Sorry about quoting myself but now I have a few more minutes to spare, this is what I did, and Like Fred, checked the Help to understand what to expect "out of the box".

I don’t normally make use of the Test Strip feature. I had tried it out when it was first introduced so I reminded myself about it by reading the Help, it seems straightforward.
My understanding is that the Test Strip tool produces a reduced print size (mm) but maintains the original print resolution. In that way, small areas of a large print can be printed on “scrap” paper at the correct print resolution.
To check it out with Original Size,
1) Edited an image in an external application so that it had an embedded 222 x148 mm at 400ppi.
2) Placed it in the queue with A4 paper, using original size.
3) Went to the FPE and clicked the Test Strip tool 5 times and moved the crop to a suitable area of the image.
4) The result was a print size of 73x49 mm at 400dpi. It did not make any difference whether crop was on or off.
5) Changed the paper size, to simulate printing on smaller paper or a scrap piece, everything remained at 400 ppi.
6) Added 3 additional copies of the image the queue and for each clicked the Test Strip button 5 times.
7) Changed the crop position for each copy of the image.
In all cases, the print resolution remained at 400 ppi.
9) Reduced the paper size to 130x180 (5x7), the 4 images fitted on the page, as expected.

Conclusion: the test strip feature “does what it says on the DDI box”
Terry.

Ernst, you can mitigate the situation in Qimage

If you set up a printer setup file for test strip size, then you can leave the roll
in place too.
Set the driver for user defined 8 x 10 page size. (Or similar to suit)
All settings in place for quality same as final print) SAVE it as a printer setup file.

In other words, go to RECALL and click on TEST strips 8 x 10.
Q will load the test strip printer setup file leaving the driver ready to
print on a user defined 8 x 10 page size. Then you click the Test Strip
button a few times until Q shows a print size of less than 8 x 10. "PRINT!"
You will only use 8" of paper.
Best wishes,

Fred

Best I can do is 2.64 x 1.93.
Fred 

Ok, then Fred, let's say a 17inch roll of canvas, and you want test strips 15inch by 2inch. The cost (in material and time) is not the same, but the method  is.

edit - this was in response to your 2.64 by 1.93. I never said it was any specific printer.

Easy one.  Just set the page width to 15 inches and the page length to 2 inches in the driver.  If the driver won't allow a length that short, no problem: just use "Page Formatting", "Page Margins" and enter additional margins that create a 15 x 2 printable area so that 15 x 2 is listed above the preview page in Qimage.  Save that printer setup if you like so you can just load it in the future and get a 15 x 2 strip any time you want it.

Next just add a photo to the queue at its full size.  Let's say the full size is 15x22 and you want a 15x2 strip of that.  So just add the image at the 15x22 size, answer "Yes" that it can span more than one page, and go to the full page editor and click the test strip button one time.  Click "Done" on the full page editor to close it and that's it.  You now have a 15x2 test strip of the 15x22 original ready to print.

There are other ways to do this, but the above is the easiest: (1) set up the page size to be the size of the strip you want, (2) add the print at the original (large) size, (3) click the test strip button one time.

Here's another way to do it without using the page size:

(1) Add the image to the queue at the final size you are testing for (say 17x24).  If you are asked about spanning more than one page, answer "Yes".

(2) Go to the full page editor and click the test strip button once, click "Done", and exit the FPE.

(3) On the main window, click on the print to select it and then set the size to the test strip size you want (say 17x2).

(4) You'll see the portion of the print that is selected.  If you'd like to select a different portion to print, go back to the FPE and use the cropping tool to click/drag.

Notes: In (2), you must exit the FPE and set the new test strip size on the main window.  You can re-set the strip size as many times as you like from the main window after step (4): Qimage knows it is now a test strip and whatever size you select on the main window is assumed to be that size test strip of the original.

So now you have two ways to make a test strip any size you like.  I personally prefer the first method because you can create the size strip you want on your printer and then save that as a file like "15x2-test-strip" and you can just reload that any time you want it.

Afterthought: to me, long/skinny test "strips" are not particularly useful.  I often use sizes like 3x2 or 4x6 and then just slide them to an important part of the print.  Skinny test strips often don't give you enough perspective to judge quality.  In addition, I sometimes have 4x6 paper that is the same type as my large 13x19 that I'm printing so printing a 4x6 test strip allows me to print a test portion on 4x6 paper that is the same type of paper as my 13x19.

Mike

Hi Mike,

I'll try your ideas later, but that, at least the first, I understand.

Best wishes,

Ray

I have made a printing shortcut in the HP driver for a specific paper, roll width, print page size (the last with its own "test strip" name). I have made the corresponding settings for that test print strip in Qimage and saved them. When I recall the settings in Qimage the printer driver does what it should do. There has been a time it didn't but several software and firmware upgrades in the last years did wonders to the interaction of the Z models and Qimage.

I use the Thumbnail Action crop on one or more images and guesstimate the size that fits with Original Size set. Goes quite good but as written, feedback of the crop size in mm's would be nice. That should be possible with Tiffs an Jpegs. Print and take the filters off the images again when finished or shift the crop to another spot if needed for the next proof. After that enlarge the print page or do a recall on a similar job made before the proof.

I have no objection to longer strips for proof prints. It often is reproduction work and quite big. The original is here too and at the same size. Confidence grows if the strip is on the original and no nasty color or tone differences are visible along the strip. Call it a crosscut proof. Of course this can be varied in size and one selects the parts that matter.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/