Pronto MAGICARD 3649 - 0001 User manual

www.magicard.com
Colour ID Card Printer MAGICARD
®
Pronto Maintenance Manual
Magicard Pronto single sided colour ID Card Printer - 3649 - 0001
Magicard Pronto Mag single sided colour ID Card Printer - 3649 - 0002
Issue 1 22/01/09
Option
Standard
Standard Standard

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CONTENTS
Contents............................................................................................................................................................................. - 2 -
CONVENTIONS..................................................................................................................................................................................................... - 4 -
Warnings, Cautions and Notes. ....................................................................................................................................................................................- 4 -
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS................................................................................................................................................. - 5 -
SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PRINTING PROCESS................................................................................... - 6 -
section 1.1 card design limitations....................................................................................................................................................................... - 8 -
section 1.2 badge design.....................................................................................................................................................................................- 8 -
SECTION 2 KEY FEATURES OF THE MAGICARD PRONTO....................................................................................... - 9 -
section 2.1 specification of the magicard PRONTO........................................................................................................................................... - 10 -
SECTION 3 COMPONENT LAYOUT ............................................................................................................................ - 11 -
SECTION 4 DYE FILM OPTIONS ................................................................................................................................. - 14 -
Section 4.1 loading the dye film.......................................................................................................................................................................... - 15 -
Section 4.2 cards................................................................................................................................................................................................- 16 -
SECTION 5 PHILOSOPHY............................................................................................................................................ - 18 -
section 5.1 repair and maintenance...................................................................................................................................................................- 18 -
SECTION 6 WARRANTY INFORMATION .................................................................................................................... - 19 -
section 6.1 The warranty.................................................................................................................................................................................... - 19 -
Section 6.2 Internet support............................................................................................................................................................................... - 20 -
section 6.3 recommended tools ........................................................................................................................................................................ - 20 -
SECTION 7 CLEANING THE PRINTER........................................................................................................................ - 21 -
section 7.1 cleaning is important........................................................................................................................................................................ - 21 -
section 7.2 cleaning supplies............................................................................................................................................................................. - 21 -
section 7.3 cleaning the printer Rollers..............................................................................................................................................................- 22 -
section 7.4 replacing the cleaning roller............................................................................................................................................................. - 23 -
section 7.5 cleaning the Print Head. .................................................................................................................................................................. - 24 -
SECTION 8 MAGICARD PRONTO DRIVER................................................................................................................. - 25 -
section 8.1 installation instructions for Windows 2000/xp/2003 server & VISTA............................................................................................... - 25 -
section 8.1 installation instructions for Windows 2000/xp/2003 server & VISTA (continued…) ..................................................................... - 26 -
section 8.2 un-installing the driver for windows 2000 / xp / 2003 server............................................................................................................- 27 -
section 8.3 un-installing the driver for windows vista......................................................................................................................................... - 28 -
section 8.4 driver description ............................................................................................................................................................................. - 29 -
SECTION 9 PRINTER FUNCTIONS ............................................................................................................................. - 30 -
section 9.1.1 printing a Test Card......................................................................................................................................................................... - 30 -
section 9.1.2 Printer cleaning mode......................................................................................................................................................................- 30 -
section 9.2.1 soak test mode ................................................................................................................................................................................ - 31 -
SECTION 10PRINT HEAD REPLACEMENT ................................................................................................................. - 32 -
section 10.1 Print Head damage.........................................................................................................................................................................- 32 -
section 10.2 Print Head Electronic failure............................................................................................................................................................ - 33 -
section 10.3 replacing the Print Head.................................................................................................................................................................. - 33 -
section 10.3 replacing the Print Head (cont)........................................................................................................................................................- 34 -
section 10.4 Setting the Print Head density calibration........................................................................................................................................ - 35 -
Section 10.5 Print Head setup and adjustment .................................................................................................................................................... - 36 -
SECTION 11DISMANTLING AND ASSEMBLING THE PRINTER ................................................................................ - 37 -
section 11.1 removing & refitting the printer casing............................................................................................................................................. - 37 -
Section 11.2 Removing & Refitting the front fascia cover .................................................................................................................................... - 37 -
section 11.3 removal & refitting of the top dye-film sensor .................................................................................................................................. - 38 -
section 11.3 removing & Refitting of the lower dye-film sensor. .......................................................................................................................... - 38 -
section 11.5 removing & Refitting the controller pcb............................................................................................................................................ - 39 -
section 11.6 removing & refitting of the front & rear card sensor......................................................................................................................... - 40 -
section 11.8 removal & refitting of left side components...................................................................................................................................... - 41 -
section 11.9 removal and refitting of right side components................................................................................................................................ - 42 -
section 11.10 removal & refitting of the Drive motors & front card sensor............................................................................................................. - 43 -
Section 11.11 removal of the chassis cover........................................................................................................................................................... - 44 -
section 11.13 removal of the idle rollers................................................................................................................................................................. - 45 -
section 11.16 Removal and refitting of rollers........................................................................................................................................................- 46 -
section 11.17 removal & refitting of the card guide & middle card sensor............................................................................................................. - 46 -
SECTION 12TROUBLESHOOTING............................................................................................................................... - 47 -
Section 12.1 initialisation sequence...................................................................................................................................................................... - 47 -
Section 12.2 hardware problems.......................................................................................................................................................................... - 48 -
Section 12.3 image problems............................................................................................................................................................................... - 49 -
Section 12.3 image problems COnt...................................................................................................................................................................... - 50 -

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Section 12.4 printer driver problems.....................................................................................................................................................................- 51 -
Section 12.5 Magnetic encoding problems........................................................................................................................................................... - 52 -
SECTION 13MAGICARD SUPPORT UTILITY............................................................................................................... - 53 -
SECTION 14MAGNETIC ENCODING............................................................................................................................ - 58 -
section 14.1 magnetic encoding standards.......................................................................................................................................................... - 58 -
SECTION 14.2 Basic Magnetic Encoding. ............................................................................................................................................................... - 60 -
SECTION 14.3 Encoding using Badge printing Software......................................................................................................................................... - 61 -
section 14.4 ASCII Character Set supported by the PRONTO............................................................................................................................- 62 -
section 14.5 ISO standards..................................................................................................................................................................................- 62 -
section 14.6 error checking.................................................................................................................................................................................. - 63 -
SECTION 15FITMENTS TO THE PRINTER.................................................................................................................. - 64 -
SECTION 16PARTS AND PART NUMBERS................................................................................................................. - 65 -
section 16.1 external components ....................................................................................................................................................................... - 65 -
section 16.2 Top cover assembly (3633-0150)....................................................................................................................................................- 65 -
section 16.3 Print Head assembly (FG/3649-0160).............................................................................................................................................- 66 -
section 16.5 Roller Layout.................................................................................................................................................................................... - 67 -
section 16.6 Drive mechanism right hand side. ................................................................................................................................................... - 68 -
section 16.7 Drive mechanism left hand side....................................................................................................................................................... - 69 -
section 16.8 Motor layout and part numbers........................................................................................................................................................- 70 -
section 16.9 Internal wiring & sensor part numbers.............................................................................................................................................- 71 -
section 16.10 Magnetic encoding option................................................................................................................................................................ - 72 -
SECTION 17PRONTO SPARES LIST............................................................................................................................ - 76 -
SECTION 18FIRMWARE RELEASE HISTORY............................................................................................................. - 77 -
SECTION 19PRONTO ERROR CODES........................................................................................................................ - 78 -

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CONVENTIONS
WARNINGS, CAUTIONS AND NOTES.
Throughout this guide, the following conventions are used to identify important information.
WARNING Warning messages indicate where personal injury could result from not following the correct procedures.
CAUTION Caution messages indicate where damage to equipment could result from not following the correct
procedures.
NOTE Notes convey important information that is identified within the text.
The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice.
Ultra Electronics Limited shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental consequential damages in
connection with the furnishing, performance or use of this material.
This document contains proprietary information belonging to Ultra Electronics Limited and may not be wholly or partially
copied, stored in a data retrieval system, disclosed to third parties or used for any purpose other than that for which it was
supplied, without the express written authority of Ultra Electronics Limited. All rights are reserved.
MAGICARD®, Rio, Tango, UltraCoverplus, Alto, Opera, Prima, Prima 2E, Prima 3, Holokote, Rio 2, Tango 2, Rio 2E,
Tango 2E, Enduro, Ultra Shield MAGICARD®is registered as a Trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark
Office, Reg. No. 2,197,276
The Ultra Secure feature of Magicard® Printers is protected by US PATENT No: 5,990,918 and by EUROPEAN PATENT
SPECIFICATION EP 0 817 726 B1.
Microsoft and Windows 2000, XP and Vista are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Copyright © 2004 Ultra Electronics Limited.

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SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
Only use the Power Source supplied with the Printer by Magicard.
Do not to spill any liquid on the Printer.
Ensure that the Power Supply cable is not longer than 2 metres in length and includes a properly grounded connection.
If using this Printer in Germany :
To provide adequate short-circuit protection and over-current protection for this Printer, the building installation must be
protected by a 16 Amp Circuit Breaker.
Bei Anschluß des Druckers an die Stromversorgung muß sichergestellt werden, daß die Gebäudeinstallation mit einem
16 A-Überstromschalter abgesichert ist.
When Handling the Printer :
Avoid touching the thermal printing edge of the Print Head. Any grease and contamination will shorten the operational
life.
Before transporting the Printer, remove the Dye-Film and Card Hoppers and pack the Printer in it’s original packaging.
Location Requirements for your Printer :
A clean, dry level surface.
Adequate space for:
Cable access at the rear.
Allowance for air circulation.
An adequately ventilated room.
The correct Power Supply provided by Magicard.
Ambient temperature +10 to +30 degrees Centigrade.
Relative Humidity 20/70% RH.
Protection from direct sunlight and chemicals.
Protection from abrupt temperature changes.

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SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PRINTING PROCESS.
Sublimation uses heating elements in a rigid ceramic Print Head to transfer colour into or onto the PVC plastic surface
from the Dye-Film ribbon. The colours Yellow, Magenta & Cyan are absorbed into the PVC and the Black (K) & Clear
Overcoat are heated onto the Card surface.
Dye Sublimation
Dye Sublimation, or Dye-Sub, is known for it’s high quality photographic output. Dye Sublimation is also known as “Dye
Diffusion” or “Thermal Transfer”.
Inside the Dye Sublimation Printer is a roll of transparent film that resembles sheets of Red, Blue, Yellow, and Black
coloured cellophane bonded together end to end. On one surface of this film are solid dyes corresponding to the four
basic colours used in printing : Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. Between the solid dye and the film, is a layer of
release agent, which controls the amount of dye released at each temperature. The Print Head is heated up as it passes
over the Film, causing the Dye to vaporise and permeate the glossy surface of the PVC Card before returning to solid
form on cooling. This is sublimation.
The Clear Overcoat Layer
The Overcoat layer acts as a protective film against wear and fading and can also carry a secure image, which cannot be
photocopied – e.g. the Magicard “Holokote” security watermark.
Dye Sublimation / Inkjet Printing
There are two factors that contribute to the quality of Dye Sublimation Printers. The first is continuous tone, and the other
is un-dithered colour. In Dye Sublimation printing, colours are not laid down as individual dots, as is done in Inkjet
Printers.
The colour produced by a Dye-Sub Printer is the result of the mixing of pigments
to get the actual colour. This is in contrast to most other printing methods which
use a tight group of coloured dots which, when seen by the human eye from a
distance, appear to be a colour (a process known as “dithering”). Under
magnification, the dots are clearly different colours, and when seen close up with
the naked eye the picture appears grainy. Because only one colour needs to be
printed (instead of up to four), a Dye Sub can place more dots on a card. It can
take a 1200 dpi Printer to get the same resolution a 300 dpi Dye-Sub Printer is
capable of.
Another difference that helps is that because the colour sublimates on the card
instead of being laid down as little dots, the edges of each pixel are blurred.
This gives the impression of blending for a more natural appearance. Dots from
an inkjet Printer leave large white gaps in between pixels, giving the impression
of a grain.
Since longevity is something we all want from our prints, it’s also reassuring to
know that because dyes sublimate instead of just being painted onto it’s surface,
dye sublimation prints resist fading and are colourfast.
ID Card with Overcoat Layer used as a Security Watermark

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Subtractive Colour
This section contains some background material on the colour process used in printing. The colours (Yellow, Magenta,
and Cyan) used in dye sublimation use a subtractive colour process. Subtractive colour starts with an object (often a
substrate such as paper or plastic) that reflects light and uses colourants (such as pigments or dyes) to subtract portions
of the white light illuminating an object to produce other colours.
If an object reflects all the white light back to the viewer, it appears white. If an object absorbs (subtracts) all the light
illuminating it, no light is reflected back to the viewer, it appears black. It is the subtractive process that allows everyday
objects around us to show colour. Colour paintings, colour photography and all colour printing processes use the
subtractive process to reproduce colour. In these cases, the reflective substrate is canvas (paintings) or paper/plastic
(photographs, prints), which is usually white. Colour monitors, TV’s, projectors etc. use the additive process.
Subtractive colour process (YMC) Additive colour process (RGB)
In theory, overprinting all three colours produces black. In reality, a dark grey is produced, so black is used as a fourth
printing ink, hence the ‘K’ (for monochrome) in YMCK.
The K Resin layer allows very sharp defined black text, Barcodes etc. to be added.
Printing
Due to the ceramic Print Head being rigid the quality of the Card surface is extremely important if high quality images are
to be produced. Cards should be selected which are cut cleanly at the edges and have perfectly flat surfaces.
There are various Card manufacturers and several different types of PVC card. Each of these will accept colour in
differing amounts using the same Print Head temperature. This is due to the PVC being used and the manufacturing
process.
When printing a full colour Card, the Print Head will get progressively hotter as it works. This is compensated for in the
Printer firmware but it may affect how evenly some card designs print.
Dust and debris on the Card surface will cause small white blemishes to appear in the image, so keeping the Cards and
“Sticky” Roller clean is imperative.
The Printer creates the Card by placing layers of dye onto the Card in the following sequence :
Yellow: (Y)
Magenta: (M)
Cyan: (C)
Black: (K) or Resin Black
Clear: (O) or Overcoat
The Overcoat layer acts as a protective film against wear and fading and can also carry a secure image, which cannot be
photocopied (Ultra Secure).
Colours appearing on the monitor will not always be exactly the same as those printed by a Printer; this can be due to
various issues such as in transmitted light from the monitor colours can look different than viewing reflected light from the
Card. All monitors will show the same image slightly differently. Different plastic surfaces will give differing results and
the Dye-Film could vary slightly from batch to batch. For these reasons, the Printer Driver has been designed to allow the
user to adjust various aspects of the colour output.

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SECTION 1.1 CARD DESIGN LIMITATIONS
It is important to remember that no Printer of this type will give the same quality / quantity of output as can be achieved
with a mass production Offset Printer. These Printers use a completely different process, print the same image hundreds
of times on large sheets of material, punch the finished Card out of the sheet and cost 10 times as much to purchase.
As long as badge designs are created to suit the dye sublimation process and the type of Card being printed, the results
will look as good to the naked eye as the far more expensive machines and can be personalised from Card to Card.
SECTION 1.2 BADGE DESIGN
It is important to realise that it is better to design a badge that will print successfully than attempt to print to the limits of
this type of Printer and cause waste and frustration.
The main issues to be considered are as follows :
The heat in the Print Head accumulates faster if dark colours are printed. The darker the colour the more heat is used to
print the layers onto the Card.
The Printer will automatically reduce the Print Head temperature to stop the colours getting darker along the length of the
Card.
This is set up in the mid range of the print density and will be slightly different on dark or light colours. Plain colour areas
are the most likely to show any variation so it is better to use textured colours where possible. If a coloured band runs
along the Card and into a picture, it will affect the area of the picture where it has increased the Print Head temperature.
Pictures will sometimes print better either at the start or the end of the Card, depending on the layout. Always try
reversing the whole image to select the best result. When printing on electronic Cards, ensure that the design of the
badge allows for any unevenness in the surface due to the embedded chip or antenna, these can cause white or faded
patches to appear in the text or image.
Ensure that any captured image such as an ID photograph is lit correctly for colour and brightness and is properly focused
as the Printer cannot improve poor quality input. If you add a logo or bitmap to the design, ensure that the size of the
original does not cause distortion and pixelation if it has to be enlarged or reduced to fit into the design. It is more
important to ensure the colour of any picture element is correct when printed (even if the colour looks incorrect on the
screen).

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SECTION 2 KEY FEATURES OF THE MAGICARD PRONTO
Flexible
Drop in Dye-Film loading with automatic detection and set up for Dye-Film type.
Simple no mess cleaning operation.
Full Bleed Edge-to-Edge printing as standard option.
Smart
Attractive, compact design.
Multicoloured front Panel Button giving a clear indication of status.
USB interface.
Microsoft Certified “Plug and Play” Driver make the Pronto easy to install and use.
Secure
Magicard Pronto features the patented “Holokote” watermark technology.
Holokote watermark is printed on the Card during the normal print cycle at no extra cost.
Four Holokote design patterns offered as standard with every Pronto.
Holopatch is available using special Card stock to produce a highly visible gold seal.
Optional ISO 7811 Magnetic Stripe Encoder.

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SECTION 2.1 SPECIFICATION OF THE MAGICARD PRONTO
Printing Method : Direct to Card Dye Sublimation.
Feed Format : Hand Feed.
Resolution : 300 dots per inch (11.8 Dots per mm).
Colour Reproduction : 256 graduations for each colour.
Internal Memory Size : 8 MBytes.
Printing Time : Approximately 35 seconds per side (YMCKO).
Approximately 7 seconds for monochrome
Printer Interface : USB Rev 1.1 (USB 2.0 compatible).
Operating Environment : Temperature 15 – 30 degrees Centigrade
Humidity 20% - 70%
Storage Environment : Temperature 15 – 55 degrees Centigrade
Humidity 20% - 70%
Power Source : External Power Supply (auto-selecting).
Input Voltage : AC Input 100 – 240 V AC.
Input Current Consumption : 1.8 Amps.
Frequency : 50 – 60 Hz.
Output Voltage : 18 – 24 V DC.
Output Current Supply : 3.2 Amps.
Output Power Rating : 60 Watts (Max).
Weight : 4.4 Kilograms (10 lbs)
Dimensions : 270mm (L) x 215mm (W) x 233mm (H)
17.8” (L) x 8.1” (W) x 9.2” (H).
Dye-Film loading : Drop in Dye Film design.
Dye-Film Set-up : Automatically detects Dye Film.
Software : Supplied with Windows 2000, 2003 Server, XP, Vista (32 bit) and
Windows 7 (32 bit) Drivers.
Magstripe Encoder : Optional HICO/LOCO Magnetic Stripe Encoder to ISO 7811.
Card Size : CR80 - 85.6 x 54.0 mm (3.375” x 2.125”) and
CR79 - 83.9 x 51.0 mm (3.303” x 2.051”) sized Cards.
Card Thickness : 0.51 – 1.02mm (0.020” – 0.040”)
Card Types : PVC.
Holopatch Cards are available. They are used with the Holokote feature
to produce a highly visible “gold seal” on the Card.
Print Length : Full card 1016 pixels (85.6mm)
Print Width : Full card 642 pixels (54.5mm)
Safety : CE Certified, UL listing USA
EMC : EN 50 081-1 and EN 50 082-1 (Europe) FCC pt 15 curve A (USA)
& CSA 08.8 curve A (Canada)
Warranty : Two years limited warranty (North America and EU only)
Elsewhere 1 year limited warranty.