The photographer's dream machine
HP's Designjet Z3200 wide-format aqueous-based printer duo encapsulates every feature needed to produce high quality accurate results.
HP's knowledge of digital processes lies behind the organisation's success across all display and print markets. Today this extends across every type of ink technology and, in wide-format terms, this includes the latest UV-curable products designed for industrial strength production. However, the company never loses sight of the sector where photography and fine art play an important role and where inkjet printing has moved into an accepted method of producing large sizes of output. This has opened new doors to bureaux and photographers alike with the ease of use of machines, the removal of chemicals and the speed with which a digital original can be transferred into a printed result.
Amongst the other benefits of wide-format inkjet production, and the way in which HP has developed its aqueous-based systems, is the ability for users to print to order. No longer is it necessary to produce high volumes of photographic or fine art prints; today it is commonplace for users to output one-offs of a work, and there's nothing to stop them offering a range of sizes or, even, different types of material for individual sales. This versatility is only dictated and controlled by the quality of the original and, even then, software can be used to enhance images and enable high quality output even at large sizes.
HP's involvement with the photographic and fine art markets led to the development of its current aqueous-based systems. As the flagship product of its range for the photographic market, the wide-format HP Designjet Z3200 was designed from the ground up to be a tough workhorse capable of being used with a wide range of materials and producing exacting standards of output which satisfy even the most discerning user. The company decided to opt for 610 mm (24 inch) and 1117 mm (44 inch) widths to encompass a good range of sizes likely to be required by photographers and fine artists wanting to increase the dimensions of their work, but the sensible design of the printer and its ergonomic construction means that it isn't a cumbersome piece of kit.
This printer supersedes the earlier Z3100 but, from its outward appearance, there really isn't an appreciable difference. Where HP added refinements was inside the machine incorporating a subtle, yet valuable, ink change with the introduction of a specially formulated chromatic red to add pop and vibrance to prints on all types of material.
The HP Designjet Z3200 uses the company's proprietary Vivera twelve colour ink-set and these are pigment-based to provide stability and good colour density on all materials. These inks were designed and formulated to behave particularly well with HP's own papers but they also perform admirably with many of the specialist photographic materials which are available for wide-format digital printer users. This opens up the doors to users wanting to create work onto some non-standard media which can produce fascinating and innovative results.
Photographers and fine artists are always concerned about the longevity and archival properties of the inks they are using and, with the Designjet Z3200, they can rest assured that image permanence from Vivera inks has been top of the list along with brilliant colours and accuracy in reproduction. One of the company's strengths lies in the fact that it has its own labs in California and Oregon where all of its inks are tested throughout every kind of environment prior to coming to market. Not surprisingly, HP also submits its products to the renowned Wilhelm Imaging Research facility whose procedures are now acknowledged as providing the de facto standard when it comes to fade resistance and life expectancy.
The importance of the inks is as relevant to the speed and the quality which can be realised using the Z3200. Unlike many displays and posters, photographs and fine art prints are designed and intended to have a very long life. In the days of analogue processing, this was dependent on the chemicals and papers being used; we've all witnessed faded old photographs which might have been taken more than a century ago but which have suffered over time because of exposure to light and the atmosphere.
One of the joys of using the HP Designjet Z3200 lies in the knowledge that, using approved media and Vivera inks, the results will last up to 200 years but this has been achieved by HP labs emulating typical conditions within which a photographic print is intended to exist. Considerations include humidity and temperature changes, reactions to artificial and natural light ranging from a typical home or commercial environment where a picture might be placed, through to coping with the effects of the sun's rays and associated UV exposure.
To give an added quality of finish, there's a gloss enhancer which can be used across the whole sheet or just on the printed area and this has the advantage on glossy and satin papers of improving overall appearance as well as minimising bronzing. End customers buying a photographic printed on a wide-format machine will probably give little thought to the technology which goes into every ink and material but this includes making sure that the finished result looks as good in all lighting conditions.
Installing and using the printer is easy, including cut sheets as well as from rolls, but HP has made sure that what's included in the box is everything needed to get going, including a USB cable and a start-up kit including printer software. A choice of connectivity has also been taken into account, with most users wanting the benefits of proper networking capabilities rather than just having to rely on a USB port. Adding the Designjet Z3200 to an existing network is quick and automatic on both Macintosh and Windows platforms where, being able to 'talk to' the printer means that the operator can be kept fully aware of ink and media status and, even, the profiling being used. This printer utility contains all the information and options likely to be needed including support and troubleshooting.
HP has taken its Designjet Z3200 one step further and acknowledged that calibration and profiling are also important elements for this market sector where accuracy is absolutely vital. The onboard spectrophotometer is the result of collaboration with X-Rite to make sure that the reliability and accuracy needed by users are met but that ease of use has also been incorporated.
The integration of HP's DreamColour technologies results in the development of a system that has been designed to deliver the highest levels of colour consistency across a series of devices. Its inclusion within the Designjet Z3200 means that this printer's quality of output is guaranteed, simplifying accurate colour matching to prints or digital sources for predictable results.
As well as being suitable for use with most industry Rips, the HP Designjet Z3200 is also ideal with products developed specifically for the photographic market. These lower cost options incorporate the features needed, such as organising, batching and nesting images, with typical examples being Shiraz Software's Focus and EFI's eXpress both of which are available for Macintosh and Windows platforms running Snow Leopard and Windows 7 respectively.
Despite its feature-rich capabilities, the HP Designjet Z3200 is extremely modestly priced for a wide-format printer that encompasses all the needs for photographers wanting to output prints of all sizes onto a broad variety of different materials. Prices start at an RRP of ?3,280 with additional options including an onboard Adobe Rip and advanced profiling solutions.
Whilst this machine finds favour amongst display producers and bureaux, it is also sensibly positioned for users who prefer the convenience of having their own facilities in-house. Its ease of set-up and use is continuing to attract professionals who want to control their entire workflow, from original shot, through software manipulation to final output.