24 replies to this topic

[Charles Fox]

Moved from 2012 to 2018, having issues with printing plan sets.

Sometimes I can print a plan set, and sometimes I cannot print a plan set, running windows 7, HP 500 designjet, the HP has a little age on it.

If I close softplan and reopen, sometimes it allows a print, sometimes it doesn't, the print dialog box doesn't show up when it doesn't print, no issues on a newer Epson desktop printer, any advice?

[Keith Almond]

We also have a HP Designjet 500 ... Normally we don't have trouble priinting plan sets, but we have seen some issues, so our workround generally is to export the planset as a PDF and print the PDF. Haven't had ANY problems doing it that way.

[Dennis Hilborn]

We also have a HP Designjet 500 ... Normally we don't have trouble priinting plan sets, but we have seen some issues, so our workround generally is to export the planset as a PDF and print the PDF. Haven't had ANY problems doing it that way.

Keith, when you print a pdf that way on your 500 does it print the same speed as if you were printing thru SP.

My HP T-2500 print pdf at about half the speed as when I print thru SP or Autocad.  I have not as yet found a way to speed it up.  Not too much of a problem if I only need a few sheets but a real pain if I have to print 50.

[Dennis Hilborn]

Moved from 2012 to 2018, having issues with printing plan sets.

Sometimes I can print a plan set, and sometimes I cannot print a plan set, running windows 7, HP 500 designjet, the HP has a little age on it.

If I close softplan and reopen, sometimes it allows a print, sometimes it doesn't, the print dialog box doesn't show up when it doesn't print, no issues on a newer Epson desktop printer, any advice?

Charles, does the printer give you any error message or what?

[Charles Fox]

No error messages on the HP, no print dialog box comes up on the computer when you prompt the printer to print, when it does print, the print dialog box opens, it loads, and the printing begins. 

 

I had to restart 2018 4 times before I could print one page of plan set.

[Dennis Hilborn]

No error messages on the HP, no print dialog box comes up on the computer when you prompt the printer to print, when it does print, the print dialog box opens, it loads, and the printing begins. 

 

I had to restart 2018 4 times before I could print one page of plan set.

That happens to me sometimes also.  At first I thought I was just pressing cancel or something but after carefully watching it's like an internal cancel.

[Charles Fox]

I restarted 2018, was able to print 1 page of 9, then go to print 2nd immediately, and the page won't print.

I was thinking this windows 7 issue, maybe drivers are old on the HP500.  It is like an internal cancel, any help from softplan would be great. 

[Keith Almond]

I'm running Windows 10 and using the latest driver I could find which is "hpdj510wx64glen.exe" from HP's site ... Installed on a new laptop 6 weeks ago, and it's running fine.

 

Don't notice any slowdown printing from either Softplan or a PDF application. All our blueprints are generally printed on the "Fast Draft" setting, and are perfectly clear.

[Richard Rubinski]

I'm running Windows 10 and using the latest driver I could find which is "hpdj510wx64glen.exe" from HP's site ... Installed on a new laptop 6 weeks ago, and it's running fine.

 

Don't notice any slowdown printing from either Softplan or a PDF application. All our blueprints are generally printed on the "Fast Draft" setting, and are perfectly clear.

Keith; Charles, I have the same Plotter (24") Windows 10. I always print to a PDF, then print to the plotter. Never had any issues except gaps in the print, that just started. Have either of you ever had this problem? I changed the carriage bushings that helped a little bit. I hope I don't have to change the whole carriage.

 

Rick

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•  IMG_3917.jpg   92.29KB   0 downloads

[Keith Almond]

Try running a print head alignment

[Dennis Hilborn]

Richard, was that printed horizontally or vertically?

[Jim Johnson]

I have the same printer on windows 10.  The only issue I have is when printing multiple copies, if "collate" is checked, it will stop printing after the first set.  Remove the check from collate and try.

[Richard Rubinski]

Richard, was that printed horizontally or vertically?

Keith, I have tried the print head alignment several times. I have thought about replacing all of the print heads, but I haven't tried that yet.

 

The Print Head moves with the red arrow on my screen shot. I just measured the gaps on the print and they are gaps about every 6".

 

Rick

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•  IMG_3919.jpg   87.27KB   0 downloads

[Richard Rubinski]

Moved from 2012 to 2018, having issues with printing plan sets.

Sometimes I can print a plan set, and sometimes I cannot print a plan set, running windows 7, HP 500 designjet, the HP has a little age on it.

If I close softplan and reopen, sometimes it allows a print, sometimes it doesn't, the print dialog box doesn't show up when it doesn't print, no issues on a newer Epson desktop printer, any advice?

Charles are you using this driver?

 

Rick

Attached Files

•  Windows 7 Driver 64bit.JPG   36.48KB   0 downloads

[Dennis Hilborn]

This looks more like a paper movement problem.  There is nothing missing just space added.  If some nozzles weren't printing part of the letter would be missing.  I parts of the print were overlapping I would think the paper transport was binding somewhere.

 

This looks more like a driver error.  Something is causing the paper to advance a bit too much every 6".

[Keith Almond]

Looking at the picture it looks like horizontal movement rather than vertical ... I would suspect the drive belt for the print head carriage maybe missing a tooth or slipping. Do you have anyone who services printers in your area? We had a technician come in and replace our belt as it was getting loose and beginning to fray. I was surprisingly inexpensive (in the great scheme of things) still not cheap though.

 

The driver I'm using is 8.1 - Our plotter is a Designjet 500 - 42" with a HPGL/2 card. Model #C7770B

[Richard Rubinski]

Looking at the picture it looks like horizontal movement rather than vertical ... I would suspect the drive belt for the print head carriage maybe missing a tooth or slipping. Do you have anyone who services printers in your area? We had a technician come in and replace our belt as it was getting loose and beginning to fray. I was surprisingly inexpensive (in the great scheme of things) still not cheap though.

 

The driver I'm using is 8.1 - Our plotter is a Designjet 500 - 42" with a HPGL/2 card. Model #C7770B

I changed the belt a little over a year ago. Maybe a cheap belt, I may have to get a OEM belt if I can find one. I'm going to put a red mark on the belt and see if it makes a complete revolution every time the carriage make a complete pass from right to left. If I can see my mark underneath to cover. 

 

I also tried it on my Windows 7 computer and it does the same thing, so I would think that would rule out the driver as Dennis said.

 

I wish I could talk to an old HP tech that use to work on these.

 

 

Thanks

Rick

[Keith Almond]

Thinking about it. the belt is one to one, as the carriage is fixed to the belt ... I think ... Rather look at something that drives the belt - although in that case it shouldn't leave a gap. More of a double line.

 

Just throwing out idea's ... in retrospect none of which seem to make sense.

[Richard Rubinski]

Thinking about it. the belt is one to one, as the carriage is fixed to the belt ... I think ... Rather look at something that drives the belt - although in that case it shouldn't leave a gap. More of a double line.

 

Just throwing out idea's ... in retrospect none of which seem to make sense.

Maybe the carriage is hanging up every time it returns for a split second. I'm going to see if I can hold the switch down that the door holds down to see if I can print with the door open to see if I can see anything. I'll let you know.

 

Rick

[Jim Johnson]

Here is the service manual for this printer:  http://rtellason.com...esignjet500.pdf

Here is the user guide in case you don't have it:  http://www.hp.com/ct...l/c00748239.pdf