Evolis KU10E, Tattoo2 User Manual

Tattoo User’s Guide part number: KU10E Rev. B0

Ev

olis Car

d Print

er © Sept

ember 2007

USERÕs Guide

CCooppyyrriigghhtt IInnffoorrmmaattiioonn

E

volis Card Printer © September 2007. All rights reserved.

CCooppyyrriigghhtt NNoottiiccee

Users must respect the copyright laws applicable in their country. This manual must not be
photocopied, translated, reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part for any reason and by the
means that might be, albeit electronic or mechanical, without the express, written authorisa­tion of the company Evolis Card Printer.
All information contained herein may be subject to modification without prior notice.
Evolis Card Printer accepts no liability for any possible errors herein, nor for any accidental
damage or damage caused through the dissemination or the use of this manual.

TTrraaddeemmaarrkkss

Tattoo is a trademark and Evolis is a registered trademark of Evolis Card Printer.
Windows and MS.DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp. All other trademarks or
r

egistered trademarks are marks of their respective holders. eMedia Card Designer is a trade-

mark of Mediasoft Technologies.

IIccoonnss

Throughout this manual, different icons highlight important information, as follows:

Indicates information that emphasizes or supplements important points of the main text.

Advises y

ou of information that is essential t

o complete a task, or points out the importance

of specific inf

ormation in the text.

Advises you that failure to take or avoid a specific action could result in physical harm to
you, or could r

esult in physic

al damage to the hardwar

e.

WWaarrrraannttyy IInnffoorrmmaattiioonn

Refer to the Warranty booklet enclosed with your Evolis printer for terms and conditions.

RReettuurrnn MMaatteerriiaallss AAuutthhoorriizzaattiioonn

In or

der t

o mak

e a warr

anty claim you must contact an Evolis Reseller. You will be responsible for
packaging the printer for shipment and the costs of shipping and insurance of the printer from the
point of use of the print

er t

o the Evolis Reseller. The Evolis Reseller will bear the costs of shipping
and insuring the printer from the repair location to the address from which the printer was shipped.
Before returning any equipment for in-warranty or out-of warranty repair, contact an Evolis
Reseller or an Evolis Repair Center (ERC) for a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number.
Repack the equipment in the original packing material and mark the RMA number clearly on
the outside of the box. For more information about RMA or Evolis warranty statements, refer to
the Warranty booklet enclosed with your Evolis printer.

PPrroodduucctt DDiissppoossaall

WEEE Directive

This symbol indicates that when the last user wishes to discard this product, it must
be sent to appropriate facilities for recovery and recycling.
By not disc

ar

ding this pr

oduct al

ong with other household-type waste, the volume
of waste sent to incinerators or landfills will be reduced and natural resources will
be c

onserved. Your Evolis printer should be recycled according to your local stan-

dards. For more information, please contact Evolis at: [e-mail].

TThhaannkkss ffoorr cchhoooossiinngg aann

EEvvoolliiss CCaarrdd PPrriinntteerr ttoo

ppeerrssoonnaalliizzee yyoouurr bbaaddggeess

Using the latest printing technologies, Evolis Tattoo offers its
users both performance and quality.
Evolis Tattoo combines user-oriented design, compact size
and ease of use. It is fully adapted to small runs and fields
such as identification, loyalty and leisure.

The ‘Evolis Genuine Product’ line of consumables linked to
the printer was specifically developed and optimized to gua­rantee the best quality of printing.
Using these consumables increases the lifespan of your
badges and of your Evolis printer.

As for all Evolis products, particular care has been used in
writing this manual. But if an error has still managed to slip
into these pages without our wanting it, please let us know
by sending an e-mail to [e-mail]. Evolis will then do
everything in its power to correct the problem and give you
complete satisfaction.

11

Install the Evolis printer

Technology and benefits .

..........................................

06

Initial approach

.

.....................................................

07

Install your printer

..................................................08

Check the items shipped
Connect the printer to the main power supply

Printer Control panel.

..............................................

10

Stand by ...............................................................10

Install the ribbons

...................................................11

Monochrome or color ribbon

Install the cards .....................................................12

Types of cards
Installation in the feeder
Manual card loading

Remove the personalized cards ..................................13

22

Setting of parameters

Windows print driver ...............................................14

Installation of the print driv

er
Properties of the driver
Card printing configuration in
an office automation application

33

Error messages and diagnostics

Notification of messages...........................................21

Description of the printer control panel

Interpretation of messages .......................................22

Diagnostics assistance

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Print and interpret a test card
Identify the software version installed

C

C

o

o

n

n

t

t

e

e

n

n

t

t

s

s

44

Servicing and Maintenance

Ordinary maintenance.

.............................................

25

Clean the card feed module
Service the cleaning rollers
Clean the print head

Maintenance .........................................................30

Replace the cleaning rollers
Replace the print head
Updat

e the Firmware

Update the print driver

Troubleshooting .

....................................................

35

Free a card jammed in the printing unit
Upgrade printing quality

Assistance.

............................................................

38

Network of Evolis partners
Look for inf

ormation on www

.evolis.com

Register your product to benefit from updates

55

Characteristics

Declaration of conformity..........................................39

Printer specifications

...............................................40

List of “Evolis Genuine Product” consumables

...............42

Magnetic encoding

..................................................43

C

C

o

o

n

n

t

t

e

e

n

n

t

t

s

s

IIn

nssttaallll

tth

hee

E

Evvoolliiss

p

prrii

n

ntteerr

The aim of this first part is to assist you, step-by-step, in
discovering your new printer and putting it to work for you.
By taking the time to review these few pages, you will get more
detailed knowledge about your printer and its capabilities, while
optimizing the time needed to install and start using the product.

TTeecchhnnoollooggyy aanndd bbeenneeffiittss

Evolis Tattoo is specially designed for users requiring simplicity and quality of printing for their
personalization of badges in monochrome or color.

In a few seconds, the Tattoo personalizes your pre-printed or blank plastic cards, and prints your
texts, barcodes, graphics, logos and pictures.

Truly flexible, this printer can be used for batch printing with the 100-card feeder, or “over-the counter”
runs, with cards inserted manually, one after the other.

Tattoo is one of the most compact of all plastic card printers, and can be integrated in all types of
environment: offices, bank receptions, shop counters.

Ev

olis T

att

oo suits perf

ectl

y applic

ations such as pr

of

es

sional and business cards, identification badges

(employees, visitors…), membership cards, and event cards.
In addition, it perfectly fits applications such as loyalty cards and transportation passes.

1

1

06

07

IInniittiiaall aapppprrooaacchh

A Cover lever Enables the printer cover to be opened and closed.
B Card Feeder Receives the cards for printing.
C Detachable output hopper Collects the printed and/or encoded cards.
D Control Panel Shows the printer activity.
E Thermal print head Enables the cards to be printed in 300 dpi.
F Ribbon Monochrome or color ribbon (cf consumable list). E
G Push button

Shows the printer activity (power ON/OFF).

H Cleaning roller Removes all dust before the cards are printed.

I

Magnetic encoding head (option)

Enables cards with magnetic tracks 1, 2 and 3 to be encoded.

J Power supply connector Enables the printer to be connected to its power supply.
K USB computer connector (std) Enables data to be received and sent "from" and "to" the computer.
L DB-9 connector(s) (option) Enables data to be received and sent "from" and "to" the computer.

or a c

oupler to be connected for chip cards personalization.

M Identification label Indicates the model and the serial number of the printer.

08

IInnssttaallll yyoouurr pprriinntteerr

The Evolis printer must be set up in a dry, well-ventilated location protected against dust and air
c

urrents.
In addition, make sure you install your printer on a sturdy flat surface that can support its weight of
around 2.4 kg (5.3 lbs).
Finally, it is essential to allow free access to the connectors and to the power plug.

CChheecckk tthhee iitteemmss sshhiippppeedd

The Evolis printer is shipped with a set of accessories that we invite you to examine.
Please take note that this list may vary in terms of the geographic area where you are located.

The printer is shipped in an original container specially designed to ensure that the product is pro­tected against any risk of damage during shipment.

In the event of visible damage at the time of delivery, do not hesitate to carry out all required steps
as far as the shipper is concerned, and immediately contact your Evolis dealer who will provide you
with all necessary assistance.

Evolis has paid particular attention to the quality of this shipping material, and we urge you to keep
it in a clean, dry space.

This packaging material will be required to return equipment.
During the manufacturer’s guarantee period, returning material without the original Evolis
packaging could cause you to lose the benefit of this guarantee !

The following parts are furnished with your Evolis printer:

■ Power suppl

y unit - VP ELECTRONIQUE or SWITCHBO

X Type F10723-A or FDF0503-A

■ Main power cable

■ USB cable (length 1:80 m) - Item # A5017

■ CD-Rom Driv

er

s & Document

ations

■ CD-Rom eMedia Card Designer Trial Version 30 days.

■ Cleaning kit

■ Ev

olis Limit

ed Guar

ant

ee document (mus

t be consulted)

■ Quick start

In the absenc

e of one of these c

omponents, please contact your Evolis dealer.

Only use the power supply delivered with your Tattoo
VP ELECTRONIQUE or SWITCHBOX Type F10723-A or VP ELECTRONIQUE Type EA10723

Only use the same type of USB cable as the one delivered with your Tattoo.

09

PPrree--iinnssttaallllaattiioonn aaccttiivvaattiioonn

Before installing the printer, please perform the following operations:

CCoonnnneecctt tthhee pprriinntteerr ttoo tthhee mmaaiinn ppoowweerr

ssuuppppllyy

Turn off the printer by pulling the plug out of the
socket, which must always be accessible.
This product must be connected to an electrical
installation that is correctly protected and grounded.
FI: Laite on liitettävä suojamaadoitus koskettimilla

varustettuun pistorasiaan
NO: Apparatet må tilkoples jordet stikkontakt
SE: Apparaten skall anslutas till jordat uttag

1. Connect the power supply cord to the power supply, then attach the power cord

connector to the printer.

2. Then connect the end of the power supply cord to a grounded system outlet.

3. The printer is under power. The light on the control panel comes on and the

print head rises and falls to indicate the correct mechanical working of the
print

er. If the light fails t

o come on, this means that the installation has not
been carried out correctly or possibly that the printer is not working pro­perly. Check the installation.

Prior to any maintenance action, always disconnect the power supply
cable.
For your own safety, these components must remain accessible at all
times to permit emergency action

This product must be connected to a correctly protected and grounded electrical ins­tallation

CCoonnnneecctt tthhee UUSSBB ccaabbllee

The data USB cable must never be connected before the installation of the
printer driver has been completed.

Refer to Chapter 2 and carefully follow these instructions.

10

PPrriinntteerr ccoonnttrrooll ppaanneell

A control panel is available in front of the printer.
Four lights are associated with symbols indicating the printer activity.
These lights indicate the following:

Refer to chapter 3 of this manual for further information
on interpreting the messages of the control panel.

SSttaanndd bbyy

The printer automatically goes into stand-by after 10 minutes of inactivity.
The light on the push button from the control panel goes out.
To reactivate the printer, press the push button for one second.
The light on the push button comes on.

Tattoo may be left in stand-by at any time by pressing a few seconds the push
button as indicated. The light on the push button goes out.

Turned on

Data reception

(

Pushbutton)

End of
ribbon

No card in

the feeder

or feeder

not present

Cleaning

signal

Cover

open

11

IInnssttaallll tthhee rriibbbboonnss

Tattoo uses two types of ribbons:

■ Color ribbon also called multi-panel ribbon

■ Monochrome ribbons available in different colors: black, red, green, blue, white, gold, silver

The Evolis original ribbons are specially designed to guarantee optimum operation of your
equipment without any risk of damage. The use of ribbons from any other source than Evolis
could seriously damage the print head, consequently entailing the immediate interruption of
the factory warranty.

For optimum printing quality, Evolis recommends cleaning all the equipment each time a ribbon is
changed. It is up to the user to make this determination, provided, however, that he makes sure to
comply with the mandatory cleaning cycles in order to keep the equipment in perfect operating condi­tions (consult the chapter on Ordinary Maintenance).

The validity of the factory guarantee is conditional upon compliance with these cleaning
cycles (cf. Limited Evolis Warranty document).

MMoonnoocchhrroommee oorr ccoolloorr rriibbbboonn

To install a monochrome or color ribbon in the print module, proceed as follows:

The ribbon will be automatically positionned
when a new printing task is launched.

Installation of the print ribbons must be
accompanied by adequate defining of the
parameters of the print driver.
Please refer to the chapters on

Properties of

the Driver

for additional details.

3. Lo

w

er the c

o

ver

and l

ock it.

1. Open the cover of

the printer by
pressing the
opening lever then
turn it in vertic

al

position.

2. Install the new ribbon

in the position
indic

ated in the

diagram:

• Toothed wheel toward
the right side.

• Part including the
new ribbon located at
the front.

12

IInnssttaallll tthhee ccaarrddss

TTyyppeess ooff ccaarrddss

T

attoo supports PVC cards varying in thickness between 0.25 mm (10 mil) and 0.76 mm (30 mil).

F

or optimum quality, these cards must comply with CR Standard 80.

10 mil cards must be used only for monochrome printings

There are several feeding and ejection modes available.
The driver must be set up accordingly to your needs and choice
(cf Chapter 2)

IInnssttaallllaattiioonn iinn tthhee ffeeeeddeerr

The cards are installed in the feeder as follows:

2. Insert the
cards into the
f

eeder as
indicated,
printable face
do

wn.

3. Put the feeder

back int

o plac

e
in the printer
until it “Clicks”
in place.

1. Remove the

feeder as
indic

ated.

Only use the type of cards appearing
in the Technical Specifications in this
manual
Do not touch the printable surface of
the cards: the printing quality depends
on this.
Do not use cards that are damaged,
bent or that have an embossed texture.
Always store the blank cards in a
clean and dust-free location.

To load a card manually from the feeding mouth :

Insert a c

ard in the feeding mouth.
The card will be automatically taken in and
ejected after the printing process.

13

RReemmoovvee tthhee ppeerrssoonnaalliizzeedd ccaarrddss

The printer is delivered with a detachable output hopper with a
capacity of 15 cards in 0.76 mm (30 mil) format. This is intended
to receive the printed cards, and must be installed as follows.

There are 2 different modes for the card reception:

- an automatic ejection mode (in this case, it is recommended to
use the detachable hopper deliv

ered with the printer)

- a manual reception mode (the card must be collected after the
printing process)

OOtthheerr ssttaaggeess ttoo tthhee iinnssttaallllaattiioonn

You have now completed the installation (material) of your Evolis printer. For the moment, we would
urge y

ou to carry on reading this manual and we would inform you that there are still two extra

stages to be followed to make your Evolis printer fully operational:

• Installation of the driver

• Printer cleaning

14

S

Seettttii

n

n

g

g

ooff p

paarraa

m

meetteerrss

Defining the parameters of the printer and of its driver is a
highly important step and requires very special attention.
As a matter of fact, improper settings are factors that have a
negative impact on the quality of personalization.
It is therefore essential to proceed in stages, changing the
parameters only when you are completely sure.
Evolis gives you at all times the ability to return to the ‘factory’
settings if the adjustments made do not give the expected results.

Be careful about defining the personalized parameters and do not hesitate to contact your
Evolis dealer to get the necessary advice and assistance prior to any modification.

WWiinnddoowwss pprriinntt ddrriivveerr

The Evolis Tattoo driver operates under Windows XP, Server 2003 and Vista 32 and 64-bits.

IInnssttaallllaattiioonn ooff tthhee pprriinntt ddrriivveerr

T

o ins

tall your print driver, you will need the CD-Rom ‘Drivers and Documentation’ shipped with your

Evolis printer.

Please make sure the USB cable is disconnected before starting this procedure.

The installation program automatically selects the version to be installed in terms of your
operating system.

1. Load the ‘DRIVERS & DOCUMENT

A

TIONS’ CD-Rom in y

our CD drive.

2. W

ait a f

e

w sec

onds until the w

el

c

ome screen asks you to choose your language. If the
CD-Rom does not launch automatically, double click on the setup.exe file located in the DRIVERS
directory on the CD-Rom.

3. Select your language.

4. Click the “Ins

t

all Driv

er” option t

o launch the setup pr

ogr

am.

5. Make sure you stick precisely to the installation guidelines. Some versions of Windows may

require the user to have Administrator rights to install the driver.

2

2

2

2