HP DesignJet Z6 44" – Cannot print long drawings even though driver accepts long custom sizes

[LASS-AU]

Hi everyone,

We recently replaced our old HP DesignJet T1200 with a new HP DesignJet Z6 44-inch PostScript Printer.

On our previous T1200 we were able to print very long CAD technical drawings from roll media, 5 m, 6 m, even up to 10 m — in a single continuous print without any issues.

With the new Z6, the Windows driver allows us to create custom paper sizes longer than 1676 mm, so the driver itself is not blocking the size.
However, when we actually send a long job to the printer:

• In the printer queue, the preview shows a long blnack sheet,

• The printer does not print anything,

• Printing works completely normally only when the drawing is 1676 mm long or shorter.

So the issue is not creating the custom page — it’s that the Z6 refuses to print any job that exceeds the technical 1676 mm limit, even though the roll is 90+ meters long and the old T1200 could handle long prints without trouble.

We originally intended to buy the HP T1700, but due to an 8-week backorder the reseller recommended the Z6 as a similar alternative. For our workflow it is essential to print long technical drawings (5–10 m) without segmenting them.

Questions:

1. Is there any way to allow the Z6 to print jobs longer than 1676 mm from roll media?

2. Is this limitation coming from the firmware, the PostScript interpreter, or a specific Z6 series restriction?

3. Is there a recommended workaround such as:

   • HP-GL/2 driver instead of PostScript

   • Printing through HP Click

   • Disabling the cutter / enabling banner mode

   • RAW spooling instead of EMF

4. Does the Z6 have a hardcoded maximum print length that cannot be bypassed?

We urgently need this functionality because our technical drawings often exceed 5 m in length and were always printable on the T1200.

Any help, clarification, or workaround would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!