Ioline Ae Using Your

Copyright © 2000, Ioline Corporation, All Rights Reserved
Printed in the United States of America
PN 107027 R1
November, 2000
All Trademarks Are The Property Of Their Respective Owners
Using Your
Ae Apparel Plotter
Ioline
A. Pinchwheel B. Drive Shaft Marker C. Carriage D. Platen E. Sensor (600Ae only) F. Carriage Rail G. Pinchwheel Lever H. Keypad
Figure 1. The Ioline Model 600Ae Plotter.
DB E
A
HG
F
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Ioline
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SAFETY AND PRECAUTIONS ................................ 4
THE IOLINE AE APPAREL PLOTTER .................... 4
How The Ioline Plotter Works .............................. 5
INSTALLATION ........................................................ 6
Unpack the Plotter .............................................. 6
Assemble the Stand ........................................... 6
Attach the Plotter to the Stand.............................6
Connect the Plotter to the Computer ................... 6
Power On ........................................................... 6
Installing the Ioline Control Center ....................... 6
OPERATION............................................................. 7
Keypad Controls .................................................. 7
The Ioline Control Center .................................... 9
Changing System Settings ............................... 10
Menu Bar Features........................................... 10
Screen Menu Options ....................................... 10
Plotting a Marker ................................................ 12
General Guidelines........................................... 12
Installing a Pen ................................................. 12
Power On ......................................................... 12
Paper ............................................................... 12
Guidelines for Plotting Pens.............................. 12
Loading the Feed Roll ...................................... 13
Loading the T ake-Up Shaft ............................... 14
Feeding Paper ................................................. 15
T aping Paper to the Take-Up Shaft.................... 16
T aping Paper (Optional Method) ....................... 17
Positioning the Pinchwheels ............................. 17
Insert the Dancer Bars ...................................... 18
Set an Origin .................................................... 18
Sending Plot Files ............................................ 19
Pausing a Marker Plot ...................................... 19
Canceling a Marker Plot ................................... 19
Removing Markers from the T ake-Up Shaft ....... 20
Reattach Paper to the T ake-Up Shaft ................ 21
ROUTINE MAINTENANCE .................................... 22
Cleaning the Drive Shaft ................................... 22
Calibration........................................................ 22
Cleaning the Platen .......................................... 23
Cleaning the Support Blocks............................. 23
COMMUNICA TION TESTING.................................24
Communication T est ......................................... 24
T esting the Plotter Serial Port............................24
T esting the Computer Serial Port ...................... 24
TROUBLESHOOTING ........................................... 25
General Problems ............................................ 25
Plotting Quality Problems.................................. 25
Loss of Registration Between Frames .............. 27
Tracking ........................................................... 27
Poor Line Quality .............................................. 27
Error Messages................................................ 28
LED Codes ...................................................... 29
T esting the Frame Sensor................................. 30
END NOTES ........................................................... 31
Getting Help ..................................................... 31
The FCC Wants Y ou to Know ... ......................... 32
Y our Comments Are Requested........................ 32
Customer Service............................................. 32
Limit of Liability Statement................................ 32
GLOSSARY ............................................................ 33
INDEX ..................................................................... 35
Ioline
SAFETY AND PRECAUTIONS
The plotter has many fast moving components. Please read and follow these safety guidelines before beginning operation of the plotter.
• Do not try to repair the machine without factory authorization. Only quali­fied service personnel should attempt any disassembly or access to inter­nal components. If external mechanical adjustments are necessary, turn off the plotter and disconnect it from all power sources (both the com­puter and the wall outlet).
• Be careful with hair, jewelry, or loose clothing near the plotter. They can become caught in the mechanical parts.
• Never move the carriage by hand. Use the Arrow keys and let the ma­chine do it.
• Keep hands away from the carriage when the plotter is in operation. The carriage will automatically move to its right end position when the power is turned on.
• Be careful when lifting the plotter. Hold the bottom surfaces of the plotter to lift or move it.
• Keep fingers away from the drive shaft when the plotter is in operation.
THE IOLINE AE APPAREL PLOTTER
Thank you for purchasing an Ioline plotter. This manual contains instructions and guidelines for setting up, operating
and maintaining the Ioline plotter models 600Ae, 28Ae and Stylist Ae. The model 600Ae uses a frame sensor to allow ultra long plotting up to 600 yards. Models 28Ae and Stylist Ae do not use a sensor for frame correction which limits plotting to 42 yards. The following components are needed to create plots:
• An Ioline plotter that is installed according to the directions in the Quick Start Guide.
• A computer system that is properly installed and has a functioning serial port.
• Design software loaded into the computer according to the installation instructions. Note: The design software must output plot files in HPGL 7475/7596 or DM/PL format.
• Plotting media and a pen that are within the guidelines stated in the Operation chapter.
• The Ioline Control Center software. This software is not required but allows adjustment of plotter settings and can help optimize performance. The Ioline Control Center will only run on the Windo ws 95/98/NT oper ­ating systems. Most design software provides drivers for Ioline plotters. Contact Ioline customer service if you need assistance with drivers.
Ioline
How The Ioline Plotter Works
Media and pen motion are combined to create vector plots. Files are sent to the plotter via a serial connection with a computer or file server . When a file is sent to the plotter the electronic logic system translates the vectors into instructions for the X axis (paper motion) and Y axis (pen motion) motors and uses feedback to ensure plot accuracy. Long plots are accomplished by breaking the plot file into frame segments and rolling the completed frames onto a take-up shaft. The model 600Ae can roll 600 yards onto the take-up shaft in one plotting sequence. The 28Ae and Stylist Ae can create a mark er no longer than 42 yards b ut can accumulate 100 yards from multiple plot f iles on the take-up shaft. Long plot accuracy on the 600Ae is maintained by checking an alignment mark on each frame with multiple passes of a sensor fixed to the carriage.
Figure 2. The X and Y axes and Origin (top view).
Note: In this manual the right and left side refers to the right and left
side of the front of the plotter. Design software usually refers to the Origin (or Start Point) as “lower left” because it is the lower left corner of a plot. The plot is usually oriented in the plotter rotated 90 degrees counter clockwise as shown in Figure 2. The lower left cor- ner of the plot is physically on the right side of the plotter.
LEFT EDGE OF PLOT
LOWER EDGE OF PLOT
Y
X
Left Side of Plotter
Right Side
of Plotter
Origin at Right Side of Plotter and Lower Left on Plot
Ioline
INSTALLATION
The complete setup procedure for Ioline Ae plotters is described in detail in the Quick Start Guide included with the accessory kit. The following infor- mation is a brief summary.
Unpack the Plotter
Carefully remove the plotter from the box and place it on a flat-stable surface. This procedure requires two people. Save all packing materials and the box. Check the packing list to ensure that all of the accessories are present. See the Quick Start Guide for more information.
Assemble the Stand
Assemble and level the stand using the hardware included in the accessory kit and directions outlined in the Quick Start Guide.
Attach the Plotter to the Stand
Caution: Do not hold the plotting head by the bottom edge of the end plates when attaching it to the stand. Fingers and hands might get pinched between the end plates and stand legs. Hold the shiny metal top bars a few inches from the end plates when handling the head.
Attach the plotter to the stand with the top bars resting in the notches in the stand legs. Use the hardware as indicated in the Quick Start Guide.
Connect the Plotter to the Computer
Note: Make sure the computer and the plotter have the power turned off. Ioline recommends using a surge protector power strip for the plotter and the computer.
Connect the plotter to the computer with a serial cable. A serial cable is pro­vided in the accessory kit. The serial port on the computer is either a 9 pin or 25 pin male receptacle. If the computer only has 9 pin serial ports, a 9 to 25 pin adapter is necessary. Use the adaptors included in the accessory kit. See the Quick Start Guide for more connection information.
Select the correct port in the design software or the Control Center after the cables are correctly connected to the computer and plotter. Consult the design software manual or the dealer for further information.
Power On
Important: Keep hands and loose clothing away from all moving parts of the plotter.
Turn on the computer and the plotter to make sure they work. The plotter power switch is located next to the power cord on the back of the machine, behind the keypad. The carriage will move toward the keypad side of the machine when the power is turned on. The red LED on the front panel will light when the start-up process is finished.
Installing the Ioline Control Center
The Control Center is an interface for adjusting parameters to optimize plot­ter performance. The plotter comes with a CD-ROM which has the Microsoft Windows® 95, 98 and NT (3.51 or greater) version of the Ioline Control Center program.
1. Turn on the power to the computer.
2. Start Windows®.
3. Insert the Ioline CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive (usually D:).
4. The installation program should start automatically. If it does not: a. Select the Start button. b. Choose Run. c. Type D:\IOSETUP (substitute the cor rect letter if the CD-ROM dri ve
letter is not D:) and Click OK.
5. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
6. The Operation chapter of this manual has details on using the Ioline
Control Center software.
Ioline
Figure 3. The Plotter Keypad.
OPERATION
KEYPAD CONTROLS
The keypad allows access to the main plotter functions.
Start/Stop
The Start/Stop key controls communication between the com­puter and the plotter. If the Start/Stop key is pressed dur ing plot­ting (Stop mode, red LED) the machine will stop plotting when the current vector is finished. The Arrow keys are active when in Stop mode. When the Start/Stop key is pressed again, (Start mode, green LED) plotting will resume exactly where it stopped.
ST ART green light Arrow keys inoperable, plotter
online (ready to receive instructions).
STOP red light Arrow keys operable, plotter offline
(not ready to receive instructions).
Arrow Keys
Pressing the Arrow keys moves the material back and forth or the carriage from side to side. The arrow keys will not w ork unless the plotter is in Stop mode (see Start/Stop above).
Set Origin
The Set Origin key sets the initial origin or starting position for the marker. It is best to set a ne w origin before plotting each marker . To set a new origin, press Start/Stop until the keypad LED is red (Stop mode). Use the Arrow keys to move the pen to the desired origin of the plot. Press the Set Origin key. The plotter will then accept plot files.
Speed
Use the Speed knob on the front panel of the plotter to adjust the speed. Turn the knob clockwise to increase the speed, or counter­clockwise to decrease the speed. Set the speed according to the type of plotting and material being used. See the Plotting a Marker section of this manual.
Force
Adjust the force by using the Force knob on the front panel. Turn the Force knob clockwise to increase the force exerted on the pen. See the section on Plotting a Marker for the recommended set­tings. The range of force available at the knob is adjustable in the Control Center. The available range is 1 - 275 grams.
Note: Using too much force can cause excessive drag which could damage the pen or tear the paper.
Figure 4. Origin Point.
Note: Design software usually refers to the origin as “lower
left” because it is the lower left corner of a marker. Be­cause the plot is usually oriented as shown, it is physi­cally on the right side of the plotter.
Ioline
Set Gap
The Set Gap button allows the user to manually adjust the amount that the plotter will compensate for the normal slipping (frame gap) that occurs during frame advances. The frame gap distance is primarily affected by the size of the feed roll, paper type, and humidity. The advantage of using the Set Gap button to adjust frame gap the ability to correct gapping during plotting. Frame gap is also adjustable from the Control Center. The Set Gap but­ton has additional functions on the 600Ae.
Setting the Frame Gap with the Set Gap button:
Note for 600Ae: This function only works when the frame sensor is disabled in the Control Center. See the section Sensor Options above for more details.
1. Prepare the plotter to receive a plot file. See the section Pre- pare to Plot for more details.
2. Send a plot file to the plotter that has at least three frames.
3. After the second frame starts plotting, press the Set Gap but­ton. The plotter will move the carriage and material to the center of the last horizontal mark made at the beginning of the second frame.
4. Move the material with the vertical Arrow keys until the pen is over the middle of the horizontal mark made at the end of the first frame.
5. Press the Set Gap button to resume plotting with the new frame gap setting. The keypad LED should turn green. The frame gap setting will not take affect until the current frame is complete.
6. Visually check the gap setting by checking for a gap or over­lap between the second and third frame.
7. This process is accessible anytime during plotting. The plot­ter will finish a frame advance cycle before recognizing that the Start/Stop button was pressed.
Note: The Set Gap measurement is lost when the power to the plotter is turned off.
Additional Set Gap button functions on the 600Ae:
Note: These functions only work when the frame sensor is enabled in the Control Center. See the section Sensor Options above for more details.
• Sensor Test (not available during plotting):
1. Load the plotter with paper. See Prepare to Plot for details.
2. Press the Start/Stop button until the keypad LED turns red
(Stop mode).
3. Use the keypad Arrow keys to position the carriage so that
the pen is over the paper near the right side of the machine.
4. Press the Set Gap button.
5. The plotter will draw a frame alignment mark and continu-
ously scan the mark until the Start/Stop button is pressed again. If the sensor finds the mark it will beep. This function is useful for adjusting sensor height.
6. If no beep is heard the sensor might need adjustment, cannot sense the ink color in use, or is defective. Use black ink or contact the distributor or Ioline Customer Service for details.
• Find Lost Sensor Mark:
Material slippage may cause the frame alignment mark to move beyond the area where the frame sensor looks for it. If the plotter is unable to find the mark with the frame sensor it will enter lost mark mode. The keypad LED will turn solid green and the plotter will emit a continuous beeping sound.
If this error occurs before the frame advance:
1. Check that the pen is drawing dark lines. Red ink will not work with the sensor. Replace the pen if the mar k is very light.
2. If the lines are dark, help the plotter find the mark by position­ing the carriage using the horizontal Arrow keys. Move the carriage so the mark is lined up with the frame sensor in the direction of paper movement (X). The plotter disables mate­rial (X) movement so the vertical Arrow k e ys will not w ork.
3. Press the Set Gap button. The plotter will look for the mark and, if it finds it, will continue plotting.
4. Pressing the Start/Stop button will cancel lost mark mode, ignore the missing mark, and continue with the previously stored alignment correction measurement.
Ioline
THE IOLINE CONTROL CENTER
The Ioline Control Center is a utility program that does three things:
• Allows adjustment of settings to tailor output from the computer.
• Provides an interface to send completed plot files to the plotter.
• Includes several diagnostic tests for troubleshooting.
Figure 5. Control Center Setup Screen.
Note: T o a void communication port conflicts, do not simultaneously
run more than one application that communicates with the plotter.
Figure 6. Control Center Main Menu (model 600Ae shown).
If this error occurs after the frame advance:
1. Check that the pen has ink and is drawing dark lines. Higher force may darken the line. Red ink will not work with the frame sensor. Replace the pen if the sensor lines are very light.
2. If the lines are dark, help the plotter find the mark by position­ing the material with the vertical Arrow keys so that the mark is ½ inch below (in front of) the frame sensor. The plotter disables carriage (Y) movement so the horizontal Arrow keys will not work.
3. Press the Set Gap button. The plotter will look for the mark and, if it finds it, will continue plotting.
4. Pressing the Start/Stop button will cancel lost mark mode, ignore the missing mark, and continue with the previously stored alignment correction measurement.
Roll
The Roll keys are used to rotate the take-up shaft.
Roll Up Material – Press the Start/Stop button until the key­pad light is red. Press and hold the Roll button and the Up Keypad Arrow. The plotter will pull paper onto the take-up roll until the end of the service loop is reached.
Unroll Material – Press the Start/Stop button until the key­pad light is red. Press and hold the Roll button and the Down Keypad Arrow. The plotter will unroll paper from the take­up roll onto the floor until the keys are released.
Automatic Unroll (600Ae only) – Press the Start/Stop button until the keypad light is red. Press and hold the Roll button and the Down Keypad Arro w. W ith the other hand, press and release the Up Keypad Arrow. Stop pressing all b uttons. The plotter will automatically unroll paper for one minute then stop. To cancel automatic mode, press the Start/Stop or any
Arrow key. Note: For more details on removing plotted markers from
the take-up shaft see Removing Markers from the Take­Up Roll later in this chapter.
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Ioline
Changing System Settings
A variety of settings are adjustable to fit specific needs:
• The plotter must be in Start mode (green LED on) when changing sys­tem settings. Press the Start/Stop key and make sure the green light is on before changing any settings.
• The Screen Menu displays the primary settings that are adjustable. The Menu Bar contains utilities and less common plotter settings.
• The selected changes will be in effect only after one of the Send Settings buttons is pushed.
Note: Some design software can override the Control Center set­tings. Check to see if it has by pressing the Update Display button before and after a plot is completed. If the settings change, use the design software to modify plotting parameters.
Menu Bar Features
The Ioline Control Center provides comprehensive help files to explain the functions of the software options. Below is a brief summary Menu Bar items.
File
Send Cut/Plot File Send a plot (.plt) file to the plotter. Open Settings File Restores saved settings files. Save Settings As Allows user to save settings f iles. Exit Exits the Control Center program.
Setup
Plotter Setup Allows user to select the correct plotter model. Port Setup Allows user to select the communications port.
Display
Plotter Settings Allows user to view current plotter settings. Factory Defaults
Allows user to view and restore original factory settings. ROM Version Displays installed ROM version. Memory Buffer Displays installed memory b uffer size.
Options
HPGL Setting Allows user to select HGPL language. Install New Firmware
Installs new firmware into the plotter.
Calibrate
Calibrate Plotter Allows user to calibrate plotter.
Test
Communication Test Allows user to test communications. Computer Port T est Allows user to test computer port. Plotter Port Test Allows user to test plotter port.
Help
Contents Lists contents of help files. About Provides Control Center version information.
Screen Menu Options
Measurement Units
English or Metric units are available when adjusting settings.
Panel Size
The Panel Size is the maximum area the plotter can use for plotting before advancing the paper . In general, set it to the same value as the design software frame size (sometimes called panel, frame, tile, page, etc.).
Important: Never set the plotter panel size smaller than the soft­ware frame size; the plot will clip and the plotter may jam or tear paper. Plotting with the plotter panel size set larger than the design
software frame size will make the plot the correct size but will make the feed and take-up loops unnecessarily long.
The factory set (and maximum) X-axis panel length is 46 inches (116.8 cm) long. The maximum Y-axis panel width is 72 inches (182.9 cm) wide. Note: The material moves along the X-axis; the carriage moves along the Y-axis.
Scale
The factory-set Scale is 100%. The plotter will produce a plot in the exact size of any plot file that is sent. If the scale is 50%, the plotter will produce a plot that is half the intended size. The scale of the plotter can range from 1% to 999%. Note: Both X and Y axes are set independently.
Sensor Options (model 600Ae only)
Sensor Options control how the model 600Ae plotter uses the sensor to cor­rect normal paper slipping during frame advance. Paper characteristics and humidity are a few of the factors that affect slipping. Scanning e very frame is useful for difficult materials. On high quality paper , Checking e very 4th frame will increase throughput without compromising frame alignment.
Check Every Frame – When this option is checked the plotter uses the frame sensor to check the alignment mark during every frame advance. This is the most accurate but the slowest way to use the sensor during plotting. This mode may also improve performance when plotting on materials that slip when pulled off of the feed roll.
Every 4th Frame – When this option is checked the plotter uses the frame sensor to check the alignment mark during every 4th frame advance. This mode is less accurate than checking after every frame but increases through­put by an average of 10%.
Disable Sensor – Disables the frame sensor. Set the Frame Gap during plot­ting with the Set Gap keypad button (see the Keypad section) or manually before plotting in the Control Center (see the Frame Alignment section).
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Ioline
Frame Gap (Alignment)
Setting the Frame Gap compensates for the normal gap/overlap that occurs between frames during frame advance. Use a Frame Gap setting on the 28Ae and Stylist Ae or on the 600Ae when the sensor is disabled (see above).
Note: Frame gap is also adjustable during plotting with the Set Gap button on the keypad. Only use the following procedure to adjust frame gap when the plotter is not plotting markers.
1. Prepare the plotter to receive a plot file. See the section Plotting a Marker for more details.
2. Send a plot file to the plotter that has at least three frames.
3. When the plot is complete, use a ruler to accurately measure the gap or overlap between the solid and dashed lines between he second and third frames.
4. Set an origin on the plotter by pressing the Set Origin button. Make sure the keypad LED is green (Start mode).
5. Start the Ioline Control Center program.
6. If the frames are separated enter the measurement as a negative number in the frame gap field. For overlapping enter the measurement as a positive number in the frame gap field.
Example: If the plot shows an overlap of .200 inches, set the frame gap in the Control Center to 200 (positive). If the plot shows a gap of .200, set the frame gap in the Control Center to -200 (negative).
7. Press Send Permanent in the Control Center to send the value to the plotter.
8. Perform test plots to verify that the gap setting is correct. Repeat if neces­sary.
Send Settings to Plotter: Temporary
After changing any setting, the changes must be sent to the plotter. If Send Settings to Plotter: Temporary is selected, all of the displayed settings will
be used for the current session. When the plotter is turned off these settings will be lost and the previous permanent settings will be in effect when the plotter is turned on again. If any settings are changed, repeat the Test Plot procedure to ensure that the results are satisfactory.
Send Settings to Plotter: Permanent
If Send Settings to Plotter: Permanent is selected, all of the displayed set­tings will be sent to the plotter and will be saved for all subsequent sessions, even after turning off the plotter.
Acceleration
The factory set acceleration is 2.0 g. The acceleration setting determines how quickly the pen will reach full speed when starting or ending a plot line. Use the Control Center to change the setting within a range of 0.1 to 2.0 g. Use lower acceleration settings when trying to achieve maximum accuracy.
Speed
Speed refers to pen and media speeds during plotting. Lower speed settings will improve the line quality but will reduce throughput. The factory default speed is 30 ips (inches per second) or 76 cm/sec on the 600Ae and 20 ips (inches per second) or 51 cm/sec on the 28Ae and Stylist Ae. The setting range is 1 to 30 ips (2.5-76 cm/sec) on the 600Ae and 1 to 20 ips (2.5-51 cm/sec) on the 28Ae and Stylist Ae.
Up/Down Delays
The factory set up and down delays are both 0 milliseconds (ms) or 0 thou­sandths of a second. The delay setting controls the amount of time, in milli­seconds, the plotter pauses after lifting or lowering the pen. Under normal circumstances this setting will not require adjustment.
Force
The minimum and maximum force settings for the Force control knob on the keypad is adjustable. The factory set and default minimum is 10 grams. The maximum value is 275 grams. The default maximum force is 200 grams.
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Ioline
PLOTTING A MARKER
Before plotting a marker, turn the plotter on, load it with paper, install a pen, and set an origin. These steps are outlined below. In most cases the design files are sent directly from the design software to the plotter. If necessary, use the Ioline Control Center software to send design files, adjust settings and test plotter communication.
General Guidelines
1. Good paper loading makes good plots. Please see the following sections about properly loading paper.
2. Do not set the plotter panel size smaller than the software frame size; the plot will clip and the plotter may jam or tear paper.
3. Use only enough force to make a clear line. Excessive pen force might cause misalignment problems over the range of a long plot or tear the paper.
4. Enable the frame sensor on the 600Ae plotters to ensure accuracy over long markers.
Installing a Pen
1. Rotate the clamp screw until there is enough room to insert the pen. Make sure that the clamp is rotated up out of the way.
2. If using a plotter pen, slip the flange into the slot in the carriage jaw. If using a regular pen, position the tip so that it is 1/8 inch (3 mm) off of the platen when the jaw is in the up position. The jaw can hold any pen with a maximum barrel diameter of 7/8 inch (22 mm). Do not use pens with red ink.
3. Tighten the clamp screw until the pen is secure.
Power On
Turn on power to the computer and the plotter. The plotter power switch is located next to the power cord on the back. The carriage will mo ve to the right end plate when the power comes on. Keep hands and loose clothing away from moving parts. The front panel light will turn red when plotter is ready.
Paper
Ioline recommends 27 - 35 pound recycled or bond paper, 36” to 74” (91 to 188 cm) wide.
Guidelines for Plotting Pens
Refer to the table below for recommended settings for a variety of pen types. Remember that force values are for starting reference only and require testing.
Figure 7. Installing a Pen in the Carriage Jaw.
repaP neP deepS ecroF
smarg
stnemmoC
-yaLrepuSIMB tnelaviuqerotalF
dnobytilauqhgih
elyts-PH
tniopllab
mumixaM08-06/punepsm51
nepsm51
syalednwod
"dnuoR®CIB
citS
tniopllab
mumixaM002-081
"drofnaS
eiprahS
mumixaM001-07
"elyts-PH
pitrebif
muideM001-07
___pitcitsalP______toN
dednemmoceR
___pitcimareC______toN
dednemmoceR
___/knidiuqiL
pitlateM
______toN
dednemmoceR
Important Note: Do not use red ink pens.
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