Product Info
Table Of Contents
- SP_Info_Central.book
- SP Series Info Central
- What do you want to do?
- Answer questions you have about using the printer
- Learn how to use this online information
- Learn more about tasks, such as installation, setup, or maintenance
- Solve problems with printing
- Access an online version of the Printer Guide
- Open help for the Printer Toolbox and Messages
- Open help for Properties or Printing Preferences
- Safety and compliance (FCC)
- Acknowledgments
- SP Series Info Central
- SP_Install_e-guide.book
- Installation
- Before you install
- Install the printer
- Installing the driver
- Upgrading the driver
- Reinstalling the driver
- Troubleshooting Installation Problems
- PC port settings
- Connecting more than one printer or more than one PC
- On the CD-ROM
- Installation
- SP_Setup_e-guide.book
- Setting up for your card design
- How do I create a card design?
- What is a card design?
- When should I perform setup tasks?
- What do I use to set up the printer?
- Why are there several interfaces to set up the printer?
- Card design checklist
- Working with Properties and Printing Preferences
- Changing the type of print ribbon
- Set up for monochrome (K) printing
- Color settings
- Changing settings in the printer
- Magnetic Stripe Setup
- Smart card setup
- Setting up for your card design
- SP_Production_e-guide.book
- SP_Supplies_e-guide.book
- SP_Troubleshooting_e-guide.book
25
SP Series Info Central: Setup Guide
Magnetic Stripe Setup
Do the following to set up the printer and driver to encode magnetic stripes on cards:
• Use cards with magnetic stripes when making a printer test card.
• Identify the encoding format and how it will be formatted (by the application, using magnetic stripe
fonts, or using escape codes).
• Determine whether to send coercivity and encoding format data with each card or whether to set values
in the printer. Choose the "Use printer settings" in the Properties or Printing Preferences dialog box if
you set values in the printer (using Diagnostics).
• Determine the coercivity to use. Usually, the coercivity is a system-wide decision: The magnetic stripe
readers which will read the cards encoded by the printer are likely to require a specific coercivity value.
Card stock is purchased to match that coercivity value. Set the coercivity in the Properties or Printing
Preferences dialog box.
• Select the encoding format. If a custom format, such as Triple-IATA, is used, choose “Use Printer
Coercivity” in the printer driver.
• Determine the order for encoding the magnetic stripe and printing. Typically, the magnetic stripe is
encoded first and then the card is printed. In some cases, a card design works most efficiently when the
magnetic stripe data is encoded, and then the reverse side of the card is printed (a duplex module is
required to use this feature). The “Print and Encode Sequence” choices allow you to choose which way
to process cards. If you choose to encode first, be sure to load cards with the magnetic stripe up and
toward the right side of the printer.
• If you will encode cards only, choose the Mag Stripe Encode Only selection in Properties or Printing
Preferences. Also make sure that you have not chosen duplex printing (print on both sides) and do not
apply topcoat (using settings in Properties or Printing Preferences).
• The following table lists formatting choices available and provides information about setup:
Format
Printer
Module
Data formatted by Data verified by
Driver format
setting
Use
Diagnostics?
IAT Three track (IAT) ID Works ID Works/Driver No effect No
Magnetic Stripe Fonts
(includes Preface)
Printer IAT No
Escape Codes Printer IAT No
NTT Single-track (NTT) ID Works ID Works/Driver No effect Coercivity
Magnetic Stripe Fonts
(includes Preface)
Printer NTT Coercivity
Triple IATA Three-Track (IAT)
Single Track (NTT)
ID Works ID Works/Driver No effect Yes
Magnetic Stripe Fonts
(includes Preface)
Printer Use printer
settings
Yes
Some Escape Code
Formats
Printer Use printer
settings
Yes