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24664
March 14th, 2005 22:00
3100cn - Some Valuable Input and Options on Streamlining MPF Settings and Photo Printing
Here is some VALUABLE input on the 3100cn that can save you some aggravation. It is a closure to an earlier set of questions started by me on Feb 22 and running through March 8, 2005. This regards using and setting the MPF parameters, printing photos, whether photo paper can be used, and how to set the 3100cn up as two distinct printers simultaneously. I was told by first-level tech support that this most likely wouldn't work, but it does .. and works well. I was skeptical of their comment because I was told the same thing on my Phaser printer, but it worked and I have been using it that way for 18 months.
IF you currently have a network setup, you can ALSO connect the LPT1 parallel cable and set up a separate 3100cn printer on your system. It works great and allows you to have two distinct printers with pre-specified settings, one for the main tray and another for printing on photo paper using the MFP tray without selecting ANY settings (Click and Print). You will also have the use of your printer if your LAN has problems. If you currently have your 3100cn configured as a network printer, just connect the LPT1 cable to the 3100cn either directly or through a print server. Leave the network cable as it is. When you boot up the system will ask you for the Dell disk. (Make sure that LPT1 is enabled in the Peripheral Section of your BIOS). Put in the CD and browse to the driver setting for your O/S (Drivers, Win 2000, English, etc). Your O/S will install it as another 3100cn printer, which will also appear automatically in your taskbar monitor list. Nice surprise! Go to Settings .. Printers and select the 3100cn LPT1 printer and go through each Tab carefully and configure it for the main tray (or Auto) with standard print resolution. In the Paper Tray Tab select "Tray 1 .." and "Plain 2" for 24 lb laser paper or "Plain 1" if you use 20 lb paper. In the Graphics Tab select "Standard" for the Print Mode and "Normal" for the Image Type. You will use this printer as the DEFAULT for text and non-photo printing. Name the printer "LPT1-Text" and select it as your Default printer.
NEXT: for Printing photos on Photo Paper without hassle or changing and resetting the settings each time: Use HP GLOSSY PHOTO & IMAGING LASER PAPER - 32 LB. Put it in the MPF Tray, either side up. It works great on the 3100cn and is reasonably priced. Do NOT use any INK JET photo paper or regular INK JET paper! Select the 3100cn Network Printer from Settings .. Printers and go through each Tab carefully. Under the Tray Tab configure for the "MPF Tray" and "Coated 1" paper. Under the Graphics Tab select "High Quality" and "Photo Image". On the Details Tab be sure to uncheck the Draft Mode box. On the Options Tab enable the 320 MB memory and Ram Drive Options if you have the 256 MB Dimm installed. Name the Printer "Network- Photo".
Now, for non-photo printing your default will be LPT1, and when you want to print a photo just select the Network-Photo printer and click "print". The network connection is generally slightly faster than the LPT1 connection, which is why you configure that one for the photo printing. It's ready to go! Leave the HP Photo paper in the MPF Tray permanently.
I hope this helps some of you to know what paper actually works, and to get good glossy photo prints quickly from your 3100cn without the hassle of changing MPF settings from three different places, then having to reset them all again for regular printing.
Dave Harrington Troy, Michigan
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billybobsand
67 Posts
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March 15th, 2005 03:00
davidharrington
9 Posts
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March 15th, 2005 06:00
Yes, you most likely could have three permanent printer configurations, one for each connection option. I haven't verified that it would indeed work, whereas I HAVE verified it for what I described above, and am using it every day. You could perhaps have any combination of two of the three (network, LPT1 and USB), or even all three simultaneously. Even though I suspect that it would work, it must be considered that the goal is to avoid messing with the tray and the settings. As there are only two standard trays to control, there might be diminishing advantages of more than two dedicated printer settings (unless you have the additional tray module or optional duplexing module, etc). Even with three independent sets of configuration settings you would still have to open the MPF tray and switch photo paper for cover stock (or envelopes) for the third. For the two printers that I outlined above you do not have to do anything but click "print". For optimum advantage, configure one unit for what you normally do with the main tray, and configure the other printer for what you most often do with the MPF tray. In my case it was photo prints on gloss photo paper. In your case it may be heavy-stock report covers. If it is then configure the second printer for the cover stock of your choice, then put it in there and leave it there. This saves you having to do anything until a specialty job like small envelopes comes along. Perhaps you could set up the third (USB connection) printer to take care of any specialty job. In that way you would never have to change the settings for the other two for a specialty job, then have to change it back.
Dave Harrington Troy, Michigan
SeanFL
12 Posts
0
March 20th, 2005 10:00
just add another printer, have the driver handy, set it up and change the defaults on the new one to be "black only" or "multi purpose tray" or whatever you're trying to accomplish.
Sean
davidharrington
9 Posts
0
March 21st, 2005 17:00
Good point Sean! You don't really need different physical connections to set up software sets for each action. You could have one for envelopes, one for photo paper and one for text on the standard tray, all on the network connection. I used the network AND LPT1 connections because it is also an advantage to have two independent physical connections, just in case you have problems with one of them. You would still have a printer. You may also like the slightly different look of the LPT1 printer status page. In any event, whether you have one, two or three simultaneous physical connections, owners of the 3100cn should consider setting up a printer for each function they expect to perform. This is because it is somewhat time-consuming to change the parameters in multiple places, then change them back after the job. It's quite convenient to have them set up in advance as separate printers and just select them. Call them the Dell Text Printer (default), the Dell Photo Printer, the Dell Envelope Printer, etc.
Another important point above is the discussion of a photo paper that actually WORKS, and what settings to use with it. I'm sure that is of interest to many 3100cn owners.
Dave Harrington Troy, Michigan
billybobsand
67 Posts
0
March 23rd, 2005 20:00
Ok, I just got my 3100cn. Seems to work just fine. Installed color printer. Want to install a b&w printer. Can't seem to figure out how. I go to printers, add new and it can't see the 3100cn. WinXPPro, 3100cn 10/100 Ethernet. What am I doing wrong?
thanks
Billybob
billybobsand
67 Posts
0
March 23rd, 2005 21:00
Ok, I got it... sorry to bother you guys.
Billybob
billybobsand
67 Posts
0
March 24th, 2005 00:00
Ok, I got the thing working. Print quality is just fine. No streaks, no lines, so far no complaints... but.
I have the Main Paper tray set to normal and the MPT tray to Photo Quality, using good Laser 28lb, semi-gloss, the colours are a bit pinker than I would like on a photo, but I believe that I can adjust it. II use one Printer as Color Normal Paper (main tray), another as Color Photo Quality (from the MPT) and a third as B&W Normal Paper (main tray). No problems.
The problem... I would like to set up a fourth driver as Envelope, coming from the MPT tray then all I would need to do is replace the paper with envelopes and print, but the only way I can do it is by adjusting the MPT from 8-1/2 x 11 to Envelope using the printer software utility. Surely the settings that I apply to the Printer Driver (on my envelope printer) should auto adjust the actual 3100? This isn't earth shattering, but would make life a bit easier.
Any ideas on how to do this - or even if it can be done? Thanks for your help.
Billybob
davidharrington
9 Posts
0
March 24th, 2005 20:00
To: BillyBob I haven't set up or tried envelope printing yet. It's not a big priority for my situation. I will try to do it with a separate printer/driver over the holiday weekend (although there are some great NCAA basketball games on). When I get anything done on it I'll give some feedback on how it worked or didn't work.
David Harrington Troy, Michigan
car_designer
5 Posts
0
March 26th, 2005 03:00
Thanks for your input. I just received and set up my 3100cn
for personal home use. (Sick and tired of cheap inkjets and relatively very expensive cartridges)
I am amazed at how well it prints out photos on HP 24LB color laser paper. Can't wait to try some prints on that HP glossy photo and imaging laser paper.
This thing is great!
Happy 3100cn owner
armedmetallica
10 Posts
0
March 27th, 2005 20:00
Hi,
To those that see ther results on glossy paper... is it comparable to lab quality / comparable to what you would get from a service like shutterfly?
My HP Photosmart p1100's photos on kodak ultima paper still look better than this printer on Plain.
I was hoping your solution would make the above statement false.
Any input would help.
Thanks!
-AM-
car_designer
5 Posts
0
March 27th, 2005 22:00
Ask yourself, "Do you really need super expensive/slow super high gloss professional photo output?"
It prints better looking "photos" than my HP 722c inkjet did on its best "Photo RET" setting.
If I really need a high gloss/see your reflection in it/lab quality print, I will take my SD card out of my camera and got down to wal-mart/Meijiers/Sams club and pay the 29 cents a print for that....
armedmetallica
10 Posts
0
March 27th, 2005 23:00
billybobsand
67 Posts
0
March 28th, 2005 18:00
I wouldn't expect an answer from Dell... just too much mail to help... they have set up this forum primarily for users to help users, and for the most part it works. My opinion on color adjustments is that you can expect to waste a lot of paper, toner and time. Eventually you will get it for one picture and hopefully you will learn from your trial and error. I would however suggest one alternative... search the net for a book or paper on color printer adjustments... not just your Dell 3000/3100 and try to learn something that way. This may cut down on the trial and error approach.
Remember, a color laser is not a photo quality printer - although I have had reasonable success - with some color saturation deficiencies. I just haven't spent the time trying to adjust. Also, a real good quality color laser paper will help.
Billybob
Coup47
36 Posts
0
March 28th, 2005 18:00
The Dell drivers offer such a multiplicity of options and strategies, if anyone has a sensible way to approach this, other than "keep tinkering", I'm all ears. Then of course there are the issues of:
1. How did you calibrate your monitor ? and to which programs ?
2. Even if you correctly calibrated your monitor to a specific program and are using that program... many, even most, inexpensive digital cameras are something short of 'perfect' when it comes to color rendition.. and when you try and adjust the printer output to more closely match reality, rather than what appears on your monitor....
The fact remains NONE of us knows or CAN know exactly what a "perfectly accurate" rendition of the digital file looks like, even ignoring that said file is unlikely to be a 'perfectly accurate" representation of the reality it was capturing. Frankly, I'm mostly amazed we get anywhere near close at all...
armedmetallica
10 Posts
0
March 28th, 2005 18:00