I was on the lookout for a wide format printer for a while and hemmed and hawed about whether I would ever get the business for one or not.
All the posters I sold were either A4 or A3 size and the real reason I thought about getting a wide format printer was to give me the ability to print canvas.
I found it very hard to find any HP DesignJet Z6 reviews online so why did I choose the Z6 in the end? It boiled down to a few reasons really.
1. I needed to be fit to get the printer upstairs in my home which had a 90-degree bend halfway up. This ruled out all 44-inch models.
2. Filling up the six Z6 cartridges would cost around €700 which I know I can manage with the income I'm making from my design business at the minute so with the HP DesignJet Z6 I'm taking a calculated risk. I know the quality of the Z9 would have been better but the difference would be subtle.
3. I wanted fade-resistant pigment inks that would last for years.
So, I ordered the printer along with a roll of satin photo paper roll and a canvas roll and got it shipped from the UK to Ireland for a total of €2400 from www.graphicdesignsupplies.co.uk who were very helpful in helping me make up my mind. I was back and forth with questions and they were super-fast to respond.
The pallet arrived in about 4-5 days and it just about fit through my front door, the door measures 31 inches and the pallet was 29 inches.
I built the legs in around 40 minutes and then it came time to try getting the big beast up the stairs. The size and weight are some of the things I took into consideration when I was doing my homework. I knew I could manage the Z6 because it only weighed 76kg which is a fair bit lighter than the Canon and Epson counterparts. Luckily with these printers, you can flip them on their sides before you put the ink in. Once that ink goes in though you have to keep it flat.
With the printer on its side, I gently flipped it and lowered it meaning the other end landed on the 4th or 5th step. From there I lifted the bottom end and my wife lifted it one step at a time.
Once the building was complete and I must state the instruction manual provided is very clear and precise I powered it up and the small display on the printer instructed me very clearly through the set-up process. I installed the six 150ml Ink cartridges that came with the device, the three print heads, and put the satin photo paper that I bought along with the printer onto the 2-inch spindle. The Z6 then done a collaboration and print head alignment which took around 15 minutes.
One of the faults with the DesignJet Z6 in my book is the lack of built-in WIFI.
GraphicDesignSupplies.co.uk did provide a LAN cable which is about 5 metres but sadly not long enough for my needs. Because of this I went on Amazon and purchased a 20m LAN cable as I knew the printer would be a good bit away from my router.