Here at ID Edge we provide FREE phone support for all of our clients. When you call us, you’ll always get a live person, and one of our technicians will help you troubleshoot any printer issues you may be experiencing.
Having helped thousands of customers over the years to effectively troubleshoot their machines, we’ve noticed that some issues tend to happen more often than others. To help you identify and quickly fix some of the most common snags, we’ve put together this great article for you with actionable, easy to use tips.
Of course, please don’t ever hesitate to give us a call if you’re having any problems with your printer. Even if you didn’t buy your device from us, we’re always here to help you troubleshoot and get your printer up and running again. Just give us a call at 800-798-3343.
Broken Ribbon
A very common ID printer problem is the breakage of the ribbon. It happens quite often and there are many things that could be causing this.
- Edge to Edge Printing: Another common reason for broken ID printer ribbons is when you try to print too close to the edges. This can be caused by trying to print edge to edge with a direct-to-card printer, or by shifting the image too close to the left or the right.
- Dust and Dirt: Of course there is also the issue of ribbons breaking because the printer hasn’t been cleaned in some time. Since an ID printer is a very intricate piece of technology, even small particles of dust or dirt can cause micro jams in some of the key parts. This pulls on the ribbon and creates tension that can lead to breakage, especially when combined with other factors.
To fix a broken ribbon, you can simply tape the two broken edges together, and roll the ribbon forward a few times, so that the taped part becomes covered with ribbon and doesn’t come apart again. However, when taping, you have to ensure that the edges are not skewed when they are reattached, as this will otherwise cause greater tension on one of the sides, causing further breakage.
ID Card Jams
Another common issue with ID printing is the jamming of ID cards. This can happen for several reasons, including having a printer that hasn’t been cleaned in a while (even small amounts of dirt or ink residue can cause improper function) and using cards that are of the wrong size for the printer.
This can cause one or more cards to become stuck inside the printing mechanism, and will require physical removal of the card(s). To do this, you will need to open the printer cover and inspect the area where the issue has occurred. In many cases, when you see the stuck card, you can remove it by gently pulling on it, or rolling the applicable rollers with your finger, to push the card out.
However, this can be tricky and the best approach can depend on the specific printer model. If you’ve found yourself dealing with an ID printer jam, give us a call at 800-798-3343 and we’ll walk you through the best steps for your printer model.
Poor Print Quality
Some of the customers who call ID Edge for troubleshooting experience an issue with bad print quality of the cards. Everything seems to be working right, and there are no jams or other problems, but the print quality is very lackluster. There are many reasons for this problem, including;
- Defective Ribbon: If you’re noticing odd stripes on your printed images, the culprit may be a defective printer ribbon that has a crinkled surface. If you’re experiencing any quality issues, one of the first things to try is to replace the ribbon and see if that makes a difference.
- Wrong Power Supply: When you notice that the ID cards come out very light, it could be due to incorrect power supply. If you’ve checked your color and saturation settings and everything looks good, look at the power supply to ensure the printer can get enough power to sufficiently heat the ribbon. Without enough heat, the images may come out very light.
- Spotty Images: Another frustrating issue that some customers notice is the printing of cards that look spotty – the card mostly looks great, but some parts are faded for some reason. This is a problem commonly caused by a printer and print head that haven’t been cleaned in a while. You may also have noticed the same issues with your regular paper printer in the office – if you don’t clean the print head, the images will look spotty.
If you’re experiencing any issues with the print quality, please give us a call at 800-798-3343. We have deep expertise with many printer models and can help you save lots of time by quickly pin-pointing the problem.
Printer Connection Issues
Troubleshooting printer connection issues can be a frustrating experience for anyone. There are many reasons why connection issues can occur, and can include simple causes (like incorrect connection cord setup and improper driver installation) as well as more serious issues, like firmware problems.
Because each printer is different, we recommend you either contact the specific manufacturer to troubleshoot, or give us a call at 800-798-3343.
Bad Print Head
A number of issues can also occur from a print head that isn’t functioning properly. This can include distorted images, images that are very light, cards that have straight white lines from edge to edge, or ID cards that are spotty, among other problems.
There are several things that can cause the print head to malfunction. For example, one cause is the simple accumulation of dirt and debris. The printing process involves quite a bit of heat, which will inevitably cause residue to build up on the print head. Plus, there is also the dust that will eventually make its way inside the printer. Typically, this will present itself as light streaks across the card.
Another cause for print head malfunction can include improper alignment, which often manifests as “wrinkles” on the card image as well as regular ribbon breakage.
If you suspect that the issue may be with the print head, we strongly recommend cleaning it first to see if that fixes the problem. In some cases, it may need to be re-aligned or replaced altogether.
Help is Just a Phone Call Away
If you’re experiencing any issues with your ID card printer, please give us a call. It’s always FREE to talk to one of our technicians on the phone. Just call 800-798-3343, or send us an email through the Contact Form, below!