HP DesignJet T520 Large Format Color Printer
 | This tool is currently broken, please contact the area host for more information. |
 | |
| Owner/Loaner | PS:One |
|---|---|
| Serial Number | CN5546M01D |
| Make/Model | HP T520 |
| Arrival Date | July 2015 |
| Usability | no |
| Contact | CNC Area Host |
| Where | CNC Area |
| Authorization Needed | yes |
| Hackable | no |
| Estimated Value | ~$1500 |
| Host Area | CNC |
Broken?
It refuses to print anything, even internal prints like status pages and configuration pages. Seems like same problem as this forum post:HP Forum I cleaned out lots of dust and actual chucks of wood from the printer head path, tho I don't thing that is related to the problem. The print head seems to travel freely when the printer starts up. I looked around online and found others with the same issue but no one with a fix. I called HP and they asked for the SN and they said "Whoa, thats an old printer." For me to even troubleshoot it with them would cost $20 and if it is anything other then user error, like the printer is actually broken, it is not serviceable. They pretty much wanted nothing to do with it. I think a firmware re-flash would be in order, but I cannot find the proper firmware for this revision. This is a revision A and all I could find is a revision B/C. - Lucas Goossen 01-12-2018
Notes
Make sure that the printer is shutdown by pressing the power button by the touch screen, or the head won't move into the park position, and keep the heads clean.
Do not change print cartridges unless the printer prompts you to do so, and you have permission from the area host. For print quality issues see the troubleshooting section below.
This printer will not print without all the cartridges installed and containing some printable ink.
Description
36" Wide format printer, non-archival. "Big Printer"
People using the printer should provide a donation of:
- $1 per square foot for full coverage color prints (photos/art)
- $0.25 per square foot for partial coverage prints (text/blue prints/etc)
Some donated media may be provided by the area host, and may be found next to the printer. It is recommended that you provide your own media and that it should be designed for use in a HP designjet printer. Roll media can be up to 36" wide and must be on 2" core.
Example media:
Getting Authorized
Authorizations are viral for this printer. Ask anyone who's already authorized to authorize you.
Troubleshooting
Some common issues that come up with this printer:
1. There are dark bands of ink in the image - This is most likely due to a misaligned print head and can be caused when the cartridges are replaced
- Solution: Align the print head - On the printer touch screen press the wrench icon (upper right) > Printer Maintenance > Align print head. A patterend page will print and the printer will sense deviations in the print pattern and adjust the head.
2. There are bands of white or partially colored areas - This is most likely due to the printer being left on for an extended period of time or the printer being turned off without being shutdown properly, by pressing the top power button.
- Solution: Clean the print head - On the printer touch screen press the wrench icon (upper right) > Printer Maintenance > Clean print head. A few gradient bars will print where banding will be visible. There are 3 stages of print head cleaning (the printer will prompt you to go through the stages) printing a page in each stage, that can unclog jets most of the time. If after the 3 stages jets are still clogged, talk to the area host; the print head may need to be serviced or replaced.
3. The print job isn't sending / I get errors on the printer touch screen - Symptoms vary
- Solution: Make sure you've selected the right driver and settings for your application - Using the HPGL driver for this printer is highly recommended, see driver installation notes below. Make sure that you're also setting the right paper size, paper type, and print quality. The printer does a bunch of checking automatically and gets pissy when what you're sending from the computer doesn't match what is set in the printer.
Setting up the printer on your computer
The Artastic computer is a good place to start to print from, but you may want to print from your own computer.
The Good Way
This method is recommended - when printing make sure to select the driver ending with HPGL.
The best way to install the driver is go to HP's website and install the driver meant for you operating system. Under the section "Driver - Product installation software" you should find a download called something to the effect of "HP Designjet T520 printer series HP-GL/2 and HP RTL Full Feature Solution Installer". This is a lengthier installation but gives you much greater control over print parameters, including selecting custom paper sizes. You have to create and save a custom paper size to get a particular paper dimension in the print dialog.
For Windows 10 driver go here.
The Fast Way
This driver seems to have compatibility issues and is not recommeded.
You can search for devices and install the device via your OS. The dialog that this displays is very clean any easy to use but is lacking in control, in particular specifying custom paper sizes. This particular print dialog only shows the page type and name, so you may want to go find out what the actual dimensions of each paper size are to save a little time.
Currently Authorized Users
Authorizations are now viral for this printer. The following people have been authorized:
| Certified Member | Certified By |
|---|---|
| Tom Judge | N/A |
| Ron Olson | N/A |
| Jason Shanfield | Tom Judge |
| Mike Mandrea | Tom Judge |
| Simon Pyle | Tom Judge |
| Mark Stevens | Tom Judge |
| Niko Hawley | Tom Judge |
| Tom Boeman | Tom Judge |
| Casey Olson | Jason Shanfield |
| Arturo Duarte | Tom Judge |
| Kevin Mitchell | Tom Judge |
| Bob Loos | Andrew Camardella |
| Sam Paris | Andrew Camardella |
| Erica Tesla | Andrew Camardella |
| Ray Doeksen | Jason Shanfield |
| Shockey Funke | Andrew Camardella |
| Jeremy Shaw | Leo Rodman |
| Erik Wessing | Ash |