DataCard ImageCard Magna, User Manual

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B-8
User’s Guide for Magna™ Platinum Series™ Printers
New cards preferred
The Magna printer is designed to print on new card stock. If you print on cards twice,
be careful to avoid getting dirt, fingerprints, or other contamination on cards before the
second printing. Printing on cards that have been issued might introduce substances
that interfere with card printing or damage the printer. See
“Problems with card
appearance” on page 5-8 to address card appearance problems with pre-printed
cards.
If a previously printed card has topcoat (from the T-panel of print ribbon or from
the laminator) or laminate applied, the card cannot be printed a second time.
Card quality guidelines
Your cards must meet the following card quality guidelines for the Magna printer to
print high quality graphics on them successfully.
Card surface
•
The card must be free of irregularities such as particles embedded in the surface.
•
The card surface must be smooth and even. Surface irregularities can cause loss
of contact, resulting in printing voids.
•
The printing surface must be glossy. It cannot have a matte finish (see other
sections in this appendix for more information).
•
Card edges must be free of raised burrs, which can cause unprinted areas on
cards (printing voids). This is especially true when printing Edge-to-Edge. Raised
burrs can also cause more than one card to be picked, resulting in card jams.
Card handling
These guidelines apply to unprinted cards. Any debris or particles on an unprinted
card’s surface can reduce print quality and damage the printhead. Grease or oils,
such as oils from your fingers, also reduce print quality.
•
Keep cards completely clean.
•
Do not touch the print surface of a card with your fingers or hands.
•
Do not use a rubber band to bind blank cards together.
•
If you drop a card on the floor, do not insert it into the Magna printer.
Card storage
These guidelines apply to both printed and unprinted cards.
•
Cards must be stacked so that they will not shift and rub against each other.
•
When storing cards, make sure that no two cards contain images or blocks of
color that will come in contact with each other.
•
Make sure that the magnetic stripe on one card does not come in contact with the
magnetic stripe on another card.
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