USER GUIDE Evolis Card Printer © 2011. All rights reserved. December 2011. Ref. KU20E Rev.
Copyright Evolis Card Printer © December 2011. All rights reserved. Copyright notice Users must observe the copyright regulations applicable in their country. This manual must not be photocopied, translated, reproduced or transmitted, in whole or in part, for any reason and by any electronic or mechanical means whatsoever without the express written consent of the Evolis Card Printer company. All the information contained in this document is subject to change without prior notice.
About your new printer Thank you for choosing an Evolis printer. Using your new printer, you will be able to create a wide variety of high-quality cards and badges which can be printed in various thicknesses, colours and styles. This printer uses consumables and accessories available from Evolis. For further details, visit our website at www.evolis.com. Warranty registration Please register on line at www.evolis.com to receive our special offers and general information.
1 Getting started 1-1 Unpacking Your printer is supplied with several accessories that we ask you to look at closely. This list may vary depending on your location. The printer is shipped in special packaging designed to prevent any damage in transit. If you notice any visible damage, do not hesitate to contact the shipper and immediately inform your Evolis dealer, who will tell you the procedure to follow.
1 1-2 Description of the printer and its functions Pushbutton Cards and ribbon Cleaning Printer A - Card input feeder E - USB connectors (option) B - Manual card feeder F - USB connector (std) C - Output hopper G - Ethernet connector (option) D - Control panel H - Power cable socket I - Kensington lock 5
1 J - Thermal print head M - Side panel opening mechanism K - Cleaning roller N - Dust filter L - Card thickness adjustment gauge O - Serial number label Access to the side panels of the machine and the option module fitting/removal areas is restricted to your retailer/installer or to experienced users. The machine should always be disconnected from the power supply (unplugged) before carrying out any work on it. Look at the getting started video described in the following section.
1 1-3 Installation 1-3a CONNECTING THE PRINTER ä Connection to the power supply The printer must be connected to a properly protected and earthed electrical installation. FI: Laite on liitettävä suojamaadoitus koskettimilla varustettuun pistorasiaan. NO: Apparatet må tilkoples jordet stikkontakt. SE: Apparaten skall anslutas till jordat uttag. Ê Connect the power cable to the power supply unit, then plug the power supply unit connector into the printer.
1 1-3b RIBBONS Evolis original High Trust® ribbons optimise your printer’s operation and avoid causing damage to it. The use of ribbons from other suppliers is liable to damage your printer and voids the manufacturer’s warranty for the printer. For optimum print quality, Evolis recommends that the printer is fully cleaned every time the ribbon is changed. See the Servicing and Maintenance section of this manual. ä Fitting the ribbon The printer automatically recognises the ribbon inserted.
1 1-3c CARDS For optimum quality, the cards used must be ISO 7810 certified. Use only the card types recommended by Evolis. Do not touch the printable surface of the cards in order to preserve print quality. Do not use cards that have been damaged, folded, embossed or dropped on the floor. Keep your cards protected from dust. ä Loading the cards Ê Open the card feeder. Ë Insert the cards, a maximum of 50 cards of thickness 0.76 mm. Ensure the cards are positioned as illustrated in the diagram.
1 ä Removing printed cards Once the print cycle is complete, cards are delivered into the output hopper below the card feeder. This output hopper is designed to collect the printed and/or encoded cards. The printer is equipped with an output hopper with a maximum capacity of 20 x 0.76 mm cards. ä Adjusting card thickness The printer is equipped with a manual card thickness adjustment mechanism which can be reached through the inside of the printing unit when the cover is open.
1 To adjust card thickness: Ê Open the printer cover by pressing on the opening lever, then tilt the cover up. Ë Adjust the thickness of the cards used by moving the gauge from right to left to the desired card thickness. Ì Then close the cover.
1 ä Inserting cards manually Cards may be inserted one by one into the manual feeder. Manual insertion must be configured beforehand in the Evolis Print Center (see section 2-2, Managing the print settings). Ê After starting your print task, insert a card into the manual feeder. The card will emerge automatically when printing is complete. Ê The printed card can be programmed in Evolis Print Center to be ejected either from the manual feeder or the output hopper.
2 Printing 2-1 Installing the print driver New advanced functions automate printer configuration after the print driver has been installed. Your printer is delivered with a CD containing the print drivers for Windows and Macintosh platforms. To install a print driver, insert the CD into your computer and select the print driver menu. A program will guide you through the entire installation process. Do not connect your USB cable to your computer until prompted to do so by the installation program.
2 2-2 Managing the print settings Once the ribbon has been installed, your Evolis printer will automatically adapt its parameters and settings to suit the ribbon. A graphic application called Evolis Print Center is available to help you if necessary to change certain predefined settings.
2 n Select the desired printer. n Right click the name of the printer, select Properties to access the settings or double (left) click the name of the printer. Pay attention to the settings defined under the print driver Properties and do not hesitate to contact your Evolis dealer for any advice and assistance needed before making any changes. Please refer to the Evolis Print Center manual for more detail on the meanings of each of the settings.
2 2-3 Notification of messages and warnings The Evolis Printer Manager has an additional function allowing the printer to communicate with the user with notifications. There are several types of notifications: n Messages about the maintenance of the printer. n Messages and alerts associated with the ribbons, their compatibility with your printer or the nature of your print requests. n Warnings about problems which have stopped the printer.
2 Depending on the type of message, you can either: n Get additional help from the Evolis support site (requires an Internet connection). n Interrupt the printing task. n Restart the task. The Evolis Printer Manager service can be disabled by right-clicking the Evolis icon on the status bar. Interrupting the Evolis Printer Manager service is only recommended if there is a conflict with other applications installed on your computer.
2 2-4 Printing a card A large number of Windows applications allow documents to be printed (for example the tools in Microsoft’s Office suite, i.e. MS-Word, MS-Access, Ms-Excel, MS-PowerPoint). To gain familiarity with the layout of a card and configuring its formatting and printing, we suggest the following example.
2 2-5 Connecting to a network (Ethernet) All Evolis printers can be fitted with a TCP/IP network connection. This function is available as standard on the Zenius Expert. Out of the box, the printer comes configured in DHCP mode (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), which means that its IP address is supplied by the network.
3 Maintenance 3-1 General warranty information Your Evolis printer has been designed to give you long service and needs only minimal regular maintenance. Please comply with the instructions given below to ensure that it runs satisfactorily. Keep your warranty cover! The manufacturer’s warranty is subject to strict adherence to the routine servicing and maintenance instructions, and in particular the printer cleaning cycles.
3 3-2 Routine printer cleaning 3-2a Routine printer cleaning The print head warranty is directly linked to routine cleaning of your printer. If you do not carry out this cleaning at the required times, the print head warranty will cease to be valid. Recommended cleaning cycle: whenever the ribbon is changed Mandatory cleaning cycle: when the cleaning warning is triggered Servicing accessory: adhesive cleaning card.
3 Follow the procedure below to ensure you have carried out regular cleaning properly: Repeatedly running the adhesive card through the printer cleans the cleaning roller in order to maintain print quality and increases the service life of the print head. Ê Remove the cover from the printer as shown. Ë Using the lever, set the card thickness to the MAX position. Ì Remove the ribbon as shown on the diagram. Í Close the cover and check it has clicked shut.
3 Î Open the feeder. Ï Remove any cards present in the feeder. Ð Close the feeder. Ñ Double click the cleaning button on the control panel before inserting the cleaning card. Ò Remove the film from the adhesive card Ê and insert the cleaning card into the manual feeder as shown, adhesive side up Ë. Cleaning starts. Ó The used cleaning card is ejected automatically by the manual feeder. Î Ï Ð Ñ Ò Ó Routine cleaning may also be carried out from the Evolis Print Center by clicking on "Start cleaning".
3 3-2b Servicing the print head Recommended cleaning cycle: whenever the ribbon is changed. Servicing accessory: special cotton bud impregnated with isopropyl alcohol. However, to maintain the original print quality and to absorb surplus ink on the print head, we recommend that you regularly clean the print head (whenever the ribbon is changed and during the routine cleaning) using the cotton buds supplied by Evolis.
3 Follow the procedure below: Ê Take an Evolis cotton bud and press the middle of the tube until the end of the cotton bud is impregnated with alcohol. Ë Unplug the power supply cable, open the cover then find the print head. Ì Gently rub the cotton bud from left to right along the print head for a few seconds. Í Close the cover. Reconnect the printer. Ê Ë Ì Wait for 2 minutes after cleaning before using your printer.
3 3-3 Advanced cleaning For a more in-depth clean, we recommend carrying out an advanced clean every five routine cleaning cycles. Evolis provides an Evolis High Trust® maintenance kit consisting of 2 adhesive cards, 2 impregnated "T" shaped cards, a cleaning pen and a box of 60 wipes. The "T" shaped card is used to clean the card feed rollers and the magnetic encoder head. To ensure advanced cleaning is carried out properly, the procedure given below must be followed.
3 Î Remove any cards present in the feeder. Ï Double click the cleaning button on the control panel before inserting the cleaning card. Ð Take the "T" shaped cleaning card and insert it in the feeder as shown. Cleaning starts. Ñ Remove the "T" shaped card, then remove the film from the adhesive cleaning card Ê and insert the cleaning card into the manual feeder as shown, adhesive side up Ë. Cleaning starts. Ò The used cleaning card is ejected automatically by the manual feeder.
3 3-3b Servicing the print head Recommended cleaning cycle: every 5 routine cleaning cycles. Servicing accessory: cleaning pen Unplug the printer from its power supply before cleaning the print head. Follow the cleaning cycles scrupulously. Avoid any contact between the print head and any metal or sharp objects. Avoid touching the print head directly with your fingers, as this could affect print quality or permanently damage the print head.
3 3-3c SERVICING THE DUST FILTER The dust filter is located above the print head fan. This filter can become fouled up over time and it is recommended to clean it once a year or every 10,000 cards depending on your working environment. Ê Open the printer cover. Locate the dust filter. Ë Remove the filter by pulling it upwards and slide it out to release it completely. Ì Once the filter is removed from its slot, obtain a cleaning wipe supplied by Evolis.
4 Help This section gives a number of suggestions allowing problems that may arise when using your printer to be pinpointed. If you do not manage to solve your problem, this section also explains how to contact Evolis technical support. 4-1 Warnings and diagnosis Although the Evolis printer was designed to work independently, keeping user involvement to a minimum, it may nonetheless prove useful to gain some familiarity with the main warnings.
4 PRINTER READY n PROCESSING The printer is ready to receive data. n RIBBON The printer is receiving data. CARDS No ribbon in the printer. End of ribbon. n The ribbon is not correctly fitted. n The ribbon is torn. n The ribbon is not recognized. n n l Check the condition of the ribbon in the printer. If you have a print job in progress, this restarts with a new card. 31 29 No cards in the card feeder. Put cards back into the feeder - the process starts again. n Card loading error.
4 PRINTER COVER OPEN MECHANICAL ERROR The printer cover is open. n Close the cover again. The printer starts up. n n Card jammed in the printer. Mechanical component fault. Open the cover and hold down the pushbutton in order to eject the jammed card. For more details, refer to section 4-3b. If the problem persists, contact your Evolis dealer for assistance. ROUTINE CLEANING (after 1,000 cards have been inserted) n The printer must be cleaned.
4 CLEANING (after 1,200 cards have been inserted) n WAITING FOR A CARD TO BE INSERTED OR REMOVED n The printer must be cleaned to avoid the risk of the warranty being voided. Insert a card or remove the card from the manual feeder (see section 1 - Getting started) See section 3 - Maintenance COOLING MODE n The printer is waiting for a card to be inserted or removed. FIRMWARE UPDATE The cooling system has been activated.
4 4-2 Diagnosis help In this section, you will find all the information you need to carry out a few simple checks that you may be asked to run by your Evolis dealer to help you as effectively as possible. 4-2a PRINTING A TECHNICAL TEST CARD We recommend that you print a technical test card to ensure that your printer is working properly. This card shows various items of technical information concerning the machine (serial number, firmware, cleaning operations, print head, etc.).
4 4-2C IDENTIFYING INSTALLED SOFTWARE VERSIONS You can identify directly the system versions installed (print driver, set, etc.). Ê In Evolis Print Center, double click the name of the printer to display its Properties. Ë Click System information, then System information.
4 4-3 Troubleshooting Do not attempt to use tools or other items to repair your printer in the event of problems, in case major damage is caused. 4-3a Printing problems ä Nothing prints Ê Check the print driver Check that there is a print driver for your printer in the Windows configuration. Check that the printer is selected as the default printer. Ë Check the printer's power supply Check that the power cable is correctly connected to the printer and to a working electrical socket.
4 ä Poor print quality Small blemishes on the card n n The card surface may be dirty. Check that your cards are perfectly clean. Use new cards. Cleaning roller or print head clogged. Run a cleaning cycle. Horizontal white lines n n The ribbon is not correctly fitted. Check that there are no wrinkles on the ribbon surface. Print head dirty or damaged. Clean or replace the print head. Blurred image n n n n The ribbon is not correctly fitted.
4 ä Partial or incorrect printing Ê Check the print settings Check that no area of the card design to be printed is outside the print margins. Check the document orientation (portrait or landscape) in the Evolis Print Center configuration. Ë Check the interface cable If irregular characters are printed, check that you are in fact using the USB cable supplied with your printer. Check the connection between the computer and the printer. Try using another cable of the same type.
4 4-3b FREEING JAMMED CARDS Control panel displays: MECHANICAL ERROR n Card jammed in the printer. Print jobs are interrupted. Do not turn off your printer as this cancels pending print jobs in the printer’s memory. Remove the card as follows: Ê Open the printer cover and remove the ribbon. Ë Press the pushbutton to turn the card transport rollers. If the card is still stuck inside the printer, slide it manually towards the printer output. If there is more than one card, always push the top one first.
4 4-3c REPLACING THE PRINT HEAD The print head is a sensitive component of your equipment. It determines the print quality, and regular servicing along with an immediate environment free from dust or other particles ensure a lengthy useful life. Nonetheless, the print head may sometimes need to be replaced. Evolis has designed a unique device enabling users to undertake such replacement with no tools needed, simply by following the instructions very carefully.
4 To exchange the print head, please proceed as follows: Before changing the print head, please unplug the power cable. ä Step 1 - Removing the defective print head Ê Open the printer cover. Ë Locate the print head. Ì Press on the plastic part behind the head (pressure plate) and pull on the head with the other hand as shown in the diagram in order to free the lugs from the holding fork, then remove the lugs from their slots.
4 ä Step 2 - Installing the new print head Ê Note the code shown on the white label stuck on the print head. You will be asked for this code in Step 3. Ë Take the new head and insert it vertically (white connector upwards) raising it in the two guides so as to trap the lugs of the fork in their slots Ê. Then lower it by pressing on the two forks Ë, a click will be heard. Ì Connect the cable into its socket, making sure it is the right way round. Do not use any force, as this part is relatively fragile.
4 ä Step 3 - Configuring the new print head Ê Power up the printer and check that it is properly connected to a computer on which the printer’s Evolis Print Center is installed. Ë In Maintenance of Evolis Print Center, click on the Change print head tab. Ì Enter the PKN number of the print head kit in Enter PKN no., the number you noted down in step 2. Then click Confirm. If the print head kit number is not entered correctly, printer malfunctions may occur and the warranty may be voided.
4 4-3d UPDATING THE FIRMWARE (under Windows) Updating the firmware is a simple operation but one which, if not properly completed, can result in your printer breaking down. Before any update, please contact your Evolis dealer who will be able to guide you on the advisability or otherwise of carrying out an upgrade. In general, such updates are only required in the event of problem or malfunction that has been clearly identified by your Evolis dealer. Updates can be downloaded from the website at www.
4 4-3e UPDATING THE PRINT DRIVER Updating the print driver is a task that is required in order to fix malfunctions or gain the benefit of new options. Before any update, please contact your Evolis dealer who will be able to guide you on the advisability or otherwise of carrying out an upgrade. Updates can be downloaded from the website at www.evolis.com: Ê Go to the Support & Drivers menu, then select your printer model and click on the Print drivers and Firmware link.
4 4-4 Technical support If you are having difficulties in configuring and using your printer, read this manual carefully. If you do not manage to solve your problem, you can obtain further information and help from the Evolis partner network. 4-4a EVOLIS PARTNER NETWORK For any unresolved technical problem, contact an Evolis dealer. If you do not know any Evolis dealers, visit the www.evolis.com website and send us your question. Evolis will pass on the contact details of your nearest Evolis dealer.
A Appendix A A1 - Technical specifications This section presents your printer’s technical printing properties. ä General technical features n Single side print module, edge-to-edge printing n Colour sublimation and monochrome thermal transfer n 300 dpi print head (11.
A ä Ribbons To maximise the quality and lifetime of the printed cards, the service life of your print head and the overall reliability of your printer, use Evolis High Trust® ribbons.
A ä n Warranty conditions 2 years' warranty (printer and print head) ä Dimensions and weight n Dimensions (H x W x L): 195 x 205 x 310 mm n Weight: 3.
A ä Options & accessories n Colours available: Fire red and Grey Brown n Ethernet TCP-IP1 n 1 Encoding options1 • Can be combined, fitted on site using additional modules1 • Magnetic stripe encoder • Chip contact station • Smartcard encoder • Contactless card encoder • Others on request Available for the ‘Expert’ range and above ä n Certifications and declaration of conformity CE, FCC, IEC, VCCI, CCC, KC ErP 2009/125/CE, Energy Star, RoHS n 13.
B Appendix B B1 - Compliance statements In this section, you will find the certifications for your Evolis printer. Compliance statements Concerning Safety and Electromagnetic Compatibility of Radio Equipment (R&TTE 1999/5/CE Directive ) Manufacturer name: Evolis Card Printer Manufacturer address: 14, avenue de la Fontaine Z.I.
C Appendix C C1 - Encoding options Some models of Evolis printers are equipped with encoding systems which are used to customise magnetic strips, and contact and contactless smartcards. With Zenius Expert, it is possible to install up to three types of encoder in the printer (magnetic stripe, contact and contactless smartcards). C1a - MAGNETIC STRIPE ENCODING A printer fitted with a magnetic encoder works in exactly the same way as a basic card printer.
C ä Card positioning Magnetic stripe cards must be placed in the card feeder so that the magnetic stripe is facing downwards as shown below: Ê Open the printer card feeder as shown. Ë Insert a maximum of 50 cards of thickness 0.76 mm. Hold the cards as shown in the diagram (magnetic stripe downwards). Ì Close the feeder.
C ä Configuring the Evolis Print Center When first installing the Evolis Print Center, the magnetic encoder functions need to be configured. The magnetic encoder functions may be accessed from the Evolis Print Center Properties by right-clicking the name of the printer. ä «Magnetic Encoder» dialogue box The Magnetic Encoding dialog box is opened by clicking Encoding followed by Magnetic. Configure stripes allows you to select the desired format for each stripe.
C ä Cleaning the magnetic encoder The magnetic encoder head requires regular maintenance in order to ensure the integrity of the data encoded onto cards. Cleaning of the magnetic encoder is carried out when the printer runs an advanced cleaning sequence with impregnated «T» cards (see the “Maintenance” section of this manual for further information).
C C1b - CONTACT SMARTCARD ENCODING A printer fitted with a smartcard contact station works in exactly the same way as a basic card printer. The Evolis smartcard contact station is used to program chips to ISO 7816-2 standards. ä Contact station location The contact station is a module installed either in the factory or on site by your Evolis dealer. It is located over the path taken by the cards and after the print head.
C ä Card positioning Smartcards must be placed in the card feeder so that the chip contact is facing upwards as shown below: Ê Open the printer card feeder as shown. Ë Insert a maximum of 50 cards of thickness 0.76 mm (smartcard contact upwards). Ensure the cards are positioned as illustrated in the diagram. Ì Close the card feeder.
C ä Contact station interface Printers fitted only with a smartcard contact station (without integrated encoder) are fitted with a female DB-9 connector which is found on the back of a printer. This connector, directly connected to the contact station inside the printer, is also connected to an external coupler to program the chip. DB-9 connector pins Smartcard contact points 1 C1 (V c.c.
C ä The command sequence is as follows: Sending the SIS sequence: l A card is moved from the feeder to the contact station, and stops underneath it. l The contact station is pushed downwards to make contact with the card. l The printer connects the contact station to the DB-9 connector. l The chip can be programmed via the external coupler.
C C1c - CONTACTLESS SMARTCARD ENCODING Evolis printers may be equipped with an encoding device for contactless smartcards (RFID). This consists of an encoding module and a built-in antenna. A module such as this must be installed by a specialist. The Evolis product catalogue includes printers equipped with a built-in encoder for contactless chips. This encoder connects to the PC via a USB interface.
C ä Computer connection If your encoder is supplied with an USB interface, it will either be connected to the printer’s internal USB Hub, or equipped with a USB cable to connect to your computer directly. In the first case, your printer’s USB cable is used to drive firstly the printer and secondly the encoder from the computer. If your encoder is supplied with an RS-232 interface, it needs to be connected to the computer via a serial cable.
D Appendix D D1 - Consumables and accessories Evolis offers a full range of consumables and accessories Evolis High Trust® specially designed to work with its printers. Tested and approved by Evolis’ R&D and Quality departments, these consumables and accessories provide optimum print quality and reliability. ä Ribbons Ref.
D ä Cards and accessories Ref.
