Datacard Group SP User Manual
User’s Guide for
Express™ and Select™
Class Printers
ImageCard® and
UltraGrafix® Series
June 2000
Part No. 526945-001
Please note and heed the WARNING and CAUTION labels that have been placed on
the equipment for your safety. Please do not attempt to operate or repair this
equipment without adequate training.
Liability statement
This Datacard® product has been built to the high standards of Datacard Corporation.
See “Safety and compliance” on page A-1 for the statement of liability.
Regulatory compliance
This Datacard product conforms to regulatory requirements as specified in North
America and Europe. See “Safety and compliance” on page A-1 for detailed
regulatory compliance information.
Trademark acknowledgments
Trademark, service mark, and copyright acknowledgments are listed in “Safety and
compliance” on page A-1.
Proprietary Notice
ii
All drawings and information herein are the property of Datacard Corporation.
Copyright © 2000 Datacard Corporation. All rights reserved.
Revision Log: User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printers
Revision Date Affected Pages Description of Changes
A Jan. 99 All Initial release
B June 2000 All Updated organization, added unpacking
and part number information
Datacard
11111 Br en Road West
Minnetonka, MN 55343-9015
www.datacard.com
952.933.0333
Fax: 952.935.2314
© 1997-2000 Datacard Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
User’s Guide for Express™ an d Select™ Class Printers
Contents
Chapter 1: Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Chapter 2: Getting started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
iii
About this manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
About the Express or Select printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Printer models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Printer features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
PC and software specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
General requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Selecting the site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Electrical requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Physical requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Environmental requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Unpacking the printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Who to call for assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Connecting the printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Loading cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Loading the print ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Powering on the system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Installing the printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Installing the Windows 95/98 printer driver . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Installing the printer driver on Windows NT . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Setup tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Making and evaluating test cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Printer test card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Chapter 3: Using the printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Working with printer settings and data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Settings and data for Windows NT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Settings and data for Windows 98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Using the Status Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Opening and using the Status dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Viewing Status Monitor information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Making cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Removing cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Responding to messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Shutting down the system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Chapter 4: Maintaining the printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Using the printer cleaning card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Using the duplex cleaning card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Using the magnetic stripe cleaning card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Cleaning the printer rollers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Cleaning the printhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
Replacing the printhead cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Printers
iv
Chapter 5: Advanced Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Reinstalling the printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Remove the existing printer driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Installing two printers (Windows 95/98) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Using two printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Network printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Requirements for local printer sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Printer and PC setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Setting up printing over the network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Installing the printer driver on the client PC . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Perform management tasks at the host PC . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Using the printer from the client PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Changing the type of print ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Change the print ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Change the Print Ribbon Type setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Change the card design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Change the printhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Change printhead settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Print sample cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
When to make changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Changing operational settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Chapter 6: Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
If you think the printer is not working . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Problems with card appearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Print station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Topcoat applied using the print ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Obtaining service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
When to obtain service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Packing the printer for shipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Appendix A: Safety and compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1
Regulatory compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1
Notice for USA (FCC notice) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1
Notice for Canada (CSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1
Notice for Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1
Notice to Users of Printers Equipped with
Contactless Smart Card Coupler . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1
Liability statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2
Safe environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2
Safe human interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3
Appendix B: Supplies and cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1
Personalization supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1
Print ribbons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1
Supply roll storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2
Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2
Card specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2
Card size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Printers
Card material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3
New cards preferred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3
Pre-punched cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4
Card quality guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4
Card storage specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-5
Cleaning supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-5
Printer cleaning card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-5
Duplex cleaning card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-6
Magnetic stripe cleaning card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-6
Citrus solvent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-6
Printer driver diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-6
Anti-static wrist strap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-6
Printer components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-7
Printhead cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-7
Interface cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-7
Power cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-8
Smart card serial cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-8
Print ribbon cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-9
Card cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-9
Fuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-10
Appendix C: PC settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1
PC settings for all operating systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1
Configuring the ECP parallel port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1
PC settings for Windows NT 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-3
Setting port values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-3
Setting printer permissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-3
Setting a smart card serial port—Windows NT . . . . . . . . C-4
PC settings for Windows 98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-6
Setting port values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-6
Setting a smart card serial port—Windows 98 . . . . . . . . . C-7
v
Appendix D: Magnetic stripe encoding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-1
IATA, ABA, and TTS character sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-1
NTT character set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-2
Magnetic Stripe settings used by the
Express or Select printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-3
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Printers
Overview
1
This chapt er presents the following:
•
•
•
•
The purpose of this manual
1
Who should use this manual
The Express or Select printer, including a description of the printer, the models
available, and their components
Specifications for the PC used with the printer and the software that runs on the
PC
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printers
1-2
About this manual
This manual provides detailed information about the Datacard® Express™ or
Select™ Class photo ID printer. It also explains how to install, use, and maintain the
printer and its printer driver.
Audience
To perform the procedures in this manual, you must have the following skills:
•
Ability to read and understand written and graphical instructions
•
Ability to operate a personal computer (PC)
•
Experience with Microsof t® Windows® 98 or Windows NT®
•
Ability to load supplies
•
Ability to perform simple troubleshooting using written and graphical instructions
Datacard-authorized service personnel also use this manual.
About the Express or Select printer
Overview
The Express or Select photo ID printer includes the printer and a printer driver which
runs on a PC. The printer uses supplies such as print ribbon and blank cards when
printing cards.
The Express or Select printer prints full-color or monochrome images on one or both
sides of PVC cards. The images printed can include photos, text, logos, barcodes and
digitized signatures. The printer can also encode data on a card's magnetic stripe and
program a smart card chip on a card. (These steps are commonly called
“personalizing” the card.) Magnetic stripe encoding and smart card programming are
options that can be purchased as part of the printer.
The printer driver receives digital information from a card creation application and
processes the data to send to the printer. When the printer receives the data, it prints
the card. The driver keeps track of the progress of the card in the printer, and sends
data for the next card as soon as the printer is ready and the data is available.
See “PC and software specifications” on page 1-8 for more information about the
printer driver and the PC on which it runs.
Printer models
Several models of the printer are available. ImageCard printers can print full-color or
monochrome images, while UltraGrafix printers can print only monochrome images. A
printer can be ordered with the following optional modules:
•
Magnetic stripe module, for either 3-track encoding or single-track NTT encoding.
The module is installed in-line with the print operation. It encodes data on the
magnetic stripe and then verifies the data.
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printe rs
Overview
Smart card module. The smart card module is available with a contact coupler.
•
The Select 2 printer is available with a contactless (RF) coupler. Both printers are
available with a contact station with external coupler. A custom smart card
application can use the module to initialize and program the smart card chip on a
card.
Duplex module, available on Select Class printers, which can automatically print
•
on both sides of the card.
Table 1-1 lists the models and their features.
Table 1-1: Express or Select printer features available
1-3
Duplex
Model name
Colors printed
module
ImageCard E Full color or monochrome No
ImageCard S Full color or monochrome No
ImageCard S2 Full color or monochrome Yes
UltraGrafix E Monochrome only No
UltraGrafix S Monochrome only No
UltraGrafix S2 Monochrome only Yes
Magnetic
#
stripe
# †
Yes
#
Yes
#
Yes
# †
Yes
#
Yes
#
Yes
Smart
Card
Yes
#
# †
No
#
Yes
†
Yes#
No
#
Yes
#. Optional
†. Only one option--either magnetic stripe or smart card--can be installed in a printer.
i
Monochrome printing uses a ribbon with a single color, such as black. T o optimize
monochrome printing, use a monochrome printhead cartridge.
i
An existing printer cannot have options added; options must be factory-installed.
Figure 1-2 shows the E and S models of the Express or Select printer. The ImageCard
and UltraGrafix printers have the same appearance.
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printers
1-4
Overview
ice0001
Figure 1-2: E and S models of the Express or Select printer
Figure 1-3 shows the S2 model of the Express or Select printer. The ImageCard and
UltraGrafix printers have the same appearance.
Printer features
Use the information in this section to identify the features and controls you use on the
printer.
Figure 1-3: S2 model of the Select Printer
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printe rs
Overview
1-5
Top cover
Status light
Card cartridge
Exception card slot
Card output stacker
Ready button
Power button
Figure 1-4: Front of the Express or Select printer
Front of the printer
Find the following on the outside of the printer:
T op cover
The cover protects the internal parts of the printer from dust and debris. It also lessens
the sound from the printer.
Status light
The status light indicates that the printer is processing data, ready to receive data, or
in an error condition.
•
•
•
•
Card cartridge
When the status light is steady green, the printer is on and ready to print cards.
When the status light blinks green, the printer is receiving data from the PC, is
printing, or is paused.
When the status light blinks yellow, the printer has identified a problem and
stopped.
The status light can turn red on rare occasions. If this happens, contact your
service provider promptly for assistance.
The card cartridge holds blank cards to print. It holds about 100 cards (with a nominal
thickness of 0.030 inches (0.76 mm)). At the bottom of the card cartridge, the
exception card slot allows you to insert a single card that is different from the cards in
the card cartridge.
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printers
1-6
Card output stacker
Ready button
Overview
The card output stacker holds the cards after they have been processed. Both
completed cards and rejected cards go to the card output stacker.
The Ready button allows you to pause the printer while printing a card, to clear an
error condition, to cancel a print job and delete all data for the job, or to create a
printer test card.
•
To pause the printer, press and hold the Ready button for three seconds or less.
Any cards being printed complete the current operation and stop. The status light
continues to blink green while the printer is paused. Press the Ready button to
resume printing.
i
If the printer is paused and a message box is displayed on the PC, use the
buttons on the message box to clear the message. If you press the Ready button
to clear the error, the current print job is cancelled. If you press the Ready button
to clear a pause condition, the job is not cancelled.
•
To cancel and clear the current print job, press and hold the Ready button for
between three and ten seconds. When the sound changes tone, release the
Ready button. The job is cleared from printer memory and the card is ejected.
Power button
Inside the printer
•
You can verify that the printer is working correctly by making a printer test card.
See “Making and evaluating test cards” on page 2-15 for more information.
Use the Power button to power on or power off the printer.
Open the cover to find the following on the inside of the printer.
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printe rs
Overview
1-7
Top cover
Duplex module and door
Swing arm
Printhead cartridge
Print ribbon cartridge
Manual card feed knob
ExpPart
Duplex module and door
On the S2 printer model, this area contains the duplex mechanism, which turns the
card over for printing on both sides.
Swing arm
The swing arm opens to give you access to the printhead cartridge and print ribbon
cartridge. Push down on the left (curved) end of the swing arm to open it.
Printhead cartridge
The printhead, contained in the printhead cartridge, uses heat and pressure to
transfer dye and other material from the print ribbon to the card. The printhead
cartridge is replaceable.
Print ribbon cartridge
The print ribbon cartridge holds the print ribbon.
Manual card feed knob
The manual card feed knob turns to move a card along the card transport track. Use it
to release stuck cards in the print module.
Figure 1-5: Internal parts of the Express or Select printer
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printers
1-8
Back of the printer
Overview
Figure 1-6 shows the back of the Express or Select Class printer:
ECP parallel port
Contactless smart card
Contact smart card
Fan
Figure 1-6: The back of the Express or Select printer
Find the following on the back of the printer:
ECP parallel port
Use the ECP parallel port to connect the printer's interface cable to the PC.
Power receptacle
This is the receptacle for connecting the power cable.
Smart card serial port(s)
On printers equipped with the smart card option, use these connectors for the serial
cable from the PC or contact station that carries the data to encode on the smart card
chip.
PC and software specifications
The Express or Select printer must be used with a PC that runs the printer driver. The
PC also runs a card creation application that captures and organizes the data to
appear on each card.
Power receptacle
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printe rs
Overview
1-9
To support the printing speed that the Express or Select printer can deliver, the PC
must meet the following requirements:
Have a 233 MHz (or faster) Pentium MMX-, Pentium II- or Pentium III -compatible
•
processor
i
The PC resources, including processor speed, memory, and available hard disk
space, can have a dramatic effect on card processing speed. For faster card
printing, use a 450 MHz or faster processor with 128 MB of RAM.
Have an enabled ECP parallel port
•
Have at least 64 MB of memory (RAM)
•
Have a diskette drive to install the printer driver
•
Have 50 MB or more of hard disk space available to store the printer driver and
•
provide working space for preparing card data
Have one of the following operating systems:
•
– Windows 95 or 98
– Windows NT 4.0 with service pack 4 or higher
The PC must also have a card creation application that formats and prepares the card
data. For the PC requirements of your card creation application, see the application's
documentation.
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printers
Getting started
2
This section describes how to install and set up the Datacard®
Express™ or Select™ Class photo ID printer. It describes:
General requirements for using the printer
•
Selecting the site
•
Unpacking the printer
•
Who to call for assistance
•
Connecting the cables
•
Loading supplies, including cards, and print ribbon
•
Powering on the printer
•
Installing the printer driver
•
Printing test cards
•
General requirements
When choosing a site for the Express or Select printer and its supplies, consider the
following general requirements:
Keep all dust, dirt, food, liquids, etc. away from the Express or Select printer at all
•
times.
Keep the top cover closed at all times, except when changing supplies, fixing
•
problems, or performing maintenance.
2
Do not use supplies or cards that have been dropped on the floor or have
•
otherwise become contaminated.
Keep paper and foreign materials off the Express or Select printer.
•
Do not block the back air vents or fan opening on the Express or Select printer.
•
Place the Express or Select printer on a stable platform; keep it off the floor.
•
Place the Express or Select printer away from direct sunlight.
•
Place the Express or Select printer away from heating ducts, blowers, or other air
•
vents.
Do not use the Express or Select printer for purposes other than its intended use.
•
When cleaning around the Express or Select printer, prevent debris from entering
•
the printer.
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printers
2-2
•
Place the Express or Select printer in a clean office environment, protected from
any type of construction.
•
Store all supplies (ribbons, cards, etc.) in the original packaging until loaded in the
cartridges. Keep the original packaging closed.
•
Store all supplies in a clean, cool, dry location. See “Supply roll storage” on
page B-2 for information about the storage environment for Express or Select
supplies.
Selecting the site
After meeting general requirements, the site for the Express or Select printer should
meet the electrical, physical, and environmental requirements of the printer. Finally, be
sure to select an appropriate site for printer supplies.
Electrical requirements
The Express or Select printer requires the following electrical conditions for optimal
performance:
•
90-254 VAC at 50/60 Hz (The Express or Select printer automatically adjusts to
any power within this range.)
Getting started
•
Single phase, 3-wire grounded receptacle only
The maximum input current for the Express or Select printer is 1.4 amps at 100 VAC
applied.
Physical requirements
The Express or Select printer requires an environment that accommodates its
physical dimensions and weight.
The printer weighs between 21 and 26.5 pounds or 9.7 and 11.9 kilograms.
i
The surface holding the printer might also need to bear the weight of other
equipment such as a PC and camera.
The dimensions are:
•
Width of 17.8 inches (54.1 cm ) for E and S models
•
Width of 24 inches (65 cm) for S2 models
•
Depth of 8.8 inches (22.2 cm)
•
Height of 10 inches (25.4 cm)
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printe rs
Getting started
Environmental requirements
The Express or Select printer requires the following environmental conditions for
optimal operation:
Operating relative humidity: 20% to 80% non-condensing
•
Operating temperature range: 55° F to 80° F (13° C to 27° C)
•
If you store the Express or Select printer, provide an environment with the following
conditions:
Storage relative humidity: 20% to 80% non-condensing
•
Storage temperature range: 0° F to 100° F (-17.8° C to 37.8° C)
•
Unpacking the printer
Follow these steps to unpack the printer. Be sure to select a location that meets the
site requirements for the Express or Select printer. See “Selecting the site” on
page 2-2 for more information.
You need scissors or another cutting device to unpack the printer.
2-3
i
Make sure you have one or more people to assist with unpacking the printer. One or
two people can lift the printer while another person assists with removing packaging.
Unpack the printer
1 Place the shipping carton on a firm level surface.
2 Use a scissors to open the taped area on top of the shipping carton.
3 Open the shipping carton (step 1 in Figure 2-1).
4
1
2
1
3
Figure 2-1: Unpack the printer
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printers
2-4
Getting started
4 Remove the accessories box (step 2 in Figure 2-1).
5 Open the top of the packing material (step 3 in Figure 2-1).
!
The printer weighs 21 to 26 pounds (9.7 to 11.9 kg). Use proper lifting techniques.
Make sure you have enough people to lift the printer comfortably.
6 Lift the printer from the carton (step 4 in Figure 2-1) and place it on a counter or
other solid surface.
7 If the end of the packing material comes out of the box, slide it off the end of the
printer and place the entire printer on a counter or other solid surface.
Save all packing material, including the plastic bag, shipping carton, shipping
i
cushions, and accessories box.
8 Open the accessories box and remove the contents. The accessories box
contains:
– Power cable
– Interface cable
– Warranty and declaration of conformity
– User’s Guide
– Printer driver
– Supplies kit if one was ordered with this printer
9 Make sure the card cartridge is securely seated in the printer. If needed, move it
gently to seat it.
Who to call for assistance
If you work with a Datacard-authorized distributor or value-added reseller, contact
your reseller for assistance. A value-added reseller provides the Express or Select
printer as part of an overall system.
If any contents of the box are missing, contact your distributor or reseller. If you
purchased your printer directly from Datacard, contact Datacard. Make sure you have
the serial number, located on the bottom of the printer, when you call.
Connecting the printer
This section explains how to connect the printer to a power source and to the PC that
runs the printer driver. It also explains how to connect the optional smart card cable.
Connect the printer
1 Attach the interface cable to the ECP parallel port on the PC. Attach the other end
of the interface cable to the printer (step 1 in Figure 2-2).
♦
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printe rs
Getting started
i
The interface cable must be a shielded, Type C, IEEE 1284 parallel port cable, up
to a maximum of 2 meters long.
!
If the PC has more than one parallel port, make sure you use the ECP capable
parallel port on the PC. Also, note whether the port is LPT1 or LPT2, so you can
specify the port when installing the printer driver.
1
2
3
1
2
3
4
5
2-5
Figure 2-2: Connect the printer cables
2 If your printer has a smart card module, the ports to use correspond to the module
installed:
– The lower port (step 3 in Figure 2-2) is for a contact smart card module or a
contact statio n.
– The upper port (step 2 in Figure 2-2) is for a contactless module.
– Both ports are installed for a module containing both contactless (upper
port) and contact couplers (lower port).
i
If the printer includes a smart card module, the printer’s smart card serial port is
connected to the PC using a smart card serial cable. The cable must be a
shielded DB9 serial ca ble, up to a maximum of 3 meters long.
!
If the PC has more than one serial port, attach the serial cable to the serial port for
the smart card application. See information with your smart card application for
the correct port to use.
Verify that serial port settings are correct using the steps in “PC settings” on
page C-1.
3 Attach the power cord to the power receptacle on the back of the printer (step 4 in
Figure 2-2).
4 Plug the other end of the power cord into a single phase, 3-wire grounded
receptacle with 90-130V AC or 195-254V AC at 50 or 60 Hz (step 5 in Figure 2-2).
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printers
2-6
i
The printer power supply automatically adjusts to the voltage of the input power.
Loading cards
Load cards when beginning work or when the card cartridge is low on cards or empty.
You can load cards when the printer power is on or off. You can also load cards while
the printer is printing.
To order more cards, contact your card vendor. For information on card requirements,
see “Supplies and ca rd s” on page B-1.
Load cards
1 Lift the card cartridge up and out of the card cartridge cavity.
i
Pull up on the lower, rounded edge of the card cartridge to release the card
cartridge.
2 Fan cards (see Figure 2-3). Do not touch the surface of the cards.
Getting started
♦
74030c9
Figure 2-3: Fan cards
3 Place up to 100 blank cards into the card cartridge. Do not touch the surface of
the cards.
For magnetic stripe cards, the magnetic stripe faces down and is positioned
toward the front of the printer (see Figure 2-4). If your card design requires a
different orientation, position the magnetic stripe up and toward the front of the
printer.
For smart cards, position the card so the chip is up and toward the right side of the
printer.
i
If your cards are thicker or thinner than 0.030 inch (0.76 mm), the maximum
number of cards you can load varies.
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printe rs
Getting started
2-7
Magnetic Stripes
Figure 2-4: Load cards into the card cartridge
4 Replace the card cartridge into the card cartridge cavity. Push the bottom of the
card cartridge toward the printer until it clicks into place (see Figure 2-5.).
2
Figure 2-5: Replace the card cartridge
Loading the print ribbon
The printer uses print ribbon with color panels, continuous color, or color and topcoat.
To order new ribbon, contact your service provider. See “Supplies and cards” on
page B-1 for ordering information.
1
iSEL007u
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printers
2-8
Getting started
Remove the print ribbon cartridge
1 Lift the top cover, as shown in Figure 2-6.
Figure 2-6: Open the cover
2 Press down on the swing arm (see Figure 2-7). The push latch releases the swing
arm. Lift the swing arm until it is fully open.
Figure 2-7: Open the swing arm
3 Grasp the ribbon cartridge handle, and lift up to remove the print ribbon cartridge
(see Figure 2-8).
Ribbon supply
Figure 2-8: Remove the print ribbon cartridge
Ribbon take-up
♦
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printe rs
Getting started
2-9
Load the print ribbon
1 If used print ribbon is in the printer, remove the used ribbon and used ribbon spool
from the ribbon cartridge shafts.
i
The print ribbon has a negative image of the information printed on the card.
Dispose of print ribbon according to your policy for protecting the data that might
be visible on it.
2 Unwrap the new print ribbon.
3 Slide the full supply roll onto the left ribbon cartridge shaft (see Figure 2-9).
4 Slide the empty take-up ribbon spool onto the right ribbon cartridge shaft. Leave
very little slack in the ribbon between the ribbon cartridge shafts (see Figure 2-9).
Ribbon supply
Figure 2-9: Load new print ribbon on the ribbon cartridge
Ribbon take-up
♦
Replace the print ribbon cartridge
1 Place the ribbon cartridge onto the ribbon cartridge supports, and press down until
it clicks into place (see Figure 2-10).
Print ribbon supply
Ribbon take-up
Figure 2-10: Replace the print ribbon cartridge
2 Close the swing arm, pressing it down until the push latch clicks into place.
3 Close the cover.
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printers
2-10
4 If you are installing the print ribbon for the first time be sure to print a printer test
card after installing the printer driver. (See “Making and evaluating test cards” on
page 2-15 for more information.)
i
Set the print ribbon type or select autodetect. See “Working with printer settings
and data” on page 3-1 for steps to follow.
Powering on the system
Before installing the printer driver and before using the printer, follow these steps to
power on the printer.
Power on the printer
1 Make sure cards and all other supplies are loaded. See other sections of this
chapter for more information.
2 Remove any printed or rejected cards from the output stacker. See “Removing
cards” on page 3-9 for more information.
Getting started
♦
3 Make sure the power cord and interface cable are connected. If needed, see
“Connecting the printer” on page 2-4 for more information.
4 Press the printer Power button to turn on power. Observe the printer panel light.
See “Printer features” on page 1-4 for more information. The printer initializes all
components and makes audible sounds.
Figure 2-11: Turn on power to the printer
5 Press the PC Power button to turn on the power to the PC. Turn on power to any
other equipment needed.
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printe rs
Getting started
E
i
The PC can be powered on before the printer; however, you should wait a few
minutes for the PC to obtain information from the printer. The PC power can also
remain on if the printer is powered off.
♦
Installing the printer driver
The Express or Select printer comes with different printer drivers for the Microsoft
Windows 95/98 and Windows NT operating systems. The printer driver is shipped with
the printer on diskettes.
i
If you have installed an Express or Select class driver and want to update to the
most recent printer driver, see “Reinstalling the printer driver” on page 5-1.
Installing the Windows 95/98 printer driver
i
To install a second printer driver of the same class on a PC running Windows 95/
98, see “Installing two printers (Windows 95/98)” on page 5-5. (You cannot install
a second printer driver on a PC running Windows NT.) Do not install two printer
drivers unless you have connected two printers to the PC.
2-11
Install the printer driver on Windows 95/98
i
A PC running Windows 95/98 automatically detects new hardware at PC power
on. If you power off the PC, attach the printer and power it on, and then power the
PC back on, the PC displays a message asking if you want to install the new
printer. Begin with step 6 below.
1 Make sure the printer is connected to the PC and powered on.
2 Close all applications. Do not close Windows.
3 Insert the first Windows 95/98 printer driver diskette into the disk drive of the PC.
4 Select Settings and then Printers from the Windows Start menu. The Printers
window appears.
5 In the Printers window, double-click on the Add Printer icon.
6 When the Manufacturers list appears, select the Have Disk button. If needed, click
on the Browse button to select the printer driver diskette location.
7 Select the port to which you have connected the printer.
8 In the Printer Name box, use the default name or change the printer name to
match the name on the front of your printer. For example, you might change
“Datacard Select Cl ass” to “ImageCard S2” or “UltraGrafix S”. Do not use the <>:"/
\ and | characters in the name.
9 Remove the diskette and insert the next diskette when prompted.
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printers
2-12
Getting started
– A Version Conflict dialog might appear as the installer copies files. Select Y es
to keep the existing files on your PC.
– A Code Page Mismatch dialog might appear. Select Yes to keep the existing
files on your PC.
10 Remove the last diskette. A message will appear that prompts you to restart
Windows: Follow the prompt.
1 1 If a message prompts you to run the firmware update utility, follow the prompt. Do
NOT power off the printer while running the firmware update utility.
12 After installing the printer driver, there are several other tasks you might need to
perform. They are:
– Select whether to print on two sides (duplex printing).
– Select the ribbon type before printing a test card. See “Working with printer
settings and data” on page 3-1 for steps to follow.
– If you use a print ribbon with a topcoat (T) panel, select the topcoat pattern for
the front of the card, the back of the card, or both.
– If the printer has a magnetic stripe module, select the magnetic stripe
coercivity and encoding format. See “Working with printer settings and data”
on page 3-1 for steps to follow.
i
The card creation application might send settings with cards which override
the settings you make in the Properties dialog box.
13 Print a Windows test page to verify that the printer and driver are working. See
“Print the Windows test page” on page 2-17 for more information.
♦
Installing the printer driver on Windows NT
Use the following steps to install the printer driver on PCs running Windows NT.
i
If you move the printer from a PC running Windows 95/98 to a PC running
Windows NT 4.0, use the printer Properties dialog box on Windows 95/98 to set
“Always autodetect” before moving the printer.
i
One Express, Select, or Magna Class, or ImageCard IV printer can be installed on
the PC at a time. If you have a printer driver for Datacard printer installed on this
PC, see “Reinstalling the printer driver” on page 5-1 for steps to follow.
Install the printer driver on Windows NT
i
Use the Express or Select printer driver for Windows NT only with a PC that runs
Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 3 or higher. The printer driver is not supported
for PCs with Alpha, MIPS, or PowerPC processors.
1 Make sure the printer is connected to the PC and powered on.
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printe rs
Getting started
2-13
2 Be sure you are logged in to the Windows NT system as the administrator before
starting this procedure.
3 Close all open applications. Do not close Windows NT.
4 Insert the first Windows NT printer driver diskette into the disk drive of the PC.
5 Select Settings and then Printers from the Start menu.
6 In the Printers window, double-click on the Add Printer icon. (Only the
administrator can use this icon to install the printer driver on the PC.)
7 Select the “My computer” choice, and not the “Network” choice. If the “My
computer” choice is not available, make sure you have logged on as the
administrator.
8 Select the port to which you have connected the printer.
– Do not select the “Enable printer pooling” choice when installing the printer
driver.
9 When the Manufacturers list appears, select the Have Disk button. If needed,
select the Browse button to specify the location of the printer driver diskette.
10 Make sure the printer has a unique name on the PC. If you change the printer
name, do not use the <>:"/\ and | characters in the name. The PC will not be able
to enable the driver if you use those characters.
– Printer sharing is not supported by the current version of the printer driver for
Express Class printers. Select Class printers can be shared.
1 1 Do not print a test page as part of the installation. Y ou must select the ribbon type
before printing a test page.
– A Version Conflict dialog might appear during the installation. If so, select Yes
to keep the existing files on your PC.
12 Remove the current diskette and insert the next diskette when prompted.
13 Remove the diskette and restart Windows NT when prompted after the printer
driver is installed.
i
If the “print a test page” choice remained selected, you might see messages
regarding the test page at the same time as the prompt to restart Windows NT.
14 When the PC restarts, log in as the administrat or again .
15 If a message appears prompting you to update the printer firmware, follow the
prompt. Do NOT power off the printer while running the firmware update utility.
16 After installing the printer driver, there are several other tasks you might need to
perform. They are:
a Set permissions to the printer for other users of the PC to support printing or
to prevent access to the printer. See “Setting printer permissions” on
page C-3.
b Select whether to print on two sides (duplex printing). See “Working with
printer settings and data” on page 3-1 for steps to follow.
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printers
2-14
Getting started
c Select the print ribbon type before print a test card. See “Working with printer
settings and data” on page 3-1 for steps to follow.
d If you use a print ribbon with a topcoat (T) panel, select the topcoat pattern for
the front of the card, the back of the card, or both. See “Working with printer
settings and data” on page 3-1 for steps to follow.
e If the printer has a magnetic stripe module, select the magnetic stripe
coercivity and encoding format. See “Working with printer settings and data”
on page 3-1 for steps to follow.
i
The card creation application might send settings with cards which override
the settings you make in the Document Default Properties dialog box.
f Make sure that users of the printer have permission to write files to the temp
file location specified in the PC configuration. If the temp file location is not
specified, the driver uses the root location for the printer driver, WINNT.
17 Print a Windows test page card from the PC to verify that the driver is installed
correctly. See “Print the Windows test page” on page 2-17 for steps to follow.
i
If you downloaded the driver from the Internet, you can delete the folders created,
such as disk1, from your hard drive after installing the driver. You can also delete the
downloaded file.
Setup tips
♦
Make sure that:
•
The card cartridge is in place and contains cards.
•
The interface cable is connected to the parallel port of the printer and the ECP
parallel port of the PC.
•
If the PC has more than one parallel port, the port to which the printer is assigned
is the same as the port to which it is connected.
•
The parallel port is configured as an ECP parallel port in the PC’s BIOS. See “PC
settings” on page C-1 for more information.
•
Supplies are installed in all cartridges that you plan to use, and cartridges are
loaded correctly. See “Getting started” on page 2-1 for more information.
•
The printer is ready to print. The panel light on the printer should be steady green
when you send a test card. See “Printer features” on page 1-4 for more
information.
•
Use the Windows test page, not a card from a card creation application, to verify
that the printer and driver are working together.
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printe rs
Getting started
Making and evaluating test cards
You can make two types of test cards.
Printer test cards verify the function of the printer. You print them using controls on
•
the printer. The appearance of the card is determined by the printer and the
modules installed in it.
The Windows test page, which you can print on a card, verifies that the PC and
•
printer work together. Y ou print them using the printer Properties dialog box on the
PC. The appearance of the card is determined by Windows.
E
You can also make sample cards, using your card creation application, to test
print quality and card design. Do not make sample cards until you make sure the
printer and driver work properly (by making a printer test card and Windows test
page).
Follow these steps to make printer test cards on both the Windows NT 4.0 and
Windows 98 operating systems.
Make a Printer test card
2-15
E
The Express or Select printer does not need to be connected to a PC to print this
card.
1 Power off the Express or Select printer.
2 Confirm that all supplies are loaded. See “Getting started” on page 2-1 if needed.
E
If the printer has a magnetic stripe module, the cards for a printer test card
must have a magnetic stripe. If it is a three-track module, be sure to use the
high coercivity blank card shipped in the supplies kit.
3 Power on the Express or Select printer (2) while pressing and holding the Ready
button (1), as shown in Figure 2-12. Hold the button until the sound from the
internal components stops, usually about 30 seconds.
1
2
Figure 2-12: Press Power button (2) while you press and hold Ready button (1)
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printers
2-16
4 Release the Ready button. You hear a series of tones.
Allow 30 to 60 seconds for the printer to begin printing the test card. The status
light will flash green while the Express or Select printer is processing the data.
5 Remove the card from the card output stacker.
The printer test card is shown in Figure 2-13 on page 2-16.
If the printer test card did not print successfully, see “Setup tips” on page 2-14. If
needed, turn to “Troubleshooting” on page 6-1.
Printer test card
The printer test card is designed to perform most of the functions available in the
printer.
Getting started
♦
Figure 2-13: Printer test card
Check the following:
•
The test card has the pattern shown on the front of the card. The back of the card
is unprinted.
•
If a topcoat (T) panel is included in the ribbon and you select a ribbon type that
applies topcoat to the front of the card, the front of the card has topcoat applied.
•
If a magnetic stripe module is installed in the printer and enabled, the following
data is encoded on the card:
Track Format Data
Track 1 (IATA) TEST PATTERN IATA CHARACTER
SUBSET 0123456789
Track 2 (ABA) 012345678012345678990123456789
Track 3 (NTT) 0123456789=9876543210
Track 3 (TTS) 0123456789=9876543210
User’s Guide for Express™ and Select™ Class Printe rs
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