hp 8150 inkjet automatic paper type selection

[larrymcg]

The hp 8150 Photosmart inkjet printer has a paper type option called
"Automatic". Since I don't trust most automatic things I always
select the type I'm using.

1) How does the printer automatically select the paper type?

2) Will it get it right with any paper type or is special paper (e.g.,
hp paper) required for the automatic selection to work?

--Larry

 

[Bob Headrick]

The hp 8150 Photosmart inkjet printer has a paper type option called
"Automatic". Since I don't trust most automatic things I always
select the type I'm using.

1) How does the printer automatically select the paper type?

The sensor used for calibration can also "read" the reflection from the
paper in a few different ways. This is compared with known paper type
signatures to select the best fit.

2) Will it get it right with any paper type or is special paper (e.g.,
hp paper) required for the automatic selection to work?

It gets things approximately right. It can tell the difference between
plain paper, coated (inkjet) paper, and some photo papers photo paper. It
may not pick exactly the optimum type of photo paper, but will give much
much better results than printing on photo paper with plain paper settings.
It is most useful for folks who do not realize that there even is a paper
selection in the driver, and then wonder why they do not get great results.
Selecting the exact paper type in the driver may give (slightly) better
results.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, MS MVP Printing/Imaging

 

[Andrew Rossmann]

It gets things approximately right. It can tell the difference between
plain paper, coated (inkjet) paper, and some photo papers photo paper. It
may not pick exactly the optimum type of photo paper, but will give much
much better results than printing on photo paper with plain paper settings.
It is most useful for folks who do not realize that there even is a paper
selection in the driver, and then wonder why they do not get great results.
Selecting the exact paper type in the driver may give (slightly) better
results.

Don't some papers (at least offical HP ones) have some sort of infrared
or 'invisible' mark that the printer can read to help it select?

 

[frederick]

Don't some papers (at least offical HP ones) have some sort of infrared
or 'invisible' mark that the printer can read to help it select?

AFAIK it's not even invisible - just a bar code, explained here:
http://www.photo-i.co.uk/Reviews/printers/HP 8250/page2.htm

 

[larrymcg]

AFAIK it's not even invisible - just a bar code, explained here:http://www.photo-i.co.uk/Reviews/printers/HP 8250/page2.htm

The official hp Premium Glossy photo paper that I use has no visible
barcode. The back of the paper has very light grey hp logos with the
word "invent" below them. The 8150 documentation does not say that
special paper is needed -- it just has the capability to automatically
determine the kind of paper. No qualifications.

I'm willing to believe that it can sort out glossy versus not-glossy
and some things like that but it probably can't tell hp glossy from
Kodak glossy.

--Larry