How to de-install and transport your HP Designjet Printer
13 November 2013
As an engineering company we receive many calls during the year requesting advice about how to transport HP Designjet printers. While smaller machines can be easily transported by car, the larger Designjets can either be boxed/palletised or transported by your removal company or bespoke courier.
In many cases you can follow the guidance notes below and you won't need any professional intervention - however in some instances it will be advantageous to have your equipment professionally de-installed, to avoid damage to the Designjet or surrounding areas - and to ensure the safety of your employees. In short if your printer has a spittoon which can leak,or the printer cannot easily be removed and must ideally be dismantled and later reassembled (perhaps because your lift is too small), or the plotter is too heavy for your employees to lift safely - particularly where staircases are involved - then we recommend you call us.
The key points to remember are:
- Remove any media loaded in the printer
- Fully shut down the printer
- Turn the power off and remove all cables and power cords
- If your printer has a spittoon, then get it professionally de-installed (unless you can ensure it's moved in an upright position) to avoid risk of ink spillage inside and outisde of printer
- Take care on lifting - some Designjets are exceptionally heavy machines - check your insurance
- Don't roll the Designjet wheels across concrete - the wheels will break or buckle. LIFT the printer!
- You can transport the printer on its stand. Ensure it's strapped down in an upright position to prevent from tipping.
- It's useful to retain the polystyrene end pieces (that came in the box when you first purchased your printer) to protect the Designjet ends from being damaged in transit
- You can remove your Designjet from it's stand, and then slide the printer into the back of your car (depending upon the size of the printer and vehicle for quick/easy transportation)
- Measure up BEFORE you move the printer to the new venue, to ensure it will fit through the door/in the lift etc
- If you've arranged for your IT Team to upgrade your operating systems as part of the general 'office move mayhem', first check that the printer drivers are available for the new Operating System. The number of times people update their IT systems and find themselves afterwards without a compatible printer driver is fairly high - so don't get caught out!
