The present my adult children and their spouses  seem to like the most, whether for birthdays or Christmas is a year of paid for AMAZON PRIME! They love it cuz they can get free 2 day priority shipping, stream free movies and tv shows and hundreds of other premium free goodies. So if you are stumped and don't know what will fit and whether they already have one or not...just give them the gift of a year of AMAZON PRIME!

And if the kids are home from college over the holidays...of course they are, where else can they sleep til noon and eat for free??? Give them the gift of AMAZON STUDENT!

Or...if someone comes home and tells you that you are going to be a Grandpa or Grandma...sign them up for the baby registry!

Christmas is coming so I am quite busy refurbishing plotters between answering the door for packages and wrapping the presents for the family! I need to have a fully ready inventory because that week after Christmas lots of businesses realize that they just have a week to buy that wide format printer they've been thinking about and the phone starts to ring like crazy! 

This is the first Christmas with the darling twin grandbabies and I've been ordering cute musical toys because at 10 months they both love to dance, clap their hands and sing. 

I'll be making some favorite photos into canvas wall hangings with wooden frames for most of the family. I have plenty of plotters to do this with so I think it is time to make some for us...the customers always ask me about it and with the Designjet 500 and 800 I get amazing results! 

I'm also thinking about some vinyl printing to do some lettering on an old mirror.  I'll make the quote with vinyl and then cut out the letters and use the adhesive vinyl for a stencil. I'll let you all know how it turns out!

​Here's my favorite baby photo that's going to be placed on canvas -- we call it "BABY FIGHT CLUB" and the first rule of fight club is...

I've often been asked if we sell supplies for HP Designjets. The answer was no, until now when my partner website:www.ThePlotter Princess.com
came online to sell through Amazon the parts and supplies that are most requested.

Find them on the SUPPLIES PAGE.  You'll get the same great prices that Amazon normally charges and we'll get a small % of the sale.

If you can't find what you want, put a search in the Amazon search bar on any page in the Supplies page and you'll get what you want and we'll still get our rebate! 

​So, I am thanking you in advance for your purchases. If there is something you'd like to see on the supplies section just shoot me an email at susanlapakko@gmail.com. Thanks!

Through my 6+ years of refurbishing Designjets I've learned one thing for sure....don't believe anything until you try it yourself. 

I knew that if I printed a sign on adhesive vinyl it instantly became waterproof due to the way the ink permeates the vinyl and a chemical reaction that occurs. So why shouldn't I give it a try outside and see if it would hold up under bright summer sunlight at a busy intersection where there are no trees.

It didn't...the fade was dramatic and traumatic to say the least. 

So onto the next thing....I'm going to try a spray called Frog Spit.  I've been told it works great and sprays a UV proofing coat over a printed item.

I'll let you know how it turns out!

​If you are thinking about buying a wide format graphics printer so you can print your own blueprints, there are a few things you should know and think about.

I'm known as "The Plotter Princess" - not because I'm royalty, but because I know all about HP Designjet printers - also known as PLOTTERS - and how to use them for printing your own blueprints and graphics. I have a website filled with tips and tricks for users at www.MyOldDesignjet.com 

1. There's a difference between USED and REFURBISHED - Used is just that - used! No one has taken the covers off and cleaned out the years of ink and gunk. No one has replaced the parts that are worn, like the belt. You need to know that even if it is not being used, the belts are deteriorating with each passing day. Refurbished means it has been stripped down, cleaned out, essential parts replaced and/or serviced, everything lubricated, recalibrated and tested, tested, tested!

2. Don't buy from anyone who can't show you how well it prints - If they don't have paper and ink, if it is missing some essential component you may be very, very sorry. I get calls every day from people who did buy without testing and now want me to help them by repairing their newly purchased USED printer plotter.

3. Don't buy more machine than you need - If you are just printing blueprints buy an older refurbished HP Designjet. Buying a $10,000 plotter that will sit around 6 out of 7 days is a waste of money! Like cars, the moment you first use them they depreciate considerably.

4. Don't buy a printer that can't use expired cartridges and/or printheads - You can always find "expired" ink bargains online for these older HP Designjets, but buying the fancy machine will lock you into a system that will shut down if you use and expired ink or printhead. Really? Ink doesn't EXPIRE! Just like most drugs don't!! I routinely use inks from 2004, 2007, etc. - but that's because I use an older plotter from the days before they figured out how to put chips on the cartridges that have dates of expiration.

5. Don't buy from someone who won't take your call tomorrow! I will take your calls! Heck, I even take calls from people who didn't buy from me! If you buy my refurbished plotter, I will take your calls for years to come!

6. Don't buy from someone who can't show you how to make it work with your computer. If you have a Windows 8 or 10 operating system we can connect an older plotter, but you'll need someone with my years of experience to help you get it done. If you bring your laptop to an appointment, we will connect it before you leave. If you have a desktop we can connect remotely after you get the printer home and make everything work.

I have many plotters available today. Call me to discuss what you need to accomplish and we'll figure out together which plotter will work for you. If I don't have the right one, I will even refer you to a competitor if he has the model you need.

The neighborhood kids have gone back to school and the whine of jetski races is no longer heard on weekdays! Soon the whole landscape will be changing colors
and I will have to work to pull myself out of the chair where I can sit by the hour and watch the leaves gently fall!  

​We were so lucky when we found this spot on the lake in Lindstrom Minnesota! It is everything we wanted for our retirement home....
Lake, single level, handicap accessible and 100 different varieties of perennial flowers for the gardener husband! Oh, and last but not least -- An attached heated garage for my workshop!! Speaking of the workshop, I'll be out there today working on a Designjet 500, 800, 750c, and a 450c.
​ If I can save them and make them be good candidates for adoption I'm very happy. If I can't they still serve a great purpose by providing parts for those of you who need to keep your old plotters running. I work through the machine and verify function in each part before listing it on eBay.  

See my links to the eBay and Craigslist pages where I sell plotters and plotter parts:
EBAY
CRAIGSLIST

I just gotta say it...Bob Wert is my hero! He's the guy from LPS Computers who does the videos of Designjet repairs. I've learned more from him in my career than I have from all the manuals, blogs and tech support! He's cool, smart and tall enough so you can see him even when he stands behind a really tall plotter!  If you are needing to figure out how to fix a Designjet plotter, watch a video by him! Here's one on fixing a broken belt on a Designjet 500. I love this guy! 

A short video from HP reviewing Designjets through the last 25 years. 

Finally got around  to building a Plotter Princess account on Twitter. Please follow me for updates on issues with older Designjets, what's in inventory and help with common problems! Follow @HPDJPrincess

​Dudley's Answer---

Hi Susan, 
I got my 75C Plus working again. You asked for feedback if I got it fixed again, in case you come up against the same problem with another plotter. I replaced the trailing ribbon cable and the problem has gone. Of course these things always come in multiples, so my 1055 plotter now needs a new black printhead.

If you woke up to find Windows 10 on your computer and thus your plotter isn't connecting and printing, call me and I'll help you get things right again for a $50 fee via Paypal. Call me and I'll log on to your screen, download the right drivers and make sure you are able to print...then, after we've confirmed you are happy I will send you an invoice via Paypal and you can pay with a credit card.
​

I've recently helped many people  who found Windows 10 on their computers unexpectedly. So, no, you aren't imagining things and no you didn't accidentally click on the wrong thing...Here's what I've found:

"The Windows 10 upgrade is automatically being installed on many Windows 7 and 8.1 machines as a result of Microsoft changing the status of the upgrade to that of a "recommended" update. Windows 7 and 8.1 machines sold to home users are generally configured to automatically install these recommended updates."

Every day I read online articles that tell me the older HP Designjet Plotters can not be used with the newer Windows 8 and Windows 10 (aka: Win8 or Win10).  I say BS! I just today help another guy, Sam from Pennsylvania to connect his Designjet 750c to Windows 10. Sam asked me to log on to his screen and just get it connected.  We downloaded the drivers from this site which I copied directly from HP some time back before they took them off their website. Then I showed Sam some of the tricks of the trade...how to resuscitate old cartridges, how to use the USB connection and how to change ports when necessary.  When we were done Sam was printing with his old 750c Designjet! So call me today for help in connecting your older plotter to your newer Windows 8 or 10 operating system. I'll charge you $50 only if we are able to connect your computer to your plotter and get you printing!         651-247-3022 ask for The Princess!

How can I install non-digitally signed drivers in Windows 10? (see below for Win 8)
Windows 10 enforces driver signatures by default. What this means is you can download a driver from this site or others, but the driver signing requirement kicks in and "disables" the driver...you won't know it...it looks like it is there and functional. This is because drivers weren't signed back in the 90's! You might get a message that says something about a hash tag...but your downloaded driver won't work. YOU MUST DELETE THE DRIVER FROM YOUR SYSTEM AND REMOVE THE PRINTER FROM YOUR LIST OF PRINTERS. This can be disabled to install drivers that are not digitally signed. Use the following steps to disable driver signature enforcement.
NOTE: If this is all too intimidating or too much  of a hassle you can call the Plotter Princess and for $50 I will remotely connect to your computer, download the drivers, install the printer/plotter and get your plotter to print a test print...so you can be sure you are properly connected and ready to get some work done!! Usually an appointment is not needed. Call 651-247-3022

1. Click the Start  menu and select Settings.
2. Click Update and Security.
3. Click on Recovery.
4. Click Restart now under Advanced Startup.
5. Click Troubleshoot.
6. Click Advanced options.
7. Click Startup Settings.
8. Click on Restart.
9. On the Startup Settings screen press 7 or F7 to disable driver signature enforcement.

Your computer will restart and you will be able to download, extract and install non-digitally signed drivers.
​

______________________________________
How can I install non-digitally signed drivers in Windows 8?
Windows 8 enforces driver signatures by default. This can be disabled so non-digitally signed drivers can be installed. Use the following steps to disable driver signature enforcement.

1. Press the Windows () key + C, or swipe in from the right edge of the screen to open your Charms.
2. Select the Settings charm, and then click Change PC settings
3. Select General, and then scroll down and click on Restart Now under Advanced Startup.
4. Click on Troubleshoot, Advanced options, and then select Startup Settings.
5. Click on Restart.
6. On the Startup Settings screen press 7 or F7 to Disable driver signature enforcement.

Once the computer restarts you will be able to install non-digitally signed drivers for that Windows session. If you restart the computer again the driver signature enforcement will be enabled. You can repeat the above steps at any time you need to disable this feature.


​When next you restart your computer after this the driver signing requirement will be back in force. That's a good thing because it saves you from viruses. Any driver on this site was copied from the original HP driver sites before those lovely folks at HP decided to get rid of them so people like you couldn't use those old plotters anymore!



NOTE: If this is all too intimidating or too much  of a hassle you can call the Plotter Princess and for $50 I will remotely connect to your computer, download the drivers, install the printer/plotter and get your plotter to print a test print...so you can be sure you are properly connected and ready to get some work done!! Usually an appointment is not needed. Call 651-247-3022

​ISSUE: When printing an AutoCAD drawing/image on any of the HP Designjet 500 or 800 series printers using either roll or sheet fed media the drawing/image shifts and is clipped.
WORKAROUND: In Autocad 2000, 2000i and 2002, use the following steps:

1. Select File, Plot.
   
2. Click the Plot Device tab, and select the correct driver.
   
3. Select Properties.
   
4. Click Modify Standard Paper Sizes.
   
5. Click Modify.
   
6. Click Specify.
   
7. Specify non-Printable edge.
   
8. Select Next.
   
9. Enter the following values:
   
   1. Top margin 1.33 inches (34 mm)
      
   2. Bottom margin 0.0 inches
      
   3. Left margin 0.39 inches (10 mm)
      
   4. Right margin 0.0 inches
      NOTE: Remember to allow enough room between the image and the page size for the hard margins.

For an alternate solution using sheet fed media, cut a sheet larger to allow for the hard margin offset and trim the page after the print is made.
Other possible causes include:

• Incorrect paper size is selected
• Incorrect scaling factor has been chosen
• When creating different lay-outs the correct printer driver is not used

SUMMARY: The printer has hard margins of 17 mm leading and trailing edge, and a 5 mm left side and right side edge. The printer will offset the jobs 17 mm up and 5 mm in from the bottom-right corner. This may cause the document on the left and top side of the drawing/image to clip in portrait mode.

Here's a link to the HP website for the Designjet 500 and 800 to input the latest software into your wide format plotter. You can download from the HP site or download the file below. This is strictly for  the 800 and the 500 not any others. The firmware is version 04.02. It works with these operating systems:

• Microsoft Windows XP (32-bit)
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003 for 64-bit Extended Systems
• Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Vista (32-bit)
• Microsoft Windows Vista (64-bit)

Instructions:

1. Download and save the update file to your hard disk, be sure to remember where you saved it.
2. Ensure that all printers that are going to receive the update are turned on. Ensure that you can print to each printer from the computer that is running the update application.
3. Start the installation application. It will install all necessary files first. The application will then analyze each of the printers configured for the computer and report on their current status.
4. If any of your printers are out of date, the application will prompt you to update them. The update process sends a special file to your printer.
5. Once the update is complete a drawing will be shown on the front panel indicating that the printer must be disconnected. Disconnect the printer, wait for a few seconds and then reconnect the printer. This will delete all pending print jobs. For this reason, you should not print during the upgrade process. The update process may take several minutes.

Important: Do not turn Off the printer before the disconnect drawing is displayed on the Front Panel

​

Here's a great page for finding and downloading the service manuals for HP Designjets.  It is maintained by www.PartsNow.com. 

HP has an amazingly simple little app that you can download and use with 500. 800, Z series and T series plotters. It is the HP Instant Printing Utility 3

It allows you to drag your file to the open application and click PRINT and it just simply prints....easy peasy.

It works with these operating systems:

Microsoft Windows 7 (32-bit)
Microsoft Windows Vista (32-bit)
Microsoft Windows Vista (64-bit)
Microsoft Windows 7 (64-bit)
Microsoft Windows 8 (32-bit)
Microsoft Windows 8 (64-bit)
Microsoft Windows Server 2012
Microsoft Windows 8.1 (32-bit)
Microsoft Windows 8.1 (64-bit)
Microsoft Windows 10 (32-bit)
Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit)

 Just another day, tripping over things that you might find useful while researching a new model.  I'm getting a Z2100 ready in the workshop and it appeared that PDFs couldn't be printed...but I was wrong and had used the wrong driver. In the meantime I found this HP article about printing PDFs and decided to share.  

I'm getting beautiful prints now...very happy!
​
I also figured out something else - It can use expired ink...you get alerts, but you can ignore them. I love plotters that can use expired ink!

My most asked question these days is how to use the older plotters with Windows 8 and 10. You CAN do it. I've helped lots of folks to do it. Just last week we put an old Designjet 650 on a Windows 10 computer!
Here's an article on how to do it.

I'd picked up a nice HP DJ 800 from a lovely couple from Windom who traded it in on a newly refurbished model. They'd said that in full disclosure they'd hired someone to replace the belt and after that repair the darned thing started popping up an error message they couldn't get rid of and they just wanted to NOT deal with it anymore. Thinking I'm the Plotter Princess of Lindstrom MN and I can fix anything I plug it in and instantly get the 21:10 error code. I take out the service station, disassemble it and clean it up and put it back into this lovely machine and darned if it didn't error with the 21:01 again. I tried another spare service station...it continued to give me the 21:10 error code throughout the evening and into the next day. I wasted a whole day changing the encoder strip and other hopeful things...and yet no relief. I was ready to scream when I stepped behind the plotter to plug it in one more time and noticed some pink insulation near the hole that's under the cover...see the pictures below for the rest of the story.

Yup, a mouse had been nesting in the HP Designjet 800! I'm sure she chose it because it had mousey sized holes and no human would ever bother her and the little growing family! The only thing that runs through that space is the ribbon cable...nothing else. The only reason I came to the back of the plotter to look more closely was because I'll read about on the HP Designjet Forum how that cable getting pinched can cause the 21:10 error code on the Designjet 800 and the Designjet 500. When I saw the ribbon was free of crimps I started to think about where the cable goes and looked at the little mouse holes! Mystery solved! Popped a new ribbon cable on this fine machine and instantly it asked for paper and ran a printhead alignment! 

There's a great video on YouTube that shows you how to configure your Designjet 500 or 800 through the front panel to connect to your network. This assumes that your plotter has a network card installed. 

Hello from England - and thanks for the blog

My question relates to oiling the rails when installing a new belt.

I took my 1998 2500CP plotter apart, took out the old belt, which was worn but not completely broken (No small job).

I put a new belt in and the carriage juddered as it went down the rails - it would not run smoothly - but only when under tension from the new belt.
I tried a few things, but in the end had to put the old belt back on - which works fine - so it probably wasn't an installation issue.

The (friendly) vendor is worried that I may have used the wrong lubricating oil.

Can you help with a simple guide to the best oils and grease to buy?

If you watch plotter servicing videos about changing belts etc , done by apparently specialist plotter guys, the impression given is that many light oils (including sewing machine oil), are OK. Some say do not use WD40 - except on the belt, according to one!

- and you too seem to suggest any light oil would be fine.

On the other hand - a HP official lubricating and cleaning video shows a product DB2-68 from the service kit.
Googling that I found an ebay seller wanting $275 for a bottle - mamma mia, can't be right - and why is the picture Photoshopped?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DB2-68-LUBRICANT-OIL-4-FL-FOR-HP-DESIGNJET-PRINTERS-GENUINE-USA-/321615581166

My 1998 2500CP has printer plodded on for many years with no fresh lubrication and the old belt now works OK again.
- so you would not think it was that fussy about lubrication

Incidentally, I probably should put some more of that pink silicone grease on the plastic gears too. 
That product seems cloaked in mystery too and I suspect that one of the many third-party silicon greases would be fine.

A small and simple list of suitable compatible types of silicone grease and oil would be good! 

Many thanks, Dominic


For more than six years I have exclusively used mineral oil (also known here as Baby Oil) for lubricating the rails. I have never had a problem with anyone over oiling and never had a problem with the rails drying. Sometimes when the carriage has dirt under the bushings I have taken a syringe and needle and directly squirted mineral oil 1-3 cc's under the bushing and then moved the carriage back and forth and then done it again. This will often cause old dust and dirt to show up on the rail as I move the carriage. If it does, I keep repeating until I don't see more dirt coming out from under the bushings. 

They are right when they say don't use WD40...it turns to snot on the rails and makes an awful mess. You CAN use triflow or sewing machine oil. HP will sell you rail oil for $40 USD per ounce. But if you are going to throw away that money, send it to me and I'll sell you baby oil for that amount!

When I first get and old machine, I strip it down and clean up the inside of old dust and ink and then I remove the old belt and use a dental pick to take out black residue on the motor gear and on the tensioner wheel (if it is the style with three grooves around.) If you don't do this the gear teeth on the motor can't smoothly move the belt.

Next I empty the spittoon, if there is one and replace it adding a "Mr Clean Magic Eraser Sponge" as it will absorb lots of ink and keep it from overflowing if someone moves the machine in the wrong direction while relocating it in the future.

Now I put the new belt on and put 5-7 drops of oil on the rail and vigorously move the carriage all the way to the right and all the way to the left. I also put a few extra drops in front of the cutter on the rail and manually slide the cutter all the way across and back. After all this I wipe off the rail with a paper towel and look to see if there's lots of black residue, if there is I start over again with putting more oil on the rail and moving the carriage and cutter. I keep repeating until the rail is clean and nothing shows on the paper towel and then I add oil drops again and call it complete!

These machines are so sensitive to any friction on the rail that this cannot get too much oil or too much attention! 

The white plastic gears don't really need anything...I've never seen any wear on these. However, I always scrape the pink grease off the edges and put it back on the gear surface as a good will gesture to the machine! But you can use any third party silicone grease. I've also used silicone plumbers grease.

I see these old machines like classic cars and give them so much attention when I'm rehabilitating and refurbishing them. They are like beautiful old ships and almost as big! I call them "she" just like they were boats...and when they don't work they are just big boat anchors!!!

The only other thing that I can think of that might cause juddering/shuddering would be if you put the bushings for the carriage on backwards. I've only seen that once before and it didn't move as smoothly as it should.