IDP Smart Printer Support

If your ribbons breaks during a print run, you can simply tape the ribbon back together and move along manually on its spool. If your ribbon is breaking often, there some common reasons it could be happening: there could be dust in your printer, the printing temperature may be too high, or you might be using contaminated cards. 

1. Check the surface of the cards you’re using. Dust and debris attracted by static electricity could be causing your ribbon to break.
2. Clean your printer using an approved IDP Smart cleaning kit.
3. Lower the print head power. You can access this via the ‘Card Printer Setup’ menu.
4. Check the cards are in the correct position. If they are mis-aligned it can cause problems. You can adjust this via the ‘Card Printer Setup’ menu.

Resolving a card jam will depend on the type of printer and where the card has become jammed. Start by checking the card gates between the hoppers and printer ribbon cartridge. Removing the cartridge will help you determine where exactly the card has become stuck. A recurring card jam issue can be resolved by checking the following:

1. Check you cards: Ensure you’re using the correct-sized cards. IDP Smart printers are designed to use CR80-sized cards. 
2. Ensure the card cartridge is correctly loaded into the input hopper.
3. Adjust the card thickness control lever depending on the thickness of the card.

If your cards refuse to move from the input hopper into the printer, check the following:

1. Ensure you aren’t using non-standard cards (CR80 is the only size you should be using in your IDP Smart printer).
2. Check the card thickness control level is allow cards to move freely.
3. Check the cards are aligned properly.
4. Ensure the cards do not have any moisture on them and haven’t picked up static electricity.

If you’re experiencing cards getting stuck during dual-sided printing, check that the flipper is horizontal with the printer. You can adjust the flipper position automatically using the ‘Auto Rotator Set’ in the ‘Card Printer Setup’ menu. 

If your cards print with white lines, it’s a sign the print head pixels have been damaged. Carry out a thorough printer clean first, but if the problem persists you will need to replace the print head.

If your prints are blurry or unstable, check the condition of your printer ribbon and ensure it isn’t wrinkled. Also try adjusting the print head power and cleaning the print head with a print head cleaner.

If your ribbon is not recognised or has malfunctioned, this message will display on screen. 

1. Check the ribbon balance using the left LED button on the front panel of the printer.
2. Check the state of the ribbon and ensure it is secure in the ribbon cartridge.
3. Check for contamination around the ‘Colour In / Out’ sensor and clean with a cotton swab if necessary.