Paper handling | HP® Customer Support

General advice

Before starting a paper loading process, it is important to ensure you have enough room at the front of the printer.

CAUTION:

Make sure the printer wheels are locked (the brake lever is pressed down) to prevent the printer from moving.

CAUTION:

All paper must be 432 mm17 in or longer.

Tip:

For photo paper wear cotton gloves to avoid transferring oils onto the paper.

CAUTION:

Keep the basket closed throughout the loading process.

Loading methods

There are two options available to load paper: auto-feed or assisted feed.

Auto-feed

The printer will prompt you to select paper type and length while the paper is being loaded.

Note:

If the printer is idle, you can skip the steps 1 to 5 and go directly to step 6.

Go to the front panel and tap Paper.
Tap Load for the corresponding paper source, then Paper.
Select your Paper type.
Select your Loading method.
Tap Autofeed & auto-deskew (Default).
Open the loading station.
Pull the lever to unlock the left-hand hub.
Move the left-hand hub to the left, and place the paper roll onto the loading table.

Important:
Make sure paper is orientated as you see in the image.
Push the right-hand hub into the roll’s core until it makes contact with the blue disk.
Push the left-hand hub into the roll’s core until it makes contact with the blue disk.
Pull the lever down to close the left-hand hub.
Check that the ends of the roll are compact and flat.
Close the loading station.

Assisted feed

Automatic paper loading may fail when thin paper like plain or coated jumbo rolls are used. When this happens the printer asks you to use assisted feed to load paper.

Tip:

Bending the right-hand side of the paper's leading edge a little before you load helps the printer to detect, and automatically load it.

Go to the front panel and tap Paper.
Tap Load for the corresponding paper source, then Paper.
Select your Paper type.
Select your Loading method.
Tap Assisted feed.
Open the loading station.
Pull the lever to unlock the left-hand hub.
Move the left-hand hub to the left, and place the paper roll onto the loading table.

Important:
Make sure paper is orientated as you see in the image.
Check that the ends of the roll are compact and flat.
Push the right-hand hub into the roll’s core until it makes contact with the blue disk.
Push the left-hand hub into the roll’s core until it makes contact with the blue disk.
Pull the lever down to close the left-hand hub.
Close the loading station.
Turn the hub in the direction shown to insert the paper edge into the paper feed area.
Continue to turn the hub to feed the paper until you see it in the print zone.

Load a roll into the printer

There are two options available to load a roll: from the front panel, or directly in the printer.

From the front panel

When the user wants to load the paper starting from the front panel.

Go to the front panel and tap Paper, then tap the Settings icon .
In the Paper source tab, tap Paper type.
Tap Paper, then select Paper type.
Enter the length and choose the loading method.
Open the roll feeding bar, and load the paper.

Directly in the printer

When the user wants to load the paper first, and then define the settings in the front panel.

Open the roll feeding bar.
Close the roll feeding bar.
In the front panel, tap Paper, then select Paper type.
Enter the length.

Note:

If you have a take-up reel accessory or multifunction roll, then HP recommends you move the diverters to the upper position to prevent paper getting into the accessory. See Paper gets into the lower module.

Unload a roll

To unload a roll, go to the front panel and follow instructions.

Use the take-up reel

When using the take-up reel, make sure you have the correct core installed; 2-inch or 3-inch.

Attach before printing

It is important to disable the cutter before you attach the paper to the take-up reel.

Note:

Attaching the paper to the take-up reel before printing implies waste of material.

Go to the front panel and tap Paper, then tap the Settings icon .
Tap on Output options.
Select Cutter.
Disable the cutter.
Prepare at least three pieces of sticking tape to fix the paper to the core.
Go to the printer to proceed to advance the paper.
Tap on the Advance paper icon and advance until the paper reaches the take-up reel.
Press and Rewind paper icon to rewind and the Advance paper icon to advance paper to get the paper end in line with the core.

Note:
If you have a multi-roll accessory, the second roll has to be set in Take-up reel mode in the front panel. After selecting Take-up reel in the front panel you must lower the pinch arms. See Switch from paper source to take-up-reel.
Open the take-up reel.
Pull the lever to unlock the left-hand hub.
Move the left-hand hub to the left, and place the empty core onto the loading table.
Push the empty core towards the right-hand hub until it makes contact with the blue disk.
Push the left-hand hub into the core until it makes contact with the blue disk.
Pull the lever down to close the left-hand hub.
Wait until the paper reaches the core level. Attach the paper: it can be attached to the core inwards or outwards.
Roll the paper inwards or outwards in the desired direction and complete at least one complete turn before closing the loading station.
Close the take-up reel.
Roll the paper a little in the selected winding direction until the roll starts to collect the paper automatically and becomes taut.
When the job has finished, engage the cutter; tap on Paper, then tap the Cut paper icon .
To enable the cutter; go back and follow steps 1, 2 , and 3 again.

Attach while printing

You can send a job to print, and then attach it to the take-up reel.

Prepare at least three pieces of sticking tape to fix the paper to the core.
Open the take-up reel.
Send a job to print, then wait until the job is about to reach the core in the take-up reel.

Note:
If you have a multi-roll accessory, the second roll has to be set in Take-up reel mode in the front panel. After selecting Take-up reel in the front panel you must lower the pinch arms. See Switch from paper source to take-up-reel.
Pull the lever to unlock the left-hand hub.
Move the left-hand hub to the left, and place the empty core onto the loading table.
Push the empty core towards the right-hand hub until it makes contact with the blue disk.
Push the left-hand hub into the core until it makes contact with the blue disk.
Pull the lever down to close the left-hand hub.
Wait until the paper reaches the core level. Attach the paper: it can be attached to the core inwards or outwards.
Roll the paper inwards or outwards in the desired direction and complete at least one complete turn before closing the loading station.
Close the take-up reel.
Roll the paper a little in the selected winding direction until the roll starts to collect the paper automatically and becomes taut.

Detach

It is important to hold the paper when cutting it to prevent it from falling brusquely.

If the cutter was disabled, go to the front panel and cut the paper to detach it from the core.
The paper rewinds automatically.
Open the take-up reel and keep rewinding the paper.
Locate the left-hand hub and open the lever.
Move the hub to the left and pull the roll out.

Deactivate the take-up reel

You can deactivate the take-up reel anytime; while printing or when the printer is idle.

Go to the front panel and tap Paper Source, then the Ellipsis icon .
Tap Deactivate take-up reel.
This message will appear in the front panel:

Note:
This can be done anytime, while printing or when idle.

Note:
The take-up reel has to be attached again after.

Switch multi-function roll accessory functions between take-up reel and paper source

Simplify your operation, boost workflow productivity, and change between take-up reel and paper source with ease.

Switch from paper source to take-up-reel

Changing from paper source to take-up-reel has never been easier or quicker.

Go to the front panel and tap Paper.
Tap Output destination.
Tap the Ellipsis icon , then Switch source function, then select Take-up reel.
If Roll 2 is loaded, please Unload.
Slide the lever to the left.
Lower all the arms.
Ensure all the arms are down.
The take-up real is now ready as the Output destination.

Switch from take-up reel to paper source

Changing from take-up reel to paper source has never been easier or quicker.

Go to the front panel and tap Paper.
Tap the Ellipsis icon , then Switch source function, then select Paper source.
Slide the lever to the right to release the arms.
Roll 2 is now selected as paper source.

View information about the paper

To view the loaded paper information, tap the Paper icon , then the Roll icon.

The following information is displayed on the front panel:

Paper type you have selected
Roll status
Width of the paper in millimeters
Length of the paper in millimeters
Calibration status

If no paper is loaded, the message Out of paper is displayed.

The information is displayed in the Embedded Web Server (Paper tab > Paper Source, then click the card for the loaded paper to see the extra details of calibration and length).

Paper presets

Each supported paper type has its own characteristics. For optimum print quality, the printer changes the way it prints on each different paper type. For example, some may need more ink and some may require a longer drying time.

The printer must be given a description of the requirements of each paper type, this description is called the paper preset. The paper preset contains the ICC profile, which describes the color characteristics of the paper; it also contains information on other characteristics and requirements of the paper that are not directly related to color. Existing paper presets for your printer are already installed in the printer's software, these are called installed papers. You can find more paper presets with an online search or with the HP Media Locator.

Online search in the paper library

You can search online for a paper preset by using the online search function within the Paper library front panel menu.

The printer connects to the HP Media Locator database on the Internet and allows you to search all available paper presets for your particular printer model, including HP and third-party paper brands. Hundreds of different paper presets may be available, and the database of paper presets is continuously updated and expanded. You will always get the most up-to-date content in this way.

When the printer is connected to the database (this may take a few seconds), a list of all available paper presets for your printer model is displayed. You can browse the list by scrolling it, and get details on any preset by tapping its name. Besides browsing, there are two additional ways to look for presets: free-text search and filters.

Free-text search allows you to type in any text using an on-screen virtual keyboard; all paper presets containing that text in any part of their name or description will be displayed.

Filters are available for brand, type, sub-type, and application. When a value is selected for a given filter, only the matching paper presets will be displayed. For example, if you select "HP" from the brand filter, only HP paper presets will be displayed. The effect of using more than one filter is to narrow the search to the combination of the filter settings. For example, if you choose "HP" from the brand filter and "Self-Adhesive Vinyl" from the type filter, only paper presets for HP Self-Adhesive Vinyl papers are displayed.

Once you have located the paper preset of your choice, tapping its download icon will queue it for automatic download and installation in the background. You can select as many paper presets as you want for download and installation (they will be processed in the order that they were selected). You can return to another part of the Media Manager or another front-panel screen at any time after queuing presets for download, and this will not interrupt the download and installation process.

Once a paper preset has been downloaded in the background, it is checked and installed on the printer's hard disk. During checking and installation, a full-screen message is shown on the front panel. This message disappears when checking and installation is complete.

The new paper preset now appears in the paper library, together with all previously installed and factory-provided presets, and is ready for use.

HP Media Locator

The HP Media Locator database of paper presets can also be accessed from a Web browser.

Visit https://www.printos.com/ml/. This provides access to the database for different regions, printer models, applications, suppliers, paper types, and so on.

When you have located the paper preset of your choice, you can download it to your computer. To install the preset into the printer with which you want to use it, use the printer's Embedded Web Server. Click Paper > Paper management > Import paper preset.

Click the Browse icon and navigate to the paper preset file that you have previously downloaded to your computer, then click Import to install the preset in your printer.

The Embedded Web Server also allows you to export one or more paper presets from your printer for use with another printer of the same model. To export more than one paper preset at a time, select the paper presets and press the Export button. All exported presets will be saved in the same paperpresets.oms file.

When importing a previously exported paper preset, you may see a message warning you that the package is not signed (only packages downloaded from the HP Media Locator Internet database are digitally signed, as a form of authentication); you can either ignore the warning and continue with the installation, or abort the installation.

If you get an error message while exporting:

Check that you have enough disk space available.
Check whether importing multiple paper presets will exceed the maximum permitted for the printer (10 presets).

To install a downloaded paper preset

If you do not find the paper preset you want on the Web, you may find that it has been added to the latest firmware for your printer.

After finding the right paper preset at https://www.printos.com/ml/, or the paper manufacturer's website, click the Download now button and save the paper preset (an .oms file) on your computer.
Before starting to install the new preset, make sure that the printer is idle and the print queue is stopped. Installing a new paper preset will interrupt any printing that is in progress.
Start the HP DesignJet Utility or the Embedded Web Server.

In the Embedded Web Server, click the Paper tab. In the Paper Management section, click the Paper preset tab.
On the Import page, select the paper preset file that you downloaded in step 1.
Click the Import button and wait for the update process to finish. It may take some time.
Check that the new paper type appears in the Additional paper or Custom paper category in your printer's front panel.

Now that you have imported the paper preset, you can select the paper type from the front panel and from the driver. The paper preset for the new paper type is ready to use by your application.

To create your own paper preset

Before using a custom paper type with your printer, you should add a paper preset for the new paper. You can create a new paper preset directly from the front panel.

The paper preset name will appear in the printer driver and on the front panel. To create a paper preset, follow this simple procedure:

Go to the installed papers inside the paper library in the front panel.
Tap the Add new paper icon .
Enter your paper's name.

Note:
The paper's commercial name is likely to be the most understandable for other users of the printer.
Select a paper category from the menu. The paper category determines the amount of ink used and other basic printing parameters.
Select the appropriate settings: thickness, drying time, horizontal cutter, vacuuum, cutter, advance factor, etc.
If paper calibration is recommended, the system will prompt you with this option. Click the Right arrow icon .
You can rename, delete, clone or even reset the settings. You will find the paper name in the Custom paper category in the front panel.
Now that you have created the paper preset, you will be able to select the paper type from the front panel and from the driver under the Custom paper category.
You can export the new paper preset to your computer and use it on other HP DesignJet Z series printers, by using the Embedded Web Server:
1. From the Paper tab, click Paper management > Export paper preset.
2. Select a paper preset and click the Export button. An OMS package with the paper preset will be downloaded.
Note:
This page shows only the custom paper presets that you can export.

Generic presets

Generic presets are each designed for a whole paper category, rather than for a particular paper type.

Generic presets cannot be edited, erased, saved, color-calibrated or ICC profiled; but they can be cloned. Therefore, if you would like to modify a generic preset in any way, you should first clone it and then work on the clone, which is fully editable.

The printer provides generic presets for the supported paper categories: see Supported paper types.

Clone a paper preset

You may wish to clone and edit a preset for various reasons.

To assign a name of your own choice to the preset
To adjust the preset to the precise characteristics of your paper
To adjust the preset to your intended use of the paper, which may range from highest-quality printing to fast production output.

You can clone a paper preset from the front panel or Embedded Web Server (EWS). Follow these steps to clone from the front panel:

Select a preset in the Paper Library.
Click Clone to clone the preset, and enter a name for the new preset.

Note:
You can also clone a paper preset from the Embedded Web Server.

Modify a paper preset

You can modify a preset from front panel or the Embedded Web Server. To do it from the front panel: press Modify.

Then tap the Edit icon of the print mode that you want to modify; or tap Add new print mode. You can delete or change the name of any print mode; although you should keep at least one print mode.

Note:

You can define up to six print modes.

Note:

The number of passes in an existing print mode cannot be changed. If you want to change the number of passes, create a new print mode.

Note:

You are not allowed to create two print modes with the same number of passes, the same efficiency mode, and the same color saturation.

Note:

You can also edit paper presets from the Embedded Web Server.

To change the values, you must print a test plot. Check it and choose the number in the pull-down color-saturation menu that matches your preferences in terms of curing and drying. If none of the options are good enough, try changing the temperature and reprint. You can also change the paper advance settings.

Delete a paper preset

You can delete paper presets that you have added yourself, but not those that were supplied with the printer.

To do it from the front panel, press the Bin icon in the Paper Library screen, or from the Embedded Web Server in the Installed Papers tab.

Delete paper preset (only available for custom papers):

If you delete a preset, you will lose the reference to that paper in the usage and accounting information. Instead of the name of the paper, from that moment on you will see “Deleted paper” in the usage and accounting information.

Printing paper info

Enable the Printing paper info option to record the printer’s estimate of the remaining roll length, paper width and type. The information is a combination of barcode and text that is printed on the leading edge of the roll when the paper is unloaded from the printer.

Note:

The paper-length estimate is available only if the printer registered the amount of paper that was on the roll when you loaded it. To provide this information to the printer, specify the roll length on the front panel when loading the paper, or load a roll that has the paper-data barcode printed on it.

Note:

The barcode can only be printed with generic paper. Custom (cloned) paper cannot be used with this functionality.

Note:

This option can be expected to work only with papers that are completely opaque: it may fail with transparent or translucent papers.

To enable the Printing paper info option, go to the front panel and tap the Settings icon , then Paper source > Printing paper tracking information > Enable.

Note:

Enabling this option slightly changes the paper loading and unloading procedures.

Move the paper

If the printer is idle (ready to print), you can move the paper forwards or backwards from the front panel. You may want to do this in order to have more or less white space between the last print and the next one.

Alternatively, if you have a Z9⁺ Pro printer, you can move the paper, tap the Move and cut icon on the home screen or in the status center.

Feed and cut the paper

The printer advances the paper and makes a straight cut across the front edge.

There are several possible reasons why you might want to do this:

To trim the leading edge of the paper if it is damaged or not straight.
To feed and cut the paper when the automatic cutter has been disabled.
To cancel the waiting time and print the available pages immediately, if the printer is waiting to nest more pages.

Note:

The printheads are serviced after each print, and the paper cannot be cut until the process completes, so you may notice a delay.

Note:

Some papers cannot be cut by the automatic cutter. In this case, the printer advances the paper without trying to cut it.

CAUTION:

Remove the cut piece from the output tray. If strips or short prints are left in the output tray the printer could jam.

Note:

Photo and coated paper requires careful handling, see Print is scuffed or scratched.

Tip:

To move the paper without cutting it, see Move the paper.

Maintain paper

Always keep your paper well protected and well stored in order to print on it at the highest quality.

To maintain paper quality, follow the recommendations below:

Store rolls covered by another piece of paper or cloth
Clean input and output platens
Always keep the window of your printer closed

Note:

Photo and coated paper requires careful handling, see Print is scuffed or scratched.

Change the drying time

You may wish to change the drying time setting to suit special printing conditions such as multiple prints where time is of higher importance or when you need to be sure ink is dry before handling.

Tap the Settings icon , then Default printing configuration > Print retrieval > Drying time. You can select:

Extended, to set a longer than recommended time to ensure ink is completely dry
Optimal, to set the default and recommended time for your selected paper (this is the default setting)
Reduced, to set a shorter than recommended time when quality is of lower importance
None, to disable the drying time and remove your print as soon as it finishes printing

CAUTION:

If the ink is not dry when the print is removed it could leave ink in the output tray and marks on the print.

Note:

If you cancel the drying time during a print, the printer may not feed and cut the paper right away due to the printhead maintenance, which runs in parallel. If the dry time is zero, the printer cuts the paper and then performs the printhead maintenance. However, if the dry time is greater than zero, the printer does not cut the paper until after the printhead maintenance has completed.

Turn the automatic cutter on and off

To turn the printer's cutter on or off, go to the front panel and tap the Settings icon , then Default printing configuration > Cutter, and change the cutter option.

The default setting is On.

Important:

When printing with HP Click, enable and disable the setting on the front panel.

Note:

If the cutter is turned off, it will not cut the paper between jobs, but it will continue to cut the paper on loading, unloading and switching between rolls.

Tip:

To cut roll paper while the automatic cutter is disabled, see Feed and cut the paper.

Unload the take-up reel

Wait for the take-up reel to finish rewinding before you remove it.

Warning:

Take care not to get your fingers trapped.

At the front panel, tap the Move and cut icon in the front panel’s top bar.
Tap the Cut icon .
Remove the take-up reel (after it has finished rewinding).