DataCard Datacard SP35, Installation Manual

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SP Series Info Central: Setup
Customizing blocking regions
You can customize blocking areas, which is useful if your software does not include this capability. A print blocking
area prevents color and monochrome printing in the blocked area. A topcoat blocking area prevents the application
of topcoat (applied using the printhead) in the blocked area. This feature is available on Windows 2000 and
Windows XP only.
About customized blocking
The driver Printing Preferences dialog box provides specific blocking choices. The pre-defined blocking choices
allow you to prevent topcoat from being applied to the full card, or to prevent printing and topcoat application over a
smart card chip, 2-track magnetic stripe, 3-track magnetic stripe, or an NTT-format magnetic stripe. The same
choices are available for the front and the back of the card. When you select one of these blocking choices, the
driver removes the data from the area you select before sending card data to the printer.
For some card designs, you might want a blocking region that does not match an available choice. For example,
you might want to avoid printing over a signature panel, you might want to block topcoat where you plan to apply
scratch-off ribbon, or you might want to simulate a hologram by blocking topcoat using a graphic image (such as a
logo). To permit you to select the blocking area you need, the driver includes a “User defined bitmap” choice. When
you select this choice, the driver uses one or more bitmap files with a specific file name to block printing, topcoat, or
both. You need to modify the correct file to customize the blocking area. This section includes instructions for
selecting the correct file and for modifying the file using a graphics editing application.
Datacard strongly recommends that you do not create a bitmap for customized blocking. Instead, modify the
Datacard-provided files to work with your card design. The file must meet very specific requirements, and starting
with Datacard-provided files can more quickly result in success.
Blocking choices
To create customized blocking, you choose a “User-defined blocking ...” choice in Printing Preferences and modify
one or more files that correspond to the card orientation and the blocking choice(s) you made. The size of a card is
3.37 inches (85.6 mm.) by 2.125 inches (53.98 mm.) with a 3/16 or 0.32 inch (8 mm.) corner radius. The printer
prints at 300 dots per inch (dpi), and the bitmap has a resolution of 300 dpi. The dimensions of the card in dot per
inch (pixels) are 1013 by 638.
The bitmap is not a full-color bitmap; it is a one-bit-per-pixel black and white bitmap. (Only a black and white bitmap
can be used; grayscale or color bitmaps will cause the card to print without blocking.) The white area(s) of the
bitmap are the blocking areas and the black areas of the bitmap are where printing and/or topcoat application will
occur.
The files are:
File name Dimensions (Height by Width) Comments
LandscapeBlockPrintFront.bmp 1013 by 638 pixels
3.37 by 2.125 inches
85.6 by 53.98 mm. Blocks printing on the front of a
card with landscape orientation.
LandscapeBlockPrintBack.bmp 1013 by 638 pixels
3.37 i by 2.125 inches
85.6 by 53.98 mm. Blocks printing on the back of a
card with landscape orientation.
LandscapeBlockTopcoatFront.bmp 1013 by 638 pixels
3.37 i by 2.125 inches
85.6 by 53.98 mm. Blocks topcoat on the front of a
card with landscape orientation.