here is a link to a page showing the specific problems I had with my
7660:
http://www.geocities.com/markhahn2000/7660test.html
examining samples that two list members sent to me shows no evidence
of this type of problem.
mark
--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Radimus"
<radimus@p...> wrote:
> On my 7660 I ran a calibration and three cleanings. My findings
have
> not changed very much. With the quality setting at Best under a
loupe
> I see a herring-bone pattern of which an example can be seen on the
> left here:
>
> http://www.photo.net/comments/attachment/443167/printClose.jpg
>
> With the quality setting to Maximum dpi my output looks very much
like
> the sample on the right. Here's another example of what I see on
my
> prints at max dpi:
>
> http://www.photo.net/equipment/hp/hp7960/grayscalecompare1.jpg
>
> As you can see in that example, there is a definite pattern compared
> to the Canon sample. What I'm seeing on my prints is that the
pattern
> will appear as extremely fine microbanding. And I mean extremely
> fine. I need to view the print from 5 inches away to actually see
it.
>
> Something else I found is that the high resolution of this printer
> will bite you in the backside if you are printing from film scans
and
> have oversharpened the image and/or have hairline scratches in the
> negative. The former making the latter worse, obviously.
>
> Rad
>
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Radimus"
> <radimus@p...> wrote:
> > I'll try some of those tricks on my 7660 and see what happens.
I'm
> > interested to hear how things go when you get the new cartridges
and
> > printer this weekend.
> >
> > Rad
> >
> > --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Mark Hahn"
> > <markhahn2000@y...> wrote:
> > > I tried both, first the max, then the best, then upsampling to
> > > printer resolution... in each case it *changed* the problem,
but
> > > didn't get rid of it.
> > >
> > > Anyway, after hours of frustration by myself and then two hours
of
> > > frustration with tech support I returned the print, BUT I ended
up
> > > learning a few things about these printers that may be
helpful.
> > > First thing, the printer's calibration routine is not that
good. If
> > > you get banding after the automatic calibration, a second or
third
> > > calibration can make it better. Makes me think that the
calibration
> > > is some sort of initial condition limited control loop cycle so
it is
> > > hit or miss whether one calibration will actually get you
as "good as
> > > it gets." Second, there is an transparent acetate optical
tracking
> > > band that has to be clean so the print heads know where they
are. A
> > > damp q-tip is all it takes to clean this up and it adds to the
> > > printer's accuracy. Third, hp is apparently shipping a lot of
bad
> > > #59 b&w carts. After returning my 7660 to the store I went and
> > > tested the floor models 7660 and 7960 just to see if there
really was
> > > some difference with b&w. I used my newest cartridge which
actually
> > > gave horizontal banding at home and guess what, the store's
7660 and
> > > 7960 both banded like old one so it seems that the real problem
with
> > > my printer was that I had purchased two bad cartridges (from
two
> > > different stores miles apart!). As to differences, the 7960
looked
> > > much worse which I think dispells the rumors that b&w is better
from
> > > the 7960.
> > >
> > > HP said they will ship out some fresh carts so I am going to
try
> > > again with a new 7660 this weekend.
> > >
> > > So the moral of the story is that we still don't have hassle-
free b&w
> > > unless we spend big bucks:(
> > >
> > > mark
> > >
> > > --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Radimus"
> > > <radimus@p...> wrote:
> > > > Hi, Mark. What print quality setting are you using? I just
cranked
> > > > out a B&W print on HP PPPG with the quality setting at Best
and it
> > > has
> > > > what looks like microbanding going vertically across the
print (the
> > > > print is landscape oriented). Examining it with a loupe it is
> > > > actually a weave pattern. Without a loupe it has the look
that you
> > > > describe below. However, with the quality set to "Maximum
dpi" the
> > > > pattern goes away, but there is now an even finer
microbanding going
> > > > horizontal to the print. However, this artifact is only
noticable
> > > to
> > > > me if I practically stick my nose in the print.
> > > >
> > > > Rad
> > > >
> > > > --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Mark
Hahn"
> > > > <markhahn2000@y...> wrote:
> > > > > Ok, ...I guess they say that when something sounds too good
to be
> > > > > true...
> > > > >
> > > > > Have made a bunch of b&w prints with my new hp 7660. All
the
> > > smooth
> > > > > tone digital images print out near perfectly, but from film
scans
> > > > > the "woven" dither pattern somehow blends with the random
scatter
> > > of
> > > > > the grain and produces a hidious pattern of perceptible
soft
> > > > > gridlines which almost look like microbanding. Looking at
the
> > > prints
> > > > > under a loupe shows that it is some interaction between the
grain
> > > > > pattern and the dither pattern however. The problem
manifests
> > > itself
> > > > > most in something like a face in a portrait or other
smoothly
> > > shaded
> > > > > objects and vanishes in more texture rich images or grain
free
> > > > > images. By comparison, the posterization issues with my
1160
> > > seem
> > > > > rather mild now. I've tried upsampling to printer
resolution
> > > prior
> > > > > to printings which changes the output, but doesn't correct
it.
> > > > > Anyone else seeing this? Anyone have a solution? Unless I
> > > figure
> > > > > out a work around I will be returning the printer as the
output
Show quoted textHide quoted text
> > > from
> > > > > T400CN scans are not suitible for hanging in a gallery.
> > > > >
> > > > > thanks for any advice,
> > > > >
> > > > > mark