This week I received two calls from HP Designjet 430 and 450c owners telling me that their trusty old machine was giving them a cartridge + data error and the initialization was very, very slow. Both told me that the error could be cancelled. This means that their sweet little plotters had line sensors that were bad. These are very easy to replace and cost less than $50. I've created a link below for you to buy line sensors for these plotters. When they come you just need to remove the two screws from the right side of the carriage, snap off the black plastic housing and pull out the old one and plug in the new one. Replace the black housing, it pretty much snaps into place. Replace the screws and your plotter will live for another 20 years -- except for belt replacements every 4-5 years. I've also included a link below to the new belts.
Line sensor for Designjet 430 or 450c
Replacement carriage belt for designjet 430 or 450c -- 36" model
Replacement carriage belt for designjet 430 or 450c -- 24" Model
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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!  In researching this week, I've checked on dye vs. pigment inks for some of the printer/plotters that are becoming more popular at the lower cost levels in refurbished machines. The Designjet 500 and 800 are dye based machines that only print in dye inks that are NOT waterproof or UV resistant. However I have customers who use the 500 Designjet with waterproof vinyl to make signs and decals. They print then spray Frog Spit UV protectant on the item. If you've done this, please let me know how it worked out!
I was selling a Designjet Z2100 and a Designjet T620 -- both used HP Vivera inks and I was interested in trying refillable ink cartridges as they were less expensive than buying the 6-8 inks to test each plotter. They worked great. The ink was very nice and my customers were thrilled. Here's the link to the specs on the HP Original Vivera Inks http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/2008/macworld/bg_hpviverainks.pdf You can buy refillable cartridges here: https://www.amazon.com/Refillable-Deluxe-Cartridges-DesignJet-Z2100/dp/B00COAGSD2 And this company will sell you bulk Vivera Ink to refill ink cartridges https://www.inksupply.com/hp_vivera_pigment_ink.cfm  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
 My Designjet 750C Plus is printing unwanted black rectangles on my CAD plots. I have changed the cartridge to eliminate that as a possible cause, with no change. I am sending a photo to show the problem. Have you seen this before and know the cause? I have the downloaded manual and can't find anything in there about it. I will call you later. Thanks for any help that you can offer. 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. Did Windows 10 Auto Upgrade Disconnect You From Your Plotter? I can help! Call 651-247-30225/23/2016 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
______________________________________ 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.
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:
Other possible causes include:
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:
Instructions:
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.
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