RIP Software Change ? Running 5x HP Latex 3xx Series

[J4cko]

Hi Guys,
Couple of questions please :

We are looking to get some better consistency between our HP Latex L3xx machines.
we run 5 machines, moderate use, but struggle with consistency between the colour on all five.
We think something was configured incorrectly to start with, when we set our machines up with Onyx, and cloned and shared profiles etc.

We dont profess to knowing as much as we should about colour, profiling etc.
Our stack is :
5x L3xx series Latex printers
Onyx Production House RIP
i1iO Robotic Spectro X-Rite

We only really print on one media type, for 95% of our work

We know that when we clone a generic profile, and set them all the same density, and media settings, and run a test print from the control panel of the HP 3xx machines,
That the test prints come out pretty similar

However, when we do test prints via our Onyx Production House, we get varied results, with the same habit of certain machines leaning towards certain colours, irrespective of if all machines had brand new heads.
So something is wrong somewhere, in relation to how we have set up our RIP, our profile, our calibration, and how we have shared / cloned profiles.

What i would like, is a recommendation of anyone who knows :
HP Latex machines
Onyx RIPs
i1i0 Robotic Spectro X-Rite
Colour profiles, and Colour Management
We only use 1x print media, for 95% of our work, so only need the profile for this

We know we can find an engineer, or a colour specialist, but usually, they know some but not all, and maybe that why we are in this position.

On a side note, once distributor we contacted, suggesting moving to GMG / PrintFactory ?
Any views on this welcomed ( we are not keen to change ! )

And any recommendations of a genius, that knows i1 spectro, Colour management , calibration, and profiling, Onyx RIPs, and HP Latex !

thanks a lot
Jack

 

[balstestrat]

The most important thing is you make one profile on one machine with new printheads and then copy that OMS over to the others.

After that you just keep doing color calibration every week on every machine and replace printheads if any issues arise or usage goes well over 5L.

In Onyx you just have same color settings for every unit and that's it on that end.

 

[J4cko]

Thanks Balstestrat
Any reason why a distributor would suggest switching RIPs to GMG PrintFactory ?( apart from comission ! )

 

[balstestrat]

Related to just this issue there is no reason to switch RIP.

 

[J4cko]

Even though i've been printing for years, and am reasonably technical, i may want a bit of hand holding to be on the right track with this. ( do you or are you willing to do an extended zoom / teams, Teamviewer training session remotely !? I am not concerned so much about what the rate is, just about getting better consistency ) I am also wary of breaking our existing set up, as inconsistent as it is, we manage to get away with the inconsitencies by sending different colour jobs, to different machines, and as bad as it sounds, we make do. or are at least familiar. Whereas wiping the slate, means we have no idea which machine leans towards which way ...if any ! )

 

[jcskikus]

One note: the 3XX HP's are known, as many HP's previous to the 700 models, to have color inconsistencies, especially with the color blue.

 

[Christian @ Visual Graphx]

There are a ton reasons to switch to Printfactory; Better color, less ink, more consistency, heck even the ability to clone the profile and rebalance on each machine with out affecting the original profile. In Onyx you are stuck reprofiling everything separately (even if you clone them over) and linearizing runs the risk of corruption.

If you dont want to switch, I highly recommend you use XRites profiling software, its heads and tails above Onyx when it comes to color quality and ink usage. Just build the media profile in Onyx and then use XRite to generate the ICC.

 

[J4cko]

Hi guys, thanks for your feedback, much appreciated.

Christian @ Visual Graphx Really appreciate the heads up on PrintFactory.
( I trust what you say, as i have read your posts for many years ( was it 2CT ? originally ) )

I've been printing large format for 20 years, but my main technical guy who dealt with all the tricky stuff, and took a whole lot of the strain, passed away suddenly 4 years ago.
It means things like scripts, software, systems, RIPs, Profiling , Medias etc, etc, have all dropped on my door !

The guy who recommended the PrintFactory, is a guy i know pretty well,
but he is also a sales director...so selling is his bread and butter ! as thats how he makes his money.

I didn't distrust what he said, its more the learning curve of transition from Onyx to PrintFactory,
and associated up front cost, that i wasn't too keen on at present, as we are in a period of re-building after 3 very poor years,
so i need to look at costs and time on everything nowadays.

Apologies for my naivety on the subject of profiling and media, and i wish i could just nod at phrases like :
"build the media profile in Onyx", and then use "X-Rite to Generate the ICC".

I sort of understand, but i am using ChatGPT to iron out a lot of gaps at present !!
Thankfully it has produced me 2x docs, after a little back and forth.

Do you have any links to anything on Youtube, that explains similar ? or any other resource that you would trust for info ( apart from here ! from people like your good self ! )

I wish all this was ABC to me, but its not. I am sure i can get my head around it, but like anything, its always a struggle with even the terminology at first

Thanks again, much appreciated

 

[dypinc]

There are a ton reasons to switch to Printfactory; Better color, less ink, more consistency, heck even the ability to clone the profile and rebalance on each machine with out affecting the original profile. In Onyx you are stuck reprofiling everything separately (even if you clone them over) and linearizing runs the risk of corruption.

If you dont want to switch, I highly recommend you use XRites profiling software, its heads and tails above Onyx when it comes to color quality and ink usage. Just build the media profile in Onyx and then use XRite to generate the ICC.

If you do try Printfactory be sure and test if they have fixed the inability to print pure primaries. Very necessary if want good blacks with HP Latex. Also when I tested it there was no way to proof this either in the program or by create a tif preview.

 

[Pauly]

No need to change RIPs.

As mentioned.

Calibrate ALL Printers separately.
in onyx, get their gold onyx advantage. it has colour checker, which means you can compare printers and compare prints after each week for any colour drift. if you do, you can re linearise the profile and check again.