AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Thanks, Clapperboard, for your encouragement. The plan now is for me to bring in an image file next week, and we'll try it out to see what happens on the paper currently loaded in the printer. If that works, then I will attempt to print some photographs for use in the classrooms. I know it apparently worked with the computer we have at the building, so I assume it might work with mine. I did read that the inks aren't archival, so I had hoped to print on canvas so I could overpaint them with a varnish. But if not, at least we can get some images up. And if we can reprint them easily, then if they fade with time it's no problem.

Clapperboard

AzPicLady You're very welcome. I'm guessing the current inks are DYE type not PIGMENT, hence not 'archival'. They can still last a reasonable length of time. Try to find the 'single colour' files for your printer. By using them you can sometimes 'flush' the particular head that is blocked. That saves wasting ink flushing all the heads. First time for now I'd say give it a head clean to get all colours fully working. The manual is available in PDF at: http://www.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00748239.pdf
Go to it girl! Have fun.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Thanks so much. Just so I understand, if the cyan is banding a bit, I should choose something with lots of cyan? Or the opposite?

Clapperboard

No problem AzPicLady. I haven't yet found the files for the HP500 Designjet. For my printers I have ICC colour files that are the 'prime' colours for my printers. Please forgive me for now telling you what you very likely know already! All inkjet printers squirt tiny drops of ink to print. They mix droplets to create various colours. Hence printers with more cartridges are cheaper to run as more basic colours means fewer droplets to create the colours.
You're right. If the Cyan is blocked, by printing just Cyan means you may flush that head. That may be better than just running a head clean of all colours. The reason for getting the ICC colour files for the printer is that ensures only the particular colour is used. A slightly different shade of the same colour introduces some droplets from other colours to produce the shade. That still uses far less of the other colours and saves ink.
I have been involved in quite a few printers over the years and have saved perfectly good useful printers from being scrapped. A friend has a misbehaving printer that I cured. He was about to bin it but since the fix he has been producing A3 photo prints for his wall for over two years. It went from an irritation to a beloved unit.
Your Designjet looks like quite an expensive purchase originally. I would definitely want to prolong it's life. I believe it can be a useful and impressive piece of kit. Larger prints tend to tell the story better.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Thanks. I'll hunt for just the right image to test those heads. The fellow who is working with me actually purchased a couple of ink cartridges (he said they came with individual heads). But I'm not sure if they were new. Looking forward to doing some playing.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Print what you can using your printer and farm out the rest to a photo lab such as Bay Photo.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Thanks. I'm looking forward to trying this out.