Summary: The Business Case in Short
For graphic professionals, photographers, and brand owners, “color” is not a subjective concept, but an exact science. Yet we often see that prints on Monday look different than on Thursday, or that a color on photo paper differs from that on canvas. The cause? Environmental factors such as humidity and variations in paper batches. A Built-in Spectrophotometer (like on the HP DesignJet Z9+) is the ultimate solution. It allows the printer to calibrate itself and create its own ICC profiles without external hardware or complex software. The ROI is immediate: no time lost due to manual measurements and no waste of expensive media due to reprints.
The Problem: “The color is not right”
Anyone who prints professionally knows the frustration:
- The screen does not match the print: The client sees fiery red on their monitor, but gets dull orange on paper.
- Batch variations: A new roll of paper from the same brand reacts slightly differently to the ink.
- Drift over time: As printheads age, the color values shift subtly. Without calibration, you are ‘guessing’. With a spectrophotometer, you are ‘knowing’.
The Solution: The i1 Spectrophotometer from X-Rite (Inside)
The HP DesignJet (e.g., the Z9 Pro) Z-series is equipped with a professional spectrophotometer from X-Rite, directly above the print path.
1. What exactly does this device do?
A spectrophotometer “looks” at color by measuring the light reflected by the paper. The printer prints a test chart with hundreds of color patches. The sensor glides over it and compares the measured values with the reference values. The printer then adjusts its ink output to correct the deviation.
2. Make ICC profiles in 10 minutes
Do you have a beautiful new textile or a heavy Fine Art paper of 310 g/m²? Instead of downloading a profile that is ‘roughly’ correct, the Z9+ creates a unique profile for your specific machine and your roll of paper. You click “Create Color Profile”, and 10 minutes later your workflow is perfectly tuned.
Business Fundamentals: Reputation and Cost Savings
Why invest in a printer with this component?
- Prevent discussions: If a client complains about the color of a logo, you can prove that your machine is calibrated to a Delta-E value of < 2. This is the industry standard for color precision.
- Media savings: One roll of 111.8 cm wide high-end photo paper costs hundreds of euros. If you have to throw away the first 5 meters because the colors are wrong, your margin is gone.
- Efficiency: No external technician needed to profile your printer fleet. Your own operator does it with the push of a button.
Media & Supplies: Original ink is essential
Color calibration only works reliably with original HP Vivid Photo Inks. The spectrophotometer is programmed with the exact chemical properties of these pigments. Private label ink has different pigment concentrations, causing the printer to endlessly recalibrate without ever finding the perfect match.
Europlan Service: Color Training
We don’t just supply the hardware, we supply the knowledge.
- Workflow Setup: We help you set up a ‘Color Managed’ workflow from Photoshop to printer.
- Screen Calibration: We can tune your monitors to your HP printer for a true “What You See Is What You Get” experience.
- Support: Do you have a very specific material (e.g., wallpaper)? We guide you in making the first profile.
Conclusion: Color is your signature
As a graphic professional, the quality of your output is your best marketing. With a built-in spectrophotometer, you take the uncertainty out of your production. You deliver the color the client expects, every single time, without stress and without waste.
Would you like to see how deep the black values are after calibration?