HP Designjet Z3200PS Printer Series - Align the printheads

Precise alignment between printheads is essential for accurate colors, smooth color transitions and sharp edges in graphical elements. Your printer has an automatic printhead alignment process which runs whenever a printhead has been accessed or replaced.

In cases where the paper has jammed, you have used a custom paper, or are experiencing problems with color accuracy, see Color management; you may need to align the printheads.

note:

If the paper has jammed, it is recommended that you reinsert the printheads and initiate the realignment procedure with the Image Quality Maintenance menu .

note:

Photo paper is recommended for the best quality; plain, bond and thin coated papers provide acceptable but marginal results.

Do not use transparent or semi-transparent paper to align the printheads.

1. If the realignment process is running and the wrong paper is loaded, press the Cancel key on the front panel.
   Do not print if the realignment process has been canceled. You can restart the alignment with the Image Quality Maintenance menu procedure.
2. Load the paper you wish to use, see Paper handling. You can use a roll or cut sheet, however, it must be A3 landscape or larger (420 by 297 mm). Photo paper is recommended for the best results.

   note:

   If you are using an A3 cut sheet, ensure it is loaded so the larger side feeds into the printer.

   Do not use transparent or semi-transparent paper to align the printheads.
3. Remove and re-insert all the printheads, see Remove a printhead and Insert a printhead. This starts the printhead alignment procedure.
4. Ensure the transparent window is closed, as a strong light source near the printer during printhead realignment can affect alignment.
   Figure : Closing the window
   
5. The process takes about six minutes. Wait until the front-panel display shows the process complete before using the printer.

   note:

   The printer prints a calibration image. Do not worry about the image. The front-panel display shows any errors in the process.

1. Load the paper you wish to use, see Paper handling. You can use a roll or cut sheet, however, it must be A3 landscape or larger (420 by 297 mm). Photo paper is recommended for the best results; plain, bond and thin coated papers provide acceptable but marginal results.

   note:

   If you are using an A3 cut sheet, ensure it is loaded so the larger side feeds into the printer.

   Do not use transparent or semi-transparent paper to align the printheads.
2. From the front panel, select the Image Quality Maintenance menu icon , then Align printheads. The printer checks to see if it has enough paper to run the realignment.
3. If the loaded paper is satisfactory, the printer runs the realignment and prints a realignment pattern. Ensure the transparent window is closed, as a strong light source near the printer during printhead realignment can affect alignment.
   Figure : Closing the window
   
4. The process takes about six minutes. Wait until the front-panel display shows the process complete before using the printer.

If the alignment process fails, a 'Scanning problems' message appears on the front panel. This means that the alignment has not completed successfully. Therefore the printer is not aligned and the alignment should be repeated before printing with good image quality. The problem may be due to:

• The paper used was not valid, repeat the alignment with valid paper
• Printhead health problems, clean printheads, see Clean the printheads
• The alignment was done with the transparent window open, repeat the alignment with the window closed

If the problem persists after using valid paper, cleaning the printheads and keeping the window closed, there may be a failure in the scanning system needing reparation or the printheads, although clean, may not work and need to be replaced.