This e-Guide helps you to understand problems you might have when using the SP35 printer and how to
address those problems.
Is it really trouble?
The following table provides a quick guide to help you get started troubleshoo ting. Pick the problem that is
most like yours (or use the Contents to locate the section you are interested in).
ProblemIs it trouble?Why? What do I do?
A message appears.No.Messages don’t mean trouble--messages are
expected during normal operation. See help for the
message to address the problem.
The printer beeps and the status
light flashes, but no message
appears.
Probably not.This is problem can be the result of:
Changing the printer name or the printer
•
port (restart Windows to fix the problem).
Pausing the printer when making a printer
•
test card (power-on test card). Press the
Ready button to resume printing.
Communication problems. See Locating
•
the problem for steps to follow.
The same message (or series of
messages) appears repeatedly,
and the solutions listed in help do
not fix it.
I send a card to print from the
PC, but it does not print.
I installed the driver, but the
printer does not print cards.
Cards are scratchy.Probably not.You can fix this problem, because it is probably due
Yes, part of the
printer might be
broken.
Maybe.Communication problems can usually be fixed.
Probably not.This is usually a result of communication problems
Y ou should call your service provider after you have
tried all the solutions listed in help.
Rarely, they are the result of a printer problem. See
Locating the problem
and can often be fixed. See
for steps to follow.
to the card stock, the environment in which you
print, or how you handle cards and supplies. See
Card appearance problems
for steps to follow.
Locating the problem
for guidance.
The color on the cards is not
right.
When I power on the printer,
nothing happens, not even after
5 minutes!
Probably not.
Maybe.
This is usually a setup problem. See
appearance problems
Locating the problem
See
steps to follow to locate the problem.
How do I troubleshoot a problem?
When you experience problems using the printer, follow these guidelines:
SP35 Info Central
Card
for guidance.
, which gives you
2 Troubleshooting
Keep notes on the problem, including the message text or message number and the solutions you
•
attempt.
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.
If you need to call for service, this information will help your service provider address your concerns.
SP35 Info Central
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.
1Make a printer test card, following the steps in Making Test Cards.
– If the printer does not make a test card, make sure the printer is connected to a functioning power
source. (Remove the printer power cord from the output and connect another device such as a ligh t
to the same outlet, to verify that the power source functions correctly.)
– If the power source works but you cannot create a printer test card, the printer is likely not working
properly.
2Print a sample card from the Printer Toolbox. As an alternative, you can print a Windows test page,
following the steps in Windows test page.
– If the sample card or Windows test page does not print, but the printer test card prints, the printer
driver or the PC are not set or operating properly, or there is a communication problem. See
Communication problems.
3Make sure the printer is the selected printer in the card creation app lication.
3
4Use the card creation application to print a card.
– If the card creation application does not print the card as expected, but the test card and sample
card print, the card creation application is likely not set or operating properly.
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SP35 Info Central
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.
The Windows test page, which you can print on a card, verifies that the PC and printer work togeth er.
•
You print them using the printer Properties dialog box on th e PC. The appearance of the card is
determined by Windows.
Printer magnetic stripe test cards, which verify that the driver sends magnetic stripe information to the
•
printer and verifies that it is encoded. Use controls in the Printer Toolbox to print magnetic stripe test
cards. See Magnetic stripe test card for steps to follow.
Sample cards, which are made using files provided with the driver. Sample cards are made at
•
installation to verify that the printer produces the same result at th e factory and at your site. See “Print a
sample card” in Install the Driver for steps to follow.
You can also make sample cards using the card creation application to test print quality and card
•
design. Do not make sample cards until you are sure the printer and driver work properly (by printing a
printer test card and Windows test page).
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Making a printer test card
The SP35 printer does not need to be connected to a PC to print this card.
1Power off the printer.
2Confirm that cards and print ribbon are loaded in the printer. See the Printer Guide if needed.
– 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 high coercivity blank cards (which are shipped in the
Starter Kit).
3Power on the printer (1). Within 5 seconds, press and hold the Ready button (2), as shown in the
following illustration. Hold the Ready button until the printer sounds three tones, usually about 15
seconds.
4Release the Ready button and observe the printer. You hear the internal com ponents initia lize and the
printer starts processing the card.
5After it is printed, remove the card from the card output tray. A printer test card is shown in Printer test
card.
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Tips for success
•The Ready button must be pressed firmly. You might need to hold the printer in place as you
keep the Ready button pressed.
•Allow 30 to 60 seconds for the printer to begin printing the test card.
•If the status light flashes amber and the printer beeps, the printer is paused. Press the Ready
button once to unpause the printer.
•The status light will flash green while the printer is processing the data.
•If the printer test card did not print successfully, try the procedure again making sure you follow
the instructions. If the test card does not print, or if the printer does not initialize, it contact your
service provider for assistance.
Printer test card
The printer test card is designed to perform most functions available in the printer.
Check the following:
The test card has the pattern shown on the front of the card. (The pattern will be black, not colored, dots
•
if the printer is using a monochrome ribbon.)
If a magnetic stripe module is installed in the printer, the following data is encoded on the card:
The tracks available depend on the type of module installed.
•
The magnetic stripe data on the printer test card is generated by the printer and does not test driver-to-
•
printer communication.
Windows test page
Follow these steps to print a Windows test page on all supported operating systems.This card will print
across a network and can confirm that the driver and printer are communicating correctly.
SP35 Info Central
The printer must be connected to the PC with the driver installed, and both printer and PC must be
running.
1Select Start from the Windows taskbar.
2Select Settings and then Printers (Printers and Faxes on Windows XP) from the Windows Start me nu.
The Printers (and Faxes) window appears.
3 Click once on the printer icon.
4Select File from the Printers menu bar, and then select Properties. The Properties dialog box appears.
5Select the Print Test Page button on the General tab. Wait while Windows creates a test page image.
The card will print when the PC and printer are connected, and the printer and driver are working
together.
– After you select the Print Test Page button, Windows displays a wizard asking if the page printed
correctly. Click “Yes” on this dialog box to end the Wizard. This guide provides the information you
need to address problems with PC to printer communication.
6Remove the card from the printer. The card should look similar to the cards shown below.
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Tips for Success
•The exact appearance depends on the operating system and selections made on the PC
(some cards have more characters printed while others have fewer characters).
•If the card does not print, troubleshoot a communication problem. See Communication
problems for steps to follow.
•The Windows test page can have a very different appearance, depending on the operating
system and how the printer is connected to the PC.
•The Windows test page is generated by Microsoft Windows. The small size of the card,
compared to printer paper, means that some of the text is not printed on the card.
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SP35 Info Central
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