

HP Designjet
Z2100/Z3100/Z3100ps/Z3200/
Z3200ps
GP Photo Printer Series
Version 10.0
September 21, 2008

For HP Internal Use Only Warranty
©Copyright Hewlett-Packard Company 2008
This document contains proprietary information that is protected by copyright. All rights are reserved. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice.No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced, or translated to another language without the prior written consent of HewlettPackard Company.
Version 10.0, September 21, 2008
The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice.
Hewlett-Packard makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
Hewlett-Packard shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.
Content Management Department, Barcelona Division, Hewlett-Packard Espanola, S.A. Avda. Graells, 501
08190 Sant Cugat del Valles Spain
WARNING
The procedures described in this manual are to be performed by HP-qualified service personnel only.
Electrical Shock Hazard
Serious shock hazard leading to death or injury may result if you do not take the following precautions:
—Ensure that the ac power outlet (mains) has a protective earth (ground) terminal.
—Disconnect the Printer from the power source prior to performing any maintenance.
—Prevent water or any other liquids from running onto electrical components or circuits, or through openings in the enclosure.
Electrostatic Discharge
Refer to the beginning of Chapter 4of this manual, for precautions you should take to prevent damage to the Printer circuits from electrostatic discharge.
Safety Symbols
General definitions of safety symbols are given immediately after the table of contents.
WARNING
The Warning symbol calls attention to a procedure, practice, or the like, which, if not correctly performed or adhered to, could result in personal injury. Do not proceed beyond a Warning symbol until the indicated conditions are fully understood and met.
CAUTION
The Caution symbol calls attention to an operating procedure, practice, or the like, which, if not correctly performed or adhered to, could result in damage to or destruction of part or all of the product. Do not proceed beyond a Caution symbol until the indicated conditions are fully understood and met.

1Troubleshooting
2System Error Codes
3Service Tests and Utilities
4Service Calibrations
5Parts and Diagrams
6Removal and Installation
7Preventive Maintenance
For information about Using this Manual, please refer to the next page.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
-1 |

Table of Contents
Using this Manual
Purpose
This Service Manual contains information necessary to test, calibrate and service:
HP designjet Z2100 Photo Printer 24 inch (Model Q6675A)
HP designjet Z2100 Photo Printer 44 inch (Model Q6677A)
HP designjet Z2100 Photo Printer Revision C 24 inch (Model Q6675C)
HP designjet Z2100 Photo Printer Revision C 44 inch (Model Q6677C)
HP designjet Z3100 Photo Printer 24 inch (Model Q5669A)
HP designjet Z3100 Photo Printer 44 inch (Model Q6659A)
HP designjet Z3100ps Photo Printer 24 inch (Model Q5670A)
HP designjet Z3100ps Photo Printer 44 inch (Model Q6660A)
HP designjet Z3200 Photo Printer 24 inch (Model Q6718A)
HP designjet Z3200 Photo Printer 44 inch (Model Q6719A)
HP designjet Z3200ps Photo Printer 24 inch (Model Q6720A)
HP designjet Z3200ps Photo Printer 44 inch (Model Q6721A)
For information about using these printers, refer to the corresponding User and Quick Reference Guides.
Readership
The procedures described in this Service Manual are to be performed by HP Certified service personnel only.
Part Numbers
Part Numbers for Printer options, accessories and service parts are located in Chapter 5, Parts and Diagrams.
Conventions
A small arrow indicates a link to other parts of the Service Manual where you can find information related to the topic you are consulting.
|
-2 |
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |

Using the Front Panel 1-4 Introduction 1-5
Using the Front Panel 1-4 Troubleshooting System Error Codes 1-5
Performing a Service Test on a failed Assembly 1-5 Performing the Necessary Service Calibrations 1-6 The Printer does not Power ON 1-6
The Printer does not Power ON 1-6
The Printer Continuously Rejects Printheads 1-6 Cover Sensors are not Working 1-6
The Line Sensor has Problems Detecting Media 1-6 Banding at variable extreme environmental conditions 1-8 Worm marks on HP Coated media with light area fills 1-8 Solving Media-Handling Problems 1-8
Software Troubleshooting 1-10 General advice: 1-10
Problems with Image Clipping 1-10 Output Only Contains a Partial Print 1-11
Some objects are missing from the printed image 1-12
If the spool file size is bigger than 1GB, part of the image will be clipped 1-12
Adobe Photoshop 1-13
Adobe Acrobat 1-16 Microsoft Powerpoint 1-17
Adobe Photoshop CS for Mac 1-18 Adobe Illustrator/InDesign for Mac 1-19
Print Quality Troubleshooting 1-20
Print Quality Troubleshooting Actions 1-20
The Service Image Quality Diagnostic Print 1-21
What is the Service Image Quality Diagnostic Print? 1-21 Considerations for Printing the Diagnostic Print 1-22 Printing the Diagnostic Print 1-22
Reading the Diagnostic Print Results 1-24 Diagnostic Part 1: Printhead Reliability 1-24 Diagnostic Part 2: Printhead Alignment 1-25
Diagnostic Part 3: Printheads & Paper Advance 1-26
No Printing Defects Found in the Diagnostic Print 1-28 The Advanced Diagnostic Prints 1-29
What are the Advanced Diagnostic Prints? 1-29 Printing the Advanced Diagnostics Print 1-29
Reading the Advanced Diagnostic Print Results 1-31 Paper Advance 1-31
Visual Alignment Diagnostic 1-34 Nozzle Health 1-36
Force Drop Detection 1-37
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-1 |

Troubleshooting Print Quality Problems 1-38 Print Quality General Advice 1-38
Horizontal Lines Across the Image (Banding) 1-38 Lines are Missing, Too Thin, or Too Thick 1-39 Problems with Stepped Lines 1-40
Lines are Printed Double or in Wrong Colors 1-41 Lines are discontinuous 1-41
Lines are Blurred (Ink Bleeds from Lines) 1-42 Problems with Graininess 1-42
Paper is not Flat 1-43
Print Scuffing or Scratching when Touched 1-45 Marks on the Media 1-45
Problems with the Edges of objects 1-51 Bronzing 1-51
Black and white prints do not look neutral 1-52 Horizontal lines at the end of a cut sheet print 1-52 Vertical lines of different colors 1-52
White spots on the print 1-53 Problems with Color Accuracy 1-53
Ink Supplies Troubleshooting 1-55 Introduction to Ink Supplies 1-55
What are Ink Supplies? 1-55 Ink Cartridges 1-55 Available Ink Cartridges 1-57 Printheads 1-57
Available Printheads 1-58
General Information About the Ink Supplies 1-58 General Precautions When Handling Ink Supplies 1-59 When Should You Replace the Ink Supplies? 1-59
Ink Cartridge Levels, Information, and Replacement 1-59 Ink Cartridge Levels 1-59
“View Ink Levels” Direct Access Key 1-59 “View Ink Levels” from the ink menu 1-60 Obtaining Ink Cartridge Information 1-60 Changing an Ink Cartridge 1-61
Printhead Information, Replacement and Alignment 1-63 Obtaining Printhead Information 1-63
Changing a Printhead 1-64 Aligning Printheads 1-66
Reinsert Printheads Procedure 1-66
Image Quality Maintenance Procedure 1-66 Scanning errors during alignment 1-67
Ink Cartridge and Printhead Status Messages 1-68 Ink Cartridge Status Messages 1-68
Printhead status messages 1-68 Printhead Error Codes 1-69
Solving Ink Supplies Problems 1-70
You Cannot Insert the Ink Cartridge Into the Printer 1-70 You Cannot Insert the Printhead Into the Printer 1-71 The front panel says to reset or replace a printhead 1-71
Maintaining and Cleaning the Printheads 1-72 Clean the printheads 1-72
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-2 |

Flex Contacts Cleaning Tool 1-72
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-3 |

Troubleshooting
Using the Front Panel
Below is a diagram of the front panel.
View Loaded Paper
View Ink Levels
Form Feed and Cut
Unload Paper
Key Function
Up and Down
Cancel
OK
Power
Menu
Back
Arrow Keys
Use the Arrow keys to scroll through a menu or toggle between YES or NO when prompted.
Cancel
Use the Cancel key to abort or stop a procedure or reject test results.
OK
Use the OK key to select a menu option.
Power
Use the Power key to turn the printer ON and OFF.
Menu
Use the Menu key to enter the main menu.
Back
Use the Back key to go back to the previous menu or reject test results.
Service Key Combinations
Diagnostic mode
With the printer OFF, press and hold the UP and OK keys. While holding the Up and OK keys down, press and hold the Power key to turn on the printer. Hold all three keys until the Power key stops flashing, usually about 20 seconds.
Service Menu (Service Engineers Only)
From the main menu, press and hold the Up and Cancel keys.
Service Menu (For users)
From the main menu, press and hold the Down and Cancel keys.
|
1-4 |
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |

General Troubleshooting
General Troubleshooting
Introduction
This chapter will guide you through the relevant steps to take when troubleshooting the printer.
Troubleshooting System Error Codes
Chapter 2, System Error Codes contains a list of system error codes and their respective descriptions and recommended corrective actions. Only try one recommended action at a time and check if the error code has disappeared.
If you have an error code which is not documented in this Service Manual or you have an error which you cannot resolve, then report the error to the HP Response Center or the nearest HP Support Office. When reporting the error, have the following information ready:
Model and Serial Number of the printer.
Which firmware revision the printer is using (See Note below). Check firmware in Utilities / Statistics / Code rev.
The complete error number (See Note below).
The Service Configuration Print.
The Current configuration sheet.
Which software application the customer is using (name, version, etc.).
When reporting the System Error Code, make sure that you supply the full Error Code and the firmware version. Without this information, HP Support Personnel cannot help you.
Performing a Service Test on a failed Assembly
If possible, always perform a Service Test on the component/assembly that you are about to replace, just to make sure that is the component/assembly that has failed.
If the test on that component/assembly passes, you should NOT replace it.
For information on the Service Tests and how to use them see Chapter 3,
Service Tests and Utilities.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-5 |

Troubleshooting
Performing the Necessary Service Calibrations
Is the printer calibrated correctly after replacing a component? For information on the Service Calibrations and how to use them, see Service Calibration Guide to Removal and Installation, Page 6-8 and Chapter 4, Service Calibrations.
Remember that certain Calibrations are required even if an Assembly has been disassembled to gain access to another Assembly or Component.
The Printer does not Power ON
1Check that the power cord is connected correctly to the Printer and to the Power Socket.
2Check that the Power Switch on the BACK of the Printer is in the ON position.
3Check to see the LED on the Front Panel Power Switch are On.
4Check that the Front-Panel Cable is correctly connected to the Electronics Module. Also make sure that the Front-Panel cable is not damaged.
5Replace the Power Supply Unit Page 6-164.
The Printer Continuously Rejects Printheads
1Clean the flex contacts on the Printhead and in the Carriage Assembly using the Carriage Interconnect Wiper (Refer to Page 1-72) and try again.
2If ALL the Printheads are rejected (the status message on the Front Panel does NOT show «OK» for ALL the Printheads) then perform the Electronic Module Test Page 3-22.
Cover Sensors are not Working
1Perform the Sensors Test Page 3-33.
2Check if the cable for the faulty sensor is not damaged and is connected correctly.
3Replace the faulty Sensor.
The Line Sensor has Problems Detecting Media
1Check the type of media that is being used since the Line sensor may have problems detecting transparent media or some types of Non-HP media. Try loading white HP media in to the Printer and check if the Line sensor detects it.
2Sometimes the line sensor has problems detecting media when sheet media is loaded without a skew check. If the media type allows, always use the automatic skew check feature. If the media type does not allow automatic skew check, manually check that the media is correctly positioned.
|
1-6 |
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |

General Troubleshooting
3The Line Sensor is not calibrated correctly. Perform the Line Sensor Calibration Page 4-15.
4The Line Sensor is damaged or faulty. Replace the Line Sensor Page 6- 128.
Problems with Color Accuracy
1The Color Sensor ESP (spectrophotometer) is a powerful tool unique to the Z series printers to maintain color accuracy. If you notice any problems with colors, perform the Color Sensor ESP (spectrophotometer) calibration. Refer to Page 4-18.
Troubleshooting Media Jams/Printhead Crashes
The failure modes «media jam» and «head crash» are grouped together because in many cases a media jam causes the media to lift up into the Carriage path and cause a Printhead crash, thus causing many media jam failures to be reported as head crashes.
1Did the media jam occur when loading media?
If the client has had media jams, it is common for pieces of media to get stuck in the media path. Clear the media path.
When clearing a media jam, sometimes media is stuck in the paper path. To clear this, you must lift the Media Lever and insert thicker media into the paper path to push out the media that is still stuck there.
2Is the customer using non-HP media?
The use of non-HP media can easily be the cause of media jams and head crashes (especially head crashes because HP media is specially formulated to avoid cockle, one of the primary causes of head crashes). If the media is not HP approved, advise the customer to use HP media and check to see if the problem is now solved.
3Has media been loaded without skew check?
Loading media without skew check can cause printhead crashes both during loading and while printing. Whenever automatic skew check is available for a media type, it should be used. If automatic skew check is not allowed for the media type, manually check that the media is correctly positioned.
Standard/Normal Cut Sheets, depending on the degree of skew, cause printhead crashes when the corners are not evenly controlled (they are not pinched at the same time). This makes it more likely that the paper will be bent or damaged. Frequently, the paper curls upward when the paper expands due to ink absorption.
Commercial FA Arts Sheets have the same problem as the Standard/ Normal Cut Sheets described above. The difference is that the Commercial FA Arts Sheets have a weak, irregular edge that often makes the problem worse.
Hand-cut Rollsheets or Leftovers are not supported by the printers because errors are frequently made by the operator that cause printhead crashes.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-7 |

General Troubleshooting
The printer has problems ejecting sheet media
The printer has problems ejecting sheet media, either continuing to eject the paper long after it has been ejected or stopping the ejecting process before the paper is completely ejected from the printer. To solve the problem, try the following:
Load media using the skew check feature whenever it is possible. When sheet media is loaded without the skew check feature, the printer estimates the length of the paper to be 4 times the width. If this estimate is either too short or too long, the printer will not properly eject the media.
Banding at variable extreme environmental conditions
Since the Accuracy Calibration has been done at normal environmental conditions, printing in extreme environmental conditions will cause banding because the advance of the Media Advance Roller does not correspond to the conditions present when the calibration was performed. To solve the problem, try the following:
Perform the Accuracy Calibration in the new environmental conditions (Refer to the User’s Guide).
Worm marks on HP Coated media with light area fills
Light bands (S-shaped) in Paper axis direction where light area fills are printed, causing unacceptable Image Quality defect.
Print the Service Configuration Print and check if the level of Humidity is very low (below 30%). Increasing humidity may help in reducing the severity of the problem.
The media is causing the problem and NOT the Printer. Do not attempt to try and replace Printer parts to solve this problem.
Solving Media-Handling Problems |
|
|
The Front Panel indicates that media is misaligned or incorrectly positioned |
|
|
Roll media |
The roll may be loaded the wrong way. The paper should load over the |
|
roll toward you. |
|
|
Check that the paper is correctly loaded onto the spindle. |
|
|
The paper may be loaded at an angle. The right-hand edge must be |
|
|
aligned with the blue line on the Print Platen. |
|
|
Ensure that the paper is wrapped tightly on the roll. This is |
|
|
a very important step to remember because if this is not |
|
|
done, the media may be loaded at an angle, causing the |
|
|
media to be rejected. |
|
|
Make sure you choose the correct loading option on the Front Panel. |
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-8 |

General Troubleshooting
Sheet media Always load sheet media using the Rear Input Tray. Do NOT load the media as you would load roll media, unless you are getting marks on the media with thick cut sheet media.
It must be loaded with the right-hand edge against the blue line on the Print Platen.
Load the sheet media without skew check.
The media may be crumpled or warped or may have irregular edges.
If hand-cut media is used, the edges may not form a right-angle or they may be rough. If possible, hand-cut media should not be used. Only purchased sheet media should be used in the Printer.
If you have problems with paper jams, check that the Overdrive is not obstructed by bits of paper or using the Turn Drive Roller Service Utility Page 3-61.
Make sure you choose the correct loading option on the Front Panel.
.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-9 |

Software Troubleshooting
Software Troubleshooting
General advice:
Check that you have the latest driver release. Driver releases are available at www.hp.com/go/graphicarts
Installation
If the driver is available in a share drive, copy the installer or zip file locally into the hard disk before executing it.
The drivers are published in different formats in the web
Installer for Windows (.exe file that can be executed to start the installation)
Compressed package including all files that are needed to install the driver through the Add a Printer Wizard in Windows (.exe file that can be automatically extracted)
Image file for Mac (.dmg file)
Usually the Windows installer includes other components apart from the driver, like the HP Standard TCP/IP Port. This is the recommended port type when you need to install the printer on the network, so make sure that you have installed the driver with the installer at least once to have this port type available.
If you want to upgrade the driver in the future, although it is recommended to continue using the installer, you can use the manual wizard if you are concerned about file download size. When you install the driver from the original CD/DVD, you are using the Installer so the necessary components will be installed also.
Installation logs are located at:
C:windowshpdjxxxx.log (different for each printer name)
C:windowssounder.his
C:windowshpntwksetup.ini
They might be useful in case of escalating an installation error to the Lfp
Helpdesk
Problems with Image Clipping
This normally indicates a discrepancy between the actual printable area on the loaded paper and the printable area as understood by the software. This kind of problem can often be identified before printing by previewing the print.
Check the actual printable area for the paper size that is loaded. printable area = paper size – margins
Check what the software understands to be the printable area (which it may call “printing area” or “imageable area”). For example, some software applications assume standard printable areas that are larger than those used in this Printer.
If a custom page size with very narrow margins has been defined, the
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-10 |

Software Troubleshooting
printer may impose its own minimal margins, clipping the image slightly. Consider using a larger paper size, or border less printing.
If the image contains its own margins, it may be possible to print it successfully by using the Clip Contents by Margins option.
If a very long image needs to be printed on a roll, check that the software is capable of printing an image of that size.
The page may have been rotated from portrait to landscape on a paper size that is not wide enough.
If the paper was loaded without the skew check feature, the preview function may not function correctly because the printer must estimate the paper length. Whenever possible, load media using the skew check feature.
If necessary, change the printable area in the software.
If necessary, reduce the size of the image or document in your software application, so it fits between the margins
Another Possible Explanation
Some applications, such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and CorelDRAW, use an internal 16–bit coordinate system which means that they cannot handle an image of more than 32,768 pixels. If you try to print an image larger than this from these applications, the bottom of the image will be clipped. In this case, the only way to print the whole image is to reduce the resolution so that the whole image requires fewer than 32,768 pixels. An image 32,768 pixels long would print at a length of 54.61 in or 1.39 m if you select Best or Quality in the driver, 109.23 in or 2.78 m if you select Fast, Normal or Speed in the driver.
To print the whole image, try these suggestions:
When printing into a PS printer, Try using the PostScript printer driver to print your job, if you have not already tried it
The Windows PCL3 driver dialog includes an option called Max. application resolution, which enables you to print successfully in this situation. For the Z3200 it is set to Auto. For older products, or if you want to make sure that the resolution is lowered, you might need to change the setting manually to 300. You can find the option in the Advanced tab, under Document Options > Printer Features.
Save the file in another format, such as TIFF or EPS, and open it with another application.
Use a RIP to print the file.
Output Only Contains a Partial Print
If the output that was expected only contains a partial image, then try the following to resolve the problem:
1Was the Cancel key pressed before all the data was received by the Printer? If so, send the file again and make sure that the Cancel key is not pressed.
2The I/O Timeout setting may be too short. Increase the I/O timeout setting (Setup Menu/I/O Setup/IO Timeout) and then send the file again.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-11 |

Software Troubleshooting
3There might be a communications problem between the Printer and Computer. Check the USB or network cable between the computer and the Printer to make sure it is not damaged and is connected correctly.
4Make sure that the software settings are correct for the current page size (e.g. long-axis prints).
5If network software is being used, make sure it has not timed out.
Some objects are missing from the printed image
Large quantities of data may be necessary to print a high-quality largeformat print job, and in some specific workflow there may be issues that can lead to some objects missing from the output.
Corrective Action
In the Advanced tab, select Document options, Printer features, and set Send job as bitmap to Enabled (HP-GL/2 driver only).
In the Advanced tab, select Document options, Printer features, and set 16-bit App. Compatibility to Enabled.
Select a smaller page size and scale to the desired final page size in the driver or in the front panel.
Save the file in another format, such as TIFF or EPS, and open it with another application.
Use a RIP to print the file.
Reduce the resolution of bitmap images in your application software.
Select a lower print quality in order to reduce the resolution of the printed image.
The above settings are mentioned for troubleshooting purposes and may adversely affect the final output quality or the time necessary to generate the print job. Therefore, they should be restored to their default values if they do not help to solve the problem.
When working under Mac OS, the above settings are not available. Instead, try reducing the resolution of bitmap images in the application software being used.
If the spool file size is bigger than 1GB, part of the image will be clipped
Versions affected: Any application in Windows XP Drivers affected: Drivers that use EMF spooling Description:
Some drivers generate spool files in EMF format. The OS has a limitation in the size of this EMF file. Currently the drivers that use EMF are:
Z2100/Z3100 PCL3GUI driver
Z2100/Z3100 HP-GL/2 driver if the preview or back to front printing settings are used
Corrective Action
Reduce the resolution.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-12 |

Software Troubleshooting
Reduce resolution in driver by selecting a lower printmode (Best or normal instead of Max Detail).
In the Advanced tab of the driver, select Max application resolution = 300 to reduce the driver resolution while keeping the rest of the printmode characteristics (number of passes for example).
Disable the Print Processor module in the PCL3GUI driver, which is responsible for generating EMF. You can do this by going to the Advanced tab of the driver and disabling the Advanced Printing Features. The trade-off is that you cannot use the following features in the PCL3GUI driver: Preview, rotation, scaling, Office features, Back to front printing.
In the HP-GL/2 driver, do not use preview or back to front printing to avoid generating EMF files.
Use a RIP or a PS model
Limit for Windows 2000 spool file size is smaller (200MB).
Observation: Customer might report that when choosing preview, the job is not printed but it is printed when he does not select the preview setting. The cause of the problem might be related to the fact that the HP-GL/2 driver will use EMF if you do a preview so this limitation applies in this case.
When the image needs to be rotated, parts of the image might be clipped or disappear
Versions affected: Any application in Windows
Drivers affected: Drivers that use EMF spooling, like the PCL3Gui driver for the Z Series
Description:
When the image is rotated, sometimes part of the image is clipped. We have seen this in several applications like Photoshop or Acrobat. In other cases, instead of clipping the end of the image, the symptom is that some objects inside the image disappear, we have seen the effect in Acrobat.
Corrective Action
If possible, rotate inside the application instead of in the driver
Reduce resolution in driver by selecting a lower printmode (Best or normal instead of Max Detail)
Remember that if the image is wider than the paper loaded, the image will be automatically rotated. If possible rotate the image inside the application
instead of letting the driver rotate it automatically when it does not fit.
Driver version available in Fall’08 will improve the performace when printing big files or rotating images.
Adobe Photoshop
It is not possible to open images that have more than 300,000
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-13 |

Software Troubleshooting
pixels in any direction (width or length)
Versions affected: All Drivers affected: All
Corrective Action
Not available
It is not possible to print images that have more than 30,000 pixels in any direction (Print menu gets grayed out)
Versions affected: CS and previous Drivers affected: All
Corrective Action
Reduce image resolution in Photoshop (Image –> Image Size)
Use a RIP to print the file
Image will be clipped if it is longer than 32768 pixels
Versions affected: All except CS2
Drivers affected: PCL3GUI and HP-GL/2 drivers Description:
If the page size to be printed is bigger than 32768 pixels in any direction (215 pixels), the image will not be completely printed. The number of pixels depends on the driver resolution:
At 1200dpi you can print 27.31” (69cm). This is equivalent to Max Detail in the Z2100/Z3100 driver
At 600 dpi you can print 54.61” (1.39m). This is equivalent to Best in the Z2100/Z3100 driver
At 300 dpi you can print 109.23” (2.78m). This is equivalent to Fast or Normal in the Z2100/Z3100 driver
Corrective Action
Reduce resolution in driver by selecting a lower printmode (Best or normal instead of Max Detail)
In the Advanced tab of the driver, select Max application resolution = 300 to reduce the driver resolution while keeping the rest of the printmode characteristics (number of passes for example)
Convert the image to PDF and print from Acrobat, or use a RIP
Print from CS2. CS2 allows printing 231pixels, which results in lengths of kilometers.
Reduce the image size so that it is inside the limits that can be printed and then scale from the driver to the desired size
Use a RIP or a PS model
Carriage stops between swaths leaving some horizontal marks in the middle of the plot
Versions affected: All but seen more often in CS3 Drivers affected: PCL3GUI drivers
Description:
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-14 |

Software Troubleshooting
When printing some long or high resolution images, even if being inside the limits of the number of pixels that can be printed, sometimes the carriage stops between different swaths. When the carriage stops, an horizontal line in a different color might be seen due to the ink that has dried between the different passes of the carriage over the same swath
Corrective Action
Reduce resolution in driver by selecting a lower printmode (Best or normal instead of Max Detail)
In the Advanced tab of the driver, select Max application resolution = 300 to reduce the driver resolution while keeping the rest of the printmode characteristics (number of passes for example)
Disable the Memory manager setting in the Advanced tab of the driver
Driver version available in Fall’08 will improve the performace when printing big files or rotating images.
Image does not get correctly centered http://www.adobe.com/go/kb402021 Versions affected: CS3
Drivers affected: All Description:
Even after selecting the Center option in the Print Menu, the image is not centered
Corrective Action
Install the Photoshop 10.0.1 update or later
Portrait or landscape orientation is not taken into account http://www.adobe.com/go/kb403012
Versions affected: CS3 Drivers affected: All Description:
Print options such as landscape orientation, print preview, scale fit to media, roll paper-panormama printing, user-defined paper sizes, and printing the full image, don’t work as expected when you print from Photoshop CS3. This can occur when you choose a custom page size in Photoshop CS3.
Corrective Action
Get the latest CS3 patch
Select the page size settings inside the File –Print menu instead of the File
– Page Setup menu
Ultimately use CS or CS2 to print the image
Image is printed in letter size
Versions affected: CS3
Drivers affected: All
Description:
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-15 |

Software Troubleshooting
When creating a custom page size, the image is printed in letter size. The difference between this limitation and the pixels limitation is that in this case you have a reduction of size both in length and in width. In the case of the pixel limitation you only have the reduction in length, but the width is usually printed correctly.
Corrective Action
Get the latest CS3 patch
Create custom page sizes with bigger lengths than widths and then select the landscape option if needed.
Latest drivers do not allow creating page sizes with bigger widths than lengths.
Select the page size settings inside the File –Print menu instead of the File
– Page Setup menu
In Windows Vista, open the print preferences dialog again after clicking on the Print button of the Photoshop Print dialog, and select again the custom page size. It will be kept in this way.
Ultimately use CS or CS2 to print the image
Adobe Acrobat
Image is printed in letter size
Versions affected: All Drivers affected: All Description:
When creating a custom page size, it might not be available to be selected from the application until you close Acrobat and open it again. The result is that Acrobat will go back to the default selection for page size, which is Letter. If the customer does not realize that the page size changed again after closing the driver dialog, it will look like part of the image is clipped.
Corrective Action
Close Acrobat and open it again.
Clipped images when printing long files
Versions affected: All
Drivers affected: Drivers that use EMF spooling
Z2100/Z3100 PCL3GUI driver
Z2100/Z3100 HP-GL/2 driver if the following settings are selected: preview, back to front printing
Description:
The image is not completely printed. We have seen this more often in files that are longer than 54” (printing at 600dpi) or 108” (printing at 300dpi). There is a limitation in the way that Acrobat handles EMF files, sometimes depending on the complexity of the EMF file, part of the image is lost. It could be that the end of the image is not printed, or some objects might disappear.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-16 |

Software Troubleshooting
Corrective Action
Update to latest Acrobat version. Old Acrobat releases had limitations in the length of images that could be printed
Create custom page sizes with bigger lengths than widths and then select the landscape option if needed.
Latest drivers do not allow creating page sizes with bigger widths than lengths.
If you need to rotate the image, rotate it inside the applicatiion (with Acrobat Professional). Please be aware that when you rotate in Acrobat Reader you are just rotating the view but the file is not rotated.
Reduce resolution in driver by selecting a lower printmode (Best or normal instead of Max Detail)
In the Advanced tab of the driver, select Max application resolution = 300 to reduce the driver resolution while keeping the rest of the printmode characteristics (number of passes for example)
Disable the Print Processor module in the PCL3GUI driver, which is responsible for generating EMF. You can do this by going to the Advanced tab of the driver and disabling the Advanced Printing Features. The trade-off is that you cannot use the following features in the PCL3GUI driver: Preview, rotation, scaling, Office features, Back to front printing.
In the HP-GL/2 driver, do not use preview or back to front printing to avoid generating EMF files.
Use a RIP or a PS model
Microsoft Powerpoint
Part of the image is lost when printing big slides in landscape orientation
Versions affected: All
Drivers affected: Z2100/Z3100 PCL3GUI driver Description:
When printing a slide in landscape format which will need to be rotated in order to fit in the currentlly loaded roll, the result is that parts of the image might disappear (objects, background), or the image might be clipped.
Corrective Action
Upgrade the unit to HP-GL/2 and use the HP-GL/2 driver
Save in a different format and print from another application
Print on rolls that are wider than the slides that need to be printed
Driver version available in Fall’08 will improve the performace when printing big files or rotating images.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-17 |

Software Troubleshooting
Adobe Photoshop CS for Mac
It is not possible to open images that have more than 300.000 pixels in any direction (width or length)
Versions affected: All Drivers affected: All
Corrective Action
Not available
It is not possible to print images that have more than 30.000 pixels in any direction (Print menu gets grayed out)
Versions affected: CS and previous Drivers affected: All
Corrective Action
Reduce image resolution in Photoshop (Image –> Image Size)
Use a RIP to print the file
Image will be clipped if it is longer than 32768 pixels
Versions affected: All except CS2. Illustrator or Indesign have similar limitations.
Drivers affected: PCL3GUI drivers Description:
If the page size to be printed is bigger than 32768 pixels in any direction (215 pixels), the image will not be completely printed. The number of pixels depends on the driver resolution:
At 1200dpi you can print 27.31” (69cm). This is equivalent to Max Detail in the Z2100/Z3100 driver
At 600 dpi you can print 54.61” (1.39m). This is equivalent to Best in the Z2100/Z3100 driver
At 300 dpi you can print 109.23” (2.78m). This is equivalent to Fast or Normal in the Z2100/Z3100 driver
Corrective Action
Reduce resolution in driver by selecting a lower printmode (Best or normal instead of Max Detail)
Convert the image to PDF and print from Acrobat, or use a RIP
Print from CS2. CS2 allows printing 231pixels, which results in lengths of kilometers.
Reduce the image size so that it is inside the limits that can be printed and then scale from the driver to the desired size
It is not possible to print longer than 455inches
Versions affected: All
Drivers affected: PCL3GUI drivers
Description:
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-18 |

Software Troubleshooting
Photoshop uses an internal resolution of 75dpi, so even if you have reduced the resolution of the image to print longer files and overcome the 30.000 pixels limitation, you will not be able to print longer than 455inches.
Corrective Action
Use a RIP
Adobe Illustrator/InDesign for Mac
It is not possible to create long documents
Versions affected: All
Drivers affected: All
Description:
When creating a new document, its size is limited to 227.5416 inches for
Illustrator and 106inches for InDesign.
Corrective Action
Not Available
It is not possible to print longer than 109inches
Versions affected: All
Drivers affected: PCL3GUI drivers
Description:
Files longer than 109inches will be clipped. The reason is:
Illustrator does not take into account the raster resolution from the application when printing on raster devices, and it always takes 300dpi, which is the driver resolution, to create the spool file. Therefore it limits the maximum printable document size to 109inches (32.700pixels/300dpi)
InDesign has different settings to handle resolution (full resolution, optimized resolution or screen resolution). For all cases, the spool file includes 300dpi data so the maximum length is also 109inches
Corrective Action
Use a different application
Use a RIP or a PS printer
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-19 |

Print Quality Troubleshooting
Print Quality Troubleshooting
Print Quality Troubleshooting Actions
For some Print Quality problems, a Call Agent can try and troubleshoot the Printer by requesting the Customer to perform certain actions. Using this process, most problems can resolved without the need of an on-site visit.
When faced with a Print Quality problem, perform the following actions in order to resolve the problem:
1Printer Configuration:
Check that the paper type loaded corresponds to the paper type selected in the front panel and in the software. You can verify the paper type selected through the Front Panel (Main Menu/Paper menu/View loaded paper).
If you load a sheet without using the skew check feature, the printer automatically estimates the paper length to be 4 times the width. If skew check is not used, the View Loaded Paper option will only reflect the estimation made by the printer, and not the real length.
Make sure that the correct Print Quality settings are used for different types of print content.
Dry time should be set to “Optimal”.
2Perform Printhead recovery (Main Menu/Image Quality Maintenance/ Clean Printheads).
3Media:
Make sure that HP or HP-approved media is being used.
When loading the media, make sure to use the skew check feature whenever possible (skew check is not available for some types of media).
4Perform the Printhead Alignment (Main Menu/Image Quality Maintenance/ Align Printheads), using the same paper type with which you were experiencing unacceptable image quality, if feasible (some paper types are not suitable for Printhead Alignment).
5Check if the latest version of the firmware is installed. If not, install the latest firmware revision.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-20 |

The Service Image Quality Diagnostic Print
The Service Image Quality Diagnostic Print
What is the Service Image Quality Diagnostic Print?
The Printer contains an internal Image Quality Test which helps you to diagnose the possible source of any image quality defects. The Service IQ Diagnostic Print is available in the following options:
1Image Quality Service Best Plot. This plot helps you to diagnose in more detail the possible source of any image quality defects. It is accessible through the Service Utility Menu.
The Image Quality Service Best Plot uses the Best Print Mode and is divided in to three parts as follows:
Diagnostic Part 1: Printhead Reliability Test. The purpose of this test is to identify which Printhead is faulty.
Diagnostic Part 2: Printhead Alignment Test. This test is designed to check any color-to-color and bi-directional misalignment the printer may have.
Diagnostic Part 3: Printheads and Paper Advance test. This test is designed to check whether the Printheads and the Media Advance Mechanism are working correctly.
2Image Quality Service Normal Plot. This plot is the same as the Image Quality Service Best Plot but uses the Normal Print Mode.
3Advanced Diagnostic Plot. These tests provide more information of the IQ defects that we could find in the Image Quality Service plot. For more information, refer to page 1-29, The Advanced Diagnostic Prints.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-21 |

The Service Image Quality Diagnostic Print
Considerations for Printing the Diagnostic Print
1The IQ Diagnostic Print prints in A3 and B sizes so you must have media loaded (roll or sheet) that is this size or larger.
2Use the same type of media that the customer was using when they found the image quality problem.
3If the customer is using non-HP media and after the Image Quality Test you still have the same image quality problems, change to genuine HP media and repeat the Image Quality Test.
4If you do not see any problems with the Image Quality Test, the problem may not be with the printer itself. The problem may be with the RIP or the driver.
If you do see problems with the Image Quality Test, continue with the Advanced Diagnostic procedures which will help you diagnose the problem.
Printing the Diagnostic Print
1In the Service Utilities submenu, scroll to “Diagnostic Print” and press OK.
2You will be given three options. Use the Arrow keys to make the selection and press the OK key to start printing the required Diagnostic Print or to enter the Advanced Diagnostics menu.
3If you selected the Advanced Diagnostics Prints in the previous step, use the Arrow keys to make the required selection Paper Advance, Visual Alignment Diagnostic, Nozzle Health, Force Drop Detection or Print Banding Plot, and press the Enter key to start printing.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-22 |

The Service Image Quality Diagnostic Print
4Make sure media is loaded, the Media Lever is lowered and that the Ink System is correctly installed. Press the OK key to print the Diagnostic Print or press Back/Cancel to exit without printing the Diagnostic Print.
5The selected Diagnostic Print will now be printed.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-23 |

Reading the Diagnostic Print Results
Reading the Diagnostic Print Results
Diagnostic Part 1: Printhead Reliability
The Nozzle Print Test test is designed to check if the Printhead nozzles print correctly.
The nozzles check (bottom of the plot) is printed in a one-pass full swath mode. The diagnostics test prints out every single nozzle of each Printhead without applying an error hiding or alignment algorithm.
For each Printhead, you can see both the adjacent and the consecutive nozzles.
If any nozzles are not printing correctly they will be shown on the right of each Printhead Nozzle test.There is a series of numbered stepped diagonal lines. If one or more of the nozzles are clogged, malfunctioning or mispositioned, you will see that the stepped lines are broken or misdirected in one or more places.
Below, the stepped lines highlighted in yellow are broken. When the line is completely broken, this means the nozzle is out.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-24 |

Reading the Diagnostic Print Results
Below, the stepped lines highlighted in yellow are misdirected. When the line is misdirected, this means the nozzle is malfunctioning or out of position.
On the left of each Printhead Nozzle test, there is a series of horizontal straight lines. If one or more nozzles are misdirected there will be unequal spaces between the corresponding lines.
Corrective Action
If the printer has nozzle defects, you can still get perfect print quality results. The printer can automatically compensate for nozzle defects, so there is no need to replace the Printhead.
The method of improving Nozzle Defects is to:
1Recover the Printheads, using the Front Panel Main Menu/Image Quality Maintenance/Clean Printheads option.
2Reprint the Printhead Nozzles Test Plot to verify that the defective nozzles have been corrected.
3If the problem continues, replace the defective Printhead.
Diagnostic Part 2: Printhead Alignment
This test is designed to check any color-to-color and bi-directional misalignment the printer may have.
1 If the Printer is experiencing horizontal misalignment problems, the
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-25 |

Reading the Diagnostic Print Results
Alignment Test will show something like this:
2If the Printer is experiencing vertical misalignment problems, the Alignment Test will show something like this:
3If the Printer is experiencing bi-directional misalignment problems, the Alignment Test will show something like this:
Corrective Action
Perform the Printhead Alignment (Main Menu/Image Quality Maintenance/ Align Printheads), using the same paper type with which you were experiencing unacceptable image quality, if feasible (some paper types are not suitable for Printhead Alignment).
Diagnostic Part 3: Printheads & Paper Advance
This test is designed to check whether the Printheads and the Paper Advance Mechanism are working correctly. This part of the Image Quality Test should NOT be used to check for color consistency or accuracy.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-26 |

Reading the Diagnostic Print Results
Banding
If the Printer is experiencing a banding problem, you will see repetitive horizontal bands within the printed image.
Darker horizontal bands or lines repeated along the vertical band (from top to bottom at the same distance).
Whiter horizontal bands or lines along the vertical band (from top to bottom at the same distance).
The plot is printed in Best or Normal mode (according to the menu option selected) with Error Hiding ON. The top band has 100% ink density patches while the bottom band has 50% ink density patches.
Troubleshooting Banding Problems
If banding does NOT occur in ALL the colors, then it is more than likely a
Printhead problem. In this case, try the following:
1Check that the appropriate print quality settings are being used (refer to the User’s Guide for more information).
2Recover the printheads using the option through the Front Panel (Main Menu/Image Quality Maintenance/Clean Printheads). Reprint the Diagnostic Print or the print file and if the problem persists, replace the faulty Printhead.
If banding does occur in ALL the colors, then it is more than likely a Paper Advance problem:
If the bands are light, it means that the paper has advanced too much.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-27 |

Reading the Diagnostic Print Results
If the bands are dark, it means that the paper hasn’t advanced enough.
In high quality modes, graininess in ALL colors can indicate problems either with alignment or Paper Advance.
Corrective Action
In order to solve problems that result in banding, try the following:
1Check that the appropriate print quality settings are being used (refer to the User’s Guide for more information).
2Check that the loaded media is the same type as selected in the printer. You can verify the media type selected through the Front Panel (Main Menu/ Paper menu/View loaded paper).
3If the customer is using low quality paper, try recommending better quality paper (preferably HP paper). Printer performance can only be guaranteed by using recommended papers.
4Perform the Paper Advance Calibration using the same type of paper that will be used for the final print (Main Menu/Image Quality Maintenance/ Paper Advance Calibration/Calibrate Paper Advance).
If there is white point banding in only one color band and the problem cannot be fixed using the Printhead recoveries, in some cases using the force a drop detection option can fix this issue. see Force Drop Detection, Page 1- 37
No Printing Defects Found in the Diagnostic Print
If all the test patterns from the Diagnostic Print are correct and you still experience Image Quality problems, you can use the following procedures to resolve the problem.
Reading the Advanced Diagnostic Print Results
Visual Alignment Diagnostic
Nozzle Health
Force Drop Detection
If you still see Image Quality problems after performing these tests and the Diagnostic Print still looks correct, then it might be a problem with the image itself, or a software/application problem.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-28 |

The Advanced Diagnostic Prints
The Advanced Diagnostic Prints
What are the Advanced Diagnostic Prints?
Advanced Diagnostic Plot. These tests provide more information of the IQ defects found in the Image Quality Service plot.
The Advanced Diagnostic Plot is divided into the following parts:
Visual Media Advanced Diagnostic. Used to check advance reliability.
Visual Alignment Diagnostic. Used to check pen alignment reliability.
Visual Nozzle health Diagnostic. Used to check nozzle health reliability.
Force Drop Detection. Used to reset the nozzle health historic data base and force new drop detection.
Printing the Advanced Diagnostics Print
1In the Service Utilities submenu, scroll to “Diagnostic Print” and press OK.
2You will be given three options. Use the Arrow keys to select the Advanced Diagnostics menu.
3From the displayed options, use the Arrow keys to make the required selection Paper Advance, Visual Alignment Diagnostic, Nozzle Health, Force Drop Detection or Print Banding Plot, and press the OK key to start printing.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-29 |

The Advanced Diagnostic Prints
4Make sure media is loaded, the Media Lever is lowered and that the Ink System is correctly installed. Press the OK key to print the Diagnostic Print or press Back/Cancel to exit without printing the Diagnostic Print.
5The selected Advanced Diagnostic Print will now be printed.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-30 |

Reading the Advanced Diagnostic Print Results
Reading the Advanced Diagnostic Print Results
Paper Advance
This plot helps you to visually check any alignment problems of the printer. You use it to precisely measure the media advance error with a one dot row accuracy, and to verify the stability of the media advance.
The whitest vertical line should be positioned in the 0 offset column with minor variations between +2 and -2 columns. If the offset is not positioned on the 0 column or between +2 and -2 columns and the whitest vertical
varies greatly, the printer requires Paper Advance Calibration (Main Menu/ Image Quality Maintenance/Paper Advance Calibration/Calibrate Paper Advance).
It is very important to verify that the loaded media is the same media type as selected in the front panel. You can verify the media type selected through the Front Panel (Main Menu/Paper menu/View loaded paper). The wrong type of paper selected will produce an offset error in the Paper Advance.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-31 |

Reading the Advanced Diagnostic Print Results
The following plot shows correct media advance, there is a straight white line positioned close to the 0 column for the majority of the points.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-32 |

Reading the Advanced Diagnostic Print Results
The following plot shows a bad media advance, there is a straight white line positioned close to the -6 column, instead of the 0 column for the majority of the points.
Corrective Action
To fix Paper Advance problems, try the following:
1Check the Paper Advance Calibration Status. This can be done by going to Main Menu/Paper/View Loaded Paper. At the bottom, the Front Panel displays the Paper Advance Calibration status. There are three status messages:
DEFAULT. The paper loaded is recognized as HP paper, which is already optimized and calibrated for the printer. Do Not calibrate the Paper Advance for this paper.
RECOMMENDED. The paper loaded is NOT recognized as HP paper, and Paper Advance values have NOT been customized for this paper type. In this case, calibrate the Paper Advance from the user menu.
OK. This indicates that the paper loaded has been calibrated before. If the printer continues to have banding and graininess problems, calibrate the Paper Advance from the user menu.
Whenever the printer’s firmware is upgraded, the paper advance calibration values will be reset to factory default.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-33 |

Reading the Advanced Diagnostic Print Results
2To calibrate the Paper Advance from the user menu, go to Main Menu/ Image Quality Maintenance/Paper Advance Calibration/Calibrate Paper Advance.
It is very important to verify that the loaded media is the same media type as selected in the front panel. You can verify the media type selected through the Front Panel (Main Menu/Paper menu/View loaded paper). The wrong type of paper selected will produce an offset error in the Paper Advance.
Some paper types are not suitable for Paper Advance Calibration. Do NOT use colored papers or transparent materials such as translucent bond, clear film, matte film, tracing paper, or vellum.
Paper Advance calibration from the user menu will only calibrate the Paper
Advance for the paper type loaded in the printer at that moment.
3If Calibrate Paper Advance has mostly solved the problem, try Adjust Paper Advance to fine tune the Paper Advance (Main Menu/Image Quality Maintenance/Paper Advance Calibration/Adjust Paper Advance).
Select the percentage of change from -100% to 100%. To correct light banding, decrease the percentage. To correct dark banding, increase the percentage.
4The Paper Advance calibration from the service menu will calibrate the Paper Advance for ALL paper types. This action is recommended when:
The Paper Advance calibration from the user menu does NOT solve the problem.
The Paper Advance problems affect ALL paper types.
The procedure for Paper Advance Calibration from the service menu is documented in Chapter 5, Service Calibrations. see Paper Advance Calibration, Page 4-6.
Visual Alignment Diagnostic
This plot helps you to visually check any alignment problems of the printer. You use it to precisely measure the alignment error with a one dot row accuracy. For the printer to be considered correctly aligned, the results must be within ±1 dot row.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-34 |

Reading the Advanced Diagnostic Print Results
The illustration shows the complete Printhead Alignment that identifies each of the specific alignment test results covered.
a
b
c
d
e
f
The Visual Alignment Diagnostic print shows the following diagnostic test results:
aodd2even_SAD: Horizontal direction in forward and reverse.
bpen2pen_SAD: Horizontal direction.
cPAD
dpen2pen_bidir_SAD: Horizontal bi-direction.
ecolor_bidir_SAD: Horizontal bi-direction.
fthetaZ and VLS: only contour part (dark bands).
Reading the Printhead Alignment Diagnostic Print
The following plot shows correct visual alignment. The lightest band is positioned on the 0 column.
Corrective Action
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-35 |

Reading the Advanced Diagnostic Print Results
For the thetaZ and VLS diagnostics the dark band of the print is the area to check. In the following example print the lightest segment of the dark band is positioned on the -1 column.
Dark band
If any of the printheads are misaligned beyond the ±1 dot row range, perform a Printhead Alignment. see Aligning Printheads, Page 1-66
If a Printhead Alignment does not correct the problem, replace the bad printhead.
If the customer is using non-HP media and after the Image Quality Test you still have the same image quality problems, change to genuine HP media and repeat the Image Quality Test. The best alignment calibration is obtained using HP Photo Paper.
Nozzle Health
The print contains three separate parts.
a
|
b |
c |
|||
aThe Variable Frequency Nozzle health plot with odd/even nozzles separation. This is used to detect misdirected or weak nozzles, nozzles not working correctly at all frequencies, or even Gloss Enhancer (GE) color problems.
This plot might show defects with the printheads that are not visible in the Service Image Quality Diagnostic Print. Look at the color bars and lines
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-36 |

Reading the Advanced Diagnostic Print Results
to check if you see any missing parts of the plot, banding or white streak in them.
b Inspector measuring tool test plot.
Test b should NOT be used by Service Engineers.
cNozzle Print Test which is also part of the Image Quality Service Plot. This test is designed to check that the Printhead nozzles print correctly. The test prints out every single nozzle of each Printhead. No error hiding or Printhead Alignment algorithm is applied. For each Printhead, you can see both the adjacent and the consecutive nozzles.
This is what you would see in the Nozzle Print Test part if there are nozzles not printing correctly:
1On the right of each Printhead Nozzle test, there is a series of numbered stepped diagonal lines. If one or more of the nozzles are malfunctioning or mis-positioned, you will see that the stepped lines are broken or misdirected in one or more places.
2On the left of each Printhead Nozzle test, there is a series of horizontal straight lines. If one or more nozzles are misdirected there will be unequal spaces between the corresponding lines.
Corrective Action for Nozzle Defects
If the printer has nozzle defects, it does not mean that you will not get perfect print quality results. The printer has automatic procedures to hide many nozzle defects.
1Recover the Printheads using the option through the Front Panel (Main menu/Image quality maintenance/clean printheads).
2Reprint the Nozzle Print test to check that the defective nozzles have been corrected.
3If the problem continues, replace the defective Printhead.
Force Drop Detection
If the Nozzle Print Test plot has persistent white point banding in only one color that cannot be fixed with a printhead recovery, you can use this option to resolve the problem by resetting the nozzle health data base so that all nozzles are assumed to be correct.
Once the nozzle health data base has been reset drop detection is forced.
The normal cause of this white point banding in a single color is the incorrect detection of failed nozzles by the drop detector.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-37 |

Troubleshooting Print Quality Problems
Troubleshooting Print Quality Problems
Print Quality General Advice
1To achieve the best performance from the printer, only genuine HP accessories and supplies should be used.
2Make sure that the paper type selected in the Front Panel is the same as the paper type loaded into the printer and selected in your software.
3Make sure to use the most appropriate print quality settings for your purposes. A lower print quality is likely to be seen if the print quality slider has been moved to the Speed end of the scale, or the custom quality level set to Fast.
4Check that the environmental conditions (temperature, humidity) are within the temperature/humidity range as specified for the Printer and customer substrate (refer to the User’s Guide for more information).
5Check that the ink cartridges and printheads have not exceeded their expiration dates.
6Avoid touching the paper while printing is in progress.
Horizontal Lines Across the Image (Banding)
Description of problem
When you look at the image you have printed, there are horizontal lines across the image. Shown below is an example of what you might see if you have this problem:
Corrective Action
1Check that the paper type loaded corresponds to the paper type selected in the front panel and in the software. You can verify the paper type selected through the Front Panel (Main Menu/Paper menu/View loaded paper).
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-38 |

Troubleshooting Print Quality Problems
2Check that the appropriate print quality settings are being used (refer to the User’s Guide for more information) and reprint the image. In some cases print quality problems can be resolved by selecting a higher print quality level.
3In case of banding at Best print quality, try the More Passes option in the driver.
4Print the Service Image Diagnostics Print, and clean any printheads that need cleaning. Reprint the job in case the problem has been solved.
5Check the paper advance calibration status. If the status is PENDING, perform the Paper Advance Calibration (Main Menu/Image Quality Maintenance/Paper Advance Calibration/Calibrate Paper Advance).
6After calibration reprint the job.
Lines are Missing, Too Thin, or Too Thick
Description of problem
Shown below is an example of what you might see if you have this problem:
Corrective Action
1Check that the paper type loaded corresponds to the paper type selected in the front panel and in the software. You can verify the paper type selected through the Front Panel (Main Menu/Paper menu/View loaded paper).
2Check that the appropriate print quality settings are being used (refer to the User’s Guide for more information). Select the custom print quality options in the Print dialog, try turning on the Maximum detail option. Reprint the job in case the problem has been solved.
3If the resolution of the image is greater than the printing resolution, a loss of line quality may be seen. You can find the Max. Application Resolution option in the Windows driver dialog’s Advanced tab, under Document Options > Printer Features. Set the Max Application Resolution to 600. Reprint the job in case the problem has been solved.
4Check the Printhead alignment status. If the status is PENDING, perform the Printhead Alignment (Main Menu/Image Quality Maintenance/Align Printheads). After alignment reprint the job.
5Check the paper advance calibration status. If the status is PENDING, perform the paper advance calibration (Main Menu/Image Quality Maintenance/Paper Advance Calibration/Calibrate Paper Advance). After calibration reprint the job.
6Use Part 3 of the Image Quality Diagnostic Print, check if there are a significant amount of nozzles out in the color that is actually causing the
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-39 |

Troubleshooting Print Quality Problems
problem (if see you a problem with the Black color in the customer print, then only check the Black printhead in the Image Quality Diagnostic Print). If there is a significant amount of nozzles out then replace the defective Printhead.
Problems with Stepped Lines
Description of problem
When you look at the image you have printed there are ‘stepped lines’ in the borders of arrows and diagonal lines. The lines should be straight with no stepping.
Shown below is an example of what you might see if you have problems with Stepped Lines:
Corrective Action
1The problems may be inherent in the image that you are trying to print. Try to improve the image with the application that generated the file.
2Check that the appropriate print quality settings are being used (refer to the User’s Guide for more information).
3Turn On the Maximum Detail option in the Driver. Printing speed will be reduced, and the maximum detail option sometimes causes problems like missing objects or clipped images. For most print jobs, the default resolution is highly recommended.
4Change the image rendering resolution to 300 dpi or 600 dpi depending on the printing needs. You can find the Max. Application Resolution option in the Windows driver dialog’s Advanced tab, under Document Options > Printer Features.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-40 |

Troubleshooting Print Quality Problems
Lines are Printed Double or in Wrong Colors
Description of problem
This problem can have various visible symptoms, as shown below:
Colored lines are printed double, in different colors
Borders of colored blocks are wrongly colored
Corrective Action
1 Reseat the Printheads by removing them and then reinserting them.
As you reseat the printheads, the printer will automatically align the printheads. It is important that the alignment is completed properly, see Aligning Printheads, Page 1-66
Lines are discontinuous
If the lines are broken in the following way:
1Check that the appropriate print quality settings are being used (refer to the User’s Guide for more information).
2Reseat the Printheads by removing them and then reinserting them.
As you reseat the printheads, the printer will automatically align the printheads. It is important that the alignment is completed properly, see Aligning Printheads, Page 1-66
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-41 |

Troubleshooting Print Quality Problems
Lines are Blurred (Ink Bleeds from Lines)
Description of problem
This problem is often caused by the ink soaking into the paper, making the lines blurred and fuzzy. This could be because of the humidity in the air.
Corrective Action
1Check that the environmental conditions (temperature, humidity) are suitable for high-quality printing.
2Make sure that the paper type selected in the Front Panel is the same as the paper type loaded into the printer and selected in your software.
3Try using a heavier paper type. When printing dense colors, it is recommended to use HP Heavyweight Coated Paper HP Super, Heavyweight Coated Paper or thicker Digital Fine Art papers.
4If glossy paper is being used, try changing to a different type of glossy paper.
5Select the custom print quality options in the Print dialog, and turn on the
More passes option
6Allow the prints time to dry separately; do NOT cover or stack them.
7Align the printheads. see Image Quality Maintenance Procedure, Page 1- 66.
Problems with Graininess
Description of problem
Shown below is an example of what you might see if you have problems with graininess:
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-42 |

Troubleshooting Print Quality Problems
Corrective Action
1Check that the paper type loaded corresponds to the paper type selected in the front panel and in the software. You can verify the paper type selected through the Front Panel (Main Menu/Paper menu/View loaded paper).
2Check that printing is on the correct side of the paper.
3Check that the appropriate print quality settings are being used (refer to the User’s Guide for more information). Select the custom print quality options in the Print dialog, and try turning on the More passes option. Reprint the job in case the problem has been solved.
4If you are using a Z3200 series printer, you can reduce grain by turning off or reducing the amount of gloss enhancer. You can do this through the Printer Utility, see the Users Guide for more details.
5Check the Printhead alignment status. If the status is PENDING, perform the Printhead Alignment (Main Menu/Image Quality Maintenance/Align Printheads). After alignment reprint the job.
6Check the paper advance calibration status. If the status is PENDING, perform the paper advance calibration (Main Menu/Image Quality Maintenance/Paper Advance Calibration/Calibrate Paper Advance).
7After Paper Advance Calibration, reprint the job.
Paper is not Flat
Description of problem
If the paper does not lie flat when it comes out of the Printer, but has shallow waves in it, you are likely to see visible defects in the printed image, such as vertical stripes. This can happen when you use thin paper that becomes saturated with ink.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-43 |

Troubleshooting Print Quality Problems
Shown below is an example of what you might see if you have problems with the paper not being flat:
Corrective Action
1Check that the paper type loaded corresponds to the paper type selected in the front panel and in the software. You can verify the paper type selected through the Front Panel (Main Menu/Paper menu/View loaded paper).
2Try using a heavier paper type. When printing dense colors, it is recommended to use HP Heavyweight Coated Paper HP Super, Heavyweight Coated Paper or thicker Digital Fine Art papers.
3Check that the environmental conditions (temperature, humidity) are within the temperature/humidity range as specified for the Printer (refer to the User’s Guide for further information).
4Select a paper type that is slightly thinner than the paper you have loaded; this will persuade the printer to use less ink. Here are some example paper types in ascending order of thickness:
Plain Paper
Coated Paper
Heavyweight Coated Paper
Fine Art Paper
Super Heavyweight Plus Matte Paper
Thick Fine Art Paper (>250 g/m²).
If your paper type has different versions in the front panel with more and less ink, select the one with less ink.
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-44 |

Troubleshooting Print Quality Problems
Print Scuffing or Scratching when Touched
Description of problem
The black ink pigment can smudge when touched by a finger, a pen, or some other object. This is particularly noticeable on coated paper, matte proofing paper, and fine art material.
Glossy paper may be extremely sensitive to damage from the basket or to anything else that it contacts soon after printing, depending on the amount of ink used and the environmental conditions at the time of printing.
Corrective Action
1Handle prints carefully.
2Avoid stacking prints on top of each other.
3Disable the automatic cutter before printing, so that the print will not fall into the basket Alternatively, leave a sheet of paper in the basket so that freshly printed sheets do not make direct contact with the basket.
Marks on the Media
Marks on the paper can come in a variety of forms, including horizontal smears, pinchwheel marks, starwheel marks, and ink marks on the back of the paper.
Ink marks on the back of the paper
This can happen after a lot of border less printing, especially with nonstandard paper sizes. Also, loading media without skew check frequently leads to printing on the platen. Ink residues on the platen are likely to mark the back of the paper.
Corrective Action
Clean the platen with a soft cloth. Clean each rib separately without touching the foam between the ribs.
You can also load and unload a sheet of paper 3 times or until clean.
Horizontal Smears on the Paper
Horizontal smears on the paper occur when the printheads touch the paper and smear the image. In extreme conditions the customers print can look like the image below where the printheads have actually come into contact with the media and scraped off the ink. This problem can happen for different reasons, and will mostly depend on the following factors:
The type of paper used
The printmode selected
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-45 |

Troubleshooting Print Quality Problems
The environmental printing conditions
Corrective Action
1Whenever you notice this problem, cancel the printing job immediately. Press the Cancel key and also cancel the job from your computer application. Soaked paper can damage the printheads.
2Check that the paper type loaded corresponds to the paper type selected in the front panel and in the software. You can verify the paper type selected through the Front Panel (Main Menu/Paper menu/View loaded paper).
3Use a recommended paper type and the correct print settings.
4If using sheet paper, try rotating the sheet 90 degrees. The orientation of the paper fibers may affect performance.
5If you are using sheet media, load the media with skew check enabled if it is possible (skew check might not be suitable for some papers due to the way they are manufactured or cut).
6If a lot of ink is used on plain or coated paper, the paper absorbs the ink quickly and expands. As the printheads move over the paper, the printheads may touch the paper and smear the image. Try using a heavier paper type, like HP Heavyweight Coated Paper, HP Super Heavyweight Coated Paper or thicker Digital Fine Art papers that can absorb ink without expanding.
7Select a paper type that is slightly thinner than the paper you have loaded; this will persuade the printer to use less ink. Here are some example paper types in ascending order of thickness:
Plain Paper
Coated Paper
Heavyweight Coated Paper
Fine Art Paper
Super Heavyweight Plus Matte Paper
Thick Fine Art Paper (>250 g/m²).
|
Designjet Z Series — Service Manual |
1-46 |
Specifications:
|
Accompanying Data:
HP Z2100 — DesignJet Color Inkjet Printer Monitor, Printer PDF Service Manual (Updated: Friday 2nd of December 2022 12:12:47 AM)
Rating: 4.5 (rated by 23 users)
Compatible devices: Photosmart 2605, HP M27f, BL465c — ProLiant — 2 GB RAM, E27m G4, Z40c G3, Elite Display E190i, 3300, ENVY 5540 All-in-One series.
Recommended Documentation:
HP Z2100 — DesignJet Color Inkjet Printer: Text of Service Manual
(Ocr-Read Version Summary of Contents, UPD: 02 December 2022)
-
1, HP Designjet Z2100/Z3100/Z3100ps/Z3200/ Z3200ps GP Photo Printer Series Version 10.0 September 21, 2008
… -
2, Content Management Department, Barcelona Division, Hewlett-Packard Espanola, S.A. Avda. Graells, 501 08190 Sant Cugat del Valles Spain For HP Internal Use Only ©Copyright Hewlett-Packard Company 2008 This document contains proprietary information that is protected by copyright. All rights are reserved. The information contained herein is subject to cha…
-
3, Designjet Z Series — Service Manual -1 Table of Contents 1 1 Troubleshooting 2 System Error Codes 3 Service Tests and Utilities 4 Service Calibrations 5 Parts and Diagrams 6 Removal and Installation 7 Preventive Maintenance For information about Using this Manual, please refer to the next page.
… -
4, Table of Contents -2 Designjet Z Series — Service Manual Using this Manual Purpose This Service Manual contains information necessary to test, calibrate and service: HP designjet Z2100 Photo Printer 24 inch (Model Q6675A) HP designjet Z2100 Photo Printer 44 inch (Model Q6677A) HP designjet Z2100 Photo Printer Revision C 24 inch (Model Q6675C)…
-
5, Designjet Z Series — Service Manual 1-1 Troubleshooting 1 Using the Front Panel 1-4 Introduction 1-5 Using the Front Panel 1-4 Troubleshooting System Error Codes 1-5 Performing a Service Test on a failed Assembly 1-5 Performing the Necessary Service Calibrations 1-6 The Printer does not Power ON 1-6 The Printer does not Power ON 1-6 The Printer Continuously Reje…
-
6, Designjet Z Series — Service Manual 1-2 Troubleshooting Print Quality Problems 1-38 Print Quality General Advice 1-38 Horizontal Lines Across the Image (Banding) 1-38 Lines are Missing, Too Thin, or Too Thick 1-39 Problems with Stepped Lines 1-40 Lines are Printed Double or in Wrong Colors 1-41 Lines are discontinuous 1-41 Lines are Blurred (Ink Bleeds from Lines) 1-42 Problems w…
HP Z2100 — DesignJet Color Inkjet Printer: Recommended Instructions
H631SFJ000, MW8119SB, DVD722, Mgate MB3660, AR-B1670, SPH8528/10
-
Brother-laserprinterHL-5030HL-5040HL-5050HL-5070NBrugervejledningVersion 1Svagtseende brugereLæs de to HTML-filer, index_win.html og index_mac.html, på den medfølgende cd-rom. Du kan læse dem med Skærmlæser ‘tekst-til-tale’-software.Før du kan bruge printeren, skal du sætte hardwaren op og installere driveren.Brug guiden Hurtig installation til at sætte printeren op. Du kan …
HL-5030 138
-
Please read this manual thoroughly before using the printer.HL-800/1000 SeriesUser’s GuideKeep this manual in a convenient place for qui …
HL-1000 91
-
11ES3640e MFPTechnician’s Installation GuideConfiguration Awith High Capacity FeederWith optional Finisher:Configuration Bwith Second Tray and CabinetES3640e MFP HCF.jpgES3640e MFP 01_Finisher.jpgES3640e MFP cab.jpg …
ES3640eMFP 24
-
Billing MetersAdmin MenuInformation PagesRequires:Power SaverOffOKCancelWalk-Up Features*Menu MapDemo PageConfigurationPCL Fonts ListPCL Macro ListPS Fonts ListJob HistoryError HistoryPrint MeterStored Document*/**Port StatusAdobe ProtocolNetwork SetupUSB SetupSystem SetupMaintenance ModePCL SetupPostScript SetupControl PanelTray SettingsTray 1 (MPT)Tray 2Tray …
Phaser 6280 1
-
Confidential EPSON Receipt Printer TM-T88III series Specification STANDARD Rev. No. B Notes Copied Date , , Copied by SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION MATSUMOTO MINAMI PLANT 2070 KOTOBUKI KOAKA, MATSUMOTO-SHI, NAGANO, 399-8702 JAPAN PHONE(0263)86-5353 FAX(0263)86-9923 …
TM-T88III series 183
-
HP LaserJet M1120 Multifunction Printer seriesBoost productivity with this fast, reliable and very easy-to-use HP LaserJet MFP whichdelivers print, scan and copy functionality to your desktop, all at an affordableprice.1Studies from Quality Logic show the typical print job is three to five pagesInstant-on Technology uses cutting-edge fuser technology to produce the first page …
LaserJet M1120 2
-
Quick Setup GuideLaser PrinterHL-2030/2040/2070NRead this Quick Setup Guide before using the printer.Before you can use the printer, you must set up the hardware and install the driver.For the latest driver and to find the best solution for your problem or question, access the Brother Solutions Center directly from the CD-ROM/Driver or go to http://solutions.brother. …
2070N — B/W Laser Printer 30
-
E-12016. 1 Printed in China/INSTALLATION MANUALA797-9601-01Applied Machines: /<Important>Be sure to correctly follow the procedures in order as explained in this Installation Manual.If you do not follow the procedure in order, the image trouble may occur.1. Outline of installation proceduresWhen installing the main body and associated options as a system …
bizhub C287 12
Additional Information:
Popular Right Now:
Operating Impressions, Questions and Answers:
HP
Write a Review
Write a Review

HP
HP DesignJet Z2100 Z3100 Service Manual
Rating
*
Name
Email
*
Review Subject
*
Comments
*
$1.50
Current Stock:
Quantity:
Adding to cart… The item has been added
Download Service manual of HP Z2100 — DesignJet Color Inkjet Printer Monitor, Printer for Free or View it Online on All-Guides.com. This version of HP Z2100 — DesignJet Color Inkjet Printer Manual compatible with such list of devices, as: Z2100 — DesignJet Color Inkjet Printer, DesignJet Z3100, Z3100ps — DesignJet GP Color Inkjet Printer, Designjet Z3200 Series, Designjet Z3200ps

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

82

83

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

110

111

112

113

114

115

116

117

118

119

120

121

122

123

124

125

126

127

128

129

130

131

132

133

134

135

136

137

138

139

140

141

142

143

144

145

146

147

148

149

150

151

152

153

154

155

156

157

158

159

160

161

162

163

164

165

166

167

168

169

170

171

172

173

174

175

176

177

178

179

180

181

182

183

184

185

186

187

188

189

190

191

192

193

194

195

196

197

198

199

200

201

202

203

204

205

206

207

208

209

210

211

212

213

214

215

216

217

218

219

220

221

222

223

224

225

226

227

228

229

230

231

232

233

234

235

236

237

238

239

240

241

242

243

244

245

246

247

248

249

250

251

252

253

254

255

256

257

258

259

260

261

262

263

264

265

266

267

268

269

270

271

272

273

274

275

276

277

278

279

280

281

282

283

284

285

286

287

288

289

290

291

292

293

294

295

296

297

298

299

300

301

302

303

304

305

306

307

308

309

310

311

312

313

314

315

316

317

318

319

320

321

322

323

324

325

326

327

328

329

330

331

332

333

334

335

336

337

338

339

340

341

342

343

344

345

346

347

348

349

350

351

352

353

354

355

356

357

358

359

360

361

362

363

364

365

366

367

368

369

370

371

372

373

374

375

376

377

378

379

380

381

382

383

384

385

386

387

388

389

390

391

392

393

394

395

396

397

398

399

400

401

402

403

404

405

406

407

408

409

410

411

412

413

414

415

416

417

418

419

420

421

422

423

424

425

426

427

428

429

430

431

432

433

434

435

436

437

438

439

440

441

442

443

444
HP Designjet
Z2100/Z3100/Z3100ps/Z3200/
Z3200ps
GP Photo Printer Series
Version 11.0
June 21, 2011








