FARGO electronics PrimeraPro 76500 User manual

Operating Instructions
Models: 76500 (110/120 VAC)
76501 (220/250 VAC)
76502 (110/120 VAC)
76503 (220/250 VAC)
76504 (110/120 VAC)
76505 (220/250 VAC)
© 1994 by FARGO Electronics, Incorporated
960102-510448-(07)-76500-01-02-03-04-05
ELECTRONICS,INCORPORATED
®

Notices
The information in this document is subject to change
without notice.
FARGO ELECTRONICS, INCORPORATED, MAKES
NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND WITH REGARD TO
THIS MATERIAL, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED
TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
FARGO shall not be liable for errors contained herein or
for incidental damages in connection with the
furnishing, performance, or use of this material.
This document contains proprietary information which
is protected by copyright. All rights are reserved. No
part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced,
or translated into another language without the prior
written consent of FARGO Electronics, Incorporated.
PrimeraPro has had the following patents issued:
5,340,098
5,378,072
5,480,242
Trademark Acknowledgements
PrimeraPro is a trademark and FARGO is a registered
trademark of FARGO Electronics, Incorporated. IBM is
a registered trademark of International Business
Machines Corporation. Windows is a trademark of
Microsoft Corporation. Apple and Macintosh are
registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
ColorSync, Macintosh Centris, Macintosh Classic II,
Macintosh Color Classic, Macintosh LC, Macintosh
Quadra, QuickDraw, System 7, LocalTalk, and
TrueType are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
Adobe, Adobe Illustrator, and Type Manager are
trademarks and Postscript is a registered trademark of
Adobe Systems, Incorporated. Amiga is a registered
trademark of Commodore-Amiga Inc. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Printing History
Edition 1.7, #960102
© Copyright 1994 FARGO Electronics, Incorporated
7901 Flying Cloud Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55344
All rights reserved.
iii

For Users in the United States:
This equipment has been tested and found to comply
with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to
Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installation. This equipment
generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If
this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio
or television reception, which can be determined by
turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or
more of the following measures:
■Re-orient or relocate the receiving antenna.
■Increase the separation between the equipment
and receiver.
■Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit
different from that to which the receiver is connected.
■Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV
technician for help.
Use of a shielded cable is required to comply with the
Class B limits of Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
You are cautioned that any changes or modifications not
expressly approved in this manual could void your
authority to operate and/or obtain warranty service for
this equipment.
For Users in Canada:
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits
for radio noise for digital apparatus set out on the Radio
Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of
Communications.
Le present appareil numerique nÕemet pas de bruits
radioelectriques depassant les limites applicables aux
appareils numeriques de la class B prescrites dans le
Reglement sur le brouillage radioelectrique edicte par le
ministere des Communications du Canada.
iv

Table of
Contents
Section 1: Introduction
A. How Your PrimeraPro Color
Printer Works......................................................1
B. Special Features .................................................2
Section 2: Safety Precautions ..............................3
Section 3: Getting Started
A. Choosing a Good Location ............................12
B. About Moisture Condensation .....................13
C. Unpacking and Inspection ............................13
D. Identifying the Parts .......................................14
E. Removing the Ribbon Cartridge ...................15
Section 4: Ribbons and Paper
A. About Ribbons .................................................17
B. Loading Ribbon into the
Ribbon Cartridge ............................................18
C. Placing the Ribbon Cartridge into
the Printer ........................................................20
D. About Paper and Transparency Film ...........21
E. Installing and Adjusting Paper Trays ..........22
F. Loading Paper or Transparency Film ..........23
Section 5: Powering Up the Printer
A. Applying Power ..............................................27
B. Running the Self Test ......................................29
Section 6: Using PrimeraPro With an
IBM-PC or Compatible
A. Connecting PrimeraPro to Your PC .............31
B. Installing the Windows 3.1
Printer Driver ..................................................33
C. Using PrimeraProÕs Windows 3.1
Printer Driver ...................................................36
D. Printing a Color Page .....................................39
Section 7: Using PrimeraPro With an
Apple Macintosh
A. Connecting PrimeraPro to
Your Macintosh
...............................................41
B. Installing the FARGO Driver .........................42
C. Using the FARGO Driver ...............................44
D. Printing a Color Page .....................................49
Section 8: Using the FARGO Backgrounder
for Macintosh
A. Introduction to Background Printing ...........51
B. Installing the FARGO Backgrounder............51
C. Printing With the FARGO Backgrounder ....52
D. The Backgrounder Status Window ...............52
E. FARGO Backgrounder Menus ......................53
F. Problems During a Background Print .........55
G. Tips For Using FARGO Backgrounder ........56
v

Section 9: Using PrimeraPro With a
Commodore Amiga
A. Connecting PrimeraPro to Your Amiga .......57
B. Installing the Amiga Printer Driver ..............58
C. Using PrimeraProÕs Preferences
Printer Driver ..................................................59
D. Using PrimeraProÕs FARGO: Device
Print Program...................................................63
Section 10: Maintenance
A. Supplies Required ...........................................65
B. Standard Print Head Cleaning ......................66
C. Expanded Print Head Cleaning ....................67
D. Cleaning the PrinterÕs Case ...........................67
E. Cleaning the Inside of the Printer ................67
F. Clearing a Paper Jam ......................................69
G. Clearing a Ribbon Jam ...................................69
H. Cleaning the Drive Roller ..............................70
Section 11: Troubleshooting
A. General Troubleshooting For PrimeraPro ....71
B. Troubleshooting For FARGOÕs Macintosh
Printer Driver and Backgrounder .................78
Section 12: Technical Specifications................81
Appendix A: Switch Settings
A. Ribbon Configuration ....................................83
B. Character Set Configuration...........................84
Appendix B: Interfacing Information
A. Introduction .....................................................86
B. Centronics-type Parallel Interface ................86
C. AppleTalk Interface ........................................87
Appendix C: PrimeraProÕs Printer
Commands and Control Codes
A. Standard Text Printing ...................................88
B. Wax Thermal Color Output ...........................88
Index ..........................................................................90
vi

1
Introduction
Thank you for
choosing the
FARGO
PrimeraPro Color
Printer.
PrimeraPro has
been designed to
provide you with
stunning, high
quality color
output on paper,
transparency film
and even T-shirt
transfer paper. It
offers many
features to make
printing full-color
charts, graphs,
photos,
illustrations, and
monochrome text
very fast, easy
and exciting.
PrimeraPro utilizes two different, yet closely
related printing technologies to achieve its
remarkable outputÑwax thermal transfer and dye-
sublimation.
Wax thermal transfer is a process which uses a wax
based ribbon roll that is partitioned by a number of
consecutive 9" x 14" colored panels. The panels are
grouped in a repeating series of three separate
colors, Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow (C,M,Y), along
the entire length of the ribbon. A fourth black
panel (C,M,Y,K) is often added along with the
other three colors to achieve prints with a more
dense, or ÒtrueÓ black. PrimeraPro always prints
the yellow panel first, followed by the magenta
panel, the cyan panel, and finally the black panel, if
you are using a four-color ribbon.
As the ribbon and paper pass simultaneously
beneath the print head, the thousands of thermal
elements within the print head melt the waxed-
based ink, thus transferring thousands of tiny
colored dots from the ribbon onto the paper. The
paper makes a separate pass for each colored panel
on the ribbon. By combining the different colored
dots in different combinations (this process is
called ÒditheringÓ), PrimeraPro is able to print an
almost infinite number of different color
combinations.
Dye-sublimation is similar to wax thermal transfer
in that it still involves a three color, three pass
process beneath the same thermal printhead. The
difference, however, lies within the special dye-
sublimation ribbon and paper and in the transfer
process itself. Unlike the wax thermal ribbon, each
colored panel on the dye-sublimation ribbon is
composed of a colored dye rather than a colored
wax based ink. When the dyes on the ribbon are
heated beneath the thermal printhead, they
vaporize and diffuse into the surface of the special
dye receptive paper. By varying the heat intensity of
each thermal element within the printhead, it is
possible for each transferred dot of color to vary in
hue, thus blending one color into the next. The
result? Continuous-tone, photo-realistic color
images.
A. How Your
PrimeraPro Color
Printer Works
1

B. Special
Features
With your PrimeraPro, switching back and forth
between these printing methods is easy. All you do is
load either the wax thermal transfer supplies or the
dye-sublimation supplies and select the appropriate
printing choice from within PrimeraProÕs software
driver. The entire change-over process takes about
15 to 20 seconds.
PrimeraPro will print from any IBM-PC
¨
or
compatible running Windows
TM
3.1 or higher, any
Apple
¨
Macintosh
¨
with system software 6.0.3 or
higher supporting Color QuickDraw
TM
, or any
Amiga
¨
with system software 2.x or higher. This
means that you can use the printer with virtually any
software package running under these operating
environments without any special set-up or
configuration beyond the initial installation of the
specific software driver and interface cable. From an
IBM-PC, an ASCII print mode is also available for
monochrome text-only printing from DOS or other
non-Windows applications.
Data is sent to PrimeraPro in a bit-mapped, rasterized
format. This means that your computer, along with
the printer driver software, does almost all of the
complex Raster Image Processing (ÒRIPÓ) work. So,
the faster your computer, the faster the image will be
RIPÕd and sent to your PrimeraPro.
Your PrimeraPro Color Printer has many distinct
advantages over other color printing technologies.
With its dual function wax thermal transfer/dye-
sublimation color printing capability, PrimeraPro
offers you incredible printing versatility. Wax thermal
transfer colors are generally brighter and more
vibrant than dot-matrix or ink-jet. Cost per page is
dramatically lower than ink-jet. And speed is far
greater than both of these other color printing
methods. In addition, PrimeraProÕs dye-sublimation
process gives you continuous-tone, photo-realistic
output, no other color printing technology can match.
Another advantage lies within PrimeraProÕs ability to
print either 300 DPI (dots per inch) or 600 x 300 DPI
output with either the thermal wax transfer or the
dye-sublimation process. Simply by making a
selection within PrimeraProÕs printer driver setup,
you can switch from printing high resolution 300 DPI
output to printing astounding 600 x 300 DPI graphics
with near-flawless curves and laser quality text.
Operation is simple and straightforward. Within
minutes after opening the box and setting up your
PrimeraPro, you will be printing high-quality,
exciting color output.
2

2
Safety
Precautions
Before operating the
unit, please read the
following safety
precautions carefully.
3
Warnings
CAUTION!
TO PREVENT FIRE OR SHOCK HAZARD,
DO NOT EXPOSE THE UNIT TO RAIN OR
MOISTURE. TO REDUCE THE RISK OF
ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE SIDE
OR BACK PANELS. NO USER-SERVICEABLE
PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO
QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
■Operate the unit only on 120 VAC, 50 or 60 Hz.
For printers that have been shipped outside of
the United States and Canada, the proper voltage
transformer (100 VAC or 220/250 VAC) and plug
should be furnished with the unit. If you have
any doubt as to whether you have the correct
power transformer and plug for your countryÕs
power supply, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE
THE UNIT. Refer to Section 5 of this manual or
contact your dealer or the factory.
■Stop operation immediately if any liquid or solid
object should fall into the cabinet. Unplug the
unit and have it checked by qualified service
personnel.
■Unplug the unitÕs power transformer from the
wall outlet if you do not use the unit for a long
time. Disconnect the cord by grasping the plug.
Never pull the cord itself.
■The unit is not disconnected from the main
power source as long as the power transformer is
plugged into the wall outlet, even if the unit itself
has been turned off.
■Do not disassemble the cabinet. Refer servicing
only to qualified personnel.

1
Sicherheits-
ma§nahmen
Machen Sie sich vor
Inbetriebnahme des
GerŠts mit den
Sicherheitsma§-nahmen
grŸndlich vertra
4
Sicherheitshinweise
VORSICHT!
ZUR VERH†TUNG VON FEUERGEFAHR
ODER ELEKTRISCHEN SCHL€GEN DAS
GER€T VOR REGEN ODER FEUCHTIGKEIT
SCH†TZEN. UM DIE GEFAHR VON
STROMSCHL€GEN ZU VERHINDERN,
SEITENABDECKUNGEN ODER R†CKWAND
NICHT ABNEHMEN. DAS GER€T ENTH€LT
KEINE TEILE, DIE VOM BENUTZER
GEWARTET WERDEN K…NNEN.
WARTUNGSARBEITEN D†RFEN NUR VON
QUALIFIZIERTEM FACHPERSONAL
DURCHGEF†HRT WERDEN.
■Das GerŠt nur mit 120 V Wechselstrom und 50
oder 60 Hz betreiben. Drucker, die au§erhalb der
USA und Kanada verwendet werden, sollten mit
einem passenden Netztransformator (100 V oder
220/250 V Wechselstrom) und Netzstecker
ausgerŸstet sein. Wenn Sie nicht sicher sind, ob
sich Ihr Transformator und Stecker fŸr das
šrtliche Stromnetz eignen, DAS GER€T NICHT
IN BETRIEB NEHMEN. Siehe Kapitel 5 in
diesem Handbuch oder wenden Sie sich an Ihren
HŠndler oder den Hersteller des GerŠts.
■Den Betrieb sofort unterbrechen, wenn ein
Gegenstand in das GehŠuse gefallen oder
FlŸssigkeit eingedrungen ist. Den Netzstecker
ziehen und das GerŠt von qualifiziertem
Wartungspersonal ŸberprŸfen lassen.
■Wenn das GerŠt lŠngere Zeit nicht verwendet
wird, den Netzstecker des Transformators
ziehen. Immer am Stecker, nicht am Kabel
ziehen.
■Solange der Transformator ans Netz
angeschlossen ist, steht das GerŠt unter
Spannung, auch wenn es ausgeschaltet ist.
■Keine GehŠuseteile abnehmen. Wartungsarbeiten
nur von qualifiziertem Fachpersonal
durchfŸhren lassen.

1
Consignes
de sŽcuritŽ
Avant dÕutiliser
lÕappareil, pri•re de
lire attentivement les
consignes de sŽcuritŽ
suivantes.
5
Avertissements
ATTENTION!
POUR EVITER TOUT RISQUE DÕINCENDIE
OU DÕELECTROCUTION, NE PAS EXPOSER
LÕAPPAREIL A LA PLUIE OU A LÕHUMIDITE.
POUR EVITER TOUTE DECHARGE
ELECTRIQUE, NE PAS RETIRER LES
PANNEAUX LATERAUX OU ARRIERE. NE
PAS TENTER DE REPARER SOI-MEME LES
PIECES A LÕINTERIEUR DE LÕAPPAREIL.
CONFIER LÕENTRETIEN DE LÕAPPAREIL A
UN PERSONNEL QUALIFIE.
■Faire fonctionner lÕappareil uniquement sur
courant alternatif de 120 V, 50 ou 60 Hz. Les
imprimantes expŽdiŽes en-dehors des Etats-Unis
et du Canada sont accompagnŽes dÕun
transformateur de tension (100 VCA ou 220/250
VCA) et dÕune fiche appropriŽs. En cas de doute
sur la compatibilitŽ entre le transformateur, la
fiche et le courant du pays dÕutilisation, NE PAS
TENTER DÕUTILISER LÕAPPAREIL. Voir la
section 5 de ce manuel ou contacter le revendeur
ou lÕusine.
■Arr•ter immŽdiatement le fonctionnement si un
liquide ou un solide venait ˆ sÕinfiltrer ˆ
lÕintŽrieur de lÕarmoire. DŽbrancher lÕappareil et
le faire vŽrifier par un personnel qualifiŽ.
■DŽbrancher le transformateur de la prise murale
si lÕon prŽvoit de ne pas utiliser lÕappareil
pendant un certain temps. Pour dŽbrancher le
cordon dÕalimentation, tirer sur la prise. Ne
jamais tirer sur le cordon.
■LÕappareil sera connectŽ ˆ la source
dÕalimentation principale aussi longtemps que le
transformateur de tension restera branchŽ sur la
prise murale, m•me si lÕappareil lui-m•me a ŽtŽ
mis hors tension.
■Ne pas dŽmonter lÕappareil. Confier lÕentretien
de lÕappareil uniquement ˆ un personnel qualifiŽ

1
Precauciones
de seguridad
Antes de operar la
unidad, haga el favor
de leer detenidamente
las siguientes
precauciones de
seguridad.
6
Advertencias
ÁPRECAUCION!
PARA EVITAR PELIGROS DE INCENDIO O
CHOQUE ELECTRICO, NO EXPONGA LA
UNIDAD A LA LLUVIA NI A LA HUMEDAD.
PARA REDUCIR EL RIESGO DE CHOQUE
ELECTRICO, NO QUITE LOS PANELES
LATERALES NI DE FONDO. EL INTERIOR NO
TIENE PIEZAS REPARABLES POR EL
USUARIO. PARA SERVICIO DE
REPARACION Y MANTENIMIENTO,
SOLICITE LA ATENCION DE UN TECNICO
DE SERVICIO AUTORIZADO.
■Opere la unidad s—lo a 120 VCA, 50 — 60 Hz. Para
las impresoras enviadas fuera de los Estados
Unidos y Canad‡, se suministran el
transformador de voltaje (100 VAC o 220/250
VAC) y enchufe apropiados junto con la unidad.
Si no est‡ seguro que el transformador y enchufe
correspondan al voltaje de corriente de su pa’s,
NO INTENTE USAR LA UNIDAD. RefiŽrase a
la Secci—n 5 de este manual o cont‡ctese con su
distribuidor o la f‡brica.
■Detenga la operaci—n inmediatamente si algœn
l’quido u objeto s—lido cayera en el armario.
Desenchufe la unidad y h‡gala revisar por un
tŽcnico de servicio autorizado.
■Desenchufe el transformador del tomacorriente
si no va a usar la unidad por un per’odo de
tiempo prolongado. Desenchufe el cord—n
jalando del enchufe. Nunca jale del cord—n
mismo.
■La unidad no estar‡ desconectada de la fuente de
alimentaci—n principal mientras el transformador
estŽ enchufado en el tomacorriente, incluso si la
unidad hubiese sido apagada.
■No desarme el armario. Para servicio de
mantenimiento, solicite la atenci—n de un tŽcnico
autorizado.

1
Precauzioni
per la
sicurezza
Prima di dare inizio al
funzionamento della
unitˆ, siete pregati di
leggere attentamente
le seguenti
precauzioni di
sicurezza.
7
Avvertenze
ATTENZIONE!
ONDE EVITARE IL PERICOLO DI INCENDIO
O SCOSSA ELETTRICA, NON ESPORRE
LÕUNITË ALLA PIOGGIA OD UMIDITË. PER
RIDURRE IL RISCHIO DI SCOSSA
ELETTRICA EVITARE DI RIMUOVERE I
PANNELLI LATERALE O POSTERIORE. LA
FUNZIONALITË DELLE PARTI ALLÕINTERNO
DELLA UNITË NON é
DI COMPETENZA DELLÕUTENTE. PER LA
RIPARAZIONE CONTATTARE IL PERSONALE
DI ASSISTENZA QUALIFICATO.
■LÕunitˆ funziona soltanto con alimentazione a
120 VAC, 50 o 60 Hz. Le stampanti con
destinazione diversa degli Stati Uniti e Canada
sono di norma fornite con trasformatore per la
tensione adatta (100 VAC o 220/250 Vac) e
relativa spina. Qualora non abbiate la certezza
che il trasformatore e la spina di cui disponete
siano quelli adeguati alla alimentazione erogata
nel vostro paese, NON PROVATEVI AD
USARE LÕUNITË . Consultare il manuale alla
Sezione no5, oppure rivolgersi al rivenditore o
alla fabbrica.
■Arrestare immediatamento il funzionamento
dellÕunitˆ qualora si verifichi un versamento di
liquido o la caduta di un oggetto solido
allÕinterno del suo alloggiamento.
■Staccare la spina del trasformatore dellÕunit ˆ
dalla presa a muro qualora non ne prevediate
lÕutilizzo per un protratto periodo di tempo.
Disconnettere il cordone elettrico afferrandone la
spina, evitando sempre di tirare il cordone stesso.
■LÕalimentazione alla unitˆ non • interrotta se la
spina del trasformatore di tensione rimane
collegata alla presa a muro, anche quando lÕunit
ˆ stessa risulta spenta.
■Non smontare la struttura dellÕalloggiamento. Le
riparazioni sono competenza soltanto di
personale qualificato.

1
Precau•›es
de
seguran•a Antes de operar esta
unidade leia
cuidadosamente as
seguintes precau•›es
de seguran•a.
8
Advert•ncia
CUIDADO!
PARA EVITAR PERIGO DE CHOQUES
ELƒTRICOS OU INCæNDIO, NÌO EXPONHA
A UNIDADE Ë CHUVA OU UMIDADE. PARA
REDUZIR O RISCO DE CHOQUES
ELƒTRICOS, NÌO REMOVA OS PAINƒIS
LATERAIS OU TRASEIRO. NÌO Hç
NENHUMA PARTE DENTRO QUE POSSA
SER CONSERTADA PELO USUçRIO. PE‚A
ASSISTæNCIA AO PESSOAL QUALIFICADO.
■Opere esta unidade somente em 120 VAC, 50 ou
60 Hz. O plugue e o transformador de voltagem
(100 VAC ou 220/250 VAC) apropriados devem
ser fornecidos com as impressoras que foram
enviadas para fora dos Estados Unidos e Canad‡.
Em caso de dœvida sobre se o plugue e o
transformador de for•a s‹o apropriados ao
sistema elŽtrico do seu pa’s, NÌO TENTE USAR
ESTA UNIDADE. Consulte a se•‹o 5 deste
manual ou entre em contato com seu revendedor
ou a f‡brica.
■Pare imediatamente a opera•‹o se qualquer
l’quido ou objeto s—lido cair em seu gabinete.
Desligue a unidade e mande examin‡-la por
pessoal qualificado.
■Desligue o transformador de for•a da unidade
conectado ˆ tomada de corrente elŽtrica da
parede se voc• n‹o usar a unidade por um longo
per’odo de tempo. Desconecte o fio segurando o
plugue. Nunca puxe o pr—prio fio.
■A unidade n‹o est‡ desconectada da fonte de
for•a principal enquanto o transformador de
for•a estiver ligado ˆ tomada da parede, mesmo
que a pr—pria unidade esteja desligada.
■N‹o desmonte o gabinete. Pe•a assist•ncia
somente ao pessoal qualificado.

3
Getting
Started
A. Choosing a
Good Location
Place the unit in a
location with adequate
air circulation to
prevent internal heat
build up.
1. Use the dimensions
specified in these two
drawings as a
guideline for the
minimum clearances to
the unit.
2. Do not place the
unit in a location where
the ventilation holes
located on the rear of
the unit could become
blocked.
3. Do not install unit
(a) near heat sources
such as radiators or air
ducts, or (b) in a place
subject to direct sun-
light, excessive dust,
mechanical vibration
or shock.
12
4"
4"
13"
17"
10"14"
28"
4"
14"
22"
4"

B. About
Moisture
Condensation
C. Unpacking
and Inspection
.
13
If the unit is brought directly from a cold to a
warm location, or is placed in a very damp room,
moisture may condense inside the unit. Should
this occur, print quality may not be optimum.
Leave the unit turned off in a warm, dry room for
several hours before using. This will allow the
moisture to evaporate.
While unpacking your printer, inspect the carton
to ensure that no damage has occurred during
shipping. Make sure that all supplied accessories
are included with your unit. The following items
should be included with your PrimeraPro Color
Printer:
■Printer
■Power Transformer
■Sample Media Kit
■Wax Thermal Starter Ribbon (30 Prints)
■Dye-Sublimation Starter Kit (10 Prints)
■Paper Output Tray
■Ribbon Cartridges (2)
■Printer Driver Diskette (3.5"). Contact FARGO
Technical Support for an optional 5.25" driver
diskette.
■Warranty Statement and Registration Card
■This manual and other printed information
Save the carton and packing materials. They will
come in handy when transporting the unit or
shipping it for service.

D. Identifying
the Parts
These illustrations
show the controls,
switches and indicator
lights, and input jacks
found on your
PrimeraPro. For
complete instructions
about each control or
feature, see later
sections of this manual.
14
Power On LED
Power Switch
On Line
Switch
On Line
LED
Ventilation Slots
Power
Input Jack Parallel Interface
Adapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
OFF
ON
AMIGA AND PC
MACINTOSH
OFF
ON
Ventilation Slots
Power
Input Jack Apple
LocalTalk
Interface

E. Removing the
Ribbon Cartridge
The printer Õ s Ribbon
Cartridge is located
inside the unit during
shipment. Remove the
cartridge from the
printer using the
following procedure:
1. Press the Cover
Release Lever. Allow
the cover to swing up
and open.
2. With the cover
open, you can see the
Ribbon Cartridge.
3. Remove the
shipping tape from
both sides of the
cartridge. Grasping the
tab on the front of the
cartridge, carefully
remove it from the
printer.
15

4. Flip open the
Ribbon Cartridge
Cover.
You are now ready to
go on to Section Four
to learn about paper,
ribbons, transparencies
and how to load the
various media.
NOTE Your PrimeraPro ships with two separate ribbon
cartridges; one for wax thermal transfer ribbons and one
for dye-sublimation ribbons. Each of these specific
ribbon cartridges should be used only with the
appropriate ribbon type. Do not use these cartridges
interchangeably.
16

4
Ribbons and
Paper
Your PrimeraPro initially comes equipped with both
a 30 print 3-color wax thermal transfer Starter
Ribbon and a 10 print dye-sublimation Starter Kit.
Normally, wax thermal 3-color ribbons have 115
prints. With a 3-color ribbon, all three colors (C,M,Y)
are used to print a ÒprocessÓ or ÒadditiveÓ black.
For color printing with a ÒtrueÓ black , you may
wish to use a 4-color wax thermal ribbon (C,M,Y,K).
The 4-color ribbon has a separate black panel for
printing ÒtrueÓ black, and will produce 80 prints.
A wax thermal monochrome ribbon is also available
for users who wish to use PrimeraPro for printing
laser quality text and monochrome images in 64-
level gray scale. The monochrome ribbon will
produce 360 prints. If you plan to do a lot of
switching back and forth between color printing
and monochrome printing, you should consider
ordering a spare Ribbon Cartridge for your
monochrome ribbon. This allows you to quickly and
easily change ribbon types. (See Appendix A for
important information on monochrome printing.)
For dye-sublimation printing, a special 3-color or
4-color dye-sublimation ribbon is available for
printing photo-realistic images in spectacular 24-
bit color. The dye-sublimation Starter Kit provides
a 3-color ribbon and special A (Letter) or A4-size
dye-sublimation paper for 10 prints. Normally, the
3-color dye-sublimation ribbon is available in
either a 25 or 100 print Photo-Realistic Refill Kit
which also includes matching quantities of
FARGOÕs dye-sublimation paper.
Similar to PrimeraProÕs 4-color wax ribbon, the 4-
color dye-sublimation ribbon offers you full color
printing with a ÒtrueÓ black. The 4-color dye-
sublimation ribbon is available in a 50 print Photo-
Realistic Refill Kit which also includes 50 sheets of
FARGOÕs Legal-size (8.5Ó x 14Ó, 216 x 356mm) dye-
sublimation paper. These large format dye-
sublimation supplies not only offer you the
enhanced quality of true 4-color dye-sublimation
printing, but also offer a larger printable area.
A dye-sublimation monochrome ribbon is also
available along with A (Letter) or A4-size dye-
sublimation paper in a 100 print refill kit for
monochrome printing in 256-level gray scale.
For small format dye-sublimation printing,
FARGO offers the A6 Accessories Kit for printing
full-color, 4Ó x 5Ó (102 x 127mm) dye-sublimation
output. This kit provides a 100 print, 3-color dye-
A. About
Ribbons
17

NOTE
sublimation ribbon and 100 sheets of dye
sublimation paper, both in the unique A6-size
format. The A6 kit is perfect for printing snapshot-
size photos or illustrations.
Contact your local dealer of FARGO for current
ribbon and refill kit selection and pricing.
Only the dye-sublimation ribbon (distinguished by its
plastic cores) together with the dye-sublimation paper
(distinguished by its white, glossy finish) will produce
dye-sublimation output. Do not use wax thermal
supplies for dye-sublimation printing.
18
Take-up
Supply
B. Loading
Ribbon into the
Ribbon Cartridge
Follow these steps to
load ribbon into the
Ribbon Cartridge:
1. Remove the ribbon
from its box. For wax
thermal ribbons,
remove the end caps
which were used
for shipping protection.
For dye-sublimation
ribbons, simply remove
the ribbon from its
plastic wrap. The dye-
sublimation ribbon
should only be handled
by the ends of the
ribbon core. Do not
touch the colored
portion of the dye-
sublimation ribbon. Oil
or dirt from your hands
can impair print
quality.
2. The supply end of
the ribbon is the side
with ribbon on it. The
ribbon take-up is the
other end.