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CONCLUSION
The Z3100 is an exception tool, and like any tool it should be evaluated based on how well it accomplishes what is designed to do. Com-
pared to the other printers in the HP Designjet line it’s obvious that the Z3200 is designed from the ground up to be a “Photo Printer”,
meaning that the emphasis is on quality not quantity. In this capacity the printer is ideal for anyone looking to produce high quality color
critical work, this primarily includes photographic, ne art, graphic design, 3d renderings, proong and packaging.
For the photographer and graphic designer looking for consistent high quality output, this will be an enormously appealing product. For
color work the prints are as good as anything I’ve seen. The vibrant reds and greens are quite impressive and add to the realism and ap-
peal of color photographs. For black and white work, there is little question in my mind that the Z3200 produces the best output from any
OEM ink set in production. The Z3100 makes monochrome printing easy, as well as elevating the quality of the output to the point where
lingering traditionalists may now want to reevaluate their stance on digital printing. HP has a massive selection of papers that should
fulll the needs of most photographers and designers. The improvements to the Z3200 should also improve the printers’s ability to use
3rd party and speciality media. HP has also integrated all the tools necessary for managing color, ensuring that good accurate color is
easily achievable. This solution oriented philosophy will hopefully allow users to spend more time employed in creative pursuits.
For the proong market, color accuracy and speed are often the driving issues. The large gamut easily allows SWOP and GRACoL
proofs, but the real advantage should be in spot color matching. The pantone emulation built into the PS version of the printer is quite
good. While the need to prole a wide verity of media may not be used as often in the proong world, the Z3100’s ability to perform
routine calibrations should offer an even more exacting degree of uniformity between units, aiding remote proong workows as well
as validating the accuracy of proofs. The drivers also provide excellent job accounting and consumables monitoring, which should allow
the units to function well in multi-printer and corporate environments.
Dissected into it’s many components there are a number of minor and a few fairly major improvements incorporated into the Z3200.
What is truly impressive however is the end result. Not everything about it is perfect. It frustrates me every time I have to move the
printer away from the wall to load a roll, or the loud BEEP the printer emits when a sheet is loaded crooked. I dislike it when the printer
crashes and the amount of time required to re-start. Despite these few shortcomings, the HP Z3200 is a great printer for its intended
market. The Z3200 has addressed all of the major headaches associated with digital printing, while pushing the envelope in terms of
quality, ease of use and archival stability. I considered the Z3100 somewhat of a milestone product, and the Z3200 build on that legacy.
It has all of the advantages of a V2 product, meaning that the things that didn’t work were mostly addressed and the things that did work
still do. Color gamut has surpassed virtually any other printing method. The stability of the prints exceed that of a typical human life and
should now be the standard against which all other processes are compared. Monochrome output, once the entry point into photographic
printing, has once again been made accessible to amateurs and experts alike. Color management has also been simplied to the point of
being accessible for the vast majority of users. All of these features have been brought together with the end goal of allowing the user to
focus as much energy as possible on the nished output, a major advance if there ever was one.
STRENGTHS
Hands-Off Maintenance - Printer is always ready to go
Low Ink Waste - No need to swap black, no maintenance tanks
Color Gamut - About as good as it gets for pigment inks
Black and White Print Quality - Neutral black and white, low metamerism
Print Quality - Gloss enhancer virtually eliminates bronzing and gloss differential
Good Drivers - Easy to use, allows for easy job tracking
On-Board Spectrophotometer - Allows automated ICC creation, proling system is easy and well designed
V2 Product - Building on lessons learned from Z3100, the Z3200 is a more rened product
Firmware Upgrades - Add functionality and evolve color gamut
WEAKNESSES
Speed - Quality over quantity
Ink Tank Size - Limited to 130 ml tanks
Paper Feed System - Rear loading system is a hassle, can not handle media over .8mm thick
Paper Advance - Roller system not as elegant as vacuum system
Firmware Upgrades - Large updates that have required reproling media at times
Startup time - Takes a long time to restart