Printing basics
Introduction
Printing basics
This is the usual pattern for a P640i Printer ribbon. Y, M and C are the three “dye sub” process colors. The K panel is for infrared- readable bar codes and other data, usually on the back of the card. A second K panel (YMCKK) is sometimes provided to allow black resin printing on both sides of the card.
As the ID card is driven through the print | |
head | |
station, the color ribbon is metered out from |
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the supply roll at the same speed. Each color |
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reqires a separate “pass” of the card. The black |
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dots at the bottom edge of the print head depict |
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the heating elements - in practice, at 300 to the |
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inch, they are too small to be seen with the | Card |
| |
naked eye. |
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Color migrates from the dye ribbon onto the ID card, the spread of the dye depending on the amount of heat applied by the print head element. Each time it comes to a dye panel boundary, the print head lifts to allow the card to back up, then lowers again to print the next
color.Card
The K (black) panel is a resin that “mass transfers” onto the surface of the card, instead of migrating into it. With mass transfer the printer has little control over a pixel’s size or density - it’s either there or it isn’t. K printing is used for bar codes because it is machine
readable, whereas YMC dyes are not. | Card |
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C
Cyan
Dye M
Magen-
ta Dye
Print head
Print head
Y
Yellow
Dye
K
Black
Resin
Color ribbon
The print station in the P640i has no pinch rollers that need cleaning to maintain accuracy
P640i Card Printer User Guide | 3 |