Datacard Group ImageCard SelectTM and UltraGrafix SelectTM Printers manual Card quality guidelines

B-5

•The cards cannot have a punched area closer than 0.45 in (1.14 cm) from the right edge (as loaded in the card cartridge).

•If the card has a magnetic stripe, the card cannot be punched anywhere in the stripe.

Card quality guidelines

Your cards must meet the following card quality guidelines for the Select printer to print high quality graphics on them successfully.

Card surface

•The card surface 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. This is especially ture when printing Edge-to-Edge. Burrs alond card edge will result in printing voids.

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.

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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 Select 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.

•Make sure that cards with magnetic stripes are stored away from magnets and other magnetic objects.

User’s Guide for ImageCard® Select™ and UltraGrafix® Select™ Printers