User`s guide

1-8 Overview

User’s Guide for the ImageCard® IV Printer

How the printer works

The ImageCard IV printer produces personalized cards. The following describes the

process used to print cards:

The numbers in Figure 1-6 illustrate each step.

1 The printing process begins with a card creation application running on a PC. In a

card creation application, you assemble the elements of the card design. The

elements can include a photo, logo, text (name, identifying number, and so on)

and perhaps data to print as a barcode, encode on a magnetic stripe, or program

in a smart card.

2 When you select the print button, the card data is sent to the printer driver, which

prepares the data for the printer.

3 The printer driver sends the data, along with control information, to the printer.

4 The printer starts the job by picking a card from the card input tray.

Figure 1-6: How the printer works

5 Inside the printer, the following happens:

– The card passes through the cleaning rollers. If the printer includes an

optional particle detector, the card passes through that module also.

– The card moves to the turret, which positions the card at the first station to

process it.

– A smart card chip, if the module is present, is programmed first. The card is

moved again to the turret which feeds it to the print station.

– A magnetic stripe, if the module is present, is usually encoded next.

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