Printing on transparency material with HP B9180?

[JonathanPerkins]

Hi,

I wonder if anyone can help? I'm just trying to print a digital negative to try some cyanotype prints, and I've hit a basic problem with my HP B9180.

I'm using Mac OS X (10.4) and printing from Lightroom, but the problem is that I load the transparency film into the speciality media tray OK, but when I start the print the printer doesn't like the media - I have to cancel the job and eject the film. Its as if the printer can't "see" the film, although its happy to load it and at the start of the print it moves the film in as far as the first print position before giving up.

I can't find any transparency type material listed in the HP Mac printer driver - has anyone else had this problem or managed to successfully print a digital negative with the 9180?

Thanks,

Jonathan
(I'm very happy with the printer on normal paper)

[JonathanPerkins]

I've solved the problem - taping the transparency to a sheet of plain paper means the printer can now "see" there is material to print on. I guess it needs to be opaque for the optical sensors in the printer? Anyway, that fixed it.

Jonathan

[eugene_fraxby]

hi Jonathan, i was wondering if you could tell me what kind of transparency material you are using (and where you got it) and whther you need particular inks, or are the vivera ones ok?

many thanks

a

[JonathanPerkins]

Hi Eugene,

I'm not sure of the material I was using, as a few sheets were given to me by a local college as part of an evening course I was doing. I have since then bought a box of PermaJet Digital transfer Film, but I haven't had chance to use it yet (its not cheap, but looks like it should do the job). I've only used the Vivera pigment inks in the 9180.

Jonathan

[David A. Goldfarb]

There is some discussion of digital negs with the HP B9180, and inkjet negs more generally as well as suitable transparency material over at hybridphoto.com. Pictorico OHP seems to be the popular choice.

[Colin Graham]

I think the 9180 is pretty picky about the substrate thickness. But I use Pictorico on mine with no problems. I thought it was 6 mil, but I just looked and it appears to vary from 5.5-6.5 mil depending on the sheet size.

[eugene_fraxby]

wow thanks for all the info guys!!!!

i was hoping to get some transparency material to print positives on (for lightbox mounting)....

i will look into your suggestions and post my findings

thanks again

a

[sanking]

Pictorico is the most widely used OHP for making digital negatives and it works fine on the HP B9180 with the special media tray. Pictorico is about 6.5 mil thick. Other OHP materials of about this same thickness can also be used, but the B9180 does not like any curl in the OHP. If there is curl I would recommend that you tape it to a sheet of paper for feeding through the special media tray.

Sandy King