In this article, find out how you can prolong the lifespan of your card printer by learning right way of handling supplies.

The health of your card printer will be most impacted by the care you show to the consumables that you use in it. It’s much like your own health: if you eat well you know you will function better. It’s the same for your card printer and so today we’d like to give you some consumable handling tips that will help optimize the lifespan, performance and reliability of your card printer, as well as the quality of the printed images.

Blank Cards Handling:

1. Handle the cards only by the edges, otherwise you will see the fingerprint in the printed image.
2. Fan the cards (by the edges!) as soon as you remove them from the wrap in order to reduce the chance of a double feed jam.
3. Most plastic cards are made from PVC, which naturally attracts dust because of the static electricity of the plastic. Consequently, please ensure that they are stored in a sealed container. When you buy our blank white PVC cards we wrap the cards in groups of 100 inside the box of 500 so that the unused ones remain clean until you need them.
4. The quality of the blank cards will greatly affect the quality of the printing and so be sure to purchase the cards from a reputable vendor.
5. The final rule of thumb is that cards are cheaper than print heads, so if you’re unsure please throw away (or recycle) dirty blank cards. Don’t try to wipe off the dust/debris and then put them in the card hopper.

Ribbon and Film Handling

1. Card Printer Ribbons also naturally attract dust, so store them in a sealed container and remove one from its protective wrapping only when you are ready to put it into the printer.
2. Ribbons have a shelf life of 2-3 years; after that they break easier and the image quality decreases.
3. Most card printers have instructions for replacing the ribbon that should be followed carefully. If your are unsure, please call one of our factory certified technicians.
4. In order to conserve the ribbons, bear in mind that every time you turn the printer off and then on again it will roll forward one print set. The same happens when you open and close the print head bracket.

Using Cleaning Cards, Rollers and Sleeves

1. A clean printer is also a happy printer.
2. Cleaning kits generally include print head cleaning swabs or cleaning pens, pads and cards.
3. Use only the printer cleaning supplies made by the manufacturer specifically for your printer. Read your printer manual and carefully follow the instructions there.
4. Clean the printer when you are prompted to, usually with each ribbon change.
5. If you need assistance or would like your printer professionally cleaned for you, please contact one of our factory authorized service technicians.

For Further Reading:

• How Should I Handle Blank Cards?
• Video: 8 Tricks to Double the Lifespan of your Card Printer