Page 3
NeuraLabel 300x Toolbox Quick Start User Guide Tools for achieving the best quality prints on the NeuraLabel 300x continuous form printer. Neuralog LP Copyright 2017...
Table of Contents Introduction to PageWide Technology ..................... 1 Print Quality Reports ........................... 2 Built-in PageWide Quality Tools ......................3 Toolbox Application and Quality Issues ....................4 Wide Bands or Die Level ........................5 Narrow Bands or Die Overlap/Alignment ..................... 6 Nozzle Out Flush with Print Head Cleaning...................
PageWide Technology. The printhead for the NeuraLabel 300x printer is shown in Figure 1 below. There are ten printhead dies with a slight overlap between each pair. These printhead dies are numbered 0 through 9. Figure 2 shows a segment of the “spit pattern”...
The Print Quality Report shows some, but not all, of the quality problems that might arise. The 300x Toolbox contains a customizable print quality report that allows one to easily isolate any quality problems so these issues can be readily addressed. A set of problem- specific tools is provided to correct each type of quality issue that might arise.
Figure 4. NeuraLabel 300x Custom Print Quality Report Built-in PageWide Quality Tools The NeuraLabel 300x does contain a set of automatic routines that correct many quality issues. These routines are built in to the three levels of printhead cleaning, accessible through the printer’s operator panel.
Toolbox Application and Quality Issues When the 300x Toolbox Application is launched, a screen like that shown in Figure 5 will appear. The Printer: list will contain any installed 300x printers available through network or USB. A printer must be selected from the list before using the application.
Wide Bands or Die Level Uneven wide color bands indicate a need for Die Level Adjustment. These bands will be slightly less than one inch wide. The examples below shows Die 7 Magenta darker and lighter, respectively. Note that the die level problem also shows up in the custom color because Magenta is a significant component of this color.
Narrow Bands or Die Overlap/Alignment Dark lines that occur at a die seam (indicated on quality report) indicate a need for Die Overlap Adjustment. These bands will be seen as narrow dark lines in the image. In this case the dies need to be moved apart.
Nozzle Out Flush with Print Head Cleaning A thin white line that does not appear at a die seam indicates a nozzle out. Nozzle outs are normally temporary, as the printer automatically compensates for them. However, the Print Head Cleaning accessed from the printer operator panel can be used to manually correct a nozzle out.
Image Adjustment Image Adjustment is used to position the image artwork on your diecut media. X Shift moves the image up or down in the non-continuous direction. The example below shows shifting the image using the X value to center it on the label. Y Shift would move the image in the continuous direction. Figure 9.
Select a 300x Printer from the list to use the Toolbox on that printer. Configure with Page Setup. Configure to your continuous form custom label size or try cut sheet from Tray 2.
Using Toolbox for Print Quality Control Print Quality Issues for the 300x can be separated into the categories just discussed: die color, alignment between dies, nozzle outs, and the placement of the image on the media. For any bands in the print, it can be difficult to determine exactly “how dark”...
Page 17
NOTE: The samples and the Quick Print are configured through Preferences->Quick Print. In this panel you can add a custom color and change the bar size. Adding a custom color from your label can make isolating a quality issue easier. If your label is small (page size) is small, you may need to reduce the bar height.
Die Level Adjust for Wide Bands Each of the printer’s ten print dies has a “color level” calibration for each of the 4 colors. You may notice lighter or darker bands of a color in your printed image or in the Print Quality Report. These bands will be a little less than one inch in width.
Locate the Problem: Select your 300x Printer from the list. Configure with Page Setup. Select the Quick Print. Locate the Wide Band on the Quick Print. Get Started: STEP 1: Select the box(es) on the grid that correspond to the problem shown on the Quick Print.
STEP 2: Select Make Lighter or Make Darker, depending on the problem. It is possible, but not recommended to correct multiple wide bands at the same time. You cannot select to make both lighter and darker samples at the same time. STEP 3: Print a set of samples.
STEP 4: Inspect the printed samples. Unless you changed the defaults, there will be 5 sets. The first will represent NO CHANGE, using a value of 0. Find the sample that best corrects the issue and note the printed correction value. The value used is printed at the top of each sample page. Enter this value in the grid interface at the corresponding location and click Submit.
Die Overlap Adjust for Narrow Bands Each of the printer’s 10 dies overlaps its neighboring dies so that a seamless image transition can occur. At times you may notice a dark line at the die seams indicating there is too much of an overlap between the two dies.
Locate the Problem: Select your 300x Printer from the list. Configure with Page Setup. Select the Quick Print. Locate the Narrow Band on the Quick Print. Get Started: STEP 1: Select the gray bar(s) on the grid that correspond to the problem shown on the Quick Print. This represents the seam between two dies.
STEP 2: Select Make Lighter or Make Darker, depending on the problem. It is possible, but not recommended to correct multiple narrow bands at the same time. You cannot select to make both lighter and darker samples at the same time. STEP 3: Print a set of samples.
STEP 4: Inspect the printed samples. Unless you changed the defaults, there will be 5 sets. The first will represent NO CHANGE, using a value of 0. Find the sample that best corrects the issue and note the printed correction value. The value used is printed at the top of each sample page.
X and Y Image Adjustment and X Image Stretch At times the printed image may need to be shifted on the label for best positioning. This can be easily accomplished with X and Y Image Adjustment. In addition, you may wish to stretch the image in the continuous direction to allow for a slight amount of overspray.
Page 27
Shift the Image in the Y (continuous) direction. Shift the image in the continuous direction by entering a value in the Y keyin or clicking the Y- (Left) or Y+ (Right) arrow. To shift the image towards the marked end of the media, click/enter a positive Y value. The units are mm.
Figure 22. Web Interface for X Y Image Shift Stretch the Image in the Continuous Direction. Stretch the image in the continuous direction by entering a value in the Image Stretch keyin or clicking the Left or Right arrow. Stretching the image can allow for some overspray to ensure proper coverage in full bleed printing.
Figure 24. Range Preferences Page Setup Selecting Preferences->Page Setup will bring up the standard NeuraLabel 300x printer driver panel. Page Setup can also be accessed through the button at the top of the application. Use this panel to configure the printer to print the test patterns on your media. Configure it exactly the same way as you do when printing labels on your media.
Print button. Settable options are as follows: Print Quality Report: Custom or Default – Allows you to select the Default NeuraLabel 300x Print Quality Report, the same report accessible through the operator panel. Or, allows you to select the Custom Print Quality Report.
Drop Detect Report (909) – This report provides numeric information about the 44,000 nozzles that make up the 10 dies. 909 is the report number in the 300x system. The details of this report are confidential; however, NeuraLabel support can assist in using this report if needed.
This is an ongoing log; it persists even after the application is exited. It can be used if NeuraLabel support needs to see the details of the printer commands. To activate the Debug Log use the key sequence Control-Shift-D.
Need help?
Do you have a question about the 300x and is the answer not in the manual?
Questions and answers