INSTALLATION GUIDE Installation 1 Before you install 3 Installation audience 3 Site requirements 3 Site guidelines 3 PC and software requirements 4 ID system installation sequence 4 Installation choices 5 Unpacking and connecting the printer 7 Unpacking the printer 7 Powering on an SP35 or SP55 printer 7 Powering on an SP75 printer 7 Data cables 8 Is the printer ready for driver installation? 9 Installing the driver 11 Install the Smart Driver™ to a USB port on Windows XP or 2000 11 Install the Smart Driver
1 Installation The printer is easy to install and use. It is also flexible; you can connect and use it in many different ways. Most often, one printer is connected to one PC. However, two or more PCs can connect to and use one printer, or more than one printer can be attached to a PC. The information in this section has two purposes: • If you are not familiar with installing a printer on a PC, this section provides detailed steps and information to help you.
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3 Before you install This section includes: • "Installation audience" • "Site requirements" • "Site guidelines" • "PC and software requirements" • "ID system installation sequence" • "Installation choices" Installation audience To perform the procedures in the installation section of this guide, you need the following skills: • Ability to read and understand written and graphical instructions • Experience and comfort installing hardware (such as a printer, scanner, expansion card, etc.
4 PC and software requirements The printer must be used with a PC running a supported operating system. The PC also runs ID software that captures and organizes the data to appear on each card. These requirements do not apply to SP55 printers with the Open Card option. See the SP Series Network Printer Guide for information about requirements for the Open Card option.
5 setting up the PC and before installing the ID software and capture software and devices. Verify the success of each installation step before continuing. Installation choices Most users install one printer on a PC, using the CD-ROM shipped with the printer for installation. If you will install the printer in this way, see "Unpacking and connecting the printer".
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7 Unpacking and connecting the printer This section includes: • "Unpacking the printer" • "Powering on an SP35 or SP55 printer" • "Powering on an SP75 printer" • "Data cables" • "Is the printer ready for driver installation?" Unpacking the printer The printer is compact and easy to unpack. 1 Open the shipping carton. 2 Remove the installation map. The top side shows the accessories shipped with the printer. If the printer includes optional items, the options are checked on the installation map.
8 2 Plug the other end of the power cord into a single-phase, 3-wire grounded receptacle with 90-130V AC or 195254V AC at 50 or 60 Hz (2). 3 Press | to power on the printer (3). The printer automatically adjusts to the voltage of the input power. Data cables All SP Series printers have a USB data port, and some also have an Ethernet data port. Use only one data cable for the printer. See "Network installation" if you plan to use the Ethernet data port.
9 Is the printer ready for driver installation? Before installing the printer driver, do the following: • Load cards in the input hopper. See the SP35 Printer Guide, SP55 Printer Guide, Network Printer Guide, SP75 Printer Guide, or the Installation Map. • Install the print ribbon and continuous cleaning sleeve. See the SP35 Printer Guide, SP55 Printer Guide, Network Printer Guide, SP75 Printer Guide, or the Installation Map. • Install the laminator supply material (SP75 only).
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11 Installing the driver This section includes: • "Installation choices" • "Install the Smart Driver™ to a USB port on Windows XP or 2000" • "Install the Smart Driver™ to a USB port on Windows Me or 98" • "Install the Smart Driver™ on Windows NT" The printer is shipped with a CD-ROM that contains the printer drivers for the supported Windows operating systems.
12 6 If you are using files downloaded from the Web, extract the files to the PC’s hard drive. The installation program will start automatically when the files have been extracted.The first page provides a choice: — If the Smart Driver™ is installed on the PC, “Update the existing driver” is the default. See "Updating the driver" for the steps to follow. — If the installation program does not detect an existing Smart Driver™, “Install the Printer” is the default. Click Next to continue.
13 15 In the Printer Preferences window, change settings as needed to match the supplies installed in the printer. 16 Double-click on the printer Printer Toolbox icon in the lower right corner of the desktop. The Printer Toolbox appears. 17 Click the Print Sample Card button to verify printer and driver installation. If you will connect additional Datacard® printers, you can install e-Guides for the Magna Platinum AIT printer, the Select Platinum AIT printer, and the ImageCard IV printer.
14 — If you installed the driver from downloaded files, a message appears indicating that the SP Series Info Central (or e-Guide) is not installed. Click Okay to close the message box. You can locate the download file for SP Series Info Central and e-Guide in the downloads area of www.datacard.com. 10 After the PC restarts, the Printer Toolbox is displayed. — If the firmware needs to be updated, you will be prompted to follow the instructions on the screen.
15 Printing sample cards The printer is shipped with one or more cards that are printed in the factory. You can also print a sample card, which looks like one of the factory-printed cards, using the Printer Toolbox. Setup tips Make sure that: • The printer cover is closed and latched. • Cards are loaded in the input hopper. • The data cable is connected to the USB port of the printer and the corresponding port of the PC. • The settings for the USB port (if used) are correct.
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17 Setting printer permissions This section includes: • "Setting printer permissions with Windows XP or 2000" • "Setting printer permissions with Windows NT" • "Changing user permissions in the Registry" Setting printer permissions with Windows XP or 2000 If the PC to which the printer is attached has other users and runs the Windows XP or 2000 operating system, set permissions that: • Allow users to use all features of the printer and driver, including messages.
18 Setting printer permissions with Windows NT If the PC to which the printer is attached has other users and runs the Windows NT operating system, set permissions that: • Allow users to use all features of the printer and driver, including messages. (Messages inform users when they need to change the ribbon, load cards, and fix problems.) • Prevent any access to the printer by unauthorized users. 1 From the Windows taskbar select Start, Settings, and then Printers. The Printers window appears.
19 5 In the Registry Key Permissions dialog box, select Replace Permissions on Existing Subkeys. Then select Full Control from the Type of Access list. 6 Click OK to save the new permissions and answer Yes to the message that follows.
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21 Changing the type of printer connected The Smart Driver™ supports SP35 printers, SP55 printers, SP75 printers, Select printers (Platinum Series or with Advanced Imaging Technology), Magna printers (Platinum Series or with Advanced Imaging Technology), and ImageCard IV printers. Each of these groups is considered a printer type. • After the printer and PC are communicating, the printer type will change automatically.
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23 Network installation This section includes: • "About network printing" • "Prepare the printer for installation" • "Connect the printer to the network" — "Use the Ethernet port" — "Use the USB port and a wired print server" — "Use the USB port and a wireless print server" — "Set up the network printer" — "Set the Data Format" • "Printer and Smart Driver setup" • "SNMP Support" About network printing A networked printer is connected to a network without a PC between the printer and network.
24 • The printer can be connected to a wireless print server, which communicates with a PC using a wireless connection on the PC (ad hoc or peer-to-peer mode), creating a local wireless network. • The printer can be connected to a wireless print server, which communicates to a wireless access point (WAP) on an existing network (infrastructure mode). The printer location is limited by the range and availability of WAPs.
25 • For a wireless connection, a wireless network adapter for the PC. The wireless network adapter must use the same wireless protocol as the wireless print server (802.11.b.) One adapter is needed to configure the print server for both ad-hoc and infrastructure modes. If you plan to use adhoc mode, you also need a wireless network adapter for each PC that will use the printer.
26 6 Work with network support personnel to understand whether the network uses DHCP or static IP addressing. If it uses static IP addressing, obtain the IP address, subnet mask, and gateway address from network support personnel. (In a printer with the Built-in Ethernet feature, you can also use the default IP address in the printer.) DHCP is the printer default. When you have successfully completed these steps, continue with connecting the printer to a network.
27 — If the printer is an SP55 Card Printer with the Built-in Ethernet feature, continue with "Set the Data Format". If you will use the Smart Driver™ to send print jobs to the printer, return to this procedure and continue with step 4. 4 On each PC that will send jobs to the printer, beginning with the Admin PC, install the Smart Driver™. See "Installing the driver" and follow these guidelines: — Choose to install a directly networked printer. — Make sure that each printer has a unique name on the PC.
28 — If the printer is an SP55 Card Printer with the Open card option, continue with "Set the Data Format". If you will use the SmartDriver to send print jobs to the printer, return to this procedure and continue with step 5. 5 On each PC that will send jobs to the printer, install the Smart Driver™. See "Installing the driver" and follow these guidelines: — Choose to install a directly networked printer. — Make sure that each printer has a unique name on the PC.
29 5 The display shows the address mode, which can be DHCP (default) or Static IP. — If the address mode setting is the one you want to use, use the Network Status submenus to retrieve the IP address, subnet mask, gateway address, and, if needed, the MAC address values from the printer: — Press the Enter key to leave the current value. — Press the Up or Down Arrow key to scroll to a value and press Enter to view the value. — Exit to the Main Menu and continue with "Set the Data Format".
30 — If you choose DHCP, the display shows “Apply/Restart” on line 2. If you are not connected to a DHCP network, the IP address will be blank until you connect the printer to the network. Continue with step 9. — If you choose Static IP, the second line of the LCD panel shows “IP Address.” — Work with your network personnel to obtain the IP address, subnet mask, and gateway address. Enter these as described next. — Press the Enter key to choose “IP Address.
31 9 Press the Enter key to apply the value(s) and restart the printer. The Status light shows amber (yellow) and then blinks green. Internal printer components move and the LCD panel changes to show “Printer Ready” on the first line. Set the Data Format This section applies only to the SP55 printer with the Built-in Ethernet and Open Card features. Before you send any data to the printer, set the data format so the printer can receive the data you send. 1 Press the Enter key to enter the menu system.
32 Printer and Smart Driver setup For printer and Smart Driver setup information, see the Setup e-guide. To begin producing cards, see the Production e-guide. SNMP Support The SP Series Card Printer with the Built-in Ethernet feature supports the following SNMP (simple network management protocol) features: • The printer has an SNMP agent which supports the printer MIB (management information block) and MIB-II. The agent supports SNMPv1 and SNMPv2c.
33 Updating the driver When a newer release of the Smart Driver™ becomes available, you might want to update the printer driver to take advantage of new features. The Printer Toolbox displays the version of the printer driver, which can help you to decide whether to update the driver. See the SP35 Printer Guide, SP55 Printer Guide, or SP75 Printer Guide if you need instructions on opening the Printer Toolbox. The procedure to use depends on the operating system running on the PC.
34 6 You must restart the PC before the driver can work with the printer. Click Finish to close the installation and restart the PC. 7 Follow instructions to update the printer firmware if prompted. Make sure the printer is connected to the PC and powered on before running the Firmware update utility. If you downloaded the driver from the Internet, you can delete the Smart Driver folder from your hard drive after installing the printer driver. You can also delete the downloaded SD_xxx.
35 Reinstalling the driver This section includes: • "Removing the existing printer driver" • "Running the Cleanup utility" • "Installing the printer and driver again" If you have problems printing from a PC to the printer, you might need to remove the driver and install it again.
36 Running the Cleanup utility Tips for success • Download the Cleanup Utility from the downloads area of www.datacard.com. • The cleanup utility is also available on the printer driver CD-ROM. • If you have attempted to delete the printer and the icon remains, run the Cleanup utility as though the driver was deleted. 1 Begin with all Smart Driver™ printer drivers deleted from the PC. Make sure you have restarted Windows after deleting the drivers.
37 Troubleshooting Installation Problems This section describes some problems users have reported when installing the printer and provides solutions to those problems.
38 Problem Cause Possible solution The USB cable is defective. Use a different USB cable that is up to 6.5 feet or 2 meters long. The printer is connected through more than 5 hubs (or devices) or through 2 or more unpowered hubs (or devices). Remove hubs until the printer is connected through 5 or fewer hubs (or devices) or directly to the PC. Make sure every other hub is powered. The printer is connected through a USB hub or device that is defective.
39 Test LED does not light up on power up the print server. The power or network connection for the print server is not working. Make sure that the print server is connected to a power source and that the network connection is good. See the guide for the print server. On Windows XP or 2000, the DCNETn port does not appear in the Smart Driver Ports list when installing the printer. The network port driver was not installed successfully. Remove the Smart Driver™ and install the driver again.
40 You sent the card using an IP address that is not correct for the printer. Use the LCD panel to retrieve the IP addresses (IP address, subnet mask, and gateway address). If IP addresses are not displayed, work with network support personnel to assign the correct IP addresses. Make sure you have selected the correct address mode (DHCP or Static IP). The address mode of the printer must match the addressing used on the network. The printer is paused.
41 8 Locate the device to delete. The device might be called “Unknown device” or “Smart Driver.” It is usually marked with a yellow question mark. If neither of these types of devices is displayed, go to step 10. — On Windows Me and Windows 98, click on the device name or icon to select it, and then click the Remove button. — On Windows XP and Windows 2000, click on the device name to select it, and then right-click to display a pop-up menu. Select Remove from the pop-up menu.
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43 Connecting more than one printer or more than one PC This section includes: • "Installing more than one printer using a USB connection" • "Using more than one printer on a PC" You have several choices for having more than one printer connected to a PC or for having more than one PC connected to a printer. Choices include: • Installing two printers to one PC using USB ports See "Installing more than one printer using a USB connection" for details.
44 Wizard runs quickly and you might not notice it. If the Wizard does not appear and the icon is not present, see "Troubleshooting Installation Problems" for more information. — For Windows Me and 98, the Add New Hardware wizard might appear twice; to install USB printer support and then to install the printer driver. 7 In most cases, the operating system will use the existing driver files to install the driver for this printer: — On Windows Me, the Copying Files dialog box might appear.
45 Printer pooling This section includes: • "Printer pooling" • "Use a printer pool" Printer pooling is a feature of the WIndows XP and Windows 2000 operating systems. A printer pool treats a group of printers as one printer and distributes print jobs among the available printers. Requirements for a printer pool To create a printer pool for Datacard® printers, you must: • Install the printers (connect the printers and install the Smart Driver™) to the same PC.
46 Install the Smart Driver™ printer pool 1 Begin with Windows running and all printers installed. 2 Start the installation program by doing one of the following: — Insert the Smart Driver™ CD-ROM. When the dialog box appears, click “Install the Printer”. — Double-click the SD-2K-XP-n_n.exe file to extract downloaded driver files and start the installation program (the n_n represents the version of the driver, such as 7_0). 3 On the dialog box, click “Install the Printer.
47 — No jobs are pending in the spooler for that printer — The printer is not paused — The printer is not set to “work offline” — The printer status is not “User Intervention Required” — The Printer Toolbox is not in Advanced Setup mode 5 After a card is sent by the printer pool to a specific printer, it cannot be removed from that printer and assigned to another printer. 6 When a printer issues a message, the message appears on the PC with the name of the printer in the title bar of the message box.
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49 Printer sharing This section includes: • "Requirements for local printer sharing" • "Components" • "Setting up printing sharing" • "Installing the printer driver on the client PC" • "Performing management tasks at the host PC" • "Using the printer from the client PC" This section describes how you can print to a printer over a network using Microsoft File and Printer Sharing. A shared printer is connected to a PC with the printer driver installed (host PC).
50 Network: A network must be set up and working before you begin. See "Network installation" for more information. Host PC: The host PC has the printer attached to it. The host PC must be connected to the network. For Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows NT, you need to set up users and access. Port connection: The printer can be connected to a USB port on the host PC, or can have a direct network connection to the host PC, in the same way as though you were using it just from the host PC.
51 • For Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows NT, log onto the client PC as a user with access rights to the host PC. You also need Print permission to the shared printer to open the Printing Preferences dialog box and to print test cards. • A PC can have a locally connected (USB) Datacard® printer attached, a directly networked Datacard® printer attached, and be connected to a shared printer as a client PC.
52 Performing management tasks at the host PC The user at the host PC has more control over the printer and more information about the printer. This section describes some tasks performed at the host PC. For Windows XP and 2000, the user must be logged in with Print, Manage Printers, and Manage Documents permissions. For Windows NT, the user must be logged in as a user with Full Control permission. • Manage all jobs in the print queue.
53 • Use the Color Settings page of the Toolbox. The Printer Toolbox box on the client PC provides access to the Color Settings page. The color settings can be used to fine-tune the appearance of cards sent from the client PC. • On Windows XP, 2000, and NT, view the Print Manager to see printer messages from the host PC. The card job remains in the print queue until it is sent to the printer. You can expand the Status column in the Print Manager dialog box to see the messages.
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55 PC port settings This section describes how to configure ports on the PC attached to the printer. For a local connection, the PC uses a USB port. If the printer includes a smart card module, that module connects to a USB or serial port on the PC. (This section does not address any network setup issues.
56 9 Click OK on the Properties dialog box and on the System Properties dialog box to save settings and close the dialog boxes. Serial port settings This section describes how to set serial port values. A serial port might be used with a smart card module. For some smart card applications, you connect the PC to the serial port on the printer. The PC should be set to match the printer serial port settings.
57 6 7 Use the following settings: Setting Value Baud rate 9600 Data bits 8 Parity None Stop bits 1 Flow control None When the settings are correct, click OK to save settings and close the dialog box. Setting a serial port for Windows Me or 98 1 From the Start menu, choose Settings and then Control Panel. 2 From the control panel, open System. 3 On the System Properties dialog box, click the Device Manager tab.
58 4 Press the "+" next to Ports (COM & LPT) to display a list of ports. 5 From the Ports list, choose the port, such as COM1 or COM2. — If the PC has more than one serial port, make sure you view the settings for the serial port to which the smart card is attached. 6 Click the Properties button. 7 In the Communications Port Properties dialog box, click the Port Settings tab.
59 8 9 Use the following settings: Setting Value Bits per second 9600 Data bits 8 Parity None Stop bits 1 Flow control None When the settings are correct, click OK to save settings and close the dialog box. Setting the serial port on Windows NT 1 From the Start menu, choose Settings and then Control Panel. 2 From the Control Panel, open Ports. 3 From the Ports dialog box, choose the port, such as COM1 or COM2. 4 Click the Settings button to display the port settings.
60 6 Stop bits 1 Flow control None When the settings are correct, click OK to save settings and close the dialog box.
61 On the CD-ROM The printer is shipped with a CD-ROM that contains the printer driver (Smart Driver™), user information, and other utilities and files that you might want. The following table lists the contents of the CD-ROM, the path, and the purpose of the program, file, or utility: Path Purpose Datacard® Smart Driver™ CD-ROM D:\SETUP.exe# User-friendly access to all of the applications on the CD-ROM Printer driver for Windows XP and 2000 D:\DsPnp.
62 Path Purpose D:\e-Guide\ ImageCard IV\ D4-e-Guide.pdf# and other files with names in the 4_xxx.pdf format ImageCard IV e-Guide, which contains error recovery procedures linked to help. Adobe Acrobat Reader installation D:\Adobe\ AdbeRdr60_CHS.exe, AdbeRdr60_CHT.exe, AdbeRdr60_DEU.exe, AdbeRdr60_ENU.exe, AdbeRdr60_ESP.exe, AdbeRdr60_FRA.exe, AdbeRdr60_ITA.exe, AdbeRdr60_JPN.exe AdbeRdr60_PTB.exe# Installation program for Adobe Acrobat Reader, Version 6.0.
1 A Add New Hardware wizard 13, 38, 43 address mode network set up 28 Administrator Windows 2000 and XP 17, 33, 35 Windows NT 18 Adobe Acrobat Reader 62 B badging system installation sequence 4 built-in Ethernet option 24 C cable connecting 8 data 8 network 24 USB 8, 38 card factory-printed 15 cascade USB devices 5, 43 Cleanup Utility 5, 36 client PC 49 connection Ethernet 26 USB 26 D data format setting up network printer 30 data port 4 Detect New Hardware wizard 43 DHCP network addressing 26 driver, See
2 H host PC 49 management 52 HP print server 26 I ID system installation sequence 4 Installation 5 installation Adobe Acrobat Reader 62 audience 3 choices 11 connect more than one printer 5 Copying Files dialog box 44 fixing problems 40 prepare the printer 25 printer ready 9 report 15 sequence 4 set up tips 15 using Ethernet port 26 with wired print server 26 with wireless print server 27 M magnetic stripe module fonts at client PC 52 message on host PC 52 printer name in title bar 44 MIB printer 30 SNMP s
3 network installation connecting to the network 26 directly from printer 23 overview 23 requirements 24 types of connections 23 with print server 23 with wired print server 26 with wireless print server 23, 27 O operating systems supported 4 P PC client 50 connecting more than one printer 5, 43 host 50 ID software 4 network setup 49 requirements 4 settings 55 permissions 17 network 26 port data 4 smart card serial 56 USB 4, 8 USB settings 55 power cord 7 print jobs 35 spooler 35 Print Manager 35 client PC
4 more than one per PC 5, 43, 44 network setup 28 restart 30 sharing 49 SNMP support 30 Printer Diagnostic Utility 5 printer driver change printer type 21 client PC 50, 52 directly networked 33 host PC 50, 52 install using USB port 11, 13 installing 11 installing network client 50 PC requirements 4 printers supported 21 removing 35 update Windows 2000 and XP 33 update Windows ME, 98 SE, NT 34 printer parts data cable 8 power cord 7 power receptacle 7 USB cable 8 printer servers, types supported 24 Printer
5 site requirements 3 Smart Driver see printer driver 21 SNMP support 30 software requirements 4 SP60 printer, use SP55 instructions 7 Start menu 35 static IP network addressing 26 status light restart 30 storage supplies 3 supplies storage 3 T TCP/IP protocol 24 U USB connect cable 8 port settings 55 USB port 4 cable specifications 8 connect print server 26 connecting more than one printer 5, 43 maximum number of hubs 5, 43 troubleshooting 37 wired print server 26 wireless print server 27 utilities Cleanu
6 printer sharing 49 service pack 33 update printer driver 33 USB port 55 Windows Me and 98 printer sharing 49 Windows NT host PC permission 52 network permissions 52 permission to delete printer 35 permissions 18, 49 printer sharing 49 service pack 4 Windows operating systems supported 4 Windows PC settings 55 Windows Server 2003 4 Windows XP administrator 33 host PC permission 52 PC settings 56 permission to delete printer 35 permissions 17, 49 printer sharing 49 service pack 4 update printer driver 33 U
SETUP FOR CARD DESIGN GUIDE Setting up for your card design 1 Getting started 1 How do I create a card design? 1 What is a card design? 1 When should I perform setup tasks? 1 What do I use to set up the printer? 2 Why are there several interfaces to set up the printer? 2 Card design checklist 3 Working with Properties and Printing Preferences 5 Properties for Windows Me & 98 5 Properties & Printing Preferences for Windows 2000 & XP 7 Properties and Default Document Properties for Windows NT 9 Changing the t
1 Setting up for your card design The driver provides settings that you can use to make sure that your cards print as you intend. These settings provide users of the printer with great flexibility in printing, encoding a magnetic stripe, or personalizing a smart card. This flexibility makes it very difficult to provide you with a step-by-step process for getting your cards to print as you intend.
2 What do I use to set up the printer? • Properties dialog box: On Windows 98 and Me, the Properties dialog box includes typical printer settings, such as landscape or portrait orientation, and settings for card printers, such magnetic stripe settings. See "Working with Properties and Printing Preferences" to change settings. The Windows 98 and Me Properties dialog box also includes port and communication settings.
3 Card design checklist Use this checklist to guide your selection of set up tasks to perform. Before you print the design: • Does the card include a smart card or magnetic stripe on the printed side of the card? If yes, set topcoat blocking to prevent application of topcoat over that feature. See "Working with Properties and Printing Preferences" to use the Printing Preferences, Properties, or Document Defaults dialog box.
4 — Select a dithering method (for Windows 98 or Me) to manage how color photos are printed using one color. — Use the Brightness, Contrast, and Sharpness controls on the Color Settings page to obtain the best quality printed photos. See "Color settings" for more information. • Adapt your card design to use the ribbon saver feature. See "Using Ribbon Saver" for details. • Change the print intensity to optimize printing of features such as bar codes or small text.
5 Working with Properties and Printing Preferences Printer driver settings and data are organized in a set of dialog boxes or pages where settings for the printer are displayed and can be changed. The dialog boxes are organized differently for Windows Me and 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows NT. Use the section that applies to the operating system you use.
6 3 Click once on the Smart Driver™ icon. Smart Driver is the default name of the printer. The name of your printer might be different. 4 Select File from the Printers menu bar, and then select Properties. The Smart Driver™ Properties dialog box appears. — If you have the Printer Toolbox open, you can click the Properties button on the Status page to open the Properties dialog box.
7 6 If you make changes, click Apply to save the settings. When you are done, click OK to close the dialog box. If you do not want to make changes, click Cancel to close the Properties dialog box.
8 5 Select the tab that contains the information you want to view or change. — General: Shows the printer name and contains the Print Test Page button (sends a Windows test page). — Sharing: Allows you set up the printer for sharing over a network. — Ports: Shows the port to which the printer is connected, and includes the Port Settings button for setting up a directly networked printer. — Advanced: Contains the “Update Driver” button.
9 — If the setting you want to change does not appear, click the Advanced button to display the Advanced Options dialog box. — Click the plus sign (+) to see all selections available. — When you click a selection, a list of choices appears next to the selection. Click the arrow on the box to see the selections available. — If the selections you want to use are not available (are grayed out), make sure the feature is available in the printer.
10 • Card design settings, such as landscape or portrait orientation • Print blocking pattern • Whether to apply topcoat or patch material to the front of the card, back of the card, or both • Data about the printer, including the printer type • Magnetic stripe encoding format and coercivity A network connection is the only type of connection supported by Windows NT. Use the Properties dialog box Make sure the printer power is on and the printer is connected to the PC.
11 Use the Default Document Properties dialog box Make sure the printer power is on and the printer is connected to the PC. 1 Select Start from the Windows NT task bar. 2 From the Windows NT Start menu, select Settings and then Printers. The Printers window appears. 3 Click once on the Smart Driver™ icon. 4 Select File from the Printers menu bar, and then select Document Defaults. The Default Document Properties dialog box appears.
12 5 Replace the ribbon cartridge in the printer and close the cover. When you close the cover, the printer reads the type of ribbon installed and changes settings to match the current type of ribbon. 6 At each PC connected to the printer, make sure the printer and PC are communicating, and then open the Properties or Printing Preferences dialog box. View the Ribbon Type setting. The driver communicates with the printer to obtain the new ribbon type and will display the Ribbon Type.
13 Changing the print intensity When you use Datacard monochrome ribbons, the printer identifies the ribbon and changes internal values for optimal printing of a range of card features. (For example, the printer uses slightly different values to print with black ribbon than with red ribbon.) However, your card requirements might be different. For example, your card might include a bar code and you might want to change print intensity to produce the most readable bar codes.
14 Color settings Use the Color Settings page to fine-tune the printed appearance of your cards. Color settings affect how the printer driver prepares card data to send to the printer, so the changes to color settings affect only the cards sent from the PC on which you make the changes. Changing the color settings Settings that you can change include brightness, contrast, sharpness, and the balance of red, green and blue.
15 The page displays the current settings. For all settings, a value of 0 (zero) is equal to no change. What should I do before changing color settings? 1 Set up your card design, using your ID software. Make sure that you use all the data you plan to print in the design, such as a logo, a photo, text, and a bar code. You can use one sample card or a set (batch) of sample cards. 2 If you use photos, choose one or more photos that are similar to all the photos you plan to use.
16 Tips for success • The color preview will change as you change settings. • The driver displays a message if you select a bitmap that does not meet requirements. • The current settings on the Color Settings page are printed on the card, along with the preview image you choose, when you click the Print Sample Card button on the Color Settings page. • The color preview changes back to the default image when you leave the Color Settings page.
17 — In the ID software, print one or more sample cards. — Click the Print Sample Card button to print a card. 6 Use a permanent marker to mark the back of the card with a 2 (or the next number if repeating these steps). — If you printed the sample card from the Color Settings tab, the current settings are printed on the card. — If you printed the sample card from the ID software, record the new Contrast setting on the card. 7 Evaluate the appearance of the sample card(s).
18 3 Drag the pointer to the new position. 4 If changing the color that appears to be a problem does not fix the situation, try changing the other two colors. For example, if the logo is too red, try changing green and blue to bring red into balance. 5 Wait a moment while the Color Image Preview changes to show the effect of the new setting. 6 If preview shows the change you want, click the Apply Changes button. If not, return to step 2.
19 3 Click the Color Settings tab and make sure the Match Monitor setting is clear. 4 Click the Apply Changes button, if necessary. 5 Print a sample card. (Use the same method as you used in step 1.) — In the ID software, print one or more sample cards. — Click the Print Sample Card button to print a card. 6 Use a permanent marker to mark the back of the card with a 2 (or the next number if repeating these steps) and clear the Match Monitor check box.
20 Changing settings in the printer This section describes the settings in the printer that you might want to change. These settings can be used to customize the performance of the printer to meet the demands of your card design.
21 Suggested process 1 Make sure the printer is powered on and is directly connected to the PC. 2 Identify the setting to change and the result you want. (Stating the desired result in a measurable way can help you identify when you have met your goal.) 3 Make a test card (or sample card) and record the current values for the setting to change. Also record the date and sequence number (beginning with 1). Use the same test or sample card at each step. 4 Change the setting and apply the change.
22 8 Mark the card on the back with a 2 (or the next sequence number if repeating these steps) and the new settings (such as K -20 for K intensity). 9 Evaluate the result as shown on the printed card. — If the new setting has solved the problem, you can select another value to change or quit Advanced Setup. — If the new setting has not solved the problem, return to step 5 and repeat the process.
23 6 Select the Apply Changes button to make the values take effect in the printer, OR select the Cancel Changes button to return to the values displayed before you used the slider. — The “Changes saved to printer” message appears when the values have been saved to the printer. 7 Select the Print Sample Card button. 8 Mark the card on the back with a 2 (or the next sequence number if repeating these steps) and the new settings (such as 18/50/-1). 9 Evaluate the result as shown on the printed card.
24 1 Make sure the Printer Toolbox is open. Double-click the icon in the system tray if needed. 2 Choose the Advanced Setup button on the Printer Toolbox. 3 The printer driver changes from printing mode to Advanced Setup mode and different tabs appear on the Printer Toolbox. 4 Click the Laminator–Advanced tab. A prompt reminds you to use this page only with the guidance of your Datacard-authorized service provider. 5 Click OK on the prompt to display the tab.
25 — Supply Registration: Move the slider to the right if the supply material (or holographic image) is too far from the leading edge of the card. Move the slider to the left if the supply material is too close or over the leading edge of the card. — Card Registration: Move the slider to the right to move the leading edge of the card closer to the roller that applies the material. Move the slider to the left to move the leading edge of the card farther from the roller.
26 Customizing blocking regions You can customize blocking areas, which is useful if your software does not include this capability. A print blocking area prevents color and monochrome printing in the blocked area. A topcoat blocking area prevents the application of topcoat (applied using the printhead) in the blocked area. This feature is available on Windows 2000 and Windows XP only. About customized blocking The driver Printing Preferences dialog box provides specific blocking choices.
27 File name Dimensions (Height by Width) Comments LandscapeBlockTopcoatBack.bmp 1013 by 638 pixels 3.37 by 2.125 inches 85.6 by 53.98 mm. Blocks topcoat on the back of a card with landscape orientation. PortraitBlockPrintFront.bmp 638 by 1013 pixels 2.125 by 3.37 inches 53.98 by 85.6 mm. Blocks printing on the front of a card with portrait orientation. PortraitBlockPrintBack.bmp 638 by 1013 pixels 2.125 by 3.37 inches 53.98 by 85.6 mm.
28 blocking regions and you do not need to add them to the blocking bitmap. The following table provides the starting points and dimensions for the blocking areas of standard card features. Feature Starting pointa widthb heightc Smart Card Chip, Landscape Orientation 55, 158 pixels 0.18, 0.53 inch 4.6, 13.5 mm 236 pixels 0.79 inch 20.1 mm 225 pixels 0.75 inch 19.1 mm Smart Card Chip, Portrait Orientation 255, 55 x pixels 0.85, 0.18 inch 21.6, 4.6 mm 225 pixels 0.75 inch 19.1 mm 236 pixels 0.
29 • If you plan to include an existing graphic image in the blocking bitmap, make sure the graphics editing application can perform all the functions you need. Typically, begin with a file that includes the image, reduce the colors of the image to two colors, and scale the image to occupy that area of the card you have chosen. • If you use Datacard ID Works® ID Software, the blocking you specify in the ID software is combined with userdefined blocking.
30 To prepare the image shown, do the following: — Invert the colors (change the white background to black and the black image to white). — Scale the image to occupy the appropriate area of the card. — Copy the image and paste it in the blocking bitmap. (Do not specify “transparent” when pasting because the white image might disappear!) 9 Save the file with the same name and in the same location as you found it.
31 Magnetic Stripe Setup Do the following to set up the printer and driver to encode magnetic stripes on cards: • Use cards with magnetic stripes when making a magnetic stripe test card. • Identify the encoding format and how it will be formatted (by the application, using magnetic stripe fonts, or using escape codes). • Set magnetic stripe settings using the printer driver. For more information, see "Working with Properties and Printing Preferences".
32 Format Printer Module Data formatted by Data verified by Proprietary Three-Track (IAT) ID Works Printer Use printer settings Yes Proprietary Three-Track (IAT) Magnetic Stripe Fonts Driver Use printer settings Yes Proprietary Three-Track (IAT) Custom Application Application Use printer settings Yes Custom Three-Track (IAT) Single Track (NTT) Custom Application Application Binary or Use printer settings Optional Three-Track (IAT) Magnetic Stripe Fonts (includes Preface) -- B
33 To enable magnetic stripe escapes, do the following: 1 Make sure the printer power is on and the printer is connected to the PC. Also make sure that the driver is installed on the PC and communicates with the printer. 2 Select Start from the Windows task bar. 3 From the Windows Start menu, select Settings and then Printers. The Printers (or Printers and Faxes) window appears. 4 Click once on the Smart Driver icon.
34 • Magnetic stripe data will be converted to uppercase (capital) letters if necessary. • If you include not-allowed characters within the magnetic stripe data, the printer will beep and a message will be displayed on the PC. • The driver does not check the data you send. (The printer checks the data.) This is the same behavior as magnetic stripe fonts. On Windows 98, 98 SE, and Me, data formatted with escape codes cannot be located in rotated fields.
35 TTS (Thrift Third Standard) The maximum field length for TTS format is 104 characters. TTS allows numeric characters and the following special characters: :;<=> NTT character set The maximum field length for NTT (Nippon Telephone & Telegraph) format is 69 characters. NTT allows spaces, numeric characters, upper case alphabetic characters, lower case alphabetic characters, and special characters.
36 Magnetic Stripe settings used by the printer The following table presents technical details that apply to encoding magnetic stripe data.
37 Smart card setup This section presents information about how to set up a system if you are personalizing smart cards. Smart card processing is different from other types of personalization, because the “smart card” step of personalization is controlled by an application (or application module) that is different from the rest of card personalization. The data for smart card personalization is sent from the smart card application using a separate smart card cable.
38 If the printer contains a smart card module, the printer label will include “SC” and three numbers. Each digit in the number represents a different part of the code. The following table lists the codes used on the printer label.
39 agreement popup before downloading is allowed. Enable pop-ups and cookies temporarily if needed to enable the license agreement popup.) Unzip the “Installer” file and install the utility before proceeding. • If the reader name includes "GemPC," go to the Gemplus Web site at www.gemplus.com to obtain files. Choose the Support area of the Gemplus Web site, and then downloads for PC-Link readers. Choose the reader installed in your printer and the operating system used by the PC, and download the files.
40 • If the printer has a USB smart card port, follow these guidelines: — The USB cable must be a type CM 30V cable, up to a maximum of 6.5 feet or 2 meters long. A longer cable might result in electrical interference. — For best security, connect the printer USB smart card port directly to the PC port without using other USB devices, which might permit access to the smart card data.
41 USB smart card port to the PC. More recent files for GemPC readers are available from Gemplus. Install the files from Gemplus after Windows installs the device. — If you plug in the smart card USB port instead of the printer data port when installing the printer, the Add/ Detected New Hardware wizard appears, naming the reader as the hardware it found. Allow the wizard to complete and then connect the USB data cable to the USB port closest to the input hopper to install the printer on the PC.
42 • Check the Windows Device Manager to verify that the device is installed: — A contact smart card reader will appear as an entry under “Smart Card Reader.” — If the contact reader appears as an entry under “Other devices” the device is not installed correctly. For Windows Me and 98 SE, restart Windows to enable device installation. — A contactless smart card reader is likely to appear as a Keyboard or a Human Interface Device. — A 680 contactless reader does not appear in the Device Manager list.
42 Laminator Setup The information in this section applies only to SP75 printers. All SP75 printers have one laminator, which is always in the L1 location, toward the front of the printer. Some SP75 printers have a second laminator in the L2 location, toward the back of the printer. Laminator materials The laminator applies topcoat or DuraGard® patch material to the card. The L1 and L2 laminators can apply either type of material.
43 See Laminator supplies for part numbers of supplies that are available. Purposes The reasons for applying material using a laminator include: • To preserve the quality of the image on the card. Both Topcoat and DuraGard patch provide UV protection for the printing on the card. • To improve the durability of the card. DuraGard patch is available in 0.5 clear, 0.6 mil holographic, and 1.0 mil thicknesses for durability. • To improve security of the card.
44 • Printers with two laminators are shipped with colored dots, which you can use to mark the laminator location, the cartridge, and supplies. (The dots shipped with your printer might have a different appearance than those shown in the illustration.) • For best results, also sure to record the laminator location–L1 or L2–for each type of material and driver settings. Verify setup When setting up the printer, print several test cards to determine how well the laminator applies material to your card.
1 A advanced setup 20 application graphics 3, 26 ID software 5 B bar codes printing intensity 20 blocking 5, 7 customizing 26 print 9, 26 topcoat panel 26 C card design 3, 43 orientation 5, 7, 9 position of printing 20 center printing 20 codes, magnetic stripe escape 32 color settings about 14 color profile 3 printing intensity 20 sequence 3 communication bi-directional 5, 21, 24 D Default Document Properties Windows NT 10 design card 3 dithering 14 E edge to edge printing 20 encoding format magnetic stripe
2 print ribbon 3 settings bi-directional support 5 color 14 default 5 not available 5, 9 printer 20 sequence 5 spool 5 smart card cable 37 codes 37 ports 39 processing cards 37 requirements 37 software 37 downloads smart card files 38 SP Series Style Guide software graphics 3, 26 ID software 5 image editing 3, 26 smart card 37, 41 support smart card files 38 T text printing intensity 20 topcoat material definition and types 42 registered 24 topcoat panel customized blocking 26 printing intensity 20 V volt
CARD PRODUCTION & SYSTEM MAINTENANCE GUIDE Card production and system maintenance 1 Card Production 3 Printing cards using ID software 3 Printing cards using a PC application 3 Laminating only 4 Responding to messages 5 Cleaning 7 Cleaning the printer rollers 7 Cleaning the duplex module(s) 10 Cleaning the printhead 11 Cleaning the laminator 13 Replacing the printhead cartridge 15 Maintain the PC 19 SP Series Production e-Guide 1
2 SP Series Production e-Guide
1 Card production and system maintenance After the printer, driver, ID software, and capture system are set up, you are ready to produce cards. To assure that you produce cards that meet requirements, be familiar with how to make cards. In addition, invest small amount of time to care for the equipment you use to print cards.
2 SP Series Production e-Guide
3 Card Production This section contains: • "Printing cards using ID software" • "Printing cards using a PC application" • "Laminating only" Tips for success • Developers can write applications using the Smart Driver™ Software Developer’s Kit. This kit can be downloaded from the Datacard website. • If you use magnetic stripe fonts or escapes, keep data for one track in one line of text, and only have magnetic stripe data on the line. (Use a small font size if needed.
4 6 When the card data is ready, select Print to send the card to print. The printer driver receives and processes card data, places cards in a queue, and sends the next card to the printer. Laminating only This section applies only to the SP75 printer. Tips for Success • The Apply Material setting for the L1 Laminator (and L2 laminator, if present) in Printing Preferences, Properties, or Document Defaults determine the side(s) on which to apply material.
5 Responding to messages The printer and driver generate a message on the PC when a card cannot be processed. Usually, the message is displayed on the PC. 1 When a message is displayed on the PC, follow the suggested action. Click the Help button to see likely causes and possible solutions. 2 When the printer status light blinks amber, it is safe to open the printer to fix any problems. 3 Fix the problem, then close the printer cover and press to latch it.
6 SP Series Production e-Guide
7 Cleaning This section contains: • "Cleaning the printer rollers" • "Cleaning the duplex module(s)" See Site requirements for guidelines for a good printer environment, which can reduce the amount of cleaning required to produce high-quality cards. Cleaning tips • Run a printer cleaning card as the first step when cleaning the printer. The printer cleaning card can remove most contaminants from the printer. See Cleaning the printer for steps to follow.
8 c Remove the cap from the cleaning pen. Hold the end of the cleaning pen against the pick roller. d Click the Clean Printer button in the Printer Toolbox. Click OK on the prompt that appears. Do not insert a cleaning card! The driver sends a command to the printer to run the printer cleaning card. The printer moves rollers when it attempts to pick the card. — For printers with the Built-in Ethernet feature, you can alternatively use the LCD panel to clean the printer rollers.
9 c Observe the permanent cleaning rollers, especially the lower roller (location 1 in the illustration). If you observe ribbon or other debris on the rollers, clean the rollers using the cleaning pen. (If not, continue with step 4.) d Do one of the following to turn the rollers in the printer. — Click the Clean Printer button in the Printer Toolbox. Click OK on the prompt that appears. Do not insert a cleaning card! The driver sends a command to the printer to run the printer cleaning card.
10 7 Replace cards in the input hopper. 8 Print a card to verify the quality of printing. You can print a printer test card, a sample card, or a card using your card creation application. Cleaning the duplex module(s) On SP55 printers with the optional duplex module, and on SP75 printers, clean the duplex rollers as described next. 1 Locate the duplex rollers: 2 Clean the duplex rollers: — Move the cleaning pen over the gray duplex rollers (1) while manually rotating the gear next to the rollers (2).
11 Cleaning the printhead The printhead can have contamination stuck to it. You might notice it as unprinted lines on printed cards. Clean the printhead only when needed, such as: • The printhead has been accidently touched, such as when changing supplies or clearing a card jam. • You have replaced the printhead cartridge. • Your observe problems with card appearance, as described in Card appearance problems.
12 6 Connect the power cable to the power receptacle to power on the printer. 7 Print a card to verify the quality of printing. You can print a sample card or a card from your application.
13 Cleaning the laminator This section applies only to the SP75 printer. Using the laminator cleaning card Use the laminator cleaning card when at least one laminator is loaded with holographic topcoat material and one or more of the following are true: • Particles appear on the laminated cards • Particles are visible inside the printer • Patches are visible inside the printer on a roller For examples of problems that require laminator cleaning, see Card appearance problems.
14 7 Click OK on the message box to begin running the laminator cleaning card. 8 When the process is complete, the printer ejects the laminator cleaning card in the output hopper. 9 Pull out the laminator cartridge and inspect for particles. If particles are present: — Retrieve the laminator cleaning card from the output hopper and use it to remove the particles of topcoat from the cartridge, as shown.
15 Replacing the printhead cartridge The printer uses an operator-replaceable printhead cartridge. For more information about printhead cartridges, see Supplies. This section contains: • "Remove the printhead cartridge" • "Replace the printhead cartridge" Remove the printhead cartridge Do not touch the printing edge of the printhead cartridge. If you do, clean it using the cleaning pen, as described in "Cleaning the printhead".
16 Replace the printhead cartridge 1 Position the printhead cartridge with the silver label toward you and on top. Place the printhead cable behind the cartridge so the plug is visible through the opening in the printhead cartridge. 2 Carefully align the plug with the receptacle on the printhead. Push the plug all the way onto the receptacle (see the following illustration). 3 Align the printhead cartridge pins with the printhead cartridge slots on the cover arm (see the following illustration).
17 4 Press in the printhead latch (step 1 in the illustration above) and push up on the printhead cartridge to seat it in the cradle. (step 2 in the illustration above). Release the printhead latch when the printhead cartridge is in place. 5 Clean the printhead. Move the cleaning pen back and forth along the length of the printhead edge. Be sure to completely clean the rounded edge of the printhead. 6 Close the printer cover, pressing down on the edge to latch it. 7 Power on the printer.
18 SP Series Production e-Guide
19 Maintain the PC Good PC operation contributes to good operation of the printer and driver. Problems on the PC can prevent efficient operation of the system that includes the PC and printer.
20 e 8 f Make sure the Disk free space is 40MB or greater. g Remove additional files if needed. Run the Disk Defragment program if one is installed on the PC: a 9 Click the icon for drive C:\. The status line shows the available disk space, such as: — 48.2MB (Disk free space: 302MB) From the Windows task bar, select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools and then Disk Defragmenter. b Select the drive to scan, usually C:\. c Select OK to run the program.
1 C card appearance problems 11 not picked 7 preventing jams 7 signature panel 7 card production 3 cleaning 7 printer rollers 7 printhead 11 cleaning card, using 7 cleaning pen, using 7 cleaning the laminator 13 color alignment problems 7 D Disk Cleanup program 19 Disk Defragmenter program 20 disk space 19 J jams, preventing 7 L laminating without printing 4 laminator cleaning card, using 13 laminator, cleaning 13 M message out of memory 19 P PC disk space 19 fixing problems 20 pick roller, cleaning 7 print
2 card quality 11 colors misaligned 7 on the PC 20 repeated card jams 7 R replace printhead cartridge 15 roller pick roller, cleaning 7 transport rollers, cleaning 9 S ScanDisk program 19 signature panel 7 U utilities Disk Cleanup 19 Disk Defragmenter 20 ScanDisk 19 SP Series Production e-Guide
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE Troubleshooting 1 Is it really trouble? 1 How do I troubleshoot a problem? 1 Locating the problem 3 Making Test Cards 4 Making a printer test card 4 Printer test card 5 Card appearance problems 6 Printing appearance 7 Monochrome printing 14 Print Topcoat problems 16 Laminator topcoat problems (SP75 printer only) 18 Laminator patch problems (SP75 printer only) 21 Communication problems 28 Magnetic stripe problems 34 Magnetic stripe test card 34 Common magnetic stripe problems 34 Obtaini
1 Troubleshooting This e-Guide helps you to understand problems you might have when using an SP Series printer and how to address those problems. Is it really trouble? The following table provides a quick guide to help you get started troubleshooting. Pick the problem that is most like yours (or use the Contents to locate the section you are interested in). Problem Is it trouble? Why? What do I do? A message appears. No. Messages do not mean trouble–messages are expected during normal operation.
2 — Communication method used to connect the printer and PC • Obtain information about the supplies used, including: — Card stock and type (such as composite or PVC, three-track magnetic stripe, manufacturer, and so on). This information is located on the packaging for cards. — Type of ribbon (such as YMCKT) and the lot number used for personalizing cards. This information is located on the package of the ribbon. — For SP75, type of laminator material and the lot number.
3 Locating the problem When you think the printer is not working correctly, use the following procedure to locate the source of the problem. The printer, printer driver, and card creation application work together to produce cards. If the system is not working as you expect and does not display messages, follow these steps to isolate the source of the problem before contacting your service provider. 1 Make a printer test card, following the steps in "Making a printer test card".
4 Making Test Cards You can make the following types of test cards. • Printer test cards verify the function of the printer. You print them using controls on the printer. The personalization of the card is determined by the printer, the print ribbon, and modules (such as magnetic stripe) installed in the printer. • Printer magnetic stripe test cards, which verify that the driver sends magnetic stripe information to the printer and verifies that it is encoded.
5 5 After it is printed, remove the card from the output hopper. A printer test card is shown in "Printer test card". Tips for success • Press the Ready key firmly. You might need to hold the printer in place as you keep the Ready key pressed. • Allow 30 to 60 seconds for the printer to begin printing the test card. • The status light will flash green while the printer is processing the data. • If the status light is steady amber and the printer beeps, the printer is paused.
6 Card appearance problems Problems with card appearance can be the result of the following: • Image capture tools, such as the camera • The card creation application, which displays the image • Limitations in technology, such as differences between how an image looks on the PC monitor and how it looks after it is printed • Printer maintenance or settings • Card quality, such as cards that are not flat from the die-cutting process This section describes possible problems you might observe with the
7 Printing appearance What you see Possible causes Solutions One or more unprinted lines run the entire length of each card. The printhead might be dirty or damaged. Clean the printhead. Print a sample card to confirm that the problem is fixed. The card was scratched after it was printed. Run a cleaning card and then change the cleaning sleeve. The printer is positioned next to a device that emits radio waves in excess of regulations. Move the printer away from the source of radio waves.
8 What you see Possible causes Solutions Part of the printed card is not the expected color. The ribbon might have been moved while the printer power was off. The next card will print correctly. If this happens frequently, change the Ribbon Initialization setting. See Card Design Checklist for more information. The transparent wheel on the print ribbon cartridge might be dirty. Clean the wheel using the cleaning pen.
9 What you see Possible causes Solutions Printed cards, including text, look faded. Print ribbon may have been stored improperly or damaged. Change the print ribbon. Color settings might not be optimal for the card design. Change color settings. The cards may not meet specifications. Obtain and use a different supply of cards. The printhead may be dirty. Clean the printhead. The card thickness or type of cards have changed. Change the brightness setting.
10 What you see Possible causes Solutions The top of the card is partly printed. The Leading Edge setting is too far from the edge of the card. Change the Leading Edge (edgeto-edge) setting. If the problem persists, contact your service provider. Printed images (photos) are blurry. Printed cards, including text, are blurry. The image capture system needs adjustment. See the information for the image capture system. The cards have a matte, not glossy, surface.
11 What you see Possible causes Solutions Part of the printed image is discolored. Cards might have fingerprints or other dirt on them. Handle cards without touching the surface to be printed. Wear gloves when handling unprinted cards. The cards might be contaminated or otherwise not meet specifications. Obtain and use a different supply of cards. The rollers might be dirty. Run a cleaning card and then change the cleaning sleeve. Clean the printer rollers.
12 What you see Possible causes Solutions A pattern is visible on the printed card when printing a smart card. You are printing on an RF (contactless) card and the card surface is uneven where the antenna and chip are located. (This problem can also occur on the back side of a contacted smart card chip.) Change the card design to avoid placing a photo or other important feature over smart card components. See the card manufacturer's web site for details.
13 What you see Possible causes Solutions Part of the printed card is blank. Cards might not meet specifications. Obtain and use a different supply of cards. Cards might be dirty. Clean the printer more often. The printhead cartridge might not be installed properly. Remove and reinstall the printhead cartridge. The Long Edges setting might be incorrect. Change the Long Edges setting on the Edge to Edge tab of the Printer Toolbox. All card data is positioned unevenly on the card.
14 What you see Possible causes Solutions The card is printed upside down (the image is rotated 180 degrees). The card creation application has rotated the card. See the information for the card creation application. The driver card rotation setting might be incorrect. Set the card rotation using the Properties (98 and Me) or Printing Preferences (2000 or XP) dialog box. The card had topcoat printed on it and then an image was printed. Do not re-use cards ejected from the printer.
15 What you see Possible causes Solutions Text printed on the card has broken (partly printed) characters. The intensity setting is balanced to print both bar codes and fine text. If the card does not include a bar code, increase the intensity for monochrome printing.
16 What you see Possible causes Solutions A card was printed unexpectedly and the text does not make sense. On an SP Series printer with the Built-In Ethernet and Open Card options, you have changed the Data Format from Smart Driver™ to Open Card while the driver was sending a card or was polling the printer.
17 What you see Possible causes Solutions A color panel is missing from the printed card. You have printed a card when the ribbon was moved after powering off the printer. The next card will print correctly. If you move the ribbon often with the power off, change the Ribbon Initialization setting to on. Fine lines appear in the topcoat, usually on one long edge of the card. The printhead intensity for topcoat is too high. Lower the printhead intensity setting for topcoat.
18 Laminator topcoat problems (SP75 printer only) This section describes problems that might originate when applying topcoat material using a laminator: What you see Possible causes Solutions Random scratches appear in the topcoat of the printed card. The inside of the printer is dirty. Run a cleaning card and then change the cleaning sleeve. Clean the printer rollers. Supplies were mishandled. Store supplies in a clean environment. Keep supplies in their packaging until loaded in the cartridge.
19 What you see Possible causes Solutions The topcoat shows wavy lines along the length of the card (woodgrain or clouds). The temperature for applying topcoat is too high. Lower the laminator temperature for this material. The topcoat shows opaque areas along a short edge of the card (clouds). The temperature for applying topcoat is too high. Contact your service provider for guidance in correcting this problem. The topcoat has a spotty appearance, especially on the leading edge of the card.
20 What you see Possible causes Solutions The hologram of the topcoat does not appear on the card. The Apply Material setting for the laminator is “Do not apply.” Change the Apply Material setting for the laminator. Clear topcoat or patch material is installed in the cartridge. Remove the cartridge and change the supply material to the desired type. The supply material was attached to the take-up spool and then wound in the wrong direction. The next card should process correctly.
21 What you see Possible causes Solutions A long edge of the topcoat does not stick to the card. (It might have a gray appearance.) The temperature of the heated roller is too low. Increase the laminator temperature for this material. The card has a T panel applied as part of the print ribbon. Holographic topcoat is not designed to be applied to cards with a printed topcoat (T panel). Stop using T panel, switch your ribbon type, or stop using holographic topcoat.
22 What you see Possible causes Solutions Cards are bowed (curved) too much. Debowing is set to off. Set debowing for the laminator to on. Debow time is not set correctly. Contact your service provider to change the debow time. Temperature is too high for the card stock. Lower the laminator temperature for this material. Card stock does not work with laminator material. If the material is 1.0-mil laminate and you are using allPVC cards, switch to composite cards.
23 What you see Possible causes Solutions The laminate patch does not adhere to the trailing edge of the card. The supply material was attached to the take-up spool and then wound in the wrong direction. The next card should process correctly. If it does not, remove the cartridge and turn the takeup spool clockwise several turns. The laminate patch is not centered between the long edges of the card. Supply material is not loaded correctly in the cartridge. Load the laminator supply correctly.
24 What you see Possible causes Solutions The laminate patch shows opaque areas at the leading edge of the card (clouds). The temperature for applying the supply material is too high. Decrease the laminator card registration setting to reduce the impact of the temperature at the beginning of lamination. Laminate patch extends beyond one of the short edges of the card. The rollers are dirty. Run a cleaning card and then change the cleaning sleeve. Clean the printer rollers.
25 What you see Possible causes Solutions Particles appear between card and laminate patch. The inside of the printer is dirty. Run a cleaning card and then change the cleaning sleeve. Clean the printer rollers. The heated roller is dirty. Run several cards to see if the problem corrects itself. If you are unable to resolve the problem, contact your service provider for assistance. The supplies were mishandled. Store supplies in a clean environment.
26 What you see Possible causes Solutions The laminate patch is missing. The supply spool is loaded in the cartridge incorrectly. Load the laminator supply correctly and then send the card to print again. The supply was moved and the patch was used previously. Advance the supply past the used area. If you cannot fix the problem, contact your service provider.
27 SP Series Info Central: Troubleshooting
28 Communication problems Communication between the printer and PC can be disrupted for many reasons.
29 For locally attached printers Problem Solution The data cable is loose. Reconnect the data cable to the port on the PC and the printer. Restart the printer. If the PC and printer still do not communicate, restart Windows. The data cable is damaged or frayed. Power off the printer. Replace the cable if you have a spare. Contact your service provider to order a new data cable. Another electrical device is causing radio interference.
30 Problem Solution The PC USB port does not communicate reliably with the printer USB port. Power management on the PC has shut down USB communication. Open the Device Manager and the list of USB devices. Disable shutdown for each hub in the list. You might need to restart Windows to make the changes take effect. Hibernation on a laptop PC requires several moments to enable USB communication. Unplug the USB printer port and then connect it again. Replace the PC port or the PC.
31 For local or network-connected printers Problem Solution Other applications on the PC might interfere with data communications. Many applications that might run on a PC can interfere with communications, often by using all (or most) PC resources. For example, network-connected mail applications can poll a server to send or retrieve items. Depending on the application, network setup, and PC resources, polling can use all PC resources and prevent data transmission either locally or over the network.
32 The printer is not configured with the correct network address. Make sure that you have entered the server name or IP address in the Port Settings or Configure Port dialog box on the computer. If your network uses DHCP, the IP address can change whenever the printer is disconnected or powered off. For details, see Network Installation: Set up the network printer. Cards sent from a client PC are not printing. The host PC used for shared printing can be disconnected or powered off.
34 Magnetic stripe problems This section helps you to troubleshoot magnetic stripe problems. Magnetic stripe test card If the printer includes a magnetic stripe module, you can print a magnetic stripe test card. The card uses the magnetic stripe settings in the Properties or Printing Preferences dialog box. Use this card to verify that the printer encodes a card correctly. Tips for success • If the printer is set to print a custom magnetic stripe format, it will not print this test card successfully.
35 Problem Solution The magnetic stripe on the card is high coercivity material and the Low Coercivity setting is selected. To use the cards you have, select high coercivity encoding. To encode with low coercivity, obtain cards manufactured for low coercivity encoding. The magnetic stripe module did not read the data encoded on the card successfully. Run a cleaning card to clean the magnetic stripe head. If the message appears often, contact your service provider and inform them of the problem.
36 Obtaining service This section contains: • "When to obtain service" • "Packing the printer for shipping" For repair assistance, contact your service provider. Place the service call from a telephone close to the printer so that you can access the printer and the PC running the driver while talking to the customer support representative. Your service provider should record information about how to contact them on the back cover of the Printer Guide shipped with the printer.
37 13 Close the shipping carton. 14 Secure the carton with shipping tape. Be sure to wrap around the shipping carton several times to secure it. 15 Put a shipping label on the carton. If you are returning the printer for service, use the address provided by service. Installing Printer Diagnostics Your service provider might ask you to use Printer Diagnostics to identify whether problems with the printer can be solved at your location or if it must be repaired at a repair depot.
38 9 If you installed from downloaded files, you can delete the C:\Diags folder (and the downloaded file) from the PC.
1 A application ID software 4 B button, Ready, see Ready key 4 C card design 4 factory-printed 4 faded appearance 9 magnetic stripe test 34 printing test card 4 quality 6 sample 4 test 4 color printer test card 5 contactless cards not working 21 E errors fixing 3 F factory-printed card 4 faded cards 8 fixing problems 3 I image quality blank card 7 blank spots 13 blurred card 10 blurred photo 10 data unevenly positioned 13 discolored image 11 faded text and photo 9 high contrast 14 image not printed 7 image
2 fixing 3 isolating 3 proximity cards not working 21 Q quality printing 6 R Ready key 4 repairs 36 RF cards not working 21 S sample cards 4 service obtaining 36 shipping carton 36 printer 36 software ID software 4 starter kit 4 status light when printing test card 5 T test card magnetic stripe 4, 34 printer 4, 5 purposes 4 requirements 4 sample 4 with magnetic stripe 4 topcoat appearance problems 18 print panel problems 16 scratches 16 troubleshooting getting started 1 locate the problem 3 print quality 6
SUPPLIES AND PARTS INFO SP Series Supplies and Parts 3 Supplies and cards 5 Print ribbons 5 Cards 6 Card quality guidelines 8 Cleaning supplies 9 Printer components 11 Printhead cartridge 11 USB data cable 12 Power supply 12 Power cable 12 Smart card cable 12 Carrying case 13 Related publications 13 SP Series Supply e-Guide i
1 SP Series Supplies and Parts The printer uses supplies, similar to a paper printer. The following describes how the supplies are similar and different. • Where a paper printer uses paper that you can purchase at an office supply store, the SP Series printer uses cards that you purchase from a dealer. • Similar to paper, there are different types of cards. For cards, you can use magnetic stripe cards, cards with a signature panel, or cards with a smart card feature.
1 Supplies and cards This section describes Datacard®-certified supplies for SP Series card printers. Specifications, part numbers, and storage tips are provided. This section contains: • "Print ribbons" • "Laminator material" • "Supply roll storage guidelines" • "Cards" • "Card quality guidelines" • "Cleaning supplies" Print ribbons Ribbon kits contain a roll of print ribbon, a cleaning card, and a replaceable cleaning sleeve.
2 Monochrome and Topcoat ribbon Ribbon with alternating Monochrome (K) and Topcoat (T) panels is available for SP Series printers as part of the KT Color Ribbon Kit, part number 552854-509. A roll of ribbon prints up to 1000 images. Monochrome print ribbon Several colors of monochrome (single-color) print ribbon are available for SP Series printers. A roll of ribbon prints up to 1500 images (if ribbon-saver is not used).
3 DuraGard laminate 562750-001 Clear 0.5 Mil DuraGard laminate 562751-001 Clear 0.5 Mil smart card DuraGard laminate 562752-001 Clear 0.5 Mil magnetic stripe DuraGard laminate 562753-001 Clear 1.0 Mil DuraGard laminate 562754-001 Clear 1.0 Mil smart card DuraGard laminate 562755-001 Clear 1.0 Mil magnetic stripe DuraGard laminate 562756-001 Holographic 0.6 Mil DuraGard laminate 562757-001 Holographic Registered 0.6 Mil DuraGard laminate 562758-001 Holographic 0.
4 • The print ribbon maintains its quality for about one year. For optimal card quality, purchase and store quantities that you can use up in less than a year. • The print ribbon and card stock might require secure storage and tracking. Follow your policy for storing and tracking the supplies used to make cards. • Choose a location away from direct sunlight, with a temperature between 32° F and 77° F or between 0°C and 25° C. A humidity range from 40% to 60% (non-condensing) is recommended.
5 Typically, card bow must be less than the thickness of the card. Card material Use cards made of the following types of material: • Glossy PVC surface, either 100% PVC cards or composite cards with a PVC surface. • Cards with a magnetic stripe on one side of the card. • Cards with a smart card chip on the top of the card. Depending on the module installed in the printer, contacttype, contactless, or both types of smart card chips can be programmed.
6 • Applying DuraGard patch to pre-punched cards is not recommended, unless you punch the card after laminating to remove the patch material. New cards preferred The SP Series printer is designed to print on new card stock. If you print on cards twice, be careful to avoid getting dirt, fingerprints, or other contamination on cards before the second printing. Previous printing can interfere with printing and result in cards that do not have the appearance you want.
7 Cleaning supplies The printer uses the following cleaning supplies. • Printer cleaning cards • Replaceable cleaning sleeves • Printhead cleaning pen • Laminator cleaning cards (SP75 only) The print ribbon kit includes a cleaning card and a replaceable cleaning sleeve. Datacard® recommends that you keep additional cleaning supplies on hand to address unusual situations. You can order: • A package of 5 replaceable cleaning sleeves, part number is 549716-002.
1 Printer components This section describes the additional or replacement printer parts you can order. This section contains: • "Printhead cartridge" • "Print ribbon cartridge" • "Cleaning roller spindle" • "Printer Guide holder" • "USB data cable" • "Power supply" • "Power cable" • "Smart card cable" • "Carrying case" • "Laminator cartridge" • "High-capacity output hopper" • "Related publications" Printhead cartridge The printer has a replaceable printhead cartridge.
2 Cleaning roller spindle The cleaning roller spindle holds the replaceable cleaning sleeve. The part number is 551148-001. Printer Guide holder The Printer Guide holder attaches to the printer to keep the Printer Guide available to users. The part number is 558359-001. USB data cable SP Series printers can use a USB data cable to connect the printer to the PC. • SP55, SP60, and SP75 printers use a USB cable with part number 807614-001.
3 Power supply SP35, SP55, and SP60 printers use a power supply rated at 100-240 VAC, 50-60 Hz. The power supply is part number 808403-001. Power cable The printer uses one of the following power cords: • U.S.
4 USB cable The USB cable must be a Type CM 30V, up to a maximum of 2 meters long. The smart card USB cable is part number 807614-001. Carrying case The carrying case for an SP35, SP55, and SP60 printer is part number 553950-002. Laminator cartridge For the SP75 printer only, the laminator cartridge is part number 558318-999. High-capacity output hopper For the SP75 printer only, the optional high-capacity output hopper kit is part number 564051-001. Holds up to 100 cards.
5 Related publications This section describes publications for the printer. • SP35 Printer Guide, part number 553772-003 This manual provides basic information about using the printer and driver, and how to care for the printer. It also includes the warranty statement and the installation report. • SP35 Installation Map, part number 539252-002 This sheet provides a streamlined installation process for typical one-printer-to-a-PC installation.
6 • Smart Driver™ API Software Developer's Manual, part number 526720-001 This manual is part of the Smart Driver™ Software Developer's Kit (557214-001) and provides information to programmers who are developing applications to print to Datacard® printers, including the SP Series printers. This manual is available only as part of the kit. • SP Series Service Library CD-ROM, part number 539445-001 This CD provides information to service providers who maintain or repair SP series printers.
5 C cable data 12 power cord 12 serial 12 smart card 12 USB 12 card cleaning 9 contactless specifications 7 handling 8 material 7 pre-punched 7 printing twice 8 quality 8 size 7 specifications 6 StickICards 7 storage 8 thickness 7 carrying case 13 cartridge printhead 11 cleaning card 9 pen 9 roller 9 sleeve 9 spindle part number 11 StickICards 7 supplies 9 color ribbon, see print ribbon 5 contactless smart card 7 cord data cable 12 power 12 serial cable 12 D data cable 12 E environment card temperature 9 S
6 H humidity supplies storage 6 P power cord 12 supply 12 print quality edge-to-edge 7 print ribbon cartridge 11 part numbers 5 storing 6 type 5 printer components 11 printer parts carrying case 13 cleaning roller spindle 11 power supply 12 print ribbon cartridge 11 printhead cartridge 11 publications 13 USB data cable 12 printer supplies 5 printhead cleaning 9 printhead cartridge part number 11 printing monochrome 6 same card twice 8 proximity card 7 publications 13 punched card 7 Q quality cards 6 supplie
7 card storage 9 ribbon, See print ribbon 5 S serial cable smart card 12 smart card contactless 7 proximity 7 RF 7 serial cable 12 Software Developer’s Kit 13 storage cards 9 supplies 6 supplies authorized 5 cleaning 9 storage 6 T temperature supplies storage 6 U USB cable 12 SP Series Supply e-Guide
