Profiling suggestions around Chicago/Indianapolis area

[TheSnowman]

Ever since my HP was installed about 8 months ago, I've had trouble getting the red that I needed to get in my main profile, and I've had a problem printing at higher speeds for when speed counts and DPI isn't quite as important.

I've tried to mess around with it a little, but either my HP or the new Onyx is enough different than my old JV33 and Onyx, that I can't just go in and tweak like I could in Onyx 10. (running 12 now).

I'm thinking about just having someone come in and make me a profile that works for speed, and one for quality, because that's going to cover about everything I do. I talked to Advantage and they said $1,000 to have someone come do it, which I suppose may not be out of line, but I'm probably going to just keep limping along rather than drop $1,000 on it. I have another profile I use when I have to print reds, but again, it's slow, and it isn't hitting my greys or those other colors as well.

Anyone have any good references in my area Fort Wayne, IN that would be a little more reasonable to get a couple profiles made for my HP 310, or does anyone already have some they've gone through and worked on that they'd be willing to share/sell that could get me on the right track? Not looking for a handout, just wanting to make sure if I spend this much money on it, that I've got the results I want.

 

[TheSnowman]

Morning bump.

 

[dypinc]

Why don't you get the profiling option for ONYX and make your own. Not sure if you can calibrate the 310 on the printer like the 360 but you do need to keep up on the latex because the nature of HP's latex is that you will get color variations from time to time. Not sure if it is the ink, media, environment or printheads but the HP latex printers color varies are a little more like toner based digital presses than any other inkjet printers I have ever used.

 

[greysquirrel]

"MAIN PROFILE" you only print on 1 media?

the 310 has the ability to go out to HP's website from the control panel and download profiles directly to the printer. The printer then uploads them to Onyx.

make sure your firmware is up to date...Reds were an issue at release, but have been corrected in firmware updates.

after you have your profile downloaded and are using it with your media, I would suggest lowering temps...they are all a bit high...then having the printer re-calibrate or linearize itself. It will print out color bars, dry, rewind, scan using the line sensor and make adjustments needed....

as far as having someone write a profile...doesn't your reseller help with this?

In Chicago, I would check out IT Supplies...

 

[dypinc]

As graysquirrel mentioned about the firmware, just be aware that any profiles made before version 6_02.12 which I believe was released around the first of December 2015 will not give you accurate color, and just re-calibrating will not correct the color. Version 6_02.10 firmware released in September 2015 also made changes that invalidated previous profiles.

 

[TheSnowman]

I didn't know that about the firmware, maybe I'll delete that profile and re-download it and see if that helps. Red is my main issue, pretty good other than that.

And yes, I basically only use one profile. Been that way since I can remember. I find one that works, get my heat settings dialed in, and I'm good to go for years once it's set. I don't do much printing on anything out of the ordinary. It's normally just a banner or a everyday vinyl.

 

[dypinc]

Yes reds are a challenge with HP's Latex printers. You would think after all this time that they would have reformulated their ink to easily produce better reds given that they seem to want to design the printers for the more color novice user.

That being said pretty goods can be printed if you know color management wise what your doing. I have used/tried six different profiling engines to create profiles for my L360. Some with little control of the profile creation process produced pretty bad reds. On a level of 1 being the worst and 6 boing the best I would say that the onboard profiler is about a 4. Better than some RIP solution. Fortunately the RIP/linearization/profile engine I use has the ability to do per channel ink limits so I can use high ink density setting on the printer and then back it down with the RIP and achieve outstanding reds if I need to. Most 10Pass 120% ink density with onboard calibration and my profiler generated profiles give me pretty good reds on most medias.

 

[eahicks]

Yes reds are a challenge with HP's Latex printers. You would think after all this time that they would have reformulated their ink to easily produce better reds given that seem to want to design for the more color novice user.

Really? I never could get decent reds on anything UNTIL we got the Latex! I've run Mimakis, older HP 8000s and 9000, and Rolands. The first time I printed something red on our L260 I was amazed. And then printed some greys and was more amazed. You gotta have correct profiles, yes, but also having the correct colors in your software is the beginning.

 

[TheSnowman]

Updating the profile didn't do me any good. Just putting some calls in now to places I can find online to see what my options are. I'll probably end up just using Advantage. They've always stood behind their products, so I'd at least know I wasn't going to have this problem again and be on my own.