MAGIC® TECHNICAL BULLETIN
TWO-SIDED PRINTING INSTRUCTIONS
The following instructions are tailored for the HP5000 DesignJet; however, they can also easily be applied to the HP2000/3000 DesignJets.
1. Prepare artwork
- The graphic to be printed must have two separate ripped or prepared versions.
- One version should have no rotation (or 0° rotation).
- The second version should be flipped vertically (or 180° rotation).
- Note: With no rotation selected, most programs print head first or upside-down when viewing from the front of the printer.
2. Prepare printer for Side One imaging
- Turn automatic cutting off by selecting: ″Printer Setup Options″/″Device Setup″/″Cutter = Off″.
- Load 2-sided banner roll media onto printer by selecting: ″Load″/″Unload″ media button.
- Choose media setting – most likely ″Heavycoated Paper″.
- If printhead calibration occurs, allow printer to calibrate.
- Cut off calibration patches by overriding the automatic cutting by selecting: ″Media Options″/″Formfeed and Cut″.
- Advance media a minimum of 12 inches by selecting: ″Media Options″/″Move Media″. (This extra media will be the tail end of Side Two.)
- Mark on printer or make note of the exact point of the lead edge. (You align the lead edge on Side Two with this reference mark.)
3. Print Side One of the graphic
- Print the graphic with the 0° or no rotation.
- Once the graphic is printed, and before cutting, measure the distance between the lead edge of media and the start of the printed graphic.
- Take that measurement (a minimum of 12 inches) and advance media to that distance plus a little extra.
- Make note of the orientation of the graphic; this will be exactly how you will feed it for Side Two! (Whatever part of the graphic printed last will feed into the printer first for Side Two.)
- Now cut off the printed graphic by selecting ″Formfeed and Cut″, and unload the unimaged roll.
- Do not shut off printer or change media setting between prints.
4. Prepare graphic for Side Two imaging
- Now take your measurement and trim the tail end of Side One exactly to that distance. (The cut must be perpendicular to edges of media; use cutting machine, if possible.)
- You now have a one-side-printed graphic with an unimaged leader that exactly matches the unimaged tail.
5. Load printer for Side Two imaging
- Take graphic to printer and orient exactly as noted earlier, typically with the printed side facing you and upside-down. Load graphic by selecting ″Load″/″Unload″ media button.
- When printer asks you ″Roll″ or ″Sheet feed″, select ″ROLL″.
- After printer accepts load, select the same media you did for Side One printing (Heavycoated Paper).
- Using the ″Media Option″/″Move Media″ selection, either forward or reverse media's lead edge to the mark noted earlier from Side One.
6. Print Side Two of graphic
- Because of the lead edge mark, you now have a lead edge on Side Two that matches Side One. Having never flipped your print horizontally, you have the same right-hand edge for both sides. Also you have enough media on the trailer so the printer will not run out of media.
- Now print the second ripped file that is 180° flipped vertically from Side One.
- Once printed, advance the rest of the banner out.
- You will now have a finished, two-sided banner with an alignment tolerance of ± .375″.
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