Printer Diary

fine art papers

2012-01-05T16:52:00.000+03:00

To obtain perfect print quality, selection of “right” media is very important. There is no single suggestion that fulfills all requirements. Paper selection very much depends on the image, the scene, the light in will be viewed in, whether the print is color or black-and-white. It also depends upon printer you are using and having an adequate profile for your paper, ink and printer.

Best way to work with papers is to use a paper recommended by the printer manufacturer. Famous printer manufacturers offer a number of really fine papers. For home and small offices, it will be useful to use two types of papers. A cheap paper to be used for test prints and proof prints. A Semigloss or Luster paper might be good choice for this purpose. For high quality keep some fine art papers that you will use for high quality printing. These papers will cost more and need extra care while printing. Here is a list of papers that have given good results according to our experiments:

Matte papersMatte fine art papers

Satin/glossy coated rag papers

Satin papers with a very soft gloss finish

Luster/pearl papers

High-gloss papers

Specialty papers and canvas

Toshiba Printer Error Messages

2011-12-24T21:09:00.001+03:00

If an error occurs while using Toshiba multifunction printers,take an appropriate action with reference to the following.

402F: Paper size error.
This error means that the printer memory is full. You must call service center to resolve this issue.

4030: No print enabler/invalid.

Check if the print enabler is connected properly and it is inserted securely. Or check if the trial period is expired.

4031: Hard disk full for printing.
Too many jogs of Private print and Department code print are stored in HDD. Perform the jobs or delete them.

A221: Print Job Cancel
Someone has cancelled the print job. Try to print it again.

A222: Print job power interruption
Printing was interrupted by power failure. Check the power source and try to resent the print job.
Above mentioned codes are taken from Toshiba e-studio 3511/4511 user manual but should be valid for other models.

Error E019 on Canon

2011-12-17T18:50:00.000+03:00

Printer and photocopiers are designed in two different ways. The first type uses a mechanism that collects waste toner from the drum and sends it back to the developing unit or toner hopper to mix with new toner particles. This mixture is than utilized for further use. Although the ratio of used toner is very low, this method is not recommended for high quality printing. High quality printers and photocopiers apply another system that sends waste toner into a collection box instead of mixing with new toner. Thus only fresh toner is mixed with the developer and higher print quality can be achieved.

What is Error E019?
Error E019 in Canon copiers indicates that waste toner box is full and needs to be cleaned or disposed of. Failure to do so may result in background on printed pages. Canon recommends inspecting waste toner box after certain number of copies has been made (usually, but not necessarily more than 100,000). Be sure to dispose of the waste toner according to the standards imposed by the government concerned. Do not dispose of it into fire to avoid explosion.
Where waste toner case is located?
Location of waste toner case varies in each model. Usually it is located near the developing unit and can be seen easily. While it is difficult to discuss all models here, I’d like to explain Canon IR2200 as an example. You will find a plastic cover on left rear side of this machine. Remove one screw, detach the cover and take out the waste toner box. Dispose of the waste toner collecting inside the waste toner case. Clean both inside and outside of the waste toner case with alcohol. Don’t forget to clean the neck of the box because the waste toner might block the toner sensor path. Now fit the waste toner case back in the machine and mount the waste toner case cover with a screw.
Other Causes of Error E019
A faulty waste toner sensor may be another cause of Error E019. To confirm, restart the machine with no waste toner case inside. If it still displays E019 then most probably the sensor has gone.
Very rarely, a defective DC controller board PCB also result in E019.
How to reset:
After cleaning the waste toner box, turn the machine off then on to reset E019. If this doesn’t work, follow reset procedure described in this post.
Above mentioned description of E019 is valid for a lot of Canon photocopier models including Imagerunner600, IR1018, IR2018, IR2016, IR3300, IR1019, IR1023, IR2230, IR1024, etc.

E000 on Canon IR220-2800-3300

2011-12-13T20:59:00.002+03:00

E000 is temperature low indication. It means that the reading of the main thermistor does not reach 30C within 1 second after the main switch is turned on. Or, it does not reach 70C 2 seconds thereafter. Before you start to check the defective parts, make sure that the line power source is stable and meets the machine power ratings. If it sounds good, first thing to check is the fixing film. A thermistor is used to detect the temperature of the fixing film, faulty thermistor sends wrong signal to the control board and may cause E000. Check the interval between pin 1 and between pin 4 of the connector (4-pin) of the thermistor for electrical continuity. If is few ohm, the thermistor has a short circuit. Canon recommends replacing the whole fixing film in this case. Second reason of E000 is open fixing heater circuit. Check continuity between heater terminals, if it is open replace it. Rarely, faulty power supply PCB or the DC controller PCB also result in E000. I never tried to repair a Controller Board but in most cases power supply can be repaired by a professional.

SMB/FTP Scan Errors in Konica Minolta

2011-12-13T17:59:00.000+03:00

Konica Minolta and Develop Ineo Multifunction machines can print a transmission report (TX report) to show the document number, start date, destination and transmission result etc. According to the factory settings, the machine is set to automatically print a report after a specific number of jobs (usually 50) have been done. If you are getting a “communication error” message, you can also print transmission report to diagnose the problem. To do this, press [Utility] key, touch [Reports], touch [TX Report]. The transmission report is printed. You can find the result under “Results” column. Any of the following may appear here:

OK: The transmission was completely successful.

INTERR: The transmission was interrupted.

F.MEM: The memory capacity was exceeded.

NG: The transmission failed.

PT.DEL: The transmission to some destinations failed.

F.DATA: The size of the data exceeds the allowable limit.

IMG NG: The transmission resolution was incorrect so the transmission was ended.

Error Codes: When an error code is displayed, troubleshoot the problem as described below:

ED09C6:

The LAN cable is not connected, or the destination address in incorrect. Check that the LAN cable is correctly connected. Also, check that the settings for the destination address and port number are correctly specified. If you are using Scan to FTP, check that the settings for the FTP server address, port number, and proxy server are correctly specified.

ED09C7

The user name or password is incorrect. Make sure that you entered correct user name and password to access the destination folder.

ED09C8

The specified folder doesn’t exist. Check that the save destination folder exists and properly shared on the network.

ED09C9

The disk capacity is full. Free up the disk space on the corresponding disk.

ED09CF

The protocol is incorrect. Ask the administrator to deactivate the protocol usage restriction, or look for other delivery methods, or look for other delivery methods.

ED09CA

An error occurred when data was being transferred. Check that the FTP server is operating properly, or check that the LAN cable is not broken.

ED09CC

SMB transmission malfunctions other than the above. Check the status of the destination device.

EF0FCD

Available memory is not sufficient. Expand the memory of the machine.

EF09D0

Characters that cannot be used have been entered. Change file name.

Error 6000 in Canon

2011-12-10T00:24:00.001+03:00

Before some days a printer (Canon ip 4200) was brought to me. The printer was displaying error 6000 and the orange and green LED’s were blinking in 3 cycles. Service manual suggests that this is line feed error and parts which are likely to be faulty are timing sensor unit, timing slit disk film, feed roller assembly, platen unit, logic board assembly and paper feed motor. It was a vain attempt to check all these parts. Everything was looking to be fine but the printer was not functioning. This was strange because error 6000 is not rare in Canon inkjet printers. I solved it many times before. Spending a lot time brought me the success. The logic board assembly wiring was damaged. A wire of flexible white harness had gone open. I replaced it with a new one and printer was functioning properly. But normally this does not happen. Normally a bit of paper jammed in the feed rollers or a faulty LF sensor may result in displaying error 6000.

Error 6C10 on Canon

2011-11-28T20:53:00.000+03:00

I described in another post that inkjet printers use some kind of absorbent pads at the bottom of the printhead assembly when it is at parade rest. Canon printers (Mp 550, IP 4600, MP 110, MP 630, MP 3600 and MP 640 etc) display error code 6C10 when these absorbers are saturated and need to be replaced.

Best way to get rid of error 6c10 is to replace the absorbers, but if you prefer to reset it without doing so (in case of an emergency of course), you need to press “Power” and “Resume/Cancel” buttons in a particular sequence. Here it is:

Turn off the printer by pressing Power button (don’t disconnect it from the power source).

Resume button is marked with a triangle in circle, press and hold it then press and hold Power button. Printer will turn on. Do not release both button for at least 5 seconds. Now liberate the resume button then press it for two times. Release all the buttons. Now you are going to reset the absorber count. Press the resume button for 4 times then complete the process by clicking the power button again.

Reset procedure will only work if ink absorbers are not saturated. In case they are oversaturated, they must be replaced.

C2557 in Konica Minolta Bizhub Develop

2011-11-24T17:03:00.000+03:00

There are two main types of photocopier machines; mono component and dual component. Mono-component copiers need no developer while dual component use a magnetic powder called developer to complete the copy process. Toner is mixed up with the developer and later on transferred to the drum. Almost all dual component photocopiers use a reference level to control the amount of toner in the developing unit. Failure to maintain the required amount of toner in developer may result in poor copy quality or ghosting. Konica Minolta photocopiers display error code C2557 whenever a problem is detected in developer: toner ratio. Most likely this error will be displayed if toner bottle is empty. Konica Minolta recommends changing developer and imaging unit simultaneously in Bizhub 250, Bizhub 350 etc; if you replace only developer and not the drum it may display error C2557. Solution is simple, open right side cover of the machine. Door open message will display. Take drum unit out of the machine. Now enter to the service mode; press Utility/counter key, touch “Check details” on the LCD display, press “Stop-0-0-Stop-0-1”. Enter password 00000000 (eight Zeros), touch “End”. Select “Counter” and clear the life count of developer and PC (select than press C button). Now return the drum units to the machine, close right side door, touch Functions than F8 from tech rep main menu and press Start key. Start key will begin to blink and will turn into green when process is complete. Restart the machine. Alternately you can change the toner reference level manually to approx 180. This may increase toner amount in developer, so be careful while trying this method.

The ABCs of Screenprinting

2011-11-17T22:08:00.001+03:00

Legend has it that a contemporary admirer of Michelangelo's work with marble stated a question to the effect of: "how do you make such a beautiful statue out of a piece of marble?" Reportedly, Michelangelo answered to the effect of, "It's easy. I just take away the parts of marble that don't belong there."

Fast forward a number of centuries and reduce a dimension to 2-D. This would classically describe what a craftsman does in silk screening. At the very base of the model a craftsman takes a frame and catches a fine mesh typically made of a synthetic material. This mesh encased frame has attached with a pattern utilizing a thin-film material preventing Ink from passing through the mesh. Therefore, anywhere the thin-film is not the ink may pass through to the target material.

At a high-level, this explains the silkscreen printing process. If that was all there was to it, anyone with an eye for art could wield an X-Acto knife in the thin-film to create a pretty pattern.

Screen printing was first discovered in China around about 1000 AD. It didn't gain any real traction until the 18th century in Europe when silk became more available. Silk is strong yet can be very thin. That is probably why it is often referred to as silk screening. In the USA, it became popular in art circles when Andy Warhol created hit depiction of Marilyn Monroe.

I suspect the saying, "the devil is in the details" may well have been first uttered by a silkscreen printer. The bedeviling points come from the sheer number of options in classical silkscreen printing. As you may have seen in other articles here, 'Ink' very vague and nebulous term. We have already reviewed 'ink' run through an HP printer to 'print' replacement human bones. That research has successfully grown human kidney by printing with human cells. Considering this, it is little wonder that the 'ink' used in silkscreen printing can and does vary wildly.

For example I have a heavy cotton black sweatshirt. The 'ink' is specialized in several ways. The pigment had some sort of material that expanded when heated. This gave the graphics a 3-D relief. Further, the visible light pigments had a chemical added at the time of manufacture so the graphic would absorb light, and 'glow-in-the-dark'. The graphic is some frogs. Trust me, it really amazes a child under the age of five to see 3-D glowing frogs on my sweatshirt ;).

Screen printing has a lot more to do with our daily lives than clothing and curtains. Everything from the balloons to billboards, decals to medical devices use screen printing. Even circuit boards, and solar cells are created in this fashion.

Today, we're beginning to see actual electronic circuits that are printed in this fashion.

Whether it be an old-fashioned flat screen, a cylinder or a rotary press, these are often analog methodologies. Generally speaking, an analog technique is more expensive to set up, with a great return on investment. If you are doing a larger number of units. Let's contrast this to digital screen-printing.

In digital screen-printing, we can go back to our old friends the Pizeo-electric way as created by HP, or the bubble jet method with Canon as the creator.

Because the pigment must go through a print head, it cannot pack the density the analog methods can. If one was to want to print on the aforementioned black sweatshirt, it would require laying down a white base before the colored pigments.

You are carrying a serious advantage when doing digital screen printing for: prototyping, one offs and short runs. More than a couple of entrepreneurs have made the 10K to $200,000 investment to print, direct to garment. You can find them at carnivals, kiosk's in malls, or small retail storefronts.

Printing a human kidney

2011-11-14T21:09:00.004+03:00

Perhaps I'm being presumptuous and I am going to assume you have read some of my research on the technology, care and feeding of your printer. If so, you are already familiar with the fact that the print head is the heart of your printer.

Delving into our previous material. You know that the print head while an ambiguous part of daily life is actually an amazing piece of technology that delivers a spot of "ink" smaller than the diameter of a human hair.

If you have not read some of the other articles here, you may wonder why I put the word ink, in quotation marks. It is because the print head can and does deliver "ink" that is a bit more specialized than the stuff you're putting in your printer without a second thought.

Consider these examples. Using a specialized ink in combination with a specialized transfer paper, the printheads can take an image from your screen and print to the transfer paper in reverse. Transfer paper is then taped down to a specialized piece of glass, or ceramic, such as a tile or coffee mug.

The specialized glass or ceramic actually has a clear coating, not unlike a good solid lacquer finish. However, the finish when heated to a high temperature becomes semi permeable. When combined with pressure, the ink is forced through the now permeable finish, thereby transferring a full-color image. Once the finish cools and becomes solid again. Even to the point of being top rack dishwasher safe!

Another variation of specialized inks are sometimes referred to as 'museum quality'. The printhead delivers these inks to an acid-free paper. The ink itself is UV resistant and highly stable, typically guaranteeing about 100 years before deterioration. The end result is faithful reproductions of rare artwork can be displayed at many points of the earth, simultaneously.

Arguably, a glass trophy with full-color graphics, or a full-color promotional coffee mug is healthy for the ego. And believe it or not, the printhead is responsible for literally saving lives.

At a TED conference in March 2011 Surgeon Anthony Atala showed the audience a standard HP printer printing a human bone, which was then implanted in a patient in need of a new one. I would call that amazing, however his revealing that they're working on a sort of a giant flatbed scanner that would operate while the patient is lying flat on a bed. And their game plan is to scan an injured area, and then 'print' a repair directly onto the human body.

There is no concern about tissue rejection because the "ink" is human cells that have been grown using the patient's own cell structure. Lest you think this is some sci-fi idea, in this slightly under 17 min. presentation, a young man (Luke Massella) came on stage to tell the audience how his life was changed 10 years ago when he received a manufactured bladder.

The surgeon revealed a striking fact that 90% of people waiting for an organ transplant are looking for a new kidney. While still in prototype, Dr. Atala demonstrates live the printing of a life kidney, in less than eight hours.

Let me assure you, this is not some perverse joke. It would be unkind to make jokes about human suffering. Here is the link of the video so you can see for yourself. If English is not your strong suit, subtitles are available in 24 languages.

The Print Head – Demystified

2011-11-14T18:05:00.001+03:00

One of the better disguised modern marvels of our day is the ink jet printer. Without giving it much thought, we spit out words and graphics in a glorious display of color and black. Considering the fact that each bit of ink is deposited as a drop smaller than the width of a human hair, it becomes a little more understandable that occasionally they don't perform as we would like.

How the printhead actually works depends on your technology choice. Cannon likes the idea known as bubble jet technology. This uses a small resistor to heat up the ink creating thermal expansion so that a 'bubble' of ink is displaced. The Hewlett-Packard concept is to expand a piezo-electric crystal to pump a small amount of ink through the printhead nozzle, then pulling more ink from the reservoir when the piezo contracts.

Of the two technologies, the Hewlett-Packard approach is more common due to the fact a wider variety of ink types can be used. This can range from what you're probably used to using or specialty inks for dye sublimation to food. Yes, there are printers for decorating cakes with icing!

Depending on design requirements the printhead may be integrated with the tank of ink or may be either a permanent or semi permanent part of the printer body. The former option carries with it a higher cost since the printhead is disposed of when the ink reservoir is empty. The latter option can be expensive if the printhead is accidentally damaged. Some high-volume HP printers use a hybrid model of the two choices.

Clogging

The most common issue with inkjet printheads is clogging. This is because the liquid carrying the pigment evaporates leaving behind the solid pigment, much like a clogged drain. There are several steps you can take to minimize a clogging issue. It is considered best practice to allow a printer to shut down using the power off button. This cycles the printer so that the print head(s) are parked on rubber seals to minimize evaporation of the carrier. Infrequently used ink based printers should be cycled with a test page. Sooner or later you'll experience a clogged printhead. The quickest attempted fix is to run a cleaning cycle. Should that fail, a solvent appropriate to your ink may be required. If you printhead is of the integrated (disposable) variety, it may be less hassle to simply replace the assembly.

Alignment

Today is the rare inkjet printer that is mono color. Photo printers are equipped with four or more different colored pigments, each with the printhead containing dozens or even hundreds of micro-nozzles arranged in a horizontal and vertical axis. Large changes in temperature may impact nozzle alignment. Follow your manufacturers instructions if you are experiencing registration errors. Typically, this means printing out a test page with alignment patterns. Via the printers menu settings you select by the numbered output the most accurate alignment.

Storage

Ink should be stored at a temperature of approximately 70°F/20°C. Ink cartridges with integrated printheads should be stored in an upright position, never on their side. Following these two instructions, it is possible to attain a shelflife of upwards of two years. Storage of an inkjet printer requires that the ink cartridges be removed. Failure to do so typically renders the printer permanently nonfunctional. When storing an ink cartridge that has already been used, place it in a small plastic bag, squeezing out as much air as you can. Unless you're using a specialty ink, some folks put a small piece of wet sponge inside the plastic bag. Again, follow the procedure of storing upright.

The Printhead of Tomorrow

Ink-based printing is poised for a glorious future. Hewlett-Packard engineers have determined a laser printer cannot go faster than 60 pages a minute or about one page second. The challenge lies in the physics. In the last stage of the circular laser print process, the tiny pieces of iron coated like a M&M candy with plastic is transferred to the paper and squished using heat and pressure with two silicon rollers. This process is called fusing. The iconic engineering firm has determined an 8/2x11/A4 piece of paper cannot complete the fusing process faster than a page a second. The New York Times was HP's first 'guinea pig' for a new type of high-speed printing process. The printhead looks more like a precision water sprinkling hose as you might use in the garden. Unlike ink-based printing of today, which relies on evaporation, the new full-color print technology has a second printhead. The process is not unlike a two-part epoxy process. Part A is sprayed down, followed by a Part B chemical from a separate printhead. This causes a chemical reaction, and voilà, instant drying. In fact some of the self-serve photo kiosks you find in the store are using this technology.

Color Standardization

2011-11-10T17:53:00.000+03:00

No doubt we are living in a rapidly changing world. Each day, a new technology hit the screen to make our lives better. Before some centuries, printing press was considered just like a typewriter to print only some limited characters, but nowadays situation has been changed. Now they are used to print a wide range of documents including newspapers, books, advertisements, magazines, high quality pictures and much more. International Standard Organization has set standard colors to standardize the printing process all over the globe. Standardized color is the color that is output under the conditions stipulated in the international standard ISO 12647-2. Amongst other subjects, compliance is required for solid density and dot-gain. A printing company achieves correct results with standardized color when it follows the standard. The ISO one standard color specification includes:

1. SWOP (Specifications for Web Offset Publications) for USA

2. Euro standard Color for Europe

3. 3DAP for Australia. Later version now based on ISO 12647-2

4. Japan Color for Japan

International Standards:

· ISO 3664 Graphic technology and Photography

· ISO 12646 Graphic Technology- Display for color proofing- Characteristics and viewing conditions.

· ISO12642-1 Input data for characterization of 4-color process printing - - Part 1: Initial data set

· ISO 12647-2 Process control for the manufacture of half-tone color separation, proof and production prints – Part 2: Offset lithographic process

· ISO15930-4 Prepress digital data exchange using PDF – Part 4:Completed exchange of CMYK and spot color printing data using PDF 1.4(PDF/X-1a)

· ISO 15930-6 Prepress digital data exchange using PDF –Part 6: Complete exchange of printing data suitable for color-managed workflows using PDF 1.4 (PDF/X-3)

National Standards:

National standards are set by each participating country. Sometimes there are more than one standard in a country. Typically these standards are set for coated stock, uncoated stock, newspapers, magazines, web- fed printing and sheet-fed printing etc.

Solid Black Line on Printed Page

2011-11-07T19:42:00.005+03:00

Black lines on printed pages are common in old inkjet and laser printers. In this post I would like to share some easy steps that might be helpful to fix this problem.

Laser Printers:

Take the image unit (sometime called drum unit) out of the printer and examine both the printer and the unit for dust particles and toner. Most probably, a dirty corona wire/charge roller is the culprit. Clean them carefully, if they are not removable than change the drum unit with a new one.

Occasionally, a thin layer of toner on fixing rollers also cause this problem.
Inkjet Printers:
Inkjet printers most probably print solid black line when the print head has gone and needs to be replaced. Fortunately, most manufacturers provide some kind of utilities to clean the print head, trying them would not be bad before buying a new print head.

Spot Color

2011-11-01T17:48:00.000+03:00

Spot color is one of the two most popular types of inks used in desktop publishing and off-set printing, the other one being process color. Spot color inks, also known as solid color inks, are pre-mixed; unlike process colors in which four basic inks are used to produce different colors. Learn more about the differences between the two types of inks and other aspects of spot color printing from the following sections.

Defining Spot Color

Spot colors can be defined as the colors that require their own specific inks for printing or publishing. In other words, spot color can be defined as a method of printing in which each color is printed with its own ink. These inks are available in the form of plates and each plate can be used to print a specific color only. Non-standard specialty inks, including metallic, varnish, fluorescent and hand-mixed inks are used to generate spot colors. You can have better understanding of this printing method by comparing it with process color.

Spot Color vs. Process Color

In very general words, each spot color requires a specific pre-mixed ink, whereas, process color inks are generated using four basic inks: cyan, magenta, yellow and key. Popularly referred to as CMYK, process color inks can be used to create all possible colors for printing and publishing.

A number of factors must be considered while preferring spot color over process color. In common practices, printing where up to three colors are to be used; it is favorable to prefer spot colors. However, printing more number of colors using spot color inks may be an expensive affair. Suppose you wish to print 15 different colors on a document. This will require you to have 15 different plates if you prefer spot colors. Using process color in such situations will save the cost.

However, the accurate color matching produces excellent printing results using spot colors. Big company logos, phone directories and professional publications that require fewer colors are the best examples of the spot color applications.

Spot Color Standards

A number of spot color standards are in use in the printing industry, the most popular being PANTONE. The Pantone Matching System is not only used in printing, but also in the industries that manufacture fabrics, plastics and paints. Besides, there are many other popular standards for spot colors. Toyo is another well-known system prepared in Japan that provides spot color inks in America, Europe and Asia. DIC color guide is also commonly used as standard for desktop publishing. ANPA is another spot color standard worth mentioning and it is popular for newspaper publishing. GCMI for package printing and HKS for coated as well as uncoated papers too are widely used.

Pantone Matching System

Provided by the leading Pantone Inc., the Pantone Matching System (PMS) is the most popular spot color standard used across printing industries. There are nearly 1,000 pre-defined spot colors that can be obtained by mixing basic Pantone colors. Each basic color is recognized with a unique PMS number. The Pantone Color Chart is referred to by the printers to choose the basic colors and to use them in required percentages. The system goes a step further to allow the production of special colors like fluorescents and metallic.

Spot Color in Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator has special provision for using spot colors with or without process colors. Color swatches are the tools used in the software to spot colors at desired places in a document. The Swatch Color Library file contains spot color swatches that can be used on swatch palettes to produce different types of effects. Spot color to spot color gradients and spot color to process color gradients are two good examples of such effects. Raster effects using multiple spot colors and combinations of spot and process colors too can be obtained.

Spot Color in Photoshop

Photoshop is popular software that uses spot colors by creating spot channels. A spot channel defines the area that must be printed with a specific spot color. The area to be filled with spot color is selected and New Spot Channel on channel palette is used to choose the desired color. Spot color separations can be created using Photoshop and are designated by the designers.

Spot Color in CorelDraw

CorelDraw has Pantone Library that contains unlimited spot colors. Note that spot colors in the software are represented by a small white box with a black dot. Tinting, shading, fading and many other effects can be achieved with the use of spot colors that promise excellent printing outputs. Going further, CorelDraw also allows custom mixing of different spot colors to further extend their variety.

ISO 15930-4 for Exchange of CMYK and Spot Colors

The International Color Consortium (ICC) created color management systems that are universally accepted across different operating system and software platforms. The ISO 15930-4 graphic technology standard makes references to the ICC profile that defines complete exchange of CMYK and spot colors. The digital data exchange makes use of PDF 1.4 (PDF/X-1a) in the graphic technology for the dissemination of CMYK and spot colors in different combinations.

Creating Spot Color Tints

As mentioned earlier, a number of effects can be obtained using spot colors, tinting being one of them. Tints are created when a lighter tone of a spot color is required for printing. Creating spot color tints is possible by mixing a spot color ink with another ink of matching color. FreeHand is one popular tool that can be used in this direction. The tool has a library that contains spot colors and other types of colors. The printer makes use of a desired spot color and mixes it with a matching color to generate tints.

Spot Lamination

The final finishing step to spot color printing is lamination that enhances the durability of the printed job. Special spot lamination machines are offered by different manufacturers from all over the world. Remember that spot lamination requires separate lithographic films for different spots.

Problems in Spot Colors

The main issue with using spot colors is that it may prove to be expensive if you wish to use more than three spot colors. Another problem with spot colors is that they might not produce desired results with certain media like catalogs. To print company logo on catalogs, you may have to first convert it into CMYK format. Moreover, there are some spot colors that are hard to be matched perfectly with their process color counterparts. Going further, only a vector-based file could be used to print spot color logos. Pixel-based images usually produce less desired results with these colors.

Spot colors are desirable when you wish to achieve more uniform coating of ink and more consistent coloring. If you are concerned about better branding of your printing jobs, don’t give a second thought to using spot colors even if they cost higher.

Canon Error E000, E001,E002, E003, E007

2011-10-21T13:28:00.000+03:00

I described in a previous post that E000, E001, E002, E003 and E007 are fixing unit temperature error codes. Lets go into more detail now.

Fixing unit is a necessary part of every photocopier and laser printer. It applies high temperature and pressure to melt the toner particles into the fibers of the copy paper. The temperature of a fixing unit must be sufficient to adequately melt the toner particles. Usually, an electronic component called Thermistor is used to measure and control the temperature. If temperature does not reach to a specific level within a predetermined time, it sends signal to the main control board to stop the machine and display error code.
Fixing error codes should be reset by a professional only. Thermistors, heater lamps, thermostats and other parts must be examined carefully before resetting the E000, E001, E003 and E007.Failure to do so may result in severe damage.

How to reset E000, E001, E003 and E007

Canon IR2016, IR2020

Enter the service mode by pressing “additional function” key (looks like , “2” and “8” keys in that order. SSSW will display. Press “OK” key.

Additional Function Key

Change Bit switch 1, bit 0 (might display as the first one on the left using number keys) status, (change 1 to 0 or 0 to 1).

Press “OK” than Press “Stop” or “Additional Function key” to end service mode or restart the machine.

Canon IR2270/IR2870/IR3570/IR4570/IR5070/IR5570/IR6070/IR6570

Enter the service mode (Press “Additional Function” key, Press “2” and “8” simultaneously, press “Additional Function” key again).

Go to COPIER----FUNCTIONS-----CLEAR----ERR. Here you can reset all error codes on by one.

Canon IC-MF6530/6550/6560/6580

No reset procedure is required, replacing the fuser is the only repair.

Canon D860 series

Press Additional Function key and the “#” key in that order. Go to Printer (number 7), select “Set”, Select “Printer reset” and press “set”.

Canon Error 5100 - How to fix

2011-10-14T12:37:00.007+03:00

The root cause of Error 5100 in Canon inkjet printers can be so varied, you would be forgiven for wanting to find the Canon print engineers and poke their eyes out with a pair of chopsticks. However, deeper analysis reveals the art of compromise. Certainly, Canon engineers could put in so many sensors narrowing down the issues with the upshot being the printer would cost as much as a luxury vacation in the Caribbean. Let's march down the troubleshooting path and look at probable solutions and how to reset Canon error code 5100.
Paper Jammed
Odds are greatest a rogue piece of paper has nested itself in like a rat in a haystack. The solution is to remove all ink cartridges and hit it with canned air, or any other filtered air blower. If I have gone to this trouble, I usually grab an alcohol wipe and wipe down the shaft that the printhead assembly slides on. Next I'll spray a little WD-40 on a piece of microfiber towel and lubricate the shaft. I strongly recommend the microfiber towel for application. Flinging fish oil nilly willy inside your printer is a recipe for disaster, and quite probably a fatal one.
Set the ink cartridges properly
Less likely, and yet still possible is your ink cartridges need to be re-seated. If you follow the step above, after cleaning you'll be re-seated the cartridges anyway.

Clean the Timing film
The timing film is a thin piece of plastic which runs across the width of the devise below the drive belt. It has fine vertical lines running along it and if it becomes dirty then your printer will display an error 5100 message. To clean use a damp lint free paper towel and gently wipe it off. Once strip has been cleaned, plug the devise back in and see if the error message has cleared.
Corrupt printer driver results in Canon Error Code 5100
If you have gone through all this and still you have no joy, chase down the latest, greatest print driver and reinstall. Printer driver corruption while low on the odds list, can be quite vexing.
How to reset Canon Error Code 5100
Turn off the printer
Unplug the printer power cable
Press and hold the power button, and restore the power (a strip with a switch makes this simpler*). Depending on your firmware, you may have to also press and hold the resume button, simultaneously. You may get a one buzz sound.
While continuing to press the power button press the resume button twice, in short bursts.
Release the power button.
Again, depending on the firmware, you may have to press the resume button three more times, and then the power button once. If you got a single buzz before, you should get one again, indicating you have exited programming the firmware. The printer will then switch off.
Plan B to reset Canon Error 5100
There is a plan B however, it is at your own risk. Some clever Russian engineers have coded up Canon printer Resetters that can be downloaded. The software can create test patterns, cleaning, EEPROM dumps. Clearing waste counters and much more. And in these days of malware, I think more than twice about downloading free software from sources I don't completely trust.
If all of the above steps do not clear your printer of the error 5100 error then it is possible the logic board assembly or carriage motor has gone bad. If this is the case then you will need to either send the unit in for repairs or replace the machine.

How to Print Screen in Apple

2011-10-12T23:05:00.000+03:00

Apple is not a topic that has to give the introduction of itself and especially after the death of Steve Jobs (1955-2011) who was the inventor of this superb product. He makes the computer in reach of a common man. Apple has now become the top most and leading company of cyber world giving motivation to other companies who are seeking towards this business. Apple has got the easiest process of doing work with I-phones. One of their functions is going to be discussed downwards.

Print screen is the function of computer that helps remembering the task when you do the two different works at a same time. So, now I am going to tell you that how to print screen in Apple the process includes some steps that has to be followed.

A. Firstly you would have to go to the option of GRAB which will be located at the bottom of your I-phone

B. After clicking on grab you will see many options choose CAPTURE out of them.

C. After it an option will highlight named SCREEN when you click on it the next option automatically comes and that is SCREEN GRAB.

D. Now you have to do nothing just click on that option and an untitled image will appear at your screen. If you want to save that just click on save option and it will be saved wherever you wants.

As we are aware that apple has shortcuts for its every function likewise the print screen has also got a shortcut.

COMMAND-SHIFT-3 is used to select the entire screen but if you want some selected screen to be printed then you have to go with COMMAND-SHIFT-4.

So, as we read that the process of How to Print Screen in Apple is quite easy and simple we just have to follow some simple steps otherwise shortcuts are always there to help us.

Printer Sharing Over a Network in Ubuntu

2011-10-12T21:14:00.000+03:00

If you have more than one Ubuntu machines on a network you should definitely set up printer sharing for them. It saves the cost of having to buy a printer for each machine or have to move to another Ubuntu machine each time you want to print something.

Luckily, setting up a Ubuntu Print server and printing through other Ubuntu clients is very easy. The only per-requisite for printer sharing is that you need CUPS (Common UNIX Printing System). CUPS uses the standard Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) to handle print jobs across a network. You can configure printer sharing in three easy steps:

STEP 1: Installing CUPS

You can install CUPS through Sudo using the following terminal prompt:

sudo apt-get install cupsys cupsys-client

After that just enter your user password and the packages should be downloaded and installed in a few minutes.

STEP 2: Configuring the Ubuntu Print Server

Now that you have CUPS installed, you need to go to your Ubuntu machine, the one which has the printer connected to it. This will be your “Ubuntu Print Server”. You can configure it properly as follows:

· Go to System > Administration > Printing.

· The printer configuration window should pop up.

· Now select the server tab from the menu bar and then open settings.

· Once you are in the Basic server settings menu, check the box titled “Publish shared printers connected to this server” and click OK.

· Now right click the printer you need to share and make sure the “Shared” option is checked, if not check it now.

Now that you have configured the Ubuntu server to share the attached printer(s), we’ll head on to:

STEP 3: Setting up client Ubuntu machines for remote Printing.

The client machines are the ones you want to use to print documents remotely to the Ubuntu Print server. You need to repeat the following steps on every Ubuntu client (that you want to print from) on the network to set up remote printing.

· Open System > Administration > Printing

· In the Printer Configuration window, go to Add > Network Printer.

· Click on “Find Network Printer and then click on Find again.

· Optionally you can specify the “Ubuntu Print server’s” IP address or Host name if you are having problems finding the printer.

· Once you click Find, printers connected to the Ubuntu server should show up here. If they don’t show up you can open the Terminal and enter the following Prompt to restart CUPS and then check again:

· sudo /etc/init.d/cups restart

And that’s it; you should now be able to print remotely from your Ubuntu clients to the Print server.

A few additional notes:

You need CUPS on both the Print server and the client PCs for this to work properly.
It’s recommended that you assign your Print server a static IP address to prevent issues if the IP address change. Optionally when going to “Find Network Printer” in Step 3, you could specify the Host name to prevent problems.
This method only works for Printer sharing between Ubuntu machines. If you want to Print from a Windows PC to a Ubuntu server, or from a Ubuntu client to a Windows server, you’ll need to Install SAMBA which is another protocol you need to make cross platform Printer sharing between Ubuntu/Windows OS work.

Canon Error 5200

2011-10-07T15:20:00.000+03:00

Canon printers are one of my favorite print devices. I have been using them in my office since a long time and they work great for me. Before a couple of month I purchased Canon PIXMA IP2770 to print photos (By the way, I have a 12MP Canon ELPH 310 HS camera). It worked according to my expectations and I was quite satisfied with it while it suddenly started to show “Error 5200”. I restarted the printer and it gone but came again while sending a new print job. After consulting a canon technician and searching a lot of websites I understood that the 5200 error is the print head exceeds temperature error condition. It means that one or more ink cartridges gone empty and printing was continued resulting in printhead burning. Luckily a lot of canon ink cartridges come with new printhead so it should not be a big problem. Unplug both cartridges and replace them with a new one. Hope it will fix the problem.

An introduction to Canon Error Codes

2011-09-27T22:33:00.000+03:00

Like other brands, Canon copiers and printers are equipped with a mechanism to check the condition of the machine. It runs a check as needed, and will indicate an error in the control panel upon detention.

If an error is detected, the machine may be reset by turning it off and then on; however, this does not apply to E000, E001, E002, E003, E004, E005, E013, E020 or E717, preventing the user from casually resetting the machine when the fault is serious e.g., melting of the thermistor; otherwise, the fixing heater would overheat or toner would flow out of the hopper. If fault is identified as E000 through E003, the power switch will automatically go off in some models in 30 seconds if it is turned on. In the case of E004, power switch will go off in about 3 seconds. An authorized technician should reset E000, E002, E003, E004, E005, E013, E020 or E717. The table that follow indicate the nature and timing of detection of each error.

E000 to E399               Codes relating to the copier
E400 to E499               Codes relating to the feeder
E500 to E514               Codes relating to the finisher
E530 to E595               Codes relating to the finisher
E5F0 to E5f9               Codes relating to the saddle stitcher
E601 to E830               Codes relating to the copier

Canon Error B200, How To Vanquish

2011-09-24T14:08:00.001+03:00

The Canon error code B200 certainly ranks as one of the more common issues and certainly one of the most the bedeviling error codes a Canon user will come across. First, let's look at the root of the error message so we may bring to light the variety of possible solutions.

If you have read other portions of this website, you may already know of the fork in the road in inkjet-based printing. One path is the HP-based Pizeo-electric crystal approach. A Pizeo-crystal vibrates when electricity is applied to it. This creates a push and pull of the ink to the media. Contrast this to the Canon bubble jet system.

Imagine if you will on an ultra-fine scale, the rubber nipple on a baby bottle. If you have ever overheated a baby's bottle, you have already experienced the baby's forthcoming meal shooting out the top of the nipple like some miniature Mount Vesuvius. While the thermodynamic law in a baby bottles application is messy and annoying, Canon engineers use the principle for printing.
In comparison to HP ink, the ink supply for a Canon printer is much thicker and more like oil, almost tar like. Behind the nipple is an electrical resistor that produces heat. Therefore, the same thermodynamic laws apply, and a droplet of ink 'bubbles out' of the nozzle.
The resistor needs electricity from a high-voltage section and feedback from the printhead about what is going on in the active bubble land. When something has gone awry in this sub process, the service error B200 error occurs.
Service Code B200 Troubleshooting
Replace ink cartridges if they are empty
At the risk of stating the obvious (frequently not so obvious in the heat of the moment), find out if the ink cartridges are empty. When in doubt, try a new cartridge.
A data cable of print head is open
Did you just replace an ink cartridge? Perhaps you shifted a data cable to the print head.
Bad power adapter
Is the power supply (internal or external) failing to generate enough electrical juice to get the resistors hot enough for the laws of thermodynamics to occur (creating a bubble of ink).
Replace printhead if it is damaged or not a part of the ink cartridge
It should be noted that for the Canon printers that use a separate (not integrated) printhead, there is a finite lifespan to the dozens of microsizedbaby bottle nipples. Just like the kids bottle, the rubber/silicon nozzle does wear out.
Turn off the printer for some time
In other troubleshooting tips here at Printerdiary.com we have advised any inkjet printer not seeing regular usage to run a test print page. For those of you making heavy usage of a Canon inkjet printer, consider getting a coffee break, while giving your printer a break too. This will avoid saturating the printhead with heat, prolonging useful service life.
Update the printer driver
If you have followed all this and you're still screaming, "no joy!” From the printer menu (not computer) push the buttons to get a demo or test page. If everything is hunky-dory when you do this, however, you get the service error code B200 when you try to produce something productive, odds are good, the print driver the computer is using has gone south (corrupt).
When printing on a network, a corrupt printer driver can spread like an unwanted virus. Depending on the network, a driver that has gone rogue may be seen as an updated driver, which network will 'helpfully spread' as an update.

Konica Minolta C652 Color Copier Review

2011-09-17T17:30:00.000+03:00

Konica Minolta C652 is a color photocopy machine. It uses electrostatic laser copy method for copying and printing. Color copy/print speed is 65 for A4 monochrome and 50 CPM for color. It can magnify the prints from 25% to 400%.

The copier guarantee period is 5 years or 3,500,000 prints. Black toner cartridges prints 45,000 A4 size paper at 7% while color toners print about 27000 pages. Toner can be replaced by users in a very simple way. Just open the front door, release the cartridge liver and pull in out to replace with a new one. The machine does not recycle the waste toner, so waste toner box must be cleaned/replaced every 57000 copies.

User can change many other parts himself without calling a technician. These parts are prepared as a kit and should be replaced as a set of two parts listed below:

Imaging unit K + Color toner filter

Fusing Unit + Ozone filter

Transfer Belt Unit + Transfer Roller unit.

The machine is equipped with printing option. Print resolution is equivalent to 1800X600 dpi using PCL 6 c and postscript 3 page description languages.

Printer Problems, How to fix them

2011-09-16T16:32:00.000+03:00

In this article I'm going to explain common printer problems and their solutions. Before we go into the details, following advance checks must be made. Check to see if:

The power supply voltage meets the specification.
The power supply is properly grounded
The printer shares the power supply with any other machine that draws large current intermittently (air conditioner, elevator etc).
The installation site is environmentally appropriate: high temperature, high humidity, direct sunlight, ventilation, etc.
Levelness of the installation site.
Correct paper is being used for printing.
The units, parts, and supplies used for printing (developer, PC drum, etc.) are properly replenished and replaced when they reach the end of their useful service life.
Toner is not running out.

Printer problems can be divided into two categories:

Hardware Problems
Connectivity Problems

To determine the problem type, print “status page” from the printer control panel. If it prints without any problem then problem is in the hardware.

Hardware Related Problems.

Below is a list of common hardware problems. Printer troubleshooting, especially hardware repairing should always be done by a professional, however simple problems can be solved with very little efforts by end-user.

Incomplete Characters

Incompletely printed characters on laser-printed transparencies be corrected by adjusting the print density. Always use recommended printing material to obtain good print quality.

Ghosting

Ghost images appear on the printed page because of bad cleaning blade or improper charging of the drum unit. Ghost images appear on the next printed page if cleaning blade does not clean the drum surface. Drum/ photoconductor is very sensitive to light, so special care should taken while pulling it out.

Creased Pages

Most common cause of paper creases is damp paper. If the creases are noticeable, replace the paper, if problem persists check all the potential causes of misfeeds, paper jams and skewed prints. No hardware solution exists for this problem. This is simply a side effect of the process.

Black Pages

A broken charging unit causes a totally black page print. Try removing and reinstalling the print cartridge or photoconductor unit, the electrical contacts between the removable unit and the main part of the printer may not be connecting properly, otherwise replace the print cartridge/photoconductor unit with a new one.

Spotty Print

If spots appear at regular intervals on the printout, the printer’s drum may be damaged or toner is stuck onto the fuser rollers. Try wiping off the fuser rollers. Check the drum for damage. If drum is damaged, you must get a new toner cartridge.

Vertical White Lines

If you find you have white stripes throughout the printout, then the transfer corona wire is most likely the problem. There may be a problem getting the charge to the paper, resulting in toner missing on the page in areas. Otherwise there is blockage in the developer unit preventing a small area on the developer roller from receiving toner. Clean the path between the developing roller and the “doctor blade” with the corner of a sheet of paper if developing unit is user removable part, but this is not possible on printers using print cartridges.

Paper Jams

A misfeed occurs if the printer fails to feed a sheet of paper from the paper feeder. Misfeeds are generally caused by paper which is unsuitable for the printer, either because it is too light, too heavy, or too smooth, however misfeeds do occur with the correct paper. Old or dirty feeding rollers may cause misfeeds. Clean the feeding roller rubber with water and cloth.

Garbled or Corrupted output

If you experience corrupted output, it is possible that the driver has gone corrupt or that you have wrong driver installed. One of the best ways to find out if you have a bad driver is to print a test page. To print a test page go to the "Control panel" in Windows, open "Printers and Faxes", Right click the printer, choose properties, and click "Print test page". If test page is not printed correctly than you should try to reinstall the driver.

Fuzzy Print

Low quality or dump paper may effects sharpness of the printed image or the characters. The problem is not the printer, but the paper. Always store paper in a dry place to avoid this problem. Avoid paper that is too rough too smooth. Paper that’s too rough interferes with fusing of characters and their initial definition. If the paper is too smooth (like some coated papers, for example), it might feed improperly, causing distorted or overwritten characters.

Blank Printouts

There are two main caused of blank printouts in inkjet printers:

Low ink level
Clogged nozzle of the ink cartridges

If the ink is at an acceptable level, the nozzles have probably become clogged. To unclog the nozzle, dip a cotton swab in denatured alcohol and gently wipe away any dried ink. In laser printers a broken corotron wire may cause no print out.

Light Ghosting and Dark Ghosting

A variety of problems can cause both light and dark ghosting, but the most common source of light ghosting is developer starvation. If you ask a laser printer to print an extremely dark or complex image, it can use up so much toner that the toner cartridge won’t be able to charge enough toner to print the next image. The proper solution is to use less toner by using low resolution, changing the pattern and printing a completely blank page prior to the page with the ghosting image.

Confetti Printouts

Printouts with ink speckles, or confetti, always indicate an ink problem. Over time, ink can escape into the body of an inkjet printer, eventually finding its way onto subsequent printouts. To fix or prevent speckling, clean the insides of the printer with a damp cloth. Wrong Colors in Printouts Sometimes, a inkjet printers produce printing using the wrong color. Low ink may cause it, it the color cartridge are full than try to clean the nozzles with a cotton swab dipped in denatured alcohol.
Smudges on Printouts
Smudges on printouts are most often caused by the user touching the printout before the ink has dried. So be aware of it. You may also face this if printer is dirty or nozzles are worn-out. You must replace the worn-out nozzles because they can't be repaired.

Connectivity Related Problems:

Before troubleshooting connectivity related problems, make sure that

Your printer is the selected printer in the Print dialog.
Select it from the Printer pop-up menu if you do not find it listed.
Take care that your operating software is up-to-date.
Ensure that you are using the manufacturer's latest printer driver.
Try deleting and then re-adding your printer through the Printer Setup Utility.

Check the cable connections, line voltage etc.
The printer is "Online".
Wrong paper size selection in printer driver may also be a cause of print failure.
Printer and PC network cards should be able to communicate with each other to complete a print job. Check connectivity between both printer and PC. (see How to).
Spooling function saves the print job to hard disk of the printer in a queue eliminating delay in print jobs. Check the properties of the printer and ensure that spooling is enables.

HP Error Codes

2011-09-01T14:41:00.001+03:00

02-Warming Up Mode

HP 2, 3, 4, 2D, 3 D

· I/O Cable is bad or hooked up incorrectly

· Communication problem between computer and printer

· Bad DC controller

· Bad Fuser Assembly

· Bad DC Power Supply

HP 3Si, 4 Si

· Defective display cable or formatter PCA

· Bad Fuser Assembly

· Bad DC Controller

HP 4V, 5 Si

· Defective parts such as: Fuser, PCA board, DC controller

· I/O cable is hooked up incorrectly or bad interface in computer

· Bad fuser assembly

11- PAPER OUT

ALL

· Paper or paper tray empty or not seated correctly

· Paper tray sensor arm stuck or broken

· Defective tray size sensing or configuration

· Defective paper control or sensor PCA

· Paper cassette is empty or missing

· Tray 1 is empty

· Tray 2 is empty

12- OEN OR NO EP

ALL

· Paper path door or top cover open

· Toner cartridge missing

· Toner cartridge no seated in printer

· External fuser access door not closed

· Tab missing on top cover

· Bad DC controller

HP 3Si, 4 Si

· PS1 Malfunction

· Fuser bulb burned out

· Bad DC controller

HP 4, 4 +, 5

· Plunger missing on top cover

· Paper control P.C.A malfunction

· Bad top cover switch

HP 4V

· Front door open sensor

· Toner cartridge micro switch malfunction

· DC controller PCA malfunction

HP 2P, 2P+, 3P, 4P

· Printer door open

· DC power supply malfunction

· Replace DC Power supply

· External fuser door open

· Defective fan

· Sensor switch for the door is dirty or needs to replace

· Bad high voltage power supply

HP 4P, 5P

· Top cover open

· No toner cartridge

· Bad toner cartridge

· Defective interlock switch assembly

· Bad DC controller

HP 4L

· Part of the top door that pushes the plunger down is broken

· Top door switch is broken

· Not toner cartridge

· Bad DC controller

13- PAPER JAM

· Out of sec media

· Pick up roller came out of place

· Paper cassette not load correctly

· Dirty or obstructed paper.

· Work pick up roller and separation pad

· Wrong length paper or incorrect software paper size selected

· Defective exit sensor

· Defective input sensor doesn’t sense paper out

· Paper cassettes not correctly loaded

· Bad Solenoid operation

· Bad dear or dears in driven train

· Bad main motor or drive circuit

WSD Scanning and Printing

2011-06-28T20:52:00.000+03:00

WSD (Web Service on Devices) was introduced in windows vista. It supports printing and scanning and is available in several new multifunction machines. In this article we are going to learn how to WSD scan and print in windows7.
Go to Control panel.
Open Hardware and Sound
Click "Add a device" under "Devices and Printers".
Windows will automatically search for WSD devices, select the desired device and complete the next few steps to complete the installation.
It will also create a WSD port to use for printing also. Open "Add a Device" dialogue box, click "Add a printer", select "Add a Local Printer", Choose "WSD port" under "Use an existing port" drop down menu. Complete the wizard and your printer is ready to use.