DisplayMaker Legacy 72UVX, 98UVX User Manual Part Number 0706346 Rev D 1
Legal notices © Copyright 2008 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
Revision Log The following is a list of major changes and additions that have been made to this manual since it was first released. See the accompanying Release Notes for specific changes to the software and hardware between manual updates. Revision Description Revision B Adds the DisplayMaker 98UVX. Chapter 2: Minor corrections made. Chapter 3: Media tables guidelines added. Media load procedures updated. Appendix A: Specifications for the DisplayMaker 98UVX added.
Regulatory Statements FCC-A This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference 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.
Telecommunications Network Statement The ColorSpan VideoNet port on this device is not intended to be connected to a public telecommunications network. Connection of this device to a public telecommunications network in a European Community Member State will be in violation of national law implementing Directive 91/263/EEC on the approximation of laws of the Member States concerning telecommunication terminal equipment, including the mutual recognition of their conformity.
About This Manual Read this manual to unpack, set up, and use the printer. ◆ Chapter 1, Getting Started, introduces you to the main features of the printer. ◆ Chapter 2, Using the Control Panel, shows you how to use the control panel to specify printer options. ◆ Chapter 3, Ink and Media, shows you how to install ink and media. ◆ Chapter 4, Calibrating the Printer, shows you how to calibrate the printer for optimal print quality.
Conventions This manual uses the following informational conventions: Note A special technique or information that may help you perform a task or understand a process. Hinweis Ein Hinweis beschreibt eine spezielle technik zur Lösung einer Aufgabe oder enthällt Informationen, die Ihnen eine Prozedur näher erläutert. Caution Alerts you to something that has the potential to cause damage to hardware, software, or data.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Revision Log.............................................................................................. iii Regulatory Statements .............................................................................. iv FCC-A .................................................................................................... iv DOC (Canada)...................................................................................... iv Telecommunications Network Statement...............................
Maintenance .................................................................................... 2-15 Service Printer .................................................................................. 2-16 User Diagnostics .............................................................................. 2-16 Warnings & Actions ......................................................................... 2-16 Print Menu Tree ...............................................................................
Calibrating the Printer When to Calibrate.................................................................................. 4-2 AutoJet ................................................................................................... 4-3 AutoTune ............................................................................................... 4-4 Quality Check .................................................................................... 4-4 Auto Calibrations ..........................................
Technical Specifications Specifications ......................................................................................... A-2 Supplies and Accessories ....................................................................... A-6 Troubleshooting Troubleshooting Checklist ..................................................................... B-2 Head Strike Recovery ......................................................................... B-4 Warranty Claims..............................................
CHAPTER 1 Getting Started This chapter shows you how to get started using your printer.
Operating Requirements Choose a location for the printer before you unpack it. Keep the following requirements in mind: Electrical ◆ Use the supplied power cord. Plug it directly into a grounded electrical outlet. Do not lengthen the power cord with an extension cord; the resulting drop could damage the printer.
Environmental Operating Requirements ◆ Make sure the room is well ventilated, with a temperature and relative humidity within specifications (see “Specifications” on page A-2). Optimal printing and occurs within these ranges. ◆ The high power UV light emitted by the curing lamps reacts with oxygen and produces ozone. This formation tends to be greatest during lamp start-up.
Important Operating Notes ◆ inks used in wide format printing, UV cure ink has a limited shelf life. Plan to rotate your ink stock and use it promptly by the date printed on the ink box. ◆ 1-4 UV CURE INK IS PERISHABLE. Unlike other DO NOT POWER DOWN THE PRINTER. Constant vacuum at the printheads is required to prevent ink from flowing from the printheads when not printing.
◆ If the height of sheet-fed media exceeds 0.25 inches (6.35 mm), you must prepare the printer as follows before printing: ◆ Raise the head height ◆ Raise the right-side louver assembly ◆ Install the left-side light-blocking mat The printer detects when the media thickness is equal to or exceeds 0.25 inches, and prompts you to perform these steps. See “Loading Rigid Media” on page 3-27 for instructions.
Safety Warnings 1-6 WARNING WITH THE POWER SWITCH IN THE OFF POSITION, POWER MAY STILL BE SUPPLIED TO THE PRINTER COMPONENTS. To completely cut power from the printer, you must unplug the power cords from the power outlets. WARNUNG WENN DER NETZSCHALTER IN OFF POSITION STEHT, WIRD DEN KOMPONENTEN TROTZDEM STROM ZUGEFÜHRT. Um den Drucker komplett stromfrei zu machen, müssen Sie den Netzstecker ziehen. WARNING The printer is too heavy to be lifted safely by one person.
Important Operating Notes WARNING UV light hazard. The UV parking station must be installed during printing. Excess exposure to high-intensity UV light can result in photokeratitis (also known as snowblindness or welder’s flash). AVOID LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THE UV LAMPS. VORSICHT UV Licht hoher Intensität. Bitte vermeiden Sie es, direkt in die Lampen zu schauen. WARNING Moving parts. Keep fingers away from the carriage and media path. WARNUNG Bewegliche Teile, Verletzungsgefahr.
Workflow Overview Daily Startup To daily ensure the functioning or substitution of all inkjets, and optimal output quality, follow this procedure: 1. Wake the printer from Sleep mode. 2. Remove the left-side parking station from the printer. 3. Select "Access Printheads" from the Front Page screen of the control panel. The carriage moves to the left side, allowing access to the printhead jetting orifices. 4. Moisten a lint-free cleaning cloth with SolaChrome UV Printhead Flush solution. 5.
Workflow Overview 1-9
Recover Jets Part 2 11. If any missing jets are observed after printing the Recover Jets Pattern a second time, Purge the printheads. From the Front Page, press the Purge key, and purge the colors with missing jets. The control panel prompts you to remove the parking station so the carriage can be moved to the left side of the printer for purging. 12. Dab the printheads you purged with a lint-free cloth moistened with SolaChrome UV Printhead Flush.
Workflow Overview 1-11
Printing When the printer is connected to a ColorMark Pro print server, here is how a typical print job progresses from the client workstation to the printer. If you are using a non-ColorSpan RIP, refer to the documentation that accompanies it for details. 1. The operator sends a file to be printed from a client workstation. 2. The print job is received by the print server. Once it reaches the print server, the print job may be reprioritized, combined with other jobs, re-routed, or otherwise manipulated.
Daily Shutdown 1. DO NOT POWER DOWN THE PRINTER. The printer will automatically enter a Sleep mode when it has been idle for a user-defined period of time (see page 2-7 for details). If the printer must be shipped or power removed for an extended period, see “Extended Power Down and Restart” on page 5-25 for instructions.
Parts Overview 5 1234 7 6 12 8 13 9 11 10 14 & 15 14 & 15 17 18 16 11a 11b 23 19 24 20 27 21 22 25 26 Fig. 1-1.
Index Description 1 Encoder strip — allows precise positioning of the printhead carriage across the length of the platen. 2 Main carriage drive belt — moves the carriage across the length of the platen. 3 Platen — supports the media under the printheads during printing, warms the media in the print zone, includes vacuum to hold the media against the platen. 4 Transport chain — supports the ink supply tubes that carry ink from the ink boxes to the printheads, power, and electrical signal cables.
Index Description 1-16 12 UV parking station — shields the operator from excess exposure to UV light. It must be installed during printing, but may be removed to access the printheads for cleaning. 13 Stand — supports the printer. 14 Casters (four places) — enables easy relocation of the printer, can be locked in place. 15 Leveling pads (four places) — allows the printer to be stabilized and leveled for consistent media feeding.
Index Description 25 Media supply and takeup system — drives and provides tension to the media supply and takeup spools. For printing on large rolls of narrow media, the 98-inch model includes spool support accessories (see page 3-15). 26 Line conditioner — prevents voltage fluctuations, line noise, and transient surges from reaching the UV power supply. 27 Storage hook for light-blocking mat — provides a convenient storage space for the light-blocking mat when not in use for 0.
Special Features Printheads ◆ Micro-QuadTM printheads — sixteen 600 dpi piezoelectric printheads (four per color). Ink System ◆ Off-Head System (OHS) — 3 liter bulk ink boxes with profilers supply the printheads. The printer displays an alert when an ink box should be replaced. ◆ Onboard vacuum/pressure (VP) system — provides vacuum to maintain negative printhead pressure, and air pressure to purge the printheads or ink tubes without removing them from the printer.
Media Handling Special Features ◆ Half-inch head height — the printer can accept rigid sheetfed media up to 0.5 inches (12.7 mm) thick. When switching between media less than 0.25 and greater than 0.25 inches thick, three simple adjustments are necessary for print quality and UV light blocking. See “Loading Rigid Media” on page 3-27 for instructions. ◆ Media width sensing — automatically detects the width and position of the media loaded, for precise image placement.
Performance and Ease-of-Use 1-20 ◆ Media Wizard — stores and recalls a set of operating parameters by media type and print mode, for optimal printing performance. Includes a set of predefined settings for standard media; user may add settings for other media. ◆ Speed/quality print modes — provided to meet speed and quality requirements. ◆ Edge-to-edge printing — margins on rigid media can be set to zero for edge-to-edge printing, providing “full bleed” prints without trimming.
CHAPTER 2 Using the Control Panel This chapter describes the functions of the control panel.
Overview The touch-screen control panel shows you the printer’s current status, and enables you to interact with the printer when changing media and ink, respond to an error condition, or configure options. There are three main control panel screens: Ready Screen ◆ Ready (Status) Screen ◆ Front Page ◆ Menu When you press the Online/Offline button from the Front Page screen, the printer goes online and the Ready screen appears.
User Assistance The control panel provides various forms of online user assistance: The ? button provides an explanation of the current function, with some guidance for what to do next. The AT TN (Attention) key blinks on the control panel when the printer detects an error condition, potential error condition, or when you make a change that suggests recalibration or other action to ensure best print quality.
Front Page The Front Page provides access to the most frequently-used printing and maintenance functions. For advanced configuration options, press the Menu key (see “Menu” on page 2-10 for instructions). Fig. 2-2. Front Page 2-4 ◆ Printer Name — displays the name of the printer as defined on the print server or under the menu at Printer Settings > Printer Name. ◆ Online/Offline — returns the printer to the Ready screen, when it is online and ready to receive print jobs.
◆ Media & Ink — displays a listing of the media and ink currently installed in the printer. Press the ) and , keys to highlight “Media” or one of the inks, then press ! (Proceed) to display information about the selection. From this screen, you can press the and keys to scroll between screens. Press ! (Proceed) to return to the list, then (Menu Out) to display the Front Page screen. Fig. 2-3.
◆ Status — displays system parameters and the status of all user-configurable options. Press the and keys to scroll between pages. To change an option, go to the Printer Configuration section of the menu. Fig. 2-4. Status page 1 2-6 ◆ Print Mode — sets print quality mode. See “Selecting a Print Mode” on page 3-5 for instructions. ◆ Advance Media — press the ) key to advance the media forward. When you press and hold the ) key, the media moves faster.
◆ Purge — purges the printheads on the left side of the printer, to help recover missing jets. Follow a purge with a manual dab or blot of the printheads (do not wipe) with a lint-free cloth. ◆ Lamps On/Off — allows you to manually power on or off the lamps, instead of waiting for automatic operation.
Media” on page 3-14, or “Loading Rigid Media” on page 327 for instructions. 2-8 ◆ Unload (visible when the supply and takeup are loaded) — detensions and enables you to unload the supply and takeup system. See “Unloading and Cutting Roll-Fed Media” on page 3-21 for instructions. ◆ Reload — enables you to load another roll or sheet of the previously printed media with the same settings, without stepping through the media load process.
Navigation Keys The following table shows you how to move through the menu system and perform printer control functions. Key Description Display Menu — displays the printer menu. Menu Up/Down — moves the menu highlight up and , ) down the menu. Menu Top/Bottom — moves the menu highlight to the + * top or bottom for the menu. Menu Out — moves to the next higher menu in the hierarchy. Menu In — selects the highlighted menu option.
Menu The menu has these main sections: ◆ Calibrate Printer (see below) ◆ Printer Settings (page 2-11) ◆ Maintenance (page 2-15) ◆ Service Printer (page 2-16) ◆ User Diagnostics (page 2-16) ◆ Warnings & Actions (page 2-16), shown in Expert Messages Mode only ◆ Print Menu Tree (page 2-16) This section explains each of the functions on the printer menu. See “Menu Tree” on page 2-17 for a listing of all menu options.
◆ Manual Calibrations — allows you to calibrate the printer visually, without the printer’s digital imaging sensor. Inaccurate judgments by the operator during these tests could result in substandard output. See “Manual Calibrations” on page 4-8 for instructions.
◆ Supply Out Detection (98UVX) — reports when the supply spool stops rotating, indicating that there is no more media. This setting is also available on the 72UVX when the Supply Tension option is set to idle. MEDIA WIZARD ◆ Platen Vacuum Control — turns on the vacuum fans, then allows you to raise or lower the fan speed. Raise the speed if the media is rising off the platen, lower the speed if the media is buckling or wrinkling. Turn off the vacuum for lightweight media such as paper or fabrics.
◆ Note ◆ Trailing Margin — defines the margins on the trailing edge of cut-sheet media. If you load roll-fed media, the printer automatically resets the margins to 0.25 inches (6 mm). Measure Media Type — for cut-sheet media, you can choose one of three levels of precision for finding the left, right, and front edges of the media.
2-14 ◆ Localization — sets English or Metric units of measure, and time and date formats, for data displayed by the control panel. ◆ Head Height — moves the printhead carriage over the platen so you can adjust the head height. See “Set the Printhead Height” on page 5-11 for instructions. ◆ Wiping Position — allows you to center the carriage over the service station for best wiping.
Maintenance ◆ Access Printheads — moves the carriage to the left side of the printer. Remove the UV light shield before selecting this option, to avoid the possibility of the carriage striking it. ◆ Perform An Air Purge — purges the printheads with air. Select Standard to clear most jet-outs, or Performance to clear stubborn jet-outs (expels more ink). ◆ Print Recover Jets Pattern — prints a special pattern designed to recover missing inkjets. After printing this pattern, the prime bars are printed.
Service Printer User Diagnostics Warnings & Actions These tests are for factory, service, and technical support use. User Diagnostics presents an interactive troubleshooting program to diagnose problems before calling MacDermid ColorSpan Technical Services. It walks you through a series of tests and checks for certain printer functions. The printer asks you to make observations or run simple tests to help it diagnose problems and suggest corrective actions.
Menu Tree Front Page Media & Ink Status Printer Status Select Print Mode Online/Offline Show Menu Advance Media Print Prime Bars Purge Printheads AutoJet Lamps On/Off Attention Sleep/Wake Access Heads Menu Tree Media Wizard Load/ Unload/ Reload 2-17
Menu This menu tree reflects version 1.34 of the embedded printer software. Refer to the Release Notes for more recent versions. Options shown in italics are dynamically hidden depending on the printer mode.
CHAPTER 3 Ink and Media This chapter describes how to use ink and media with the printer: ◆ ◆ Ink and Media Ink ◆ Ink System Overview (page 3-3) ◆ UV Lamp Overview (page 3-4) ◆ Selecting a Print Mode (page 3-6) ◆ Checking Jet Health (page 3-10) ◆ Loading Ink (page 3-12) Media ◆ Loading Roll-Fed Media (page 3-15) ◆ Unloading and Cutting Roll-Fed Media (page 3-22) ◆ Respooling Media (page 3-24) ◆ Printing Tips (page 3-26) ◆ Using the Media Tables (page 3-27) ◆ Loading Rigid Media (page
Ink System Overview The printer’s ink system consists of the following components: ◆ Ink boxes — bag-in-box supply of UV cure ink, suitable for both flexible and rigid media applications. Note ◆ SolaChrome UV Printhead Flush — used to moisten the lintfree cloth or wiper tool for cleaning the printheads, also in automated flushing of the printheads. It has no properties that work against the ink to soften or reliquify cured ink, or any other similar cleaning properties.
UV Lamp Overview The printer’s two UV lamps (on the left and right sides of the printhead carriage) emit the high-intensity ultraviolet light that is necessary to cure the UV ink. The lamps require a separate power supply from the printer, to light the lamps and ensure adequate curing. They have a limited life, during which the amount of UV light emitted slowly decreases, eventually reaching a level that will no longer cure the ink.
Caution 3-4 Do not switch off the UV lamp power supply unless the lamps have fully completed their controlled cool-down cycle (with fans and heat extraction). Removing power from hot lamps can result in overheating and permanent damage. If sudden removal of power occurs, contact ColorSpan Technical Services before starting the printer again. ◆ Lamp replacement — the UV lamps will gradually lose their intensity and therefore their ability to cure the ink.
Selecting a Print Mode The printer can print in several different modes for the combination of quality, resolution, and speed that you require. Mode Maximum Speed (bidirectional printing) @ 72 inches wide Billboard Quality 400 ft² (37.2 m²)/ hour Production Quality with 600x600 dpi jobs Normal Jet Replacement None Standard 200 ft² (18.6 m²)/ hour Fine Text 100 ft² (9.3 m²)/ hour Sharp Edge 160 ft² (14.9 m²)/ hour with 600x300 dpi jobs 400 ft² (37.
The printer can print in both directions (bidirectional) or in one direction only (unidirectional). Unidirectional printing can occur in either direction. Printing occurs at about half the speed of the corresponding bidirectional print mode. Unidirectional printing eliminates the bidirectional misalignment that occurs when printing on media that is not perfectly flat. 4. Press the , and ) and keys to highlight a direction. 5. Press the " (Set) key to select the direction.
In all other modes, 600x300 dpi printing is not supported. When these modes are selected, the 600x300 handling options appear: ◆ Prompt with Options — the control panel will ask whether to print the job in Production Quality mode, or to cancel the job. ◆ Use Production Quality — the job will be automatically printed in Production Quality mode. ◆ Cancel — the job will be automatically canceled.
When you select a unidirectional mode, select one of the following settings: 3-8 Setting Leading Lamp Trailing Lamp High High High Medium High Low Low Low Low Leading High High Off Leading Low Low Off Trailing High Off High Trailing Low Off Low Off Off Off ◆ For standard media listed in the Media Wizard, leave the lamp settings at their default values, at least at first. ◆ Faster print modes require higher lamp settings to ensure sufficient curing.
Checking Jet Health When AutoJet detects a missing jet, it attempts to replace it with a working jet on the same or another printhead (in Production and High Quality modes). In this way, printing occurs with all jets for maximum quality. When you notice a decrease in print quality, one or more inkjets may be clogged. To recover clogged jets: 1. Print a Prime Bars pattern to determine whether there are any missing jets (see below). 2. Run AutoJet (page 4-3) or Manual Jet Mapping (page 4-18). 3.
Print Jet-Out Lines 1. From the control panel Front Page screen, press the (Menu) key. 2. Press the ) key to highlight Maintenance. 3. Press the (Menu In) key. 4. Press )to highlight Print Jet-Out Lines. 5. Press the (Menu In) key. The Jet-Out Lines pattern prints. Substituted jets are marked with a black square.
Loading Ink When to Load Ink Unloading an Empty Ink Box The amount of ink in the ink box is tracked by the printer software and recorded on its corresponding profiler. When the ink box is almost empty, the LED above the corresponding profiler will blink. You should replace the ink box with a full ink box of the same color ink as soon as possible.
2. Connect the ink supply tube to the ink box. Grasp and squeeze the ink tube connector as shown, engage the connector to the ink box, and release the connector. Ensure that the connectors are firmly engaged before proceeding. Fig. 3-2. Connecting the ink tube to the ink box 3. Invert and install the ink box into position in the holder. The position for each ink color is shown on a label below the ink box holder (on the pump cover) and on the profiler docking station. 4.
Pause-Swapping Ink You can replace one or more ink boxes during a print by pausing the printer: 1. On the printer control panel, press the (Pause) key. 2. Remove the old profiler. This signals to the printer that the ink box is being replaced. 3. Disconnect and remove the old ink box. 4. Install and connect the new ink box. 5. Install the profiler that was included with the new ink box. The LED above the profiler blinks slowly while the printer reads and verifies the profiler.
Loading Roll-Fed Media The printer includes a tensioned supply and takeup system designed to handle vinyl and other heavier media on three-inch cores. The media handling system automatically detects the size of the supply and takeup rolls and provides consistent tension as the rolls change size during printing. With the corresponding collets, media on 2-inch cores can be loaded onto the supply, but only 3-inch collets can be used on the takeup.
Support for Large Narrow Media Rolls For printing with large rolls of narrow media, (less than 72 inches wide), the 98-inch model of the printer includes spool support accessories to prevent the spools from bowing under the weight: ◆ Spool support — attaches to the stand crossbar, supports the supply and takekup spools. Fig. 3-4. Spool support ◆ Spool sleeve — slides over the spool with locking collets. Fig. 3-5.
1. Ensure that the fixed collet is properly located with the screw tightened into the inner hole on the supply spool (using the outer hole would prevent the spool from being installed). The side of the spool with the fixed collet is the “home” side, closest to the printer’s electronics box. 2. Remove the moveable collet from the spool. Note The 3-inch collets have left-handed threads that selftighten during printing. Turn the locking ring clockwise to loosen, and counterclockwise to tighten. 3.
below). This enables you to print on either side of the media. Supply Supply n Takeup Takeup o Fig. 3-6. Media path options 7. Ensure that the media is rolled onto the supply spool evenly, without “telescoping” to one side. 8. Release the pinch rollers so that media can be fed through them freely. 9. Feed the media through the pinch rollers and onto the platen. 10. From the front of the printer, pull the media web taut so that the media feeds in a straight line from the supply, with no wrinkles.
12. On the Front Page screen of the control panel, press the Load Media key. The control panel presents a list of media types. You can select from the list or select Custom (at the end of the list) to specify a new media. The printer’s Media Wizard feature stores a set of parameters for each media type, which can be recalled and applied whenever you change media types. (See “Edge-to-Edge Printing” on page 3-36 for details.) 13. Select the media type you are loading, or create a new media type.
◆ If you press !, the control panel displays a numeric keypad: Fig. 3-8. Numeric entry screen 15. Enter the length of the media roll (if it is a new roll) or the length remaining (if it is a partially used roll), and press the Enter key to continue. To skip this step, press Esc without entering a value. The control panel displays the prompt: Attach media to takeup. Press Proceed when media is ready to be loaded. 16. Press the Adv. to Takeup key to advance the media to the takeup spool.
Note With the fixed collets securely pinned to the supply and takeup spools (see Fig. 3-3), position the media on the takeup core in the same relative position as it is wound on the supply core. For example, if the media is positioned 0.125 inches (3 mm) from the left end of the supply core, it should be positioned the same distance from the left end of the takeup core. If necessary, the 3-inch collets on the takeup spool can be loosened so that the core can be moved to the right or left. 18.
Unloading and Cutting Roll-Fed Media 1. Press the ) key on the Front Page screen to advance the printed portion of the media past the platen. 2. On the Front Page screen of the control panel, press the Unload key. 3. The control panel prompts you to press ! to unload media, or ( to cancel. 4. Press ! to continue. This detensions the supply and takeup spools. 5. Cut through the media with a utility knife below the platen.
Takeup Spool Pin Release To quickly unspool a large amount of media from the takeup without damaging the takeup tension spring, you must first disengage the spool from the takeup system. The spool is normally engaged to the takeup motor with a tab at the end of the spool. To disengage this tab, press the Unload key to detension the supply & takeup system, then insert the takeup spool pin release tool (supplied, part number 0504334) between the spool and the bracket that holds the spool.
Respooling Media The printer can respool media from one cardboard core to another. You may want to do this if: ◆ The media was not taped to its core by the media vendor, which makes tensioning impossible. ◆ You want to change the direction that the media unwinds from the core (printed side out vs. printed side in). Supply Supply Takeup n Takeup o Fig. 3-10. Respooling load options 1. Load media on the supply. 2. Load an empty cardboard core on the takeup. 3.
10. Press the ! (Proceed) key to respool the media. The media is pulled from the supply spool onto the takeup spool. When the printer detects the end of the media, the respool function stops automatically.
Printing Tips Printing Tips ◆ Printing without the takeup — cured output is dry to the touch immediately, so roll-fed output can be allowed to collect on the floor (for example, during unattended printing) without using the takeup system, with no damage to the output. Printing without the takeup also eliminates the possibility of banding in output due to takeup tension effects. ◆ Curing continues for 24-48 hours — the UV ink will continue to cure for a day or two after printing.
Using the Media Tables The media tables are designed specifically to handle rigid media for this printer. When the printer was installed by an authorized service provider, the installer should have assembled and leveled both tables to the printer (after leveling the printer). If a second set of tables was purchased, the installer should have assembled and leveled them as well. The printer platen and tables should lie in the same horizontal plane to ensure smooth and accurate media advance.
Loading Rigid Media The printer has two media load states: ◆ Unloaded — the printer is ready to accept either roll-fed or rigid cut-sheet media ◆ Loaded — the Media Wizard has stored parameters for the currently-loaded cut-sheet media, allowing you to reload multiple cut sheets without reentering the Media Wizard Caution Rigid synthetic media commonly used for inkjet printing can build up a static charge, especially in environments with low relative humidity.
1. On the Front Page screen of the control panel, press the Load Media key. The control panel presents a list of media types. You can select a ColorSpan media from the list, or select Custom (at the end of the list) to specify a new media. The printer’s Media Wizard feature stores a set of parameters for each media type, which can be recalled and applied whenever you change media types. (See “Media Wizard” on page 3-42 for details.) 2. Select the media type you are loading, or create a new media type.
4. Enter the length of the media, then press the ! key to continue. The control panel displays the prompt: Load a sheet of media onto the printer. 5. Release the pinch rollers. 6. Slide a sheet of media onto the platen and into the pinch rollers. 7. Install the media alignment bar onto the platen. The pins on the media alignment bar engage corresponding vacuum holes in the platen. Fig. 3-13. Media alignment bar, installed 8. Slide the media forward until it is flush with the media alignment bar.
9. If necessary, prepare the printer to print on thicker or thinner media. To shield the UV light, the printer requires different setups when printing on media thicker than 0.25 inches (6.35 mm) than when printing on media less than this thickness. If the height of sheet-fed media exceeds 0.25 inches (6.
10. Set the pinch roller tension as specified in the Media Wizard. If a right or left edge of the media is partially under a pinch roller, the media may become damaged. You can insert a pinch roller release block (part number 0506093) between the pinch roller and the rail to temporarily disable (raise) a pinch roller. One of the block’s two indents should rest on the pinch roller’s pivot.
mine whether the sheet was loaded squarely into the printer. Then it moves the media into position to begin printing. For instructions on changing the way the printer measures the media, see Measure Media Type on page 2-13. 14. If the media is skewed, the control panel asks whether you want to adjust it. ◆ If you press Yes, you can release the pinch rollers, adjust the media, lower the pinch rollers, and press the Proceed key to continue. ◆ If you press No, the media load procedure continues.
Record the media feed number and the media type you loaded for future reference. See “Media Feed” on page 4-9 for further information. 18. Press the Online key to receive a print job from the print server or RIP. After a print job has finished printing, the media is automatically advanced (ejected) from the pinch rollers. Note Loading Rigid Media Before a print job is received, you can unload the media at any time by pressing the Unload key on the Front Page screen of the control panel.
Unloading and Reloading Rigid Media After printing onto a sheet of rigid media, the Front Page screen displays a special Load/Reload key. Fig. 3-16. Load/Reload key ◆ Load New Media — press this key to re-enter the Media Wizard and select a new media to load (either roll-fed or rigid cut-sheet) ◆ Reload Media — press this key to re-load the same media type, for example to print multiple copies of the same image You can also press the Unload key to return the printer to an unloaded state.
Edge-to-Edge Printing The printer can print up to or past the edges of rigid media. This provides the look of a “full-bleed” print without trimming the media. For best results, follow these guidelines. Tip Document, Application, and RIP Settings MacDermid ColorSpan has developed an extensive set of tips and techniques for printing on rigid media, including edge-to-edge and double-sided printing.
Media Properties ◆ Follow the guidelines in this chapter for printing on rigid media. ◆ The media should have parallel opposite edges with 90degree corners. Media that is not exactly square with itself can be used, but will require extra attention when loading (see “Loading and Squaring the Media,” below). ◆ To print to the trailing edge, attach a 6.5 inch (16.5 cm) or longer trailer of the same media to the trailing edge, so the pinch rollers can feed the media all the way past the print zone.
Loading and Squaring the Media ◆ Under Menu > Printer Settings > Media Measure Type, choose Maximal for greatest precision and skew detection when printing edge-to-edge. It measures the width of the media in two places, and finds the front edge in two places to estimate skew and detect non-rectangular sheets. The printer will report if the media appears to be skewed and therefore will not feed straight through the print zone.
◆ If the printer reports that the media is skewed, but you cannot correct the skew, the sheet may not be perfectly square (90-degree corners with parallel sides). In this case, ensure that the right edge of the media (closest to the control panel) is parallel to the direction of media feed. (You can use the fence on the input (rear) table as a guide after squaring it to the platen.) Then use the procedures described previously to ensure enough overprinting to account for the shape of the sheet.
Printer Setup ◆ The operator applies colored masking tape to the platen where the right and left edges of the media will feed, to prevent overprinting onto the platen. ◆ The operator sets the head height over the media. ◆ The operator configures the following options on the printer control panel: ◆ Menu > Printer Settings > Margin Settings > Left & Right Margin: 0 inches, Overprint Distance: 0.
◆ During Load Media, the printer locates two points on each of the leading, left, and right edges of the media. The printer uses these data points, and assumes 90degree corners and parallel sides, to determine the skew of the media. If the media is skewed enough that an unprinted left or right edge may result, even with a margin of 0 and the amount of overprinting specified, the control panel displays a message with the skew amount: Fig. 3-22.
Media Wizard The Media Wizard software feature stores a set of printing parameters by media type, enabling you to instantly optimize the printer whenever you change media. The Media Wizard includes standard sets of parameters for popular media types, and allows you to define new settings for media types you define. The Media Wizard can store a different set of settings for each of the print modes (Billboard Quality, Production Quality, High Quality), or use the same settings for all modes.
◆ To return to the Media Wizard menu, press the ! (Proceed) key. For each media type, the Media Wizard stores the following settings (as indicated, some settings apply to either roll-fed or cut sheet media only): ◆ Media Name — for user-defined media, use the alphabetic keyboard displayed on the control panel to enter the media name. (Standard media names cannot be changed.
◆ Supply Tension (roll fed on 72UVX only) — select a tension setting from 1 (low) to 5 (high), or select 0 for idle tension. ◆ Pinch Roller Slot (cut sheet) — adjustable pinch roller setting, from 1 (highest force) to 12 (lowest force). Select the lowest pressure that results in good media advance without leaving pinch roller marks on the media. ◆ Media Out Sensor (cut sheet) — detects when rigid cut sheet media is out. Normally enabled; disable only if the sensor is malfunctioning.
3-44 Media Wizard
CHAPTER 4 Calibrating the Printer This chapter explains how to calibrate the printer for the best possible output: Calibrating the Printer ◆ When to Calibrate (page 4-2) ◆ AutoJet (page 4-3) ◆ AutoTune (page 4-4) ◆ Auto Calibrations (page 4-6) — AutoBiDi Calibration, AutoH2H (Head-to-Head) Calibration, AutoJet Calibration, Full AutoSet ◆ Manual Calibrations (page 4-8) — Media Feed, Manual BiDi Registration, Manual X Head Registration, Manual Jet Mapping, Jet Status Lines, Default Registration Dat
When to Calibrate When to run The printer features several types of calibrations.
AutoJet AutoJet detects individual inkjets that are misfiring or not firing at all. During subsequent printing, the printer compensates for these jets by using other jets in their place, ensuring maximum print quality without reducing print speed. You can also identify and map missing jets manually from the Manual Calibrations menu (see “Manual Jet Mapping” on page 4-18). You may want to manually map weak or misdirected jets that AutoJet does not detect and substitute.
AutoTune AutoTune runs AutoJet maintenance automatically at intervals you specify. You can use the Quality Check Mode feature to handle AutoJet errors (with or without user intervention). AutoTune is available for roll-fed media only. 1. On the Front Page screen, press the (Menu) key to enter the menu system. 2. Press the (Menu In) key display the Calibrate Printer menu. 3. Press the ) key to highlight AutoTune. 4. Press the (Menu In) key.
2. Press the ) key repeatedly to highlight Printer Settings. 3. Press the (Menu In) key display the Printer Settings menu. 4. Press the ) key repeatedly to highlight Quality Check. 5. Press ! (Proceed). The control panel displays the Quality Check options. ◆ Attended Mode — user must press ! (Proceed) to acknowledge the error and print the job (if one is pending), or (Cancel) to cancel printing. ◆ Unattended Mode — no user acknowledgment of errors is required.
Auto Calibrations The printer’s piezo printheads are aligned at the factory and should only occasionally require you to run an automatic bidirectional or head-to-head calibration. 1. On the Front Page screen, press the (Menu) key to enter the menu system. 2. Press the (Menu In) key display the Calibrate Printer menu. 3. Highlight Auto Calibrations and press the (Menu In) key. 4. Select one of the Auto Calibrations.
Fig. 4-1.
Manual Calibrations When you run the calibrations from this menu, you evaluate the calibration test patterns visually and enter the calibration values via the control panel. Note The manual BiDi and X head calibrations are timeconsuming and can be error-prone, but is necessary when calibrating transparent media or other media that the printer’s digital image sensor cannot calibrate. Before calibrating the printer, first clean the printhead jets.
Media Feed This calibration allows you to calibrate the accuracy of the media advance. Inaccurate media advance can result in blank spaces between print swaths (too much advance) or overlapping swaths (too little advance). The Media Wizard stores this value by media type, and displays a media feed number (MFN), which you can record for subsequent entry. The media feed number enables you to quickly specify a known good media feed setting without recalibration.
Tip 4-10 ◆ 34-inch (900 mm) calibration — prints a 34-inch (or 900 mm) test pattern so you can verify its length with an accurate metal ruler. Cut the pattern from the media web, then measure and adjust the media advance as needed until the pattern is exactly 34 inches (900 mm) long. ◆ 10-inch (250 mm) calibration — prints a 10-inch (or 250 mm) test pattern so you can verify its length with an accurate metal ruler. This is not as precise as the 34-inch (900 mm) calibration, but it uses less media.
Tip Run the 34-inch or 10-inch calibration first, then run the stitch pattern version to fine-tune the media advance accuracy. Fig. 4-2. Measure between the calibration marks ◆ Manual Calibrations Input MFN — enter the Media Feed Number that was displayed after a previous media feed calibration, to return to that setting without performing the calibration again.
Manual X Head Registration Precise positioning of each drop of ink is essential for optimal print quality. This is possible only if you register all printheads in the printhead assembly to each other in the X (along the length of the platen) direction. This is a two-part process: ◆ Print a registration pattern. ◆ Enter the X registration data for each head. Note This is the manual version of AutoH2H Calibration (see “Auto Calibrations” on page 4-6 for details). 1.
Use a printer’s loupe or magnifying glass if the patterns are difficult to see. Fig. 4-3. Sample head calibration patterns 5. Press the , or ) control panel keys repeatedly until the number next to the pattern that is closest to aligned perfectly is displayed. For example, if pattern -1 is the closest aligned, press the ) key to change the display to: X Direction Registration Head 2: -1 If a printhead is extremely out of alignment, there may be no pattern in alignment.
6. Press ! (Proceed). The control panel message increments the head number by one. 7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 for each of the heads. When you have entered registration values for all of the patterns, the control panel displays this message: Registration successful.
Manual BiDi Registration Bidirectional registration is a method to align each of the printheads so that dot placement is accurate in both directions along the X axis (along the direction of printhead travel). The bidirectional registration pattern consists of a series of vertical lines. Half the pixels in this pattern are printed in one direction, half of them in the other direction. When the pixels are accurately aligned, the pattern is clear.
Use a printer’s loupe to select the pattern, since the lines in the patterns may be difficult to see. Fig. 4-4. BiDi Registration pattern 7. Press the , or ) control panel keys repeatedly until the number next to the pattern that is closest to aligned perfectly is displayed. For example, if pattern +2.0 is the closest aligned, press the , key to change the display to: Bidi registration Head 1: +2 If a printhead is extremely out of alignment, there may be no pattern in alignment.
8. Press ! (Proceed). The control panel message increments the head number by one. 9. Repeat steps 6 through 8 for each of the twelve heads.
Manual Jet Mapping Jets that are missing or misfiring are usually detected by the AutoJet calibration. Alternatively, you can map out jets manually using the Manual Jet Mapping function. You may want to manually map weak or misdirected jets that AutoJet does not substitute. Tip AutoJet is the automatic version of this calibration (see “AutoJet” on page 4-3 for details). Tip For best results, print the prime bars and purge the printheads as necessary to ensure the maximum number of working jets.
The printer prints a jet map test pattern. Fig. 4-5. Sample jet mapping pattern (Head 1 of 16) ◆ If a line segment is missing or broken, the jet number shown next to it is out.
3. When the calibration pattern has printed, the control panel displays a menu with the following options: ◆ Report individual soft bad jets — enables you to report a “soft” bad jet, which can be automatically reenabled if AutoJet finds it working. ◆ Report individual hard bad jets — enables you to report a “hard” bad jet, which will not be checked or reenabled by AutoJet. ◆ Clear individual bad jets — enables you to clear (mark as good) a jet.
The control panel displays a numeric keyboard that you can use to enter the number of the bad jet. Fig. 4-6. Numeric entry screen 5. Enter the jet number, then press the Enter key. 6. When you are finished entering jet numbers, press the Esc key. The control panel displays the head selection message again. 7. Press , and ) to select the next head number, then press ! (Proceed). 8. Repeat steps 5 through 7 for each head containing bad jets you want to report. 9.
12. When you are finished entering jet numbers, press the Esc key. The control panel displays the head selection message again. 13. Press , and ) to select the next head number, then press ! (Proceed). 14. Repeat steps 11 through 13 for each head containing bad jets you want to clear. 15. When you are finished clearing bad jets, press (. The control panel displays the previous menu.
The control panel displays this message: All reported bad jets have been cleared. 20. Press ! (Proceed). When you have finished mapping jets, the following summary appears on the control panel: x soft jets currently reported bad. x hard jets currently reported bad. x new soft bad jets reported. x new hard bad jets reported. x previous soft bad jets cleared. x previous hard bad jets cleared. where x is the number of jets.
Jet Status Lines Default Registration Data 4-24 This option prints the Manual Jet Mapping test pattern (see Fig. 4-5 on page 4-19) that shows which jets are working, and which jets are out, but does not run the Manual Jet Mapping calibration (see “Manual Jet Mapping” on page 4-18 for information). This option resets all registration data. Since there is no registration data after running this option, all calibration values must be reestablished by running the calibrations.
Calibration Summary Calibration Summary These options allow you to print a summary of the Full AutoSet calibration, or transmit calibration data to a log file on the print server. ◆ AutoSet Summary — when enabled, a table of the results of the Full AutoSet calibration is printed after the AutoSet test patterns. When you enable the AutoSet Summary, you can show or hide the detailed calibration data. ◆ Log Head Registration Data — sends head registration data to a log file on the print server.
Straightening the Media Path For optimal print quality, the media must feed in as straight a line as possible from the supply to the takeup. This can be accomplished by aligning the sides of the media as straight as possible from supply to takeup, and by smoothing the media web as much as possible before attaching it to the takeup. See “Loading Roll-Fed Media” on page 3-14 instructions. Printer assembly also affects the media path.
Linearization As the density of an image varies from highlights to shadows, or from lighter tints to darker tints, the printer should accurately reproduce these areas in a predictable, or linear, fashion. The process of linearization (or color calibration) involves printing and reading color test patches, and calibrating the printer to ensure that the expected and printed densities will match. This in turn will ensure optimal color matching.
4-28 Linearization
CHAPTER 5 Maintaining the Printer This chapter describes how to maintain the printer: Maintaining the Printer ◆ Maintenance Schedule (page 5-2) ◆ Clean the Rail and Bearings (page 5-4) ◆ Recover Missing Ink Jets (page 5-7) ◆ Set the Printhead Height (page 5-11) ◆ Calibrate the Wiping Position (page 5-14) ◆ Clean the Wiping Station (page 5-15) ◆ Replace Ink Filters (page 5-16) ◆ UV Lamp Operation and Maintenance (page 5-18) ◆ Clean the Quartz Windows (page 5-21) ◆ Clean the Ionizer Bar (
Maintenance Schedule Task Description Interval: Daily Daily Startup Procedure See “Daily Startup” on page 1-8. Interval: Weekly or as needed Clean pinch rollers Gently dry wipe or blow away dust buildup. Do not use any fluids to clean the pinch and grit rollers. Deposits of these fluids could form on the print media, causing streaks in printed output. To remove ink, use a minimal amount of isopropyl alcohol and dry thoroughly before printing again.
Task Description Replace UV lamp bulbs The control panel warns you when either of the UV lamp bulbs have been illuminated for 500 hours, but they may be usable for many more hours beyond that point. Bulb life will vary. The bulbs must be replaced when they no longer cure the UV ink sufficiently. See “Replacing UV Lamp Bulbs” on page 5-20.
Clean the Rail and Bearings Rail Pinch rollers Bearings (back of carriage) Fig. 5-1. Location of rollers, bearings, and rail The carriage rail carries the printhead carriage across the width of the platen. As dust and ink accumulates on the rail, the material could accumulate on the carriage bearings (wheels) and cause banding in printed output or noisy (“click-click-click”) carriage motion. Pinch Rollers 1. Wipe the pinch rollers with a lint-free cloth.
Rail 2. Wipe the entire length of the rail with a lint-free cloth or wipe moistened with isopropyl alcohol. The rail surfaces that must be clean are the surfaces that touch the carriage bearings. These are the top surface, including the front and back of the front lip, and the side surface, behind the belt. Move the carriage manually or press the Carriage key on the control panel Front Page so you can access and clean the entire rail. Top of the rail Side of the rail (behind the belt) Fig. 5-2.
Outside bearing Rail Inside bearing Cleaning window Fig. 5-3. Carriage bearings, left pair shown 4. Clean the left and right outside bearings. Moisten a cotton swab with isopropyl alcohol or water, place it against the left side of the bearing, and manually push the carriage to the left. Then place the swab against the right side of the bearing, and manually push the carriage to the right. Repeat once or twice. Remove any large dust particles you see. 5. Clean the left and right inside bearings.
Recover Missing Ink Jets The printer is designed to operate with a certain number of missing (clogged or misfiring) inkjets that are substituted by other working jets, without affecting print speed. If your daily startup process (as described in “Daily Startup” on page 1-8) fails to revive all missing jets, you can try the following advanced jet recovery measures. Fig. 5-4. Printhead wiper 1. Select Perform an Air Purge from the menu (Menu > Maintenance > Perform an Air Purge). 2.
Note Do not wipe the printheads repeatedly; this could result in lost jets. Wiper Fig. 5-5. Wiping the printheads Caution Purged printheads must be wiped before printing or moving the carriage across the platen. Moving the carriage with wet printheads will cause uncured (wet) ink to drop onto the platen and louvers. The ink will smoke if it contacts heated louvers.
14. If the Prime Bars show any missing jets, dab only the printheads that have missing jets with a lint-free cloth moistened with SolaChrome UV Printhead Flush: ◆ Remove the parking station from the end of the printer. ◆ From the Front Page, press the Access Heads key. ◆ Gently dab the printhead with a blotting motion. Do not wipe the printheads. ◆ Press the Access Heads key again to return the carraige to the wiping station. ◆ Reinstall the parking station and retaining pin. 15.
5-10 Recover Missing Ink Jets
Set the Printhead Height The height of the printheads above the media is key to optimal print quality and printer operation. When printing with the wide range of media thicknesses supported bythe printer, it is important to set the head height appropriately. Raising the head height too far will increase the amount of ink overspray. Lowering the head height too far may result in less overspray, but will increase the chance that the printheads will strike the media.
the printheads, not to the bottom of the UV lamp assemblies (see Fig. 5-7 below). Lamp Lamp A B Fig. 5-7. Head height measurement points A and B 8. Use the supplied hex wrench to turn one of the head height adjustment screws counterclockwise until the end of the gauge will not fit under the carriage. The head height adjustment screws can be accessed from the top of the carriage. The access holes are labeled with a white circular label.
The control panel displays a message asking whether you want to perform a bidirectional (bidi) calibration. 13. Press " to perform a bidi calibration, or ( to continue. Note Set the Printhead Height To lower or raise the printheads without measuring with the gauge, use two hex wrenches to turn the head height adjustment screws (at the top of the carriage) simultaneously and by the same number of turns (or fractions of a turn).
Calibrate the Wiping Position Wiping position calibration enables you to properly align the printheads to the wiper. When properly aligned, the printheads should be centered over the wiper when it is inserted into each wiping station channel. 1. On the Front Page screen, press the (Menu) key to enter the menu system. 2. Press the ) key repeatedly to highlight Settings. 3. Press the (Menu In) key display the Settings menu. 4. Press the ) key repeatedly to highlight Wiping Position. 5.
Clean the Wiping Station 1. Open the wiping station door, remove the wiping station cover, and scrape the cured ink with the scraper supplied with the printer (or a putty knife) into a trash receptacle. Cured ink is not hazardous waste. If uncured ink is present on the cover, allow further printing to occur with the cover in place to cure the ink. 2. Print with the wiping station cover removed to cure ink in the wiping station. 3.
Replace Ink Filters The control panel displays a Warning message on the control panel when 20 liters of ink has passed through the filters. Replace all four the filters as a set is recommended. Failure to replace the filters will eventually cause the filters to clog and prevent ink from reaching the printheads. Have a paper towel ready to catch the small amount of ink that will spill out of some of the tubes and the filter itself as you disconnect them.
The filter’s label has an arrow that indicates the direction of flow. Install the filter with the arrow pointing up. 7. Tighten the filter clamp. The filter should be secure, but do not overtighten the screw. 8. Connect the hoses to the top and bottom of the filter, and tighten the connectors. 9. Reconnect the ink tube to the ink box. See “Loading Ink” on page 3-11 for instructions. 10. Replace the ink box. 11. On the Front Page screen, press the (Menu) key to enter the menu system. 12.
UV Lamp Operation and Maintenance For an overview of the UV lamp system, see “UV Lamp Overview” on page 3-3. This section covers the following topics: ◆ Operating Tips (page 5-19) ◆ Replacing UV Lamp Bulbs (page 5-20) ◆ Balancing Lamp Hours (page 5-20) WARNING UV light hazard. Excess exposure to high-intensity UV light can result in photokeratitis (also known as snow blindness or welder’s flash). AVOID LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THE UV LIGHT. VORSICHT UV Licht hoher Intensität.
Operating Tips You can extend the life of the UV lamp bulbs as follows: ◆ If the head height is significantly above the standard height over the media, the curing effectiveness of the lamps will be reduced. Use the supplied head height gauge to set the head height for the media you are using. ◆ When the lamps do not cure output sufficiently in Billboard Quality Mode, switch to Production Quality Mode.
Replacing UV Lamp Bulbs The UV lamp bulbs will gradually lose their intensity and therefore their ability to cure the ink. The control panel will display a warning message when one or both of the bulbs have been operated for 500 hours, but the bulbs may continue to cure printed output for up to 1000 hours. To view the number of hours that each lamp has operated, advance to the Status page where this listed (Front Page > Status > Forward). Replacing the bulbs as a pair is recommended.
Clean the Quartz Windows The quartz windows protect the UV lamp cartridges from ink, media, and environmental dust. They should be checked periodically for dust buildup, which reduces the curing efficiency of the UV lamps. WARNING UV light hazard. Excess exposure to high-intensity UV light can result in photokeratitis (also known as snowblindness or welder’s flash). AVOID LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THE UV LIGHT. VORSICHT UV Licht hoher Intensität. Bitte vermeiden Sie es, direkt in die Lampen zu schauen.
3. Remove the right-hand louvers from the left end of the printer. 4. From the Front Page screen of the control panel, press the Access Heads key. The printhead carriage moves to the access position at the left end of the printer. You will now be able to access the left and right quartz windows from below the carriage. 5. Moisten a lint-free cloth with SolaChrome UV Printhead Flush, and wipe the quartz plates to moisten, soften, and remove the cured ink and dust.
Clean the Ionizer Bar If your printer has the optional ionizer bar installed, you should clean it as needed to maintain its efficient operation. The ionizer bar cannot eliminate static charges if it is dirty or if its cable is not securely connected. A buzzing noise at the ionizer bar, and a flickering of the orange neon bulb at the right end of the bar, indicates reduced ionizer efficiency.
Printhead Procedures The printer uses air pressure to both fill and evacuate ink and printhead flush from the printheads. The following functions are available from the menu at Maintenance > Printhead Procedures: ◆ Load Ink In All Heads — when installing ink for the first time, or when restarting the printer after an extended power down period, this function fills the empty printheads with ink. ◆ Fill Heads with Ink — fills the printheads with ink, one color at a time.
Extended Power Down and Restart UNDER NORMAL OPERATION, DO NOT POWER DOWN THE PRINTER. Constant vacuum at the printheads is required to prevent ink from running out of the printheads. Also, power must not be removed suddenly from the UV lamp system; permanent damage to the lamps could occur if hot lamps are not cooled according to specifications.
Restart To restart the printer, follow the procedure below. 1. Switch the power switch to the on position. 2. On the Front Page screen, press the (Menu) key to enter the menu system. 3. Press the ) key repeatedly to highlight Maintenance. 4. Press the (Menu In) key display the Maintenance menu. 5. Press the ) key repeatedly to highlight Load Ink in All Heads. 6. Press the (Menu In) key. 7. Load media. See “Loading Roll-Fed Media” on page 3-14 for instructions. 8. Recover missing jets.
APPENDIX A Technical Specifications This chapter lists the printer’s specifications and information about ordering supplies.
Specifications General DisplayMaker 72UVX DisplayMaker 98UVX Dimensions (Assembled) Height: 52.5 inches (133.4 cm) Depth without tables: 33.0 inches (83.8 cm) Depth with tables: 87.7 inches (222.8 cm) Width: 133.0 inches (337.8 cm) Height: 52.5 inches (133.4 cm) Depth without tables: 33.0 inches (83.8 cm) Depth with tables: 87.7 inches (222.8 cm) Width: 159.0 inches (404 cm) Weight (Assembled) Without tables: 375 pounds (170 kg) With 2 tables: 500 pounds (227 kg) Without tables: 425 lbs.
Electrical Power Power used: 200-240VAC, 50/60 Hz, 16 Amps maximum Required electrical circuit: 220 VAC, 20 Amps, with NEMA L6-20R locking wall receptacle (North America and Japan), OR 220 VAC, 16 Amps, single phase, with IEC 60309 wall receptacle (Europe) NEMA L6-20R locking wall receptacle (North America/Japan) IEC 60309 wall receptacle (Europe) North America: If your building receives power from a standard three-phase supply, note that the printer will use only two of the three phases.
Performance Printing Technology 16 piezo-electric inkjet printheads utilizing Micro-Quad™ Jet Technology. Resolution 600 x 600 dpi, 600x300 dpi (as supported by the RIP or ColorSpan print server) Ink SolaChrome™ 4-color (CMYK) flexible UV cure inks, off-head ink system. Curing System Dual carriage-mounted 500-watt UV lamps. Print Speeds (bidirectional) @ 72 inches wide Unidirectional modes (right-only or left-only) print in approximately half the speed of the corresponding bidirectional modes.
Software Features Specifications Touch screen LCD with graphical interface. Automatic calibration and detection/substitution of missing jets. Media Wizard stores operational parameter sets by media type for subsequent recall. Automatic edge detection and media positioning.
Supplies and Accessories Consult MacDermid ColorSpan or your MacDermid ColorSpan representative for an updated listing of supported ink and media. Use only genuine ColorSpan SolaChrome inks and printhead flush in the printer. Use of any other inks or cleaning fluids could damage the printer and will void the warranty. Supplies and accessories are available from MacDermid ColorSpan by calling: MacDermid ColorSpan Supplies Sales A-6 ◆ North America: (800) 723-3002 or (952) 943-3636 ◆ Europe: +31 23.
APPENDIX B Troubleshooting This appendix explains how to prevent and diagnose printing problems and provides information about getting help from ColorSpan. For other software-specific troubleshooting procedures, refer to your application software documentation or the other ColorSpan documentation listed on page vi of this manual. If your printer is connected to a non-ColorSpan RIP or print server, refer to the accompanying third-party documentation.
Troubleshooting Checklist Before you troubleshoot your printer, make sure that it is properly installed as described in Chapter 1, Getting Started. Follow the steps in this checklist to isolate and resolve printing problems. 1. Does the printer’s power come ON? YES: Go to question 2. NO: The following could be the problem: ◆ The power cable may not be plugged into an electrical outlet.
◆ The cable between your computer or network and the print server may not be securely connected at both ends. Refer to the print server manual for more information. ◆ Your computer may not be working properly. Run an application that you know works correctly and print to be sure. ◆ The computer’s port may not be working properly. Print to another output device that you know works correctly (and is not connected to the print server) to check this.
◆ Head Strike Recovery Head strike — if the printhead is striking the media, check how the media is tracking from the supply spool to the takeup spool. The sides of the media should be parallel to the sides of the printer, with no wrinkling or buckling. If necessary, reload the media. See “Loading Roll-Fed Media” on page 3-14 for instructions. Also check the Media Wizard to see whether the correct media is selected (see “Edge-to-Edge Printing” on page 3-35).
Beginning with the #16 printhead, lightly dab the printhead orifice plate with the moistened cleaning cloth, moving from the back of the printhead toward the front. Note Do not wipe the printheads with a horizontal (front to back) motion of the cloth. Use a vertical dabbing (blotting up and down) motion, working your way across the printhead surface.
Warranty Claims The printer is covered by a manufacturer’s limited warranty (part number 0706278), which includes the printheads. The piezo printheads are designed to remain in service for the life of the printer. The printer incorporates many automatic and manual features for preventing clogs from occurring, and for recovering inkjets that do become clogged (see “Recover Missing Ink Jets” on page 5-7).
approved procedures, failure to perform user maintenance as defined in the User Manual or contamination of the ink supply due to improper handling of the ink or ink system Warranty Claims ◆ Printheads which have not been properly maintained as defined in the User Manual, and printheads with jet-outs that AutoJet is able to substitute in Production print mode ◆ Service (including upgrades and expansions) performed by anyone who is not a ColorSpan Authorized Service Provider ◆ Modification of the produ
Diagnostics The printer includes a series of self-diagnostic tests designed to help MacDermid ColorSpan Technical Services solve printer hardware problems. If one of the tests encounters an error, and error message appears, which includes: ◆ Error code — always write down this code for future reference by MacDermid ColorSpan Technical Services. ◆ Brief description of the error ◆ A series of buttons that allow you to respond to the error.
Table B-1. Action and Warning Messages Description Cause What to do A-HW-[41-56] Printhead [n] Warmer Too Warm The printhead has gotten too warm. Contact your ColorSpan Authorized Service Provider or ColorSpan Technical Support. A-HW-[61-76] Printhead 1 Setpoint Too Warm The printhead setpoint is too high. Contact your ColorSpan Authorized Service Provider or ColorSpan Technical Support. W-HW-[1-16] Printhead [n] Warmer Disconnected The printhead warmer indicated is disconnected or not functional.
Table B-1. Action and Warning Messages Description Cause What to do A-IS-[61-64] [color] Air Sensor Failed On-Head Air Sensor Failure. Air sensor may be shorted or nonfunctioning. Replace or reposition sensor. A-IS-[65-68] [color] Ink Sensor Failed On-Head Ink Sensor Failure. Ink sensor may be shorted or nonfunctioning. Replace or reposition sensor. A-IS-[71-74] [color] Printheads Out Of Ink Unable to fill printheads indicatd with ink.
Table B-1. Action and Warning Messages Description Cause What to do A-IS-[101-102] Ink Counting Not Working Ink Counting Mechanism indicated has failed. Replace ink counting mechanism. A-IS-120 OHS Read/Write Failure Failed to communicate with OHS board. Reseat the profilers and ensure they are inserted correctly. Check OHS board cable connections. If the problem continues after resetting this error, contact your ColorSpan Authorized Service Provider or ColorSpan Technical Support.
Table B-1. Action and Warning Messages Description Cause What to do A-MS-6 Thickness Sensor Disconnected The media thickness sensor is disconnected or reading an invalid value. Ensure that the media thickness sensor is connected and calibrated. If the problem persists, contact your ColorSpan Authorized Service Provider or ColorSpan Technical Support. W-MS-1 Media Low Between 10 feet (3 meters) and 1 foot (30 cm) or less of media remains. Load media.
Table B-1. Action and Warning Messages Description Cause What to do A-SM-1 Printer Not Personalized Invalid electronics assembly. Call your ColorSpan Authorized Service Provider or ColorSpan Technical Support for replacement electronics. A-SM-2 Invalid Software Invalid software found. Call your ColorSpan Authorized Service Provider or ColorSpan Technical Support for updated software. A-SM-3 Invalid Personalization Printer personality incorrect.
Table B-1. Action and Warning Messages Description Cause What to do A-UV-1 Right UV Lamp Disabled The right UV lamp has been disconnected or has overheated. If the lamp is disconnected, power down the printer and reconnect the cable. If the lamp has not been disconnected, allow the lamp fan to run and wait for the lamp to cool. A-UV-2 Left UV Lamp Disabled The left UV lamp has been disconnected or has overheated. If the lamp is disconnected, power down the printer and reconnect the cable.
Table B-1. Action and Warning Messages Description Cause What to do W-UV-3 UV Lamps Not Synchronized There is over a 300 hour difference in the amount of time that the right and left UV lamps have used. To ensure optimal curing performance, it is recommended that the lamps are replaced. W-UV-4 Shield Was Raised The UV shield on the front of the carriage was raised. This will shut off the UV lamps and cancel any print job.
Index Index-1
! 600x300 dpi job handling 3-7 printing 1-12 A Access Heads 2-7 Access Printheads 2-15 Actions and warnings B-8 Adjustable pinch rollers 1-15 Advance Media 2-6 ATTN key 1-20, 2-8 Auto Calibrations 2-10, 4-6 AutoBiDi Calibration 4-6 AutoH2H Calibration 4-6 AutoJet Calibration 2-6, 4-3, 4-6 Automatic Eject 2-14 AutoSet 4-6 AutoSet summary 4-25 AutoTune scheduling 1-18, 2-11, 4-4 quality check mode 4-4 Auxiliary power specifications A-3 B Billboard Quality mode 3-5 C Calibration 2-10, 4-1 Auto BiDi 4-6 Auto
E Edge-to-edge printing 3-35 Electrical requirements 1-2 Empty Heads 2-15 Environmental requirements 1-3 Error messages B-8 F Fill Heads With Flush 2-15 Fill Heads With Ink 2-15 Filters 5-16 Fine Text mode 3-6 Front Page screen 2-2, 2-4 Full AutoSet 4-6 G rigid media 3-27 roll-fed media 3-14 J Jet health 3-9 Jet replacement 3-5 Jet Status Lines 4-24 L Leading Margin 2-13 Linearization 1-18, 4-27 Load Ink In All Heads 2-15 Load media 2-7 roll-fed 3-14 Load rigid media 3-27 Log Head Registration Data 4-2
cutting 3-21 loading 2-7 loading roll-fed 3-14 reloading 2-8 unloading 2-8, 3-21 Media & ink status 2-5 Media Feed 4-9 Media feed number 3-20, 3-32, 4-9, 4-11 Media Measure Type 2-13 Media out sensor 1-15 Media Skew Lines 2-15 Media spool 3-14 Media width 1-19 Media Wizard 2-7, 3-41 Menu 2-2, 2-6 Menu tree 2-17 MFN 3-20, 3-32, 4-9, 4-11 O Off-head system (OHS) 1-18 Online/offline button 2-4 Ordering supplies A-6 Ozone 1-3 P Parts overview 1-14 Pausing printing 3-25 Periodic maintenance 5-2 Pinch roller re
S V Safety warnings 1-6 Sleep 2-7 Space Between Prints 2-12 Specifications A-1 Standby Wait 2-13 Status media & ink 2-5 Status screen 2-6 Stiff Roll-Fed Media Handling 2-13, 3-42 Supplies and accessories A-6 Supply Tension 2-11, 2-12, 3-43 Vacuum/pressure system 1-4 auxiliary power A-3 specifications A-4 T Takeup spool pin release 3-22 Takeup Tension 2-11, 3-42 Troubleshooting B-1 W Wake 2-7 Warnings 1-6 Warnings & Actions 2-16 Warranty claims B-6 Wiping Position 2-14, 5-14 Wiping station 5-7 calibrati
Index-6
