Ultra electronic Alto/M, ALTO quick start Congratulations, Unpacking, Consumables

Alto & Alto/M Printer QuickStart Guide www.magicard.com

Warnings, Cautions and Notes

Throughout this guide, the following conventions are used to identify important information.

WARNING - Warning messages indicate where personal injury could result from not following the correct procedures.

CAUTION - Caution messages indicate where damage to equipment could result from not following the correct procedures.

1 Unpacking	Alto Printer	Power Supply	USB Cable	USB Port Location	CD ROM	Cleaning Card	Return Plate -
							Alto/M only
Consumables	Note: To complete installation and
	begin using your printer you will
	require a dyefilm cassette and CR80
	PVC cards. The dyefilm and cards are
	supplied together as a 100 shot
	cassette and two 50 card dispensers.
	(See overleaf for part numbers).			See 5.

NOTE - Notes convey important information that is identified within the text.

Safety Instructions

Please read all of these instructions before using your printer. Observe the markings on the rear panel of the printer.

•	To prevent electric shock do not remove covers.
•	Do not attempt to service the printer yourself.
•	There are no user serviceable parts inside. In the
	event of malfunction, refer servicing to your nearest
	Ultra Electronics service center.
•	Use only a power source within the limits marked on
	the AC adaptor power supply.
•	Take care not to spill any liquid on the printer.
•	Ensure that the power supply cord is not longer than
	6ft. 6ins. (2 metres).

Location

2 The Alto is small and easy to locate near your PC, but please ensure that you allow for top access (for dyefilm replacement) and rear access (for disconnecting the power supply and operating the ‘test’ button). In normal operation, only front

access is required.

The printer should be installed in a dust-free, office type environment which is maintained at a temperature between 10°C and 30°C (50°F to 85°F) and with a relative humidity of 20 - 70%. The printer should also be protected from strong sunlight and rapid temperature changes.

IMPORTANT!	3	Loading the dye film cassette
Remove white plastic		Open the printer lid by squeezing the two

transit bracket inside	‘ears’ on the top of the printer together and
printer before you
	lifting the lid. Open the dyefilm cassette bag
load any dye film.
	and withdraw the cassette. There are two
	arrows moulded in the
	yellow cassette frame.
	These should be on top and
	pointed to the rear of the
	printer. Locate the cassette spool ends into the
	four locating recesses and clip the cassette into
	position, then lower the lid and press down until
	you hear a loud ‘click’ as the latch re-engages.

Power up

4 Connect the power cable to the power supply ‘brick’ and plug the power connector into a suitable AC power supply ( 100 - 240v 50 -60 Hz). Plug the small circular DC output connector into the socket on the right of the printer rear panel (viewed from

the rear). With AC power connected, the action of inserting the DC connector will switch on the Alto, and motor noises will be heard as the dyefilm panels are positioned, followed by the illumination of the green LED on the front panel. Your printer is now ready.

Note: Printer operation can now be tested by printing a test card, even even without connection to a PC. (See panel below).

• If using this printer in Germany: To provide adequate

short-circuit protection and over-current protection

for this printer, the building installation must be

protected by a 16 Amp circuit breaker.Bei Anschluß

des Druckers an die Stromversorgung muß

sichergestellt werden, daß die Gebäudeinstallation

mit einem 16 A-Überstromschalter abgesichert ist.

How to get service or support

If you have a problem with the installation or operation of your Magicard printer, then first please re-check to ensure that you have followed the instructions given in this guide.

We also recommend that you visit our website www.magicard.com where additional FAQs and technical support information are available, together

5	Installing the driver CD and connecting to your PC
	Caution: It is very important that the printer is powered OFF during the initial stages of driver software installation. Follow the on-screen
	instructions which will tell you when to power ON. (The printer is powered OFF by unplugging the low-voltage power connector on the
	rear panel, and powered on by reconnecting it).
	Unplug the low voltage power connector and connect the printer to the PC using the USB cable supplied. Insert the CD into the CD

ROM drive on the PC. The software should autorun, but if this is disabled on your PC go to ‘Start’, ‘Run’ and enter ‘D:\autorun’ where D is the correct letter for your CD drive. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver software, reconnecting the low voltage power when instructed to do so. When installation is complete, remove the CD and you can now begin to use your printer with your chosen application software.

Note 1: If you wish to print realistic test cards from your PC before installing your chosen badgemaking software, re-insert the CD and choose the Technical Support section where you will find a selection of self-printing test card images in jpeg format.

Note 2: If you are short of USB ports on your PC you can add a low cost USB hub to provide extra ports.

How to use the card dispenser How to clean your Alto

Congratulations!

You are now ready

to print your first ID card!

How to print a test card without using a PC

Reach behind the printer to locate the small ‘test’ button on the right of the rear panel (viewed from the front), and press it. The green LED will flash for several seconds as a test image is composed. While this is happening you should extract a single card from a card dispenser (see panel) and insert it into the printer card

aperture on the front panel until resistance is felt. When the printer is ready to print, the LED will again flash, together with motor noise, and the card should be drawn into the printer and a test card printed.

Note: If a subsequent test card is initiated, the image will not need to be composed and the print cycle will begin immediately.

How to use magstripe encoding (Alto/M only)

with a “contact us” E-mail form to report any problems.

Place the dispenser on a firm surface near the printer with the pointed end facing you. Grasp the top of the dispenser and slide it forward, then push it back to expose the corners of a single card ready for printing. When the printer is ready, grip the edges of the card between thumb and forefinger and pull it from the dispenser. Insert it

immediately into the front aperture of the printer.

Note 1: Avoid contact with the printable surfaces of the card .

Note 2: Alto cardstock is supplied pre-packaged in single- use dispensers containing 50 blank cards. These dispensers keep the cardstock clean, which is very important to achieve blemish-free card images. Once empty, the dispensers should be disposed of or sent for recycling. Do not attempt to refill the dispensers.

Open the lid of the printer and remove the dyefilm cassette. Ensure the printer has power applied. Open the foil packet and withdraw the cleaning card which should be wet to the touch. Press the small ‘test’ button on the rear panel. The printer will start and the cleaning card can then be fed into the card feed slot on the front panel. The card will

be drawn into the printer, the rollers will ‘scrub’ against the card and the card will be ejected. Repeat using the reverse of the card to ensure the print rollers are perfectly clean.

Note 1: Clean your Alto when replacing the dyefilm cassette, but you may need to clean more often in dusty environments. Note 2: The pen in the cleaning kit (supplied separately) can be drawn across the printhead to clean off any dyefilm residue .

With the rear of the printer facing towards you, clip the Return Plate into position, ensuring the three plastic locating projections clip into the holes in the rear of the printer, tilting the plate as necessary to ease location. With the plate installed, the Alto/M printer is ready to print and encode data on tracks 1 and 2 using HiCo cardstock. Consumable

packages are available which include dispensers with HiCo cards. (See over). Data sent from your application should conform to the ISO encoding standard (Tilda Method). Note 1: When feeding HiCo cards, the magstripe should be underneath and on the right-hand side.

Note 2: The plate can be removed by grasping the rear of the plate and pulling to the rear. A strong pull while changing the angle of pull should help to free the plate for removal and transport.

If you still have a problem you will be covered by our standard warranty and may also be covered by our 3 year UltraCoverPlus extended warranty and Loaner Service . Follow the instructions overleaf under “Warranty” to obtain assistance.

When Handling the Printer

Avoid touching the thermal printing edge of the

thermal printhead. Grease and contamination will shorten its life.

Before transporting the printer, remove the dye film cassette and, if appropriate, the Alto/M Return Plate. Pack the printer in its original packaging.

How to use a HoloKote custom key

Before introducing your Key you should first setup your Alto printer. To print your own custom mark into the HoloKote pattern, simply drop the key - arrow pointing down - into the slot on the printer’s right hand side panel. The next card will be printed with your custom mark. If the key is withdrawn, subsequent cards will not show your custom mark.

This is a simple way to control card authorization. If you have Key Control selected on your key, its first use will modify the printer operating program so that it will only operate when the key is present .

Caution: This can only be reset by the use of another Key which has the Key-Control function set to ‘OFF’.

Note: Driver settings are available to orient the custom mark for landscape or portrait format cards (Select Advanced).

How to set up your Alto to use HoloPatch Cards

When used with HoloPatch cardstock, the HoloKote watermark and the HoloKote Custom Key provide a powerful defense against card fraud. Cards with this feature are available for both plain and magstripe formats (See over).

To select this feature, ensure that the card design allows space for the HoloPatch cut-out, go to ‘Printer Settings’ from the start menu on your PC, open the ‘Magicard Alto/Opera Printer’ and Right Click’ on it. From the drop down menu select ‘Printing Preferences’ and then “Advanced Options’. Set HoloPatch to ‘Yes’ and click OK. Cards will be printed with a ‘cookie cutter’ hole in the image lining up with the gold patch on the card.

Note: HoloPatch cards should be fed with the gold patch on top, and on the left-hand side.

Alto & Alto/M QuickStart Guide, Issue 6, September 2007 (Stock No. M9006 452)