If your Fargo DTC card printer is breaking ribbons we'll first check out a few of the causes listed below.
Step 1. Have the cards already been printed on?
Check that the cards you're printing onto have not already been printed on by a card printer.
- Once a card printer puts down the overlay or transfer film, a Direct-to-Card printer (DTC) cannot print over the top of this without the ribbon melting or fusing to the surface. This results in the ribbon breaking and being stuck to the card.
Step 2. Check that you have the correct card size set.
Check if you are using CR80 or CR79 cards and that the printer is configured or set to that card size.
- A standard credit card or drivers license is CR80. Put the cards your using next to that, and make sure they are the same size. If your cards are a little smaller in width and length, then you're using CR79 cards and the printer setting needs to be adjusted.
Step 3. Adjust Ribbon Tension.
If the above have been checked. Go to your printer drivers (Settings, Devices and Printers)
- We want to go into Printing Preferences of the relevant Fargo Printer.
- Under the Card Tab. Click on ToolBox (Down the bottom)
- On the Configuration Tab, We want to Change the following 3 settings:
1. Print Top of Form – Increase by 10 (e.g: If it is -5, Change it to 5. If it is -15, change it to -5)
2. Print End of Form – Decrease by 10 (e.g: If it is -30, Change it to -40. If it is 5, Change it to -5)
3. Ribbon Print Tension – Increase by 5
Click “Apply” and then “OK”
- Move the image position a little further away from the edge ( Typically the Horizontal setting - Move it +3 or -3 depending on where the ribbon break occurs - Either before the colour is put onto the card or after it is printed on the card. ie: If the ribbon breaks immediately or if it breaks after it has printed a panel onto the card.