I want to print out my 2d drawings on a Hewlett Packard DesignJet 350c plotter that I have, but when I try it the operation freezes up. Then I lose the plotter in my printers. I have to reboot to get the plotter back. I'm using Windows 98se and Solidworks 2003. I don't know if there's a particular driver that solidworks needs to see or what. The plotter prints out the Windows test page with no problems.
Anybody experienced with HP 350c plotter?
Mar 01, 2004
10 Replies
Well, I do regret (really) to tell you but the 350C is a POS, and the drivers are worse. HP has long been known (in the printer/plotter world) as a company that makes outstanding hardware and absolutely s***ty software and drivers. The 350C is an exception . . . the hardware is s***ty too. Unfortunately for you you're also using the shittiest OS that Microsoft released since Windows 3.51. At least upgrade to Windows XP Pro . . . you might stand a ghost of a chance of making that POS plotter work. But I wouldn't bet much on it.
I'm not usually this cheerful . . . I just had enough experience with the 350C to want to kick up my heels a little. You're lucky to be able to get it to print the test page right.
Sorry, Mark 'Sporky' Staplet>
JJ,
I have the exact same plotter at home. The difference is I'm running windows XP. Plotting works fine on my system with the latest HP driver for WinXP. I don't know about Win98, but XP actually has a windows driver that works OK. You might try loading the standard Windows driver if Win98 has one.
Malc>I want to print out my 2d drawings on a Hewlett Packard DesignJet 350c
XP. Plotting works fine on my system with
windows driver that works OK. You might
You hit the nail dead center Sporky. Fortunately, I didn't pay much for my 350C. The plotter actually does line drawings OK. My main complaint is with the damned cartridges. If I let the thing sit for more than a day or two without plotting, the cartridges dry shut. At ~$36.00 / cartridge, it's not an economical solution.
Malcontent
for more than a day or two without plotting,
Yup. Exactically (sic intentionally). But also dig the mystifying (often non-functional) control buttons and the even more cryptic instructions. The designers should be chained to one of their damned machines and made to perform constant maintenance for at least a year as punishment.
350C. The plotter actually does line drawings
more than a day or two without plotting,
No, I'm on WinXP Pro.
Malc>Malcolm, are you us>
350C. The plotter actually does line drawingsfor more than a day or two without plotting,
Ooops,
I forgot to menti>Malcolm, are you us>
350C. The plotter actually does line drawingsfor more than a day or two without plotting,
Use rubbing alchol on the ink screen it will fix the cartidges.
350C. The plotter actually does line drawingssit for more than a day or two without plotting,
Perhaps memory is an issue? There is an option for some HP "plodders" to use computer memory instead of plotter memory. Sometimes that's the way to get plots when other ways plotz.
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