Further observations on the Z3200-PS 44” wide format.
APS
The installation of the APS, Advanced Profiling Solution that is part of the
Z3200-PS bundle went with some problems here. It comes with a monitor puck,
an Eye One Display II with HP firmware. That puck also acts as a license key
for the APS software. About a year ago I purchased APS for the Z3100 and that
was installed on the system where I planned to install the one that came with the
Z3200-PS. It didn’t matter what I tried, with the old one removed or not, it still
asks for the old puck to get it activated. In itself I had no problem with that
because they both were running the same version 1.4 APS. So I used the old
puck. But after the first profile creation trial the printer didn’t accept the profile.
I’m searching the reason for this but it is most likely the Windows register that
isn’t wiped with the removal of my first APS version. On the other hand it could
be that the printer also checks the puck’s key.
Installing the Z3200-PS drivers and the new APS on a
fresh Windows system allowed me to use the new
puck too but APS still didn’t load created ICC profiles
to the Z3200-PS. It could save the profile to the
computer system though. Using Printer Utility I could
bring the system profile to the Z3200-PS and have it
connected to the media preset profiled so the profile
can be distributed to other computer systems on the
network. A detour as the Z3100 also connected to that
system did allow profile uploading to the printer and
the system in one step. I have asked HP what could be
the problem here.
There have been comments already that when APS is
used with the Z3200 another profile creation base is
used (Profile Maker) than with the Z3100 (Monaco
Profiler). I observed that with both the Z3200-PS and
the Z3100 connected to the same system and APS
version, the profile information is not the same and
the results differ considerably. Not all of that is the
result of the profile creation; while using the same
paper there remains the difference of the new
Chromata Red ink of the Z3200 and its new media
presets. To verify what the profile creator does one
should print the same target on both printers and have
it measured with both APS varieties. Four tests in
total to be made. I don’t think I will go that far as the
quality of the Z3200 colour prints with the new APS
engine is much better in total.
Dmax numbers
Measured on the 100% Black patch of the calibration
targets, if the next Black patch is reading higher then
that number is quoted. Spectrocam readings, no UV
filter on that instrument, T status D, two sheets of the
same paper underneath the sample.
As mentioned the highest Dmax is not always on the
100% Black sample. A good reason then to make a
custom media preset with say 99% inklimit to shift
the Dmax to the 100% patch. That is also a good
starting point for the B&W method described further
on.
On satin RC papers I measure a near 0.1 D higher
Dmax between the Z3200 and Z3100 calibration
targets. For example: Everyday Satin 2.16 Black Dmax versus 2.08 Dmax for
the Z3100. ID Premium Satin 2.19 Dmax versus 2.12 Dmax. With Gloss
Enhancer added the numbers will go up.
HP Baryte Photo Paper on the Z3200-PS gives 2.24 Dmax not on the 100%
Black though but the third patch on the calibration target. Wonder whether I use
the latest media preset for that one as it could use considerably less ink for
B&W Dmax. The Z3100-Z3200 OEM media presets for this paper should be
examined more carefully as they both differ considerably and both are not
optimal on Dmax in Black. See the QTR curves link further below.
The difference between matte Dmax results is little, on Photorag the Z3100
measured 1.76 Dmax and similar results 1.77 with the Z3200. On HP
Hahnemühle Smooth Fine Art Paper the Z3100 goes up to 1.73 D and the
Z3200-PS up to 1.74D.
Black & White printing, Z3100 first
For more than two years the B&W printing on the Z3100 that I did was a hybrid
of HP’s B&W printing recommendation and some parts of QTR’s B&W ICC
profiling. Before the Z3100 there was a customised Epson 9000 Quad printer in
the shop for B&W printing. First driven by a RIP with many tweaks, later on
with the QuadTone RIP then still in development. Familiar with the RIP and
QTR my Z3100 B&W method was building on that knowledge.
The method is as follows: the Z models have the nice extras of media calibration
and profiling with the integrated spectrometer. Before every media profile
creation it is recommended to calibrate the media first. The calibration data is
saved on the printer and every time the media preset is selected the data will be
used. Not only in colour mode printing but also in B&W mode, both with
application controlled colour management or printer controlled CM. At regular
schedules the software warns the user to recalibrate the media in use, it keeps
the base consistent.
If on HP’s recommendation for B&W printing the printer’s color management is
selected plus of course greyscale printing then printing a QTR 21 step greyscale
target for B&W profile creation gives a linear tone range measurement with an
external spectro- or densitometer. In my case printing from Qimage with its CM
off, so not “let Printer CM do the job” but really off. This means to me that the
Z3100 actually linearises the output with its calibration. The two terms do not
have the same meaning but in this case the same result is there.
That linearised output is an ideal base for QTR’s B&W ICC profile creation and
the use of the created B&W profiles. It is basically the same linearised base that
the Quadtone Rip itself creates on modified printers with quad B&W inksets but
in this case no extra RIP is needed. So I created the different profiles for the
media I have and use them in Photoshop to softproof the Gamma 2.2 assigned
B&W greyscale images and convert them there in the end to that media profile
before loading them in Qimage for printing with the same printing flow that was
used for the target printing. The colour management of Photoshop is used this
way to compress the image’s tone range into the more limited tone range of the
paper in a perceptually correct way. The media Dmax as measured in the HP
calibration target 100% Black patch is the same as the 100% patch on the QTR
linearisation target and will be the same as an 100% K area in the B&W print
made with this method. For example the Z3100 printed HP Hahnemühle Smooth
Fine Art 100% Black patch measures as 1.74 D in all stages of profile creation
and printing. Give or take 0.02 D. The linearity and Dmax is correct for several
paper qualities like Epson EEM, HM Photorag, even GMG-Newspaper.
Black & White printing, Z3200-PS
I am afraid it doesn’t work like that on the Z3200-PS. The QTR target no longer
prints linear but it also doesn’t bring the calibration measured Dmax in the
100% Black patch of the target. At least not for the media I measured so far. The
Dmax drops about 0.05 D for matte media like the HP Hahnemühle Smooth
Fine Art Paper. In itself that isn’t a real problem, though any extra density on
matte papers would be welcome and the ink can make that Dmax. What I don’t
like is that either the calibration no longer is a linearised one or HP has added a
tone curve in the B&W mode and clips part of the Dmax in the process. Possibly
a contrast curve with little effect in the highlight part of the tone range but
compressing the shadow range. I could imagine all kinds of reasons why HP
changed this but it would be nice to get that linearity and Dmax back in B&W
mode.
