Prepressforums.com

stargate · #1 (**permalink**) 04-11-2007, 05:32 PM

Anyone tried this combo already? How about those thermal heads? I am thinking about getting one here...

Derek

stargate · #2 (**permalink**) 05-25-2007, 06:05 PM

Does anyone at least have HP Z series printer with ANY rip besides me?
Derek

MarkTonk · #3 (**permalink**) 06-02-2007, 06:38 PM

Hi Derek,

I do not know if I count for you :lol: but we just finished beta testing and have commercialized the Z2100 being driven from our MetaDimension rip. Our results have been very good. Our new paper shows excellent steadfastness with the Vivera inks. I am going by memory, but on day one we get maybe a .30 Delta E shift and then it is rock solid, staying around a .10 over a period of several weeks. If this was my heart in a hospital, I would be considered flatlined.

Color looks good, smooth looking tints. Currently, we are running with a patch to our existing sw. A new sw version will be out in a month or so (sw currently beta testing). It not only has the newer functions for the Z2100 but also supports Adobe PDF Print Engine. It will start to utilize the built in Spectro. Pretty nice, when we do our base linearization, the process is automated; charts are printed and then automatically read. Next one printed, and then read. You do not have to baby sit it and read the charts, it is all automatic.

Have you tested the clear film on it? I just got a roll in but am going to be at the IPA Tech Conference and will not have a chance for awhile. If you have, what is your opinion? How is the d-max of black?

Take care,

Mark

The_Stevinator · #4 (**permalink**) 06-04-2007, 09:34 AM

How did you guys get into the "testing" of this? What is the relationship with HP? My only concern is consistency of color. If they delta shift is that small, it looks like a winner.

Is that spectrophotometer just for the machine? Or, is there a way to put other sheets (press sheets) in there to get readings onto a mac?

MarkTonk · #5 (**permalink**) 06-05-2007, 11:35 AM

Hi Stevenator,

Heidelberg has been partnering with HP on proofing engines since 2000. We have received a Z2100 for testing last year. Software and drivers had to be programmed. The inks are also new and a paper that works well with them had to be found. This took testing to determine what would work best.

The built in spectro is used for automation of the base linearization. I do not know if the features are in the sw to support feeding in a press sheet so I will have to find out (I am at the IPA Tech conference and will not be back until next week).

Regards,

Mark

The_Stevinator · #6 (**permalink**) 06-05-2007, 11:48 AM

cool, thanks for keeping us posted. how would you compare it with kodaks 1200i?

stargate · #7 (**permalink**) 06-05-2007, 12:02 PM

I have Z2100 and you cannot feed chart to read target data. Printer prints chart, waits preset time (5 min) and pulls back to read. After reading cuts off and saves measurement data into specified folder. This is with GMG rip. But what you can do is to measure your own target (press sheet or whatever) in other spectro and import measurements as a target into gmg. Once you have target data inside gmg you don't need any other spectro to profile.

Derek

Nicolas · #8 (**permalink**) 06-06-2007, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Stevinator

<snip>

Is that spectrophotometer just for the machine? Or, is there a way to put other sheets (press sheets) in there to get readings onto a mac?

@ Stevinator:
The patchsizes for the build in spectro are quite big (~ 0.6 inch wide hexagons), so IMHO it is not really practicable to use the big HP charts on press sheets - even if you would be able to feed such sheets into the HP-Z to use the build in spectro for measurement (in theory, as far as I recover, there might be a way of some kind of "offline" measurement).
For exaple the ECI 2002 chart for the 24" HP-Z is approx. 23x22 inch big.

stargate · #9 (**permalink**) 06-06-2007, 05:12 AM

Nico is right. I just started to profile my own Z2100 and I am using Isis (UV and white backing) as I don't want to waste my time (~30 minutes to print, wait 5 min to dry and measure ECI chart) and ink/paper. I am not even sure at this moment if I use auto re-calibration. It's great but such a ink/paper waste!

Derek[/i]