DisplayMaker Legacy X-12+ User Manual Part Number 0706248 Rev C 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.
Caution SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE PRINTHEAD CARRIAGE CIRCUIT BOARD AND PRINTHEAD WILL OCCUR IF A PRINTHEAD IS REMOVED WHILE POWER IS SUPPLIED TO THE PRINTHEAD. Repairing this damage will require a service call and replacement of the printhead carriage circuit board and printhead at customer expense. To avoid electrical damage to the printhead carriage circuit board and printhead: Follow the instructions in this manual to replace printheads.
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. Release Date Description May 2004 iv Manual first released.
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 shows you how to unpack and assemble the printer, and introduces you to its main features. ◆ Chapter 2 shows you how to use the control panel. ◆ Chapter 3 shows you how to install ink and media. ◆ Chapter 4 shows you how to calibrate the printer. ◆ Chapter 5 shows you how to maintain the printer. ◆ Appendix A shows you how to troubleshoot common printing problems.
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.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Revision Log.............................................................................................. iv Regulatory Statements............................................................................... v FCC-A ..................................................................................................... v DOC (Canada)....................................................................................... v Telecommunications Network Statement.................................
Printer Settings............................................................................. 2-11 Printer Options............................................................................. 2-14 Reset All Defaults ......................................................................... 2-15 Service Printer .................................................................................. 2-16 User Diagnostics .......................................................................... 2-16 Service Tests ..
Drying Rate ...................................................................................... 3-34 Fans and Heater............................................................................... 3-34 Cutting and Unloading Media ............................................................ 3-35 Table of Contents 4 Calibrating the Printer 5 Maintaining the Printer AutoSet................................................................................................... 4-2 Manual Calibrations .......
A Technical Specifications B Troubleshooting Specifications ......................................................................................... A-2 Supported Ink and Media.................................................................. A-4 Supplies and Accessories ....................................................................... A-5 Troubleshooting Checklist ..................................................................... B-2 Diagnostics...............................................
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 Environmental 1-2 ◆ See “Specifications” on page A-2 for detailed power requirements. ◆ 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 voltage drop could damage the printer.
◆ DO NOT install the printer near humidifiers, refrigerators, fans, water faucets, heaters or similar equipment. ◆ DO NOT install the printer in areas where the temperature changes abruptly, such as near air conditioners or in the path of direct sunlight. ◆ DO NOT expose the printer to flames, dust or solvents. Refer to Appendix A for detailed specifications.
Safety Warnings 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.
Unpacking and Assembly This procedure assumes that the printer is in its final location. See the Site Preparation Guide for moving and unpacking hints. WARNING The printer is too heavy to be lifted safely by one person. At least two persons are required to lift the printer. WARNUNG Der Drucker ist zu schwer für eine Person. Mindestens 2 Personen sind erforderlich um den Drucker anzuheben. Note Unpacking If you will be installing a ColorSpan Print Server, set it up now and power it on.
8. Remove the ink tray boxes, stand legs, and accessory boxes, which are packed together at the bottom of the pallet. Do not remove the printer module from the pallet at this time. The printer rests on two shipping supports. You will use these supports and two assembly supports to help assemble the printer. Note Replacement shipping packaging and instructions are available from MacDermid ColorSpan Technical Services (phone: 800-925-0563). 9.
Stand Assembly 1. Locate the stand legs and , and the crossbar . 2. Using the Phillips head screwdriver and eight of the screws provided, assemble the stand. Start by positioning the two stand legs upright, at approximately the width of the crossbar. Align the holes on the crossbar with the holes in the stand legs, and secure them with the screws, but do not tighten them fully yet. Fig. 1-1. Stand assembly 3. Bias the stand legs outward at the top, then tighten the screws firmly.
Final Assembly 1. Remove the two red-headed bolts from the right-hand shipping support. Fig. 1-2. Remove the red-headed bolts 2. Locate the assembly supports ➍. The assembly supports are mirror images of each other; the foam pad should be positioned toward the ends of the printer. 3. Align the assembly supports with the shipping supports , at the rear of the pallet as shown. Fig. 1-3.
4. Thread one of the red-headed bolts that you removed from the shipping support through the assembly support into the pallet. The pallet contains a threaded nut that will accept the bolt. Tighten the bolt hand-tight. 5. Attach the other assembly support to the pallet with the other red-headed bolt. WARNING The printer is too heavy to be lifted safely by one person. At least two persons are required to lift the printer. WARNUNG Der Drucker ist zu schwer für eine Person.
7. Remove the right-hand shipping support from the printer, and bolt it to the pallet as shown, using the two red-headed bolts provided. Do not remove the bolts from the rear supports. Note that the “tower” of the support is now at the front of the pallet. Fig. 1-5. Shipping supports reversed and bolted 8. Lift the left-hand shipping support from the pallet, reverse it, and replace it into its guides on the pallet. The “tower” of the support is now at the front of the pallet.
9. Gently tip the assembled stand on its back, and set it down on top of the shipping supports as shown in Fig. 1-6. Fig. 1-6. Assemble the printer module and stand 10. Using the four silver Phillips head screws provided (two per leg), attach the stand to printer module. The silver screws are required to establish an electrical ground connection between the printer and stand. 11. Press the caster locks down to prevent the printer from rolling. 12.
Caution Do not pinch the ribbon cable between the ink tray support and the printer frame. If the ribbon cable is damaged, it may need to be replaced. 16. Locate and connect the profiler docking station cable from the right-hand ink tray to the port on the printer. 17. Using the screws installed in the back of the printer, attach the ink trays ➌ and ➍. The right and left trays are mirror images of each other. Position the trays so that the inks load from the front.
20. Install the service station by inserting it into the rectangular cutout inside the right endcap (behind the control panel). Position the service station so that the edge with the word “FRONT” is closest to the front of the printer. Slide the service station fully to the left end of the cutout. 21. Join the connector on the twisted wires from the takeup motor to the connector on the electronics assembly.
Connecting to the Print Server Connect the printer to the print server with the included VideoNet (for ColorSpan print servers) or Ethernet cable (nonColorSpan RIPs). See Fig. 1-8. Note Do not connect the printer VideoNet cable to your local area network. The VideoNet protocol is not compatble with other network protocols. Refer to the print server (RIP) documentation for further instructions on connecting the printer to the print server. Fig. 1-8.
Power-Up Sequence Turn on the power switch to observe the typical power-up sequence: 1. The control panel backlight illuminates. Move the contrast lever (located to the right of the control panel screen) up and down until the control panel graphics and messages are easily visible. 2. The printer runs a series of self-tests, and reports any errors it finds. 3. The camera searches for the location of the installed media’s home and far edges.
Workflow Overview 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.
Parts Overview 456 7 8 9 10 11 16 16 1 1 12 2 13 14 15 17 3 3 18 21 19 20 Fig. 1-1.
Index Description 1 End cap (two places) — includes removable end covers for maintenance access. 2 Stand — supports the printer. 3 Casters (four places) — enables easy location of the printer, can be locked in place. 4 Encoder strip — allows precise positioning of the printhead carriage across the length of the platen. 5 Main carriage drive belt — moves the carriage across the length of the platen.
Index Description Parts Overview 15 Dryer — carries air blown from the dryer fans to the printed output. 16 Ink reservoir tray (two places) — holds ink reservoir boxes. 17 Takeup gearbox — powers the takeup spool to automatically take up printed output. 18 VideoNet port — connects printer to print server. 19 Standby power switch — places printer in standby mode (to disconnect from power, disconnect power cord). 20 Power inlet — connects the printer to electrical power.
22 23 23 23 22 25 24 Fig. 1-2. Printhead carriage, printhead covers open 26 27 Fig. 1-3.
Special Features Performance Features Ease-Of-Use Features Special Features The printer has many advanced features to help you produce the best printed output with the least effort. ◆ AutoSet Calibration — uses a high-resolution digital imaging sensor to align printheads automatically in the x-y directions and bidirectionally for precise positioning of ink jet pixels, also compensates for lost or misfiring jets by using substitute jets without slowing printing speed.
1-22 ◆ Automatic head height setting — uses the onboard image sensor to set the print head height and level the print head carriage. ◆ Media width sensing — automatically detects the width and position of the media loaded, for precise image placement. ◆ Simplified control panel interface — Front Page screen presents frequently-used functions, with recommended preset configurations. A menu provides access to less-frequently used functions and troubleshooting help.
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 or Status 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 ATTN (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.
Tip 2-4 See page 2-13 for instructions for choosing an Expert or Novice mode for displaying these messages (Expert mode routes most messages to the Actions & Warnings menu), and for disabling or enabling the audible alarm. See the table beginning on page B-5 for a list of errors and recovery procedures.
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 Front Page ◆ Printer Name — displays the name of the printer as defined on the print server. ◆ Online/Offline — returns the printer to the Ready screen.
◆ Media & Ink — displays a listing of the media and ink currently installed in the printer. Press the p and C keys to highlight “Media” or one of the inks, then press B (Proceed) to display information about the selection. From this screen, you can press the m and q keys to scroll between screens. Press B (Proceed) to return to the list, then z (Menu Out) to display the Front Page screen. Fig. 2-3.
◆ Status — displays the status of all user-configurable options. Press { (Page) to scroll between pages. To change an option, go to the Printer Configuration section of the menu. Page 4 contains the current Media Wizard settings (see “Media Wizard” on page 2-19). Fig. 2-4. Status page 1 Front Page ◆ Advance Media — press the p key to advance the media forward. When you press and hold the p key, the media moves faster.
2-8 ◆ Prime Bars — fires all jets by drawing a set of lines called prime bars. This is a good way to inspect and prepare the jets for printing after they have been idle for more than a few hours. Choose Quick Prime Bars for most primes, or Detailed Prime Bars when you want to locate individual missing jets that AutoSet may have missed, so you can map them manually under Calibrate Printer - Manual Calibrations - Manual Jet Mapping (see “Manual Jet Mapping” on page 4-13 for instructions).
Navigation Keys The following table shows you how to move through the menu system and perform printer control functions. Key Description v Display Menu — displays the printer menu. p down the menu. x w top or bottom for the menu. z m Menu Top/Bottom — moves the menu highlight to the E Menu Out, Menu In — moves to the next higher menu in the hierarchy, or selects the highlighted option. Back/Forward — moves between pages or screens, or q selects printheads to calibrate.
Menu The menu has five main sections: ◆ Calibrate Printer (see below) ◆ Configure Printer (page 2-11) ◆ Service Printer (page 2-16) ◆ Warnings & Actions (page 2-18), shown in Expert Messages Mode only ◆ Load Takeup (page 2-18) This section explains each of the functions on the printer menu. See “Menu Tree” on page 2-20 for a listing of all menu options. Calibrate Printer 2-10 For details on these options, see Chapter 4, Calibrating the Printer.
Configure Printer Configure Printer enables you to set many options that control how the printer operates. Printer Settings ◆ Gutter Settings — determines the appearance of the top and side gutters. ◆ Top Gutters — allows you to turn On or Off the gutter pattern at the top edge of the print, which shows data about the print such as date and time printed and print mode, plus write-in blanks for other data.
◆ Margin Settings ◆ ◆ Space Between Prints — sets the blank space between print jobs, between 0 and 10 inches (25 cm). ◆ Right and Left Margin — sets the amount of blank space for the right and left margins, between 0 and 5 inches (13 cm). ◆ Leading Margin — when enabled and a media out condition has been detected, the printer measures the media width and finds the leading edge of the media before printing. This makes it easier to print on cut sheets.
◆ Service Station Settings — sets parameters for the operation of the service station: ◆ ◆ Service Station Algorithm — choose Optimized (default), which wipes while moving the carriage; or Original. ◆ Service Station Interval — sets the printhead service station cycle: every 30 seconds, 60 seconds, or 90 seconds. The service station cycle helps keep the ink jets open by expelling ink and wiping the jets.
Printer Options 2-14 ◆ Dryer — turns the dryer fans On or Off. Disable the dryer fan to avoid streaking output on poly media and films. ◆ Print White Space — when Print White Space is selected, the printhead carriage always travels the width of the media, even when there is a white (blank) space in the image. When Do Not Print White Space is selected, the printhead remains in its home position and the media advances past white spaces in the image.
◆ FineLine Mode — allows you to tune the printheads for improved fine line quality, and eliminate the “ghost” image on backlit media, caused by ink transfer during takeup. Select FineLine Mode Off (the default setting) for most printing with large areas of high ink coverage. Select FineLine Mode On to reduce the jagged appearance of fine lines and eliminate “ghosting.” FineLine Mode is effective during the earlier portion of the printhead’s service life.
Service Printer User Diagnostics 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.
◆ Horizontal Dot Accuracy — for factory/service use only. ◆ Vertical Dot Accuracy — for factory/service use only. ◆ Print Image on Image Sensor — the printer prints a small set of lines which are scanned by the digital image sensor. Then the printer prints an enlargement of the image as the sensor captured it. ◆ Spit and Wipe Jets — tests the functionality of the service station by firing ink (spit) and drawing the printheads over the service station wipers (wipe).
Prime Pens Moves the carriage out of the service station home position so that it can be accessed behind the access door for manual priming (for instructions, see “Manual Priming” on page 5-11). Prime Bars Prints a wide-swath version of the prime bars. Disable Media Sensor If the media sensor is malfunctioning, disable it to continue printing. Note that with the media sensor disabled, the printer will not be able to detect when there is no media in the printer.
Media Wizard Menu This option provides access to the four settings that the printer saves and associates with a particular media: Media Feed (page 4-4), Head Height (page 4-23), Platen Vacuum Control (page 212), and 1-Pass Coverage. Page 4 of the Status screen contains the current Media Wizard settings (see page 2-7). The settings are saved automatically whenever they are changed, and can be recalled when the media is subsequently reloaded.
Menu Tree Front Page Online/Offline Media & Ink Status Printer Status Show Menu Advance Media Print Prime Bars Select Print Mode Run AutoSet Attention Access Carriage 2-20 Media Wizard Unload Media Load Media Menu Tree
Menu This menu tree reflects version 1.22 of the embedded printer software. Refer to the Release Notes for more recent versions.
2-22 Menu Tree
CHAPTER 3 Installing Ink and Media This chapter describes: Installing Ink and Media ◆ Variable Mode Printing (page 3-2) ◆ Ink System Overview (page 3-4) ◆ Selecting a Print Mode (page 3-7) ◆ Installing Ink for the First Time in a New Printer (page 3-14) ◆ Replacing Ink System Components (page 3-19) ◆ Loading Media (page 3-26) ◆ Cutting and Unloading Media (page 3-35) 3-1
Variable Mode Printing The printer uses these techniques to vary the quality of a print and speed of printing: ◆ Color Set — ink sets may contain one each of a different color, two each of a different color, varying densities of certain colors, or combinations. Using two sets of colors speeds printing, while using multidensity inks creates smoother transitions between light tones, and increases the perceived resolution of the print.
Print speed is increased by: Variable Mode Printing ◆ Reducing the number of passes (see “Selecting a Print Mode” on page 3-7) ◆ Reducing the number of different colors or using smaller ink sets (four or six colors instead of eight or more) ◆ Printing with two heads per color (see “Selecting a Print Mode” on page 3-7) ◆ Printing in low relative humidity to avoid drying delays ◆ Selecting “Do not print white space” under Configure Printer - Printer Options - Print White Space (see “Printer Options
Ink System Overview The printer’s ink system consists of three main components: ◆ Ink reservoir — a plastic box containing the ink supply and an electronic profiler, which specifies the ink type, color, and amount remaining. The profiler plugs into a connector on the ink tray, allowing it to communicate with the printer and print server. The reservoir is self-contained and seals automatically for easy handing.
The ink system also includes a labeling system to help keep the components of each ink color together: ◆ Color Map Cards — lists all of the supported ink sets, fits in plastic sleeve inside the printer’s top cover for easy reference during installation and printing. Fig. 3-2. Color Map card Tip If you cannot locate the color map card for a particular ink set, use the color map display on the control panel.
Spare Ink and Printheads For maximum productivity and minimum down time, ColorSpan recommends stocking extra ink reservoirs and printheads. When the ink supply runs low, or a printhead needs to be replaced, having spares will ensure that printing can resume as quickly as possible. Since ink and printhead usage will vary depending on the amount and types of printing you do, experience will help you determine how to stock an efficient spare inventory.
Selecting a Print Mode Before installing ink, report to the printer how you will use the ink you will install (the “print mode”). This is necessary because although the printer can detect which inks are installed, a given ink set may be usable in several different modes. For example, consider an installation of two six-color (C2M2YK) sets of ink.
4. Press the C and p keys to select the ink type, then press the D key. The control panel displays the Select Color Map screen. At the top of this screen are the color sets that are valid for the number of heads per color you selected. At the bottom of the screen is a schematic diagram showing the placement of the printheads in the printhead carriage. Fig. 3-4.
Ink Type (Suffix) E P AutoInk Maps Endura•Chrome Perma•Chrome There are three AutoInk maps, which allow you to load and print with one Endura•Chrome dye ink set, and one Perma•Chrome pigment ink set, as follows: ◆ 1x6E-1x6P — one six-color Endura•Chrome set and one six-color Perma•Chrome set ◆ 1x6P-1x6E — one six-color Perma•Chrome set and one six-color Endura•Chrome set. This configuration eliminates rough edge effects in black lines when printing on Perma•Chrome FineArt Paper.
registration (“Auto Calibrations” on page 4-19) before printing. 10. Install the Color Map card that corresponds to the mode you selected into the plastic sleeve on the printer’s top cover. Refer to the Color Map card to help you load inks into the correct locations. See the figure on page 3-5 for an illustration of a Color Map card.
Creating a Custom Color Map You can create a custom ink set that uses colors of your choosing, in the positions where you want to place them. 1. From the Front Page screen, press the Menu key to enter the menu system. 2. Press the pkey to highlight Configure Printer. 3. Press the E (Menu In) key to display the menu. 4. Press the p key repeatedly until Printer Options is highlighted. 5. Press the E (Menu In) key to display the menu. 6. Press the p key repeatedly until Create Custom Colormaps is highlighted.
Switching Between Ink Sets The inks are located in specific numbered locations on the printer for optimal print and color quality. The software ignores ink positions that are not needed for a print mode, so any ink (or no ink) can be present in these positions. This provides flexibility while minimizing the need to swap or reposition inks.
Switching between eight-color and six-color modes, however, does require switching ink(s): 1x6 1x8 2x6 C = Cyan, mC = Medium Cyan, lC = Light Cyan M = Magenta, mM = Medium Magenta, lM = Light Magenta Y = Yellow K = Black CX = Change Ink Fig. 3-6. Possible modes with a 1x8 ink set Caution When changing ink colors, if you change the printhead and reservoir without changing the existing ink tube, ink from the reservoir will mix with the different ink in the ink tube, producing a third color.
Installing Ink for the First Time in a New Printer When you receive a new printer, numbered empty ink tubes are preinstalled at the factory. This prepares the printer to accept ink reservoirs and printheads with any ink type or color set. It also avoids introducing air into the ink, which would occur gradually if ink tubes filled with ink were installed and stored unpressurized (without an ink reservoir connected).
reconnect any tubes that are removed and stored to the correct ink reservoir and printhead. 5. If not pre-assembled, insert the drain tube into the connection on top of the drain bottle. Fig. 3-7. Assembling the drain tube to the top of the drain bottle. 6. Place the drain bottle on the floor and tape the drain tube to the dryer tube, providing a descent from carriage-level to the drain bottle. Fig. 3-8.
7. Referring to the Color Map card, place an ink reservoir into its numbered position (1 through 12) in the ink tray. Be sure to insert the profiler into its port in the ink tray. Work with the ink reservoir, tube, and printhead that correspond to one position at a time. This will help prevent crossconnecting components. 8. Referring to the Color Map card, affix the labels showing the ink color and ink type onto the connectors of the ink supply tube (see Fig. 3-3 on page 3-5). 9.
The ink should flow for a few inches into the drain tube, then stop. ◆ If the ink continues to flow, this may indicate that the seal between the printhead and the supply tube is faulty. Replace the supply tube (see “Replacing An Ink Tube” on page 3-22for instructions). ◆ If ink leaks out of the seal between the supply tube and the printhead, replace the supply tube. ◆ If ink does not flow out of the ink module into the supply tube, the seal between the ink module and supply tube may be faulty.
15. Install the printhead into the carriage. Install the printhead into the correct position. You can use the built-in handle to help position the printhead. 16. Repeat steps 7 through 15 for each ink tube you want to fill. 17. Close and latch the carriage cover(s). 18. Close the printer’s top cover. On the control panel Front Page screen, press the B (Proceed) key to park the printhead carriage into the service station. See “Loading Media” on page 3-26 for media loading instructions.
Replacing Ink System Components Replacing an Ink Reservoir in an Idle Printer This section shows you how to replace the individual components in the ink system: ◆ Replacing an ink reservoir in an idle printer (below) ◆ Replacing (“hot swapping”) an ink reservoir during printing (page 3-20) ◆ Replacing a printhead (page 3-21) ◆ Replacing an ink tube (page 3-22) Replace an ink reservoir when there is insufficient ink to print, or when you want to use a different color or type of ink.
Replacing an Ink Reservoir During Printing (“Hot Swapping”) You can replace an ink reservoir during printing (“hot swap”) only with an ink reservoir of the same color and ink type. Caution When switching to a different ink color or ink type, wait for printing to finish, then replace the ink reservoir, printhead, and ink tube as a matched set. Failure to do so will contaminate the ink system and compromise performance or output quality. 1. Place the new ink reservoir near the reservoir to be replaced. 2.
Replacing a Printhead Replace a printhead when the printer: ◆ When the printer can no longer compensate for missing or deflected jets by increasing the number of print passes, and you cannot recover these jets (see “Cleaning Ink Jets” on page 5-3 for instructions). ◆ When the number of passes required increases print times to unacceptable levels. ◆ When switching ink color or type. To replace a printhead: 1. Wait for the printer to stop printing. 2.
Replacing An Ink Tube To ink trays From printheads Fig. 3-11. Ink tube routing Replace an ink tube when switching ink colors or types, or if the ink tube leaks. You need not replace an ink tube when you change an ink reservoir and/or printhead without changing ink color or type, if the tube is functioning normally. Each of the ink tubes is routed to a specific ink tray position, to enable the replacement of individual tubes without crossing or tangling with other tubes.
1. Wait for the printer to stop printing. 2. From the ready screen, press the Online/Offline button. The Front Page screen appears. 3. Press the Carriage button. The printhead carriage moves out of the service station. 4. Open the printer top cover. 5. Disconnect the ink tube from the ink reservoir. The tube automatically seals when you disconnect it. This prevents ink from spilling out. 6. Depress the lock levers to unlock the penholder assembly, and swing the carriage up to expose the printheads. 7.
Ink tray Tube guides inside the tube chain (shown empty with cable) Tube guides along rear of printer Fig. 3-12.
12. Fill the empty ink tube by following steps 10 through 12 beginning on page 3-16. Caution Always fill an empty ink tube with ink before connecting it to a printhead. Attempting to print with an empty ink tube connected to a printhead will result in enough air to be introduced to cause the printhead to fail. This condition may be recoverable by purging the cartridge of air (see “Purging the Printheads” on page 5-14 for instructions). 13.
Loading Media Wear cotton gloves during this procedure, or handle the media only by its very outside edges. This will prevent skin oils from being deposited on the media, which could render output quality unacceptable. Tip For best results, use genuine ColorSpan media. All ColorSpan media is provided on two-inch cores in lengths to ensure accurate media advance. Caution Do not store or rest a media roll on either end before loading it onto a spool.
4. From the rear of the printer, load the media and spool into the printer’s supply spool holder. Press the home side of the supply spool into the home side holder (on the left from the rear of the printer), then swing the far side of the supply spool into the far side holder (on the right). 5. With your right hand, feed the leading edge of the media into the printer’s pinch rollers and hold it in place until the following step. If loading 72 inch media, see “Loading 72-Inch Media” on page 3-31.
8. On the Front Page screen of the control panel, press the Load Media key. The control panel prompts you to press the B key to load media, or n to cancel. 9. Press the B key to proceed. The control panel prompts you to advance the media. 10. Press the p key to advance the media past the front edge of the platen. 11. Press the B key to proceed. 12. Select a media thickness from the list. You can select a ColorSpan media from the list, or select Custom (at the end of the list) to specify a custom thickness.
To skip this step, press Esc or Enter without entering a value. The printer will not track the amount of media remaining on the roll, and it will be unable to display a warning when the amount of media runs low. The media length will display as “undefined,” and the Unload Media process will be unable to print the amount of media remaining on the supply spool. 15. The control panel asks whether you want to use the takeup system. See “Takeup Options” on page 3-32 for details on using the takeup system.
Tip 3-30 The media should be consistently tensioned across its width when attached to the takeup spool. Ensure that the web is straight and smooth from side to side.
Loading 72-Inch Media The width of the 72-inch media makes it impossible for most persons to load it by grasping its left and right edges at the same time. Follow this procedure to more easily load 72-inch wide media. Wear cotton gloves during this procedure, or handle the media only by its very outside edges. This will prevent skin oils from being deposited on the media, which could render output quality unacceptable. 1.
Takeup Options Automatic Disable The takeup is automatically turned on (enabled) when you load the takeup.
Linearization When changing media types, you should perform a color calibration or linearization (if supported by the RIP). This compensates for the differences between medias that affect color accuracy. For further information, see “Linearization” on page 4-31. When replenishing the media supply with the same type of media, relinearization is unnecessary unless print color quality has changed noticeably.
Dryer Options Drying Delay As the printed output advances past the dryer outlets, the dryer blows air over the output to dry it. The print will continue to advance until the trailing edge of the print has passed under the dryer. The print remains stationary for twenty seconds, then will reverse or advance according to the print mode. To cancel the twenty-second delay, press the n (Cancel) key.
Cutting and Unloading Media 1. Press the p key on the Front Page screen to advance the printed portion of the media past the cutter anvil (on the front edge of the platen). 2. From the front of the printer, place a utility knife blade in the cutter channel and draw the cutter across the media. Support the trailing edge of the media as you cut it from the supply spool. 3. On the Front Page screen of the control panel, press the Unload Media key. 4.
3-36 Cutting and Unloading Media
CHAPTER 4 Calibrating the Printer This chapter explains how to calibrate the printer for the best possible output: Calibrating the Printer ◆ AutoSet (page 4-2) ◆ Manual Calibrations (page 4-3) — Media Feed, Manual BiDi Registration, Manual Head Registration, Manual Jet Mapping, Jet Status Lines, Default Registration Data ◆ Auto Calibrations (page 4-19) — AutoBiDi Calibration, AutoH2H (Head-to-Head) Calibration, AutoBiDi & H2H Calibration, AutoJet Calibration ◆ AutoTune (page 4-20) ◆ Calibration S
AutoSet AutoSet is an advanced printer calibration feature that uses an onboard digital imaging sensor and sophisticated software to detect and compensate for variations in ink jet printing. It can be initiated by the user or run automatically at specified intervals (AutoTune). AutoSet is designed to be a “one-button” calibration, the only calibration you need to run in most cases for superior quality output.
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. In most cases, AutoSet is more accurate and should be used instead (see “AutoSet” on page 4-2). Note Manually performing the component calibrations of AutoSet is time-consuming and can be error-prone, but is necessary when the head height is 0.070 inches (1.78 mm) or greater, or when calibrating transparent media.
Media Feed Calibration This calibration allows you to calibrate the accuracy of the media feed process. You perform this calibration when loading media, if print quality is poor, or if prints requiring very accurate length (for example, output that will be tiled) are found to be the wrong length. The Media Wizard stores this value by media type. ◆ Before performing a Media Feed calibration, print the Prime Bars and clean the ink jets to get the maximum number of jets working.
8. Select one of the options and press the E (Menu In) key to continue. The printer asks whether you want to print the media feed calibration. 9. Press the B key to continue. The printer asks whether you want to print the media feed calibration. 10. Press the B key to continue. The printer prints the calibration marks, and prompts you to adjust the advance. Measure from here... ...to here. Fig. 4-15. Media Feed Calibration pattern 11.
“On-the-Fly” Media Feed Adjustment The media feed (advance) can be adjusted by 1/4 pixel increments during printing by pressing the up (increase) and down (decrease) arrows displayed on the control panel. When you see dark bands or blank spaces between print swaths, this indicates that the media advance is too short (dark bands) or too long (blank lines). Depending on the individual print job, it still may be useable after using the media feed adjustment while it is still printing.
Manual Bidirectional 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 print head 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.
10. Press B (Proceed). The printer prints the calibration pattern you selected. 11. When the calibration page has printed, the control panel displays this prompt: Bidi registration Head 1: 0 12. Examine the BiDi Registration pattern for the current head, and determine which pattern is the closest to perfectly aligned. Use a printer’s loupe to select the pattern, since the lines in the patterns may be difficult to discern. +6 +4 +2 0 -2 Fig. 4-17. BiDi Registration pattern. 13.
15. Repeat steps 12 through 14 for each of the twelve heads.
Manual Head Registration The printer creates images by firing dots of ink onto a sheet of media. Precise positioning of each dot is essential for optimal print quality. This is possible only if you register all printheads in the printhead assembly to each other in both the X (along the length of the platen) and Y (along the length of the media) directions. This is a two-part process: ◆ Print a registration pattern. ◆ Enter the X and Y registration data for each head.
If you need to print a new calibration pattern, press B (Proceed). The printer prints a calibration page. X-direction patterns Y-direction patterns Fig. 4-18. Head-to-Head Registration patterns When the calibration page has printed, the control panel displays this prompt: Take readings from left side of pattern. 9. Press the B key. The control panel displays this message: X Direction Registration Head 2: +0 10.
For example, if pattern +2 is the closest aligned, press the C key to change the display to: X REG HEAD-1 +2 If a printhead is extremely out of alignment, there may be no pattern in alignment. Since the black vertical bars are five pixels apart, you can add +5 or -5 to a pattern number to shift the colored bars right or left by one black bar. Alternatively, you can repeatedly perform an X calibration, which will move the head in smaller increments, until the head is aligned. 12. Press B (Proceed).
Manual Jet Mapping Each of the printheads used by the printer has 512 ink jet nozzles (jets). If any one of these jets is clogged or has a bad electrical connection, print quality may be affected. A certain number of non-firing jets is within the performance specifications of most printers that use this technology. Using a patent-pending technique, the printer “fills in” the pixels that were not printed by the non-firing jets, without reducing print speed.
If you have a calibration pattern from a recent print, you can use it to calibrate the heads. Press n (Cancel) and go to the next step. Otherwise, press B. The printer prints a jet map test pattern for printheads 1-6. ➋ ➌ ➋ ➌ ➊ Fig. 4-20. Sample jet mapping pattern ➊ Head number ➋ Test pattern and codes ➌ Jet number ◆ If a line segment is missing or broken, the jet listed in the same column is out. In Fig. 4-20, jets 263 and 265 are out.
◆ Clear all bad jets — clears (marks as good) all jets currently marked as unusable. Select an option and follow the corresponding procedure below. Report Individual Bad Jets When you select Report Individual Bad Jets, the control panel displays the following prompt: Head 1: Press Proceed to report a bad jet. 8. Press C and p to select a head number, then press B (Proceed). The control panel displays a numeric keyboard that you can use to enter the number of the bad jet. Fig. 4-21.
13. When you are finished reporting bad jets, press n. The control panel displays the previous menu. Clear Individual Bad Jets When you select Clear Individual Bad Jets, the control panel displays the following prompt: Head 1: Press Proceed to clear a bad jet. 14. Press C and p to select a head number, then press B (Proceed). The control panel displays a numeric keyboard that you can use to enter the number of the bad jet. 15. Enter the jet number, then press the Enter key. 16.
The control panel displays the previous menu. Clear All Bad Jets When you select Clear All Bad Jets, the control panel displays the following prompt: Are you sure you want to clear ALL reported bad jets? ◆ Press n to cancel this function, or ◆ Press B (Proceed). The control panel displays this message: All reported bad jets have been cleared. 24. Press B. The following prompt appears: Print Jet Map Page 2 of 2 now? 25. Press B. 26. Repeat steps 7 through 24.
Jet Status Lines This option prints a test pattern that shows which jets are working, and which jets are out. Zero Registration Data 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.
Auto Calibrations AutoSet is a convenient “one button” action to run three different calibrations automatically. You can also run each one individually, from the Auto Calibrations menu. To evaluate the calibration test patterns visually and enter the calibration values via the control panel, run the Manual Calibrations. For instructions, see “Manual Calibrations” on page 4-3. 1. On the Front Page screen, press the v (Menu) key to enter the menu system. 2.
AutoTune AutoTune runs AutoSet automatically at intervals you specify. When you use the AutoTune scheduler to run AutoSet, AutoSet always performs its three calibrations without prompting the user or canceling due to too many bad jets. You can use the Quality Check Mode feature to handle AutoSet errors, with or without user intervention. To run AutoSet at specified intervals (AutoTune): 1. On the Front Page screen, press the v (Menu) key to enter the menu system. 2.
Calibration Summary These options allow you to print a summary of the 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 AutoSet calibration is printed after the AutoSet test patterns. If 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.
Description Show Details Version Hide Details Version Sabre Angle — Troubleshooting data for MacDermid Col- Shown orSpan Technical Services. Hidden Head-to-Head Registration — OK indicates that the Shown printhead was successfully registered relative to the other printheads; if not, the amount of error in pixels is shown.
Head Height Calibration The printer offers an automatic head height calibration, in addition to two manual options. ◆ Auto Carriage Height uses the onboard image sensor to precisely set the height of the printheads above the media and level the carriage. This method can be used if at least one pair of ink reservoirs and printheads are installed in certain positions, so that the carriage can be automatically leveled. Due to the use of the image sensor, this method does not work with film or canvas media.
ative to the media. Use Normal unless you need to raise the head height to avoid printhead strikes against the media. 2. On the menu, select Service Printer. The Service Printer menu appears. 3. On the Service Printer menu, select Calibrations. The Calibrations menu appears. 4. On the Calibrations menu, select Head Height. The Head Height menu appears. 5. Select Auto Carriage Height. The control panel displays this message: This procedure will reset head height information.
Next, the control panel displays a message asking you to place one sheet of copier paper under the right side of the carriage, and another sheet of copier paper under the left side of the carriage. Use standard 20 lb. copier paper. One letter-size sheet cut in half to make two 8-1/2 x 5-1/2 inch sheets works well for this purpose. 8. Place sheets of copier paper under the carriage as specified by the control panel, and press B to continue.
The control panel displays a list of standard ColorSpan media types. 14. Select a media type from the menu, and press the B key. If your media type is not displayed, select a media that most closely matches the thickness (caliper) of the media you are using. 15. Press the B key. The printer measures the width of the media. Then the control panel displays an alphanumeric keyboard, and prompts you to enter the length of media remaining on the supply spool.
22. Adjust the width of the prime bars, and press B. The printer prints the prime bars, and prompts you to evaluate the pattern. 23. Evaluate the prime bars. ◆ If the prime bars look good, press B. ◆ If the prime bars reveal an excessive number of jet-outs, press n (Cancel) to exit the Auto Carriage Height process and clean the printheads. Then run Auto Carriage Height again. If you press B, the printer begins the automatic head height procedure.
A message appears warning you to unload media. The first part of the calibration sets the head height relative to the platen without media present. If media is installed, remove or cut the media from the takeup, then back up the media using the C key on the control panel. WARNING Keep the printer cover closed during this procedure. The platen moves out of the service station to the access position quickly, without further warning.
11. Level the carriage by using the right and left sets of C and p keys with the sheets of copier paper, as you did in step 9. 12. When the carriage is level, press the B key. The control panel displays this message: The head height is calibrated. 13. Press B to park the carriage and return to the Calibrations menu.
7. For one side of the carriage, press the p key to move the carriage down, and move the sheet of paper repeatedly, until you feel resistance from the carriage touching the paper on either side of the carriage. If the carriage is so low that you cannot move the paper at all, press the C and p keys to raise or lower the carriage until you can move the paper, yet still feel some resistance. 8. Repeat step 7 for the other side of the carriage. 9. When the carriage is level, press the B key.
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.
4-32 Linearization
CHAPTER 5 Maintaining the Printer This chapter describes how to maintain the printer: Maintaining the Printer ◆ Maintenance Schedule (page 5-2) ◆ Cleaning Ink Jets (page 5-3) ◆ Cleaning Jet Outs (page 5-5) ◆ Cleaning the Service Station (page 5-8) ◆ Printing Prime Bars (page 5-10) ◆ Manual Priming (page 5-11) ◆ Cleaning the Top Cover (page 5-13) ◆ Purging the Printheads (page 5-14) ◆ Cleaning the Encoder (page 5-17) ◆ Cleaning the Carriage Rail (page 5-18) 5-1
Maintenance Schedule The following types of maintenance are recommended: ◆ Daily and “as needed” maintenance ◆ Printing interval warning — the printer maintains a periodic maintenance clock that tracks the total amount of time the printer has spent printing. After the periodic maintenance interval has been reached, the AT TN key will appear on the control panel, and the user will be advised to perform the periodic maintenance items described in this chapter.
Cleaning Ink Jets Maintenance interval: daily. Before running AutoSet, which compensates for missing and misfiring ink jets, you should clean the jets as described in the following paragraphs to help keep them clear of accumulated ink. The effectiveness of the high-resolution printing process used by the printer can be impaired by printheads that are improperly maintained. Partially clogged nozzles may cause the jets to misfire intermittently, or deflect ink slightly in the wrong direction.
7. Clean the service station as described in “Cleaning the Service Station” on page 5-8. 8. On the control panel Front Page screen, press the B (Proceed) key to park the printhead carriage into the service station. Evaluating Printhead Performance After Cleaning The Jet Status Lines test provides a quick method of determining the effectiveness of (or the need for) cleaning. This test prints a pattern of lines, each segment of which corresponds a single jet.
Cleaning Jet Outs Follow these instructions to recover clogged printheads when other cleaning methods or priming are ineffective. Daily (or after each roll of media, whichever occurs first) cleaning of the printer service station, and wiping the printheads with a lint-free cloth moistened with water, will reduce the need to use the ultrasonic cleaner, extend the life of the printheads, and reduce the cost of printing. A printhead may be ultrasonically cleaned as needed to recover clogged jets.
5. Immerse the bottom of the printhead only to the bottom of the label on the printhead (as shown in the diagram). Suspend the printhead from in this position by its blue handle until cleaning is complete. An improvised stand (for example, fashioned out of a coat hanger) works well for this purpose. If necessary, you may clean multiple printheads at once. Fig. 5-1. Immersing the printhead for cleaning 6. After 30 minutes of cleaning, purge the printhead of air and water.
10. Blot the ink with a paper towel, but do not wipe (wiping could clog the ink jets). Keep the ink from dripping onto the printhead’s electrical contacts. 11. Release the bulb and wait five seconds, to allow the printhead to fill with ink. 12. Gently press and hold the purge bulb down again, this time tilting the printhead from side to side, and front to back, to allow the release of trapped pockets of air. 13. Repeat steps 11 and 12 until ink is expelled without foaming.
Cleaning the Service Station Maintenance interval: daily, and when switching between dye and pigment inks. Cleaning the service station helps to prevent dried ink from clogging the ink jets. Keep a replacement set of wipers on hand to replace damaged or worn wipers. A set of and twelve spare wipers is included with the printer. Boots Wipers Fig. 5-3. Service station parts 1. From the Front Page screen on the control panel, press the Carriage key.
Replacing the Wipers When you notice that one or more wipers are worn or damaged, replace them. This may be indicated visually or by ineffective wiping of the orifice plate, which would result in a greater number of clogged jets. A replacement set of wipers is included with the printer. Early service station units had replaceable boots, but the boots on recent units are glued in for reliability, and are not replaceable.
Printing Prime Bars Maintenance interval: as needed. To keep the printhead jets firing properly, you can print solid blocks of ink from each printhead. By inspecting these prime bars for blank bands, you can also do a quick check for nonfiring and deflected jets. Based on this quick test, you may want to proceed to more detailed jet tests (see Chapter 4, Calibrating the Printer, for instructions). 1. From the control panel Front Page screen, press the Prime Bars key. 2.
Manual Priming Maintenance interval: as needed. If you discover that an excessive number of jets are out on a printhead (after cleaning or printing the prime bars or other test), you can attempt to recover jets by performing a manual prime. This procedure requires a special priming bulb, included with the printer. Each prime will expel approximately 1 ml of ink. To keep ink counting as accurate as possible. you will report the number of primes to the printer via the control panel. Fig. 5-4.
5. Insert the priming bulb into one of the priming access holes in the top cover of the carriage. Fig. 5-5. Inserting the priming bulb 6. Depress and release the priming bulb to prime the printhead. 7. On the control panel, report how many primes you performed. 8. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for any other printheads needing manual priming. 9. Close the service station access door. 10. Press the B key to return the carriage to the home position.
Cleaning the Top Cover Maintenance interval: as needed. The printer’s top cover is designed to protect you from the carriage when it is moving (it moves very fast during printing) and reduce noise, while providing an unobstructed view of the print area. Careful cleaning when needed, according to the following guidelines, will preserve the cover’s appearance: Cleaning the Top Cover ◆ Do not use cleaners that contain ammonia (such as glass cleaner) or alcohol.
Purging the Printheads Maintenance Interval: as needed. During normal printing, a small amount of air is introduced into the printheads. An excessive amount of air in a printhead may cause individual jets to stop working. The printheads may need to be purged of this air at least once during their lifetime. Since removing, purging, replacing, and recalibrating a printhead is a time-consuming process, purge all printheads currently installed in the carriage in a single session.
Purging Water 8. If you just want to purge air from the printhead (if an ultasonic cleaning was not performed), go to step 13. 9. Insert the printhead into the purge clip. Hold the printhead so its jet orifice plate points up. Fig. 5-6. Printhead installed in the purge clip 10. Connect the ink tube from the corresponding ink module into the ink inlet on the printhead. 11. Hold the printhead over a bucket or other receptacle with the jet nozzles facing down. 12.
15. Gently press and hold the purge bulb down for a few seconds, allowing the air to escape as bubbles or foam. Be sure that the hole on the end of the purge bulb is sealed with your finger as you press. Blot the ink with a paper towel, but do not wipe (wiping could clog the ink jets). Keep the ink from dripping onto the printhead’s electrical contacts. 16. Release the bulb and wait five seconds, to allow the printhead to fill with ink. 17.
Cleaning the Encoder Maintenance interval: at Maintenance Clock Alarm. The encoder strip allows the printer to precisely locate the printhead carriage across the width of the platen. If the encoder becomes dirty with paper dust or ink, the printer cannot print accurately, and print quality will suffer. The encoder strip is a clear plastic strip, imprinted with a precision encoding pattern, and mounted horizontally along the rail .
Cleaning the Carriage Rail Maintenance interval: at Maintenance Clock Alarm. The carriage rail carries the printhead carriage across the width of the platen. If dust or other particles accumulate on the rail, the material could accumulate on the carriage wheels (bearings) and cause banding in printed output or noisy carriage motion. To clean the rail, wipe it with a water-moistened cloth or paper towel. Be sure to remove any excess water from the rail before resuming printing.
APPENDIX A Technical Specifications This chapter lists the printer’s specifications and information about ordering supplies.
Specifications A-2 General Dimensions (Assembled) 72-inch model: Length: 132 inches (335.3 cm) Depth: 31 inches (78.7 cm) Height: 58.5 (148.6 cm) 60-inch model: Length: 122 inches (309.8 cm) Depth: 31 inches (78.7 cm) Height: 58.5 (148.6 cm) Weights (Assembled) 72-inch model: 380 lbs. (173 kg.) 60-inch model: 355 lbs. (161 kg.
Electrical Power Power used: 200-240VAC, 30 Amps, 50/60 Hz, single phase Required electrical circuit: 220 VAC, 50 Amps, single phase, with NEMA L6-50R wall receptacle (North America and Japan), OR 220 VAC, 32 Amps, single phase, with IEC 60309 wall receptacle (Europe) NEMA L6-50R wall receptacle (North America/Japan) IEC 60309 wall receptacle (Europe) Required power cord: Power cord for North American (UL/CSA approved) or European (Harmonized) use is supplied with the product.
Sample Print Speeds Application Ink Configuration Print Mode Print Speed Economy 600 dpi 2 x CMYK Draft High Speed Production High Quality 600 ft2/hr. (55.7 m2/hr.) 400 ft2/hr. (37.2 m2/hr.) 200 ft2/hr. (18.6 m2/hr.) 150 ft2/hr. (13.9 m2/hr.) HiRes 1200 dpi apparent image resolution 2 x C2M2YK Draft High Speed Production High Quality 600 ft2/hr. (55.7 m2/hr.) 400 ft2/hr. (37.2 m2/hr.) 200 ft2/hr. (18.6 m2/hr.) 150 ft2/hr. (13.9 m2/hr.
Supplies and Accessories Supplies and accessories are available from MacDermid ColorSpan by calling: MacDermid ColorSpan Supplies Sales Supplies and Accessories ◆ USA and Canada: (800) 723-3002 or (952) 943-3636 ◆ Europe: (+31) 23.
A-6 Supplies and Accessories
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.
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. Actions and Warnings Code, Message (CA) Carriage A-CA-1 - Carriage Rotation Sensor (IS) Ink Sensing A-IS-1through A-IS-12 Module Out of Ink, Slot # n Cause What to Do Carriage is not locked into printing position. Rotate the carriage down into the locked position. Ink reservoir n is out of ink. Replace ink reservoir. A-IS-13 through A-IS-24 Color/type in printhead and module Ensure that color & type match in Printhead/Module Mismatch, Slot #n n do not match. printhead & module.
Table B-1. Actions and Warnings Code, Message Cause What to Do A-MS-3 - Media Too Far Left/Right Media is loaded too far to the left or Reload the media; align right edge to right. reference mark. A-MS-4 - Media Out There is no media loaded. A-MS-5 - Media Too Narrow Media is not wide enough for print- Load media that is at least 24 inches ing. wide. A-MS-6 - Media Too Wide Media is too wide for printing.
Table B-1. Actions and Warnings Code, Message Cause What to Do Defective electronics assembly. Call service provider for replacement electronics. (SM) System A-SM-1 - Printer Not Imprinted A-SM-2 - Release S/W Found Debug Defective software. S/W Call service provider for updated software. (SS) Service Station W-SS-1 Service Station Tray Not Present The service station is not installed, or Install service station properly, or deit is installed too far to the right.
Banding This is an explanation of the varieties of banding that may occur in output. The names applied to the banding here are also an attempt to generate a common language for describing and discussing types of banding. Stitch Banding “Stitch banding” results from inaccurate media advance and/or inaccurate head-to-head Y-axis registration. It can be described as regularly appearing bands, equally spaced according to the width of the print swath.
To reduce or eliminate edge banding: 1. Clean the printheads. 2. Confirm that the service station is installed. 3. Confirm that the service station algorithm under Menu Configure Printer - Printer Settings - Service Station Settings - Service Station Interval is set to 30 Seconds. 4. Examine the boots and wipers on the service station. If they appear worn, replace them or the entire service station. Contact your Authorized Service Provider or ColorSpan Technical Services for service.
Texture Banding Texture banding results from either unexpected changes in head height during printing, or failure to recalibrate after an intentional head height change. An accurately calibrated engine will produce random, equally distributed concentrations of dots, regardless of the intensity of coverage. A change to the head height without corresponding recalibration of bidirectional accuracy results in overall graininess and banding patterns. To eliminate or reduce texture banding: 1.
Drying The printer is equipped with a heated forced-air drying system to help the printed output to dry. The effectiveness of this system depends on numerous variables, including: ◆ Media type — glossier media and films take longer to dry. Satin and micropore media dry faster. ◆ Ambient relative humidity — the higher the relative humidity, the longer it takes to dry printed output. Lower relative humidity enables faster drying.
The following table shows the maximum relative humidity that will still allow printed output to dry sufficiently to be spooled onto the takeup without damage, for selected media types and print passes. Table B-2.
◆ Coverage — heavier ink coverage yields more saturated colors, but takes longer dry. Ink coverage is determined by the image itself (continuous-tone photograph vs. text or line art), and the color profile used (some ColorMark profiles have a High Quality version with more ink coverage and an Economy version with less ink coverage). You can use the ColorMark+ software or third-party color management software to create color profiles with lower maximum ink levels.
drying. You can specify a Drying Rate of Same as print speed to provide more drying time (see menu at Configure Printer - Printer Settings - Drying Settings). B-14 ◆ Dryer fans — the dryer fans can be turned off to avoid streaking the ink on some films, but this results in less effective drying. If output is not drying, check to see whether the fans are turned on (see menu at Configure Printer - Printer Options - Dryer).
Index Index-1
A Actions and warnings 16 Advance Media 7 ATTN (Attention) 8 Audible alarm 13 Auto Calibrations 10 AutoJet calibration 2 AutoSet calibration 21, 7, 2 quality check mode 20 AutoSet summary 21 AutoTune scheduling 21, 10, 3 quality check mode 20 B Bidirectional registration 2, 7 C Calibrating the printer 1 Calibration 10, 17, 1 AutoJet 2 AutoSet 21, 2 AutoTune Scheduling 21 bidirectional 2, 7 color 31 head-to-head 2, 10 manual jet mapping 13 quality check mode 20 Calibration summary 10, 21 Carriage 18 Carria
service tests 16 space between prints 11 takeup direction 11 units 13 user assistance 3 user diagnostics 16 vacuum control 12 warnings 3 zero platen width 15 zero registration data 18 Cutting media 35 D Diagnostics 4 Dryer 21, 14, 34 Drying delay 12 Drying tips 11 E Electrical requirements 2 Encoder strip cleaning 17 Environmental requirements 2 Error history 16 F H Head height 13 Head-to-head registration 2, 10 Home head 17 Hot swapping 20 Humidity sensor 21 I Ink color map 5 color set defined 2 hot s
L Linearization 21, 31 Loading media 8, 26 Log error history 16 Log head registration data 21 Log jet data 21 M Manual calibration 10 Manual jet mapping 13 Margins 12 Measure platen 15 Media cutting 35 loading 8, 26 unloading 8, 35 Media dryer 34 Media Feed calibration 4 Media sensor 18 disable 18 Media spool 26 Media width 22 Media Wizard 22, 8, 19 Menu 2 Menu tree 20 Modular ink delivery system 21 O Ordering supplies 5 P Parts list 6 Index-4 Parts overview 17 Passes 2 defined 2 Periodic maintenance 2
S W Safety warnings 4, 5, 9, 13 Service printer 16 Service station 13 cleaning 8 Service tests 16 Space between prints 11 Spare ink 6 Specifications 1 Supplies and accessories 5 Supply loop 9 Warnings 4, 5, 9, 13 Workflow overview 16 Z Zero platen width 15 Zero registration data 18 T Takeup direction 11 Takeup system 21 options 32 Technical Support 11 Top cover 18 Troubleshooting 1 U Ultrasonic cleaning printheads 5 Units 13 Unloading media 8, 35 Unpacking and assembly 5 User diagnostics 16 V Vacuum
Index-6
