Testing a 10ps/20ps with BestColor
Testing a 10ps/20ps with BestColor
- Subject: Testing a 10ps/20ps with BestColor
- From: Roberto Michelena <email@hidden>
- Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 19:24:25 -0500
List,
Got a 20ps here, "Early Unit". Latin America will still release next year...
Also got BestColor 4.5.2, that supports this printer. What's more, it's the
"ScreenProof" version and it supports Screened Bitmap Proofing in this HP.
Some findings:
- Took some intrincate navigation in HP's support site to get the
Manteinance Utility and latest firmware. There are no "OS native" (GDI for
Windows or Quickdraw for Mac) drivers, so it's either the RIP or a special
"Office Driver" to print from Microsoft Office apps, that probably just
feeds the rip anyway.
- Head alignment takes 3 entire sheets of paper (prints a big pattern), and
a whooping 10 minutes or more (not the 5 it says). But it's fully automatic,
no need to stand by. It prints, reads, prints again, reads again, so on. I
wonder if it uses the same sensors for alignment as it uses for calibration.
- Ink color is very good. Doesn't seem to be much fluorescence in the inks,
we'll see tomorrow when I do the first profile.
- It's very linear out of the box, raw. I mean, performing a Base
Linearization in BestColor, the curves came out very flat overall and visual
densities do not "max out" at 85% or so as the Epson 5000 does. You can see
a difference between 95% and 100% in all colors, even yellow. I cut down to
95% nevertheless for future's sake.
- I won't be able to make valid speed tests, since I'm driving it USB. Don't
have a supported network card at hand. Pity it doesn't sport a FireWire
interfase!
-- Roberto Michelena
EOS S.A.
Lima, Peru