwheel locations 35

Images

View from front xii

Cleaning 41

21, 27, 32

25, 56—See also Paper path Printing to oor

xii

Plotting quality

Poor line quality

Port setup

Power cord xiv, 18, 21, 41, 54

Socket location 18

Power switch

Pre-wiring for expansion 27

Printer 64

Printer head 17

Printing

Cancel a print job File conversion—See Conversion General guidelines Overview 30 Page advance 25, 39, 52, 53 Pause print job 36 Printing to oor—See Paper path

Quality Queue management Recommended software 19 Resolution 24 Roll feed method 64

Send plot les to printer 27, 36

Speed 65

Workow 19–20

Problems

—See Printing quality

—See Printing Quality; See Troubleshooting

18–19

xi, xiv, 21, 61

Paper path diagram 40

24, 29—See also Troubleshooting

Using CAD software 20 Using FlexPlot 20

—See Troubleshooting

Plot 15, 16, 19, 25, 29, 32, 33, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 51, 56, 64

Accuracy 16

Carriage motion 16

Frame 16, 28, 54, 56

Alignment 44 Frame size 28, 63 Scan gaps—See Troubleshooting

16, 21

Layout

Line width 26, 28, 29

Paper motion 16, 64

Quality—See Printing Quality

Removal

Scale

Scan 64

Sending to printer 26, 36

Set origin 24

X-axis 16, 28, 43

Y-axis 16, 28, 43, 63

Plotter settings 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 26, 27, 28, 30, 42, 43, 48,

—See Unroll

26, 28

Alignment 45

54, 55, 56

Plotting pens—See Ink cartridges

Quality 24—See Printing quality

LED Lights on keypad 24

Queue management

Radio frequency 62

Red light mode 64—See also STOP mode

Removing markers

Repair

Reset Serial Port Baud Rate

ix, 59, 60

Factory authorization ix

Button combination 25

—See Markers Removal

7272

Ioline FlexJet E User Guide

Reset serial port baud rate 25

Resolution 64—See also Printing resolution

Restore Factory Default Settings

Button combination 25

Restore factory default settings

Right Arrow key 55

Right end cover x

Roll feed 64

Roll Up 25

Button combination 25

Safety 17

Removing markers 37 Safety precautions ix

Take-up key 32

Scale 28

Scan 64

Scan alignment—See Frame gap

Screen menu options

Segments (of a plot or marker)

Send Command

Sending plot les 36

Send plot le 27

Send size plot 43

Send to queue 36

Sensor xii, 25, 64

Serial communication 64—See also Communications

Serial port

Conguration 18

Data bits 19 FlexPlot set-up window 19 Flow control Location on computer 18 Location on FlexJet E 18 Parity Setup 18–19 Stop bits 19

Service loop 64—See also Feed loop

xi, xiv, 15, 17, 18, 19, 25, 52, 64

—See Control Center

—See Plot

Set motion 45

Set origin 24, 36, 37, 42, 44, 54, 56, 64

Marker on carriage 24 Button 24

Size calibration

Software—See also Firmware

Apparel design software

27, 42, 43

15, 17, 19, 24, 28, 36, 51, 52, 54,

57, 61, 63

Control Center 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 26, 27, 28, 30, 43, 48,

54, 55, 56

FlexPlot 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 30, 36, 37, 52 Setup 19

Software version 28—See also Firmware

Special key combinations

Square light 21, 25, 26, 36, 53

Square Shaft 64

Stall xii, 29, 30

Stand x, 17, 34, 38

Assembly & Leveling 17 Cross-member xi, xiii leveling foot xiii Media roller xiii Stand leg xiii

Stand leveling foot x, xiii

Start/Stop 23, 24, 25, 33, 36, 37, 46, 47, 52, 64

Button 23

START mode

Start point—See Origin

STD

Stop bits 19

STOP mode 23, 24, 25, 29, 37, 50, 64

Support 59–62

Contact information 59, 60 Ioline Web site 59 Warranty 59

Support block 31, 64

Surge protector 17, 18

System settings—See Control Center

23, 24, 64

Service Station

Set calibration 43

Set gap 45

ix, xii, 21, 24, 33, 36, 46, 48, 50, 53, 64

Take-up key 32, 42

Take-up loop 64

Take-up motor x, xi, 64

Index

Take-up motor cable xi

Take-up motor outlet xi

Take-up sensor xii—See also Sensor

Take-up shaft

Installation 32

Installing take-up shaft 32

Manually freeing take-up shaft 38

Maximum paper roll length

Taping paper to take-up shaft 34

Tape positions 34

Tech Support

Terminal program 19, 53

Throughput 65

Top bar 65

Tracking 51, 55

Traverse xii, 41, 65

Cleaning 41

Troubleshooting 51–58—See also FlexJet E Service Manual

Alignment issues

Common issues 54–56

Communications 52

General troubleshooting 51

Keypad error codes 53

Loss of registration between frames 54

Media tracking 51, 55

Paper jams 40, 42

Paper tears 56

Power 54

Printing quality 46–48, 52, 54–55

Radio-TV interference 62

Scan gaps 56

Speed 57

x, 16, 25, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 64

White driveshaft marker 35

Windows 21, 63

Wrench 31

X-Axis 65—See also Plot

Y-Axis 65—See also Plot

Unroll v, 23, 25, 32, 37, 39, 50, 55

Automatic unroll 25, 37

Button 25

USB

xi, 65

Vector 65

HP (Hewlett-Packard) FlexJet E, StudioJet User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual