KEEP YOUR PRINTER CLEAN
Use your cleaning kit at least after every ribbon change.

Keep your printer in as cool and clean an area as possible
Heat can be a factor.

The quality of your printed card depends on three things:

Clean is the key word. The cleaner you keep your printer, cards and ribbons the better your print quality will be. Constant maintenance will prolong the life of your printer. Card stock and printer ribbons should always be kept in plastic bags or air-tight containers. Cards should be handled only by the edges until they have been printed. Be careful to properly install ribbons, especially after a break. Make sure the ribbon is tracking evenly on the spools.

Your cards don't look just right? Using a lot of ribbons?
Check your printer driver settings.
Some of the most common errors are not choosing the right ribbon type for the job, or not setting the driver to use the ribbon installed properly. Refer to your printer manual to be certain you have the proper settings.

A typical error when using the YMCKOK ribbon to print a two sided card, colors on front, black on back involves several easy to miss settings. The illustration that follows is from a FARGO DTC 400 printer driver preferences panel. Yours may be similar or somewhat different. The principals are the same.

We're addressing an issue we've seen lately in this report. In that respect,
the most important box checked on this panel is the "Split 1 set of Ribbon Panels".
If that box is not checked you will use twice as much ribbon. The printer won't care or tell you that you forgot to split the panel.

The second easy to miss option involves the "K panel resin".
These are the BLACK panels .YMCKOK indicates two black panels in the ribbon sequence.
You want to split them so one prints the front and one prints the back.
We are talking about a card with color(and black)on the front and ONLY black on the back. A fairly typical card

This option tells the printer to print the full card black areas with the black resin "OVER" the YMC (color) printing.

If you don't tell the printer to use the "K" panel it will attempt to make black out of a combination of the YMC colors.

This results in a weak, or soft black, instead of the rich sharp strong black the "K" panel provides.
On the back option (not shown) if there is NO COLOR choose the "Print K Only" option or you will unnecessarily use another set of panels.
You can see that it is possible to define what areas to print..See your manual for that option.

Printing is an art form..
There are hundreds of options and configurations.
Consult your manual and manufacturers suggestions to achieve the results you are looking for.
We'll bring you some more tips soon. (NEXT "Algebraic Color Settings')

These "tips" and recommendations are for your convenience.
ALWAYS read the manufacturers instructions and procedures manual to keep your equipment working in the best possible conditions.
SmartTech ID assumes no responsibility or liability for misinterpretation of these suggestions.

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