Product Info

SP Series Supplies and Parts 3
SP Series Info Central:Supplies e-Guide
SP Series Supplies and Parts
The printer uses supplies, similar to a paper printer. The following describes how the supplies are similar
and different.
• Where a paper printer uses paper that you can purchase at an office supply store, the SP Series printer
uses cards that you purchase from a dealer.
• Similar to paper, there are different types of cards. For cards, you can use magnetic stripe cards, cards
with a signature panel, or cards with a smart card feature. You can also use cards with more than one
special feature.
• Also similar to paper, cards can be different quality. High quality cards are cleaner, smoother, more
even, and more white. They result in better printer operation and the appearance of the printed cards is
more pleasing.
• Paper printers can use an ink cartridge or a toner cartridge. Older dot-matrix printers use a print ribbon.
The SP Series printer uses a print ribbon. The print ribbon can be a single color (monochrome) like a
toner cartridge, or the print ribbon can have color panels, similar to a color ink jet cartridge. For the SP
Series printer, one color ribbon has panel sets (y=yellow, m=magenta, c=cyan, k=black, and t=topcoat),
which is different from many ink cartridges. For the SP55 printer, you can use a color ribbon designed
for two-sided printing (y=yellow, m=magenta, c=cyan, k=black, and t=topcoat on front, k-black and
t=topcoat on back). Using different supplies for printing on two sides is also different from paper
printing.
• Paper printers that use ink can have pages that are damaged by water or other contaminants. The color
(YMC) applied to the card from the print ribbon can be damaged by ultraviolet light, solvents, and wear.
To protect the printed card, the SP Series printer applies a topcoat (T panel) after printing the color and
K panels. This protection is not available for paper pages.
• Some paper printers include cleaning tools, and recommend using them when you change the toner
cartridge. The SP Series printers also uses cleaning supplies: a cleaning card that runs through the
printer and a cleaning roller that stays in the printer. With the SP Series printers, you can also use a
cleaning pen.
• Paper printers often have the ink or toner in a cartridge that also functions in applying the image to
paper. The SP Series printers use a printhead cartridge, which is separate from the print ribbon. It is
different from paper printers in this way. The printhead cartridge is replaceable.
This section describes the supplies you use with the SP35 or SP55 printer. It also describes replacement
parts that you might want to order.