Hi all:

I am encountering a problem with QI where it appears that QI is converting my images to 8-bit (and possibly also the same colorspace).  This is not good.

My workflow setup: files -> Qimage -> RIP software -> Designjet Z2100

How I discovered this: I am printing up some images for a class I will be teaching on advanced printing.  I have 6 images I put together from the same HDR original: ProPhoto, AdobeRGB and sRGB in both 8-bit and 16 (all uncompressed TIFF files).  When I process/print these directly from my RIP (bypassing QI entirely), I get the variances that I would expect - the 8 bit output files are roughly half the size of the 16 bit and all the output file sizes are different.  When QI is introduced into the equation, the RIP reports the files all as 8-bit and all the output file sizes are the same.

This leads me to believe that QI is making bitdepth and colorspace decisions for me - which is VERY bad for my business and for this class I will be teaching.

Can someone confirm (or refute) this behavior for me with QI?  Is there any setting I can set where QI won't change these things on me?

Thanks!

Ron

Well, then let's call it a feature request then.  I'll worry about how my jobs get sent to the printer (I do 1 image per job in the first place), it would just be nice to be able to name the jobs so I don't have to do a bunch of extra steps...

$.02

Hi:

Right now (as far as I can tell), QU sends the print jobs named as "QImage-{timestamp}".  Under preferences->job logging->job file naming, there appears to be a way to set the job name to "manually input".  Is there a way (that I haven't found yet) to automatically set the job name to something else - like {filename}-{timestamp}?

Why am I asking: my printer (HP Designjet Z2100) will internally log the job name along with ink consumption and it would be nice to have an actual filename associated with the ink consumption instead of "qimage-{timestamp}".

Thanks!

Ron

Hi Mike (and everyone else)!

I hope you don't mind a small laundry list of feature requests for QU.

1) split the print engine from the UI and make the connection network based.  Thus allowing the printing engine to be shared between different computers.  This will also lead to the print engine being able to run as a service.  May require "magic" to access the printer driver without a running profile.
2) rework the save settings feature such that all print related settings are saved and identified by a text field to allow easy recall ofALL print related settings (including driver settings).  This is tied into the next request:
3) allow for multiple hot folders with a print configuration (from above) tied to each folder
4) virtual "network" printers, each tied to print configuration (from above).  Maybe utilize a generic postscript printer driver and PPD file to allow settings to be set from the network station doing the printing.

Well, a wishlist anyhow...

Confirmed - Windows 10 problem with HP DJ Z2100-44".

I was able to spin up a VM of Windows 2k8 and copied everything into it.  The preview of the print in the VM is correct.

If nothing else, this helps to document the issue.  QU is in the clear here as far as I am concerned.

Hopefully, HP can/will release a Win10 version of their driver.  Holding my breath...

Ron

Hi everyone:

I am posting this threat at the moment to act mostly as a place holder - and a place to document an issue I am seeing between QU and Windows 10 (yes, the RTM of Windows 10).

System details:
Computer: Dell Latitude E6520, 16 gig RAM, 750 Gig SSD C:, 2 Tb 5400 D:, Gig-E connected
Printer: HP DesignJet Z2100 44" wide
OS: Windows 10 (build 10240)

Problem description:
I am trying to print some 32x40 canvas prints for a customer.  QU is doing everything it should (or at least appears to be), the driver has the paper size set at 42" x 48.4", image size is set in QU as 36"x44" plus 2" white border (total size: 40"x48").  Paper type (if you must know) is 42" wide Breathing Color LYVE with custom profile.

With these print settings (which have worked multiple times in the recent past), I am getting a letter-sized print (8.5"x11").  I have print preview turned on in the driver and can verify that the driver indeed is setting the paper size to 42"x48.4".  Print scaling is turned off, oversize/borderless is turned off, heck - even auto-rotate is turned off.

Here is the kicker: if I use a pre-defined paper size (i.e.: Arch-E), the print size comes out correct (36"x48").  This problem only seems to happen with a custom paper size such as I am using here.

I don't know if this is a QU problem (probably not) but I thought I would throw this out there to see if anyone else has seen this sort of problem and can offer some tips.

Things I am going to try when I get home tonight: printing from Photoshop(CC) to same paper/image size, changing paper defined size to 40.4"x48.4", running QU and printing from a virtualized Win-7 machine (VMware Workstation).

Just documenting a possible problem.

Ron

Fred:

You are welcome to do a Teamviewer session to my computer and see the problem for yourself if you like.  Email me from your ddisoftware account for the teamviewer credentials.

Ron

That was most certainly the problem.  When set to use every cpu/core in the system, it can drag the system down heavily (which in my case - it did: QI was running so sluggish as to become unresponsive).  I set QI back to use only 2 of my 4 cores for thumbnail building and now at least the system is usable when QI launches.

How many threads are you launching on a 4 core system anyhow?  More than 8?

Hi everyone:

I have what I hope to be an unusual problem.  It turns out that QI is taking 100% CPU on all my available cores (4 in my case).  This has just recently started happening.

It is quite repeatable: launch Task Manager, CPUs are effectively idle, launch QI, CPUs go to 100% usage and stay there, quit QI, CPUs come back down.  Looking in the process list indeed shows qimage.exe as the process consuming all the CPU.

I tried this on .127 and .128 - no difference.


Any hints as to what might be wrong here?  This has just started probably a week ago.

Ron
Westland, Michigan

Hi Mike:

Sorry for the multiple postings, but I think this and the last one are quite important.

Right now, the 4 edge options (blank, color, stretch, mirrored) for QImage are good starters, but it would be great if a few other options existed.  Such a list of extras include:
mirrored - fade to white (paper)
mirrored - fade to black
stretched - fade to white (paper)
stretched - fade to black
single color - average color of entire print

If anyone has any additional suggestions, that would be great!

Thanks again - I'll go back to lurking for now!

Ron Gage
PRGStudios
Westland, Michigan

Hi Mike!

Thank you for QImage!  It has been great (and the price is certainly right).

I am looking at using QImage to make a tiled wall mural (4' x 8').  One thing I see missing from the poster print settings is a way to adjust overlap.  Overlap is quite important as there may be situations such as mine where tight-trimming to ink edge is not feasible.  By having overlap, it is easy to trim the poster after it is mounted (I am printing on 36" wide PhotoTEX).

Thanks again!

Ron Gage
PRGStudios
Westland, Michigan