Product Info

3
SP Series Info Central
Card design checklist
Use this checklist to guide your selection of set up tasks to perform.
Before you print the design:
• Does the card include a smartcard or magnetic stripe on the printed side of the card? If yes, set topcoat
blocking to prevent application of topcoat over that feature.
• Does the card include a magnetic stripe? If yes, see Magnetic Stripe Setup for more information.
• Does the card include a smart card? If yes, see Smart card setup for more information.
• Do you want to power off the printer when fixing problems, or is saving ribbon very important to you?
The “Ribbon Initialization” setting determines whether the printer moves ribbon to the start of a panel
set when it powers up. If saving ribbon is very important, leave this setting unchecked and fix any
problems in the printer with the power on. If powering off the printer to fix problems is more important
than saving ribbon, check this setting so cards printed after printer power-on will print correctly.
Make several cards using your card design and evaluate the quality of the card.
• Are you printing barcodes? If yes, check the cards in your barcode reader to make sure they are easy
to read. If needed, change the printing intensity for K to improve bar code readability.
• Are you printing both photos and a logo in color? Use the following sequence to obtain the best color
quality:
– Check the color quality of the photos first.
– Change the image capture system (If used) to get the best quality photos. For example, work with
distance, lighting, and camera settings to obtain consistent, high quality photos.
– After you optimize the image capture system, evaluate the quality of printed photos. If needed,
change the Color Settings for optimal printing of photos. Color settings affect all colored areas of the
card, but you can change other components to return them to optimal color.
– Next, evaluate the other colored areas of the card, such as text or logos.
– You might want to use settings in the application to improve the printed color of text.
– You might also want to use an image editing application (such as PhotoShop or PaintShopPro) to
change the color of a logo file (bitmap) for optimal printing.
• If you print without a margin (the setting is edge-to-edge), observe whether the both long edges of the
card appear evenly printed. If not, change the position of printing on the card. See Fine-tune edge-to-
edge printing for steps to follow.
If you print with only one color (monochrome or K ribbon), decide whether to perform the
following setup tasks:
• If you print photos:
– Select a dithering method (for Windows 98 or Me) to manage how color photos are printed using
one color.
– Use the Brightness, Contrast, and Sharpness controls on the Color Settings page to obtain the best
quality printed photos.
• Adapt your card design to use the ribbon saver feature. See Using Ribbon Saver for details.