Datasheet

980584-001 Rev. A Zebra P110i / P110m / P120i Card Printers Service Manual 59
Step 4. The card is printed.
Dye-Sublimation Printing (P110i and P120i only)
The leading edge of the card is moved under the Printhead (over the Platen Roller),
and the Printhead is lowered. Lowering the Printhead reduces the space between the
Printhead, the ribbon, and the card, which produces sharper images.
The last time the Lid was opened and closed, the ribbon was automatically
synchronized, bringing the leading edge of the yellow ribbon panel (for a YMCKO or
YMCKOK ribbon) under the Print Head.
As the card and ribbon move along, each element of the Printhead receives a pulse of
variable width; a wider pulse results in a hotter element which melts a larger amount
of yellow dye onto that particular spot on the card.
After this yellow pass is completed, the Printhead is raised, the card is moved back,
and printing continues with the Magenta ribbon panel, then the Cyan panel, then the
Black panel if present, then an Overlay panel.
Thermal-Transfer Printing (P110i, P110m, and P120i)
If using a monochrome ribbon (used when printing a bar code on a card), the card
makes a single pass under the Printhead. The Printhead elements are energized to
either on or off. The on level actually transfers the spot of resin under the Printhead
element to the card. This results in the sharpest possible images; for bar codes you
want the sharpest edges and highest contrast between dark and un-printed areas.
Step 5. For dual-sided printing, the card is now moved back to the Card Flipper where the
card is turned over (rotated into the 180 position).
The card is moved into the Print Engine, passing the Cleaning Roller; this cleans dust
or dirt particles from the “back” of the card.
The card is printed (same as Step 4).
Step 6. When printing is completed, the card is moved to the Card Exit, where it falls into the
Output Hopper.