Digital BW, The Print

>I'm not being facetious. I use the 7600 like this. I've got
seven
"heads" to work with. Using Cone's Piezotone inks, I've got two
sets of
gray inks (selenium and warm neutral in this case) which share a
common
black. When I print, I use just four "heads" at a time.
Invariably, when
I print something big that takes a fair amount of time (half and
hour or
more), the "heads" that are not being used clog up. This in a
closed
room with a humidifier sitting right next to the printer so that
it is
always 50% RH.

Now, if you could keep the unused heads capped...<

Print a small waste strip of all colours along the edge of the
print that will later be cut off. I often use one on large prints
on the 9000 when the colours are not evenly distributed in the
image. Say a lot of black starts at the end of the printrun. By
keeping the heads working before they get to the real job there
is less waste in prints. With a margin around the image it even
gets better as the waste strip can start at the edge of the print
and the heads are primed before the image starts. If more prints
are done after another on the roll the waste strip can run
through. The colour lines are about 1.5 to 2 mm wide. It is also
easy to check whether the 6 colours are printing correctly before
the image starts and while printing. Keep the waste strip at the
side of the capping station so it will print fast. I've asked
Mike of Qimage to make it into a feature but he hasn't responded
on that so far. It is however easy to add a template with the
strip. I've made similar templates in CorelDraw 9.

Next step is of course to put a small webcam in front of that
strip and keep your printer in control.

Ernst