Evolis Card Printers – Card Feed Problems

This tech-tip is intended to help resolve card feed problems with Evolis Tattoo2, Evolis Pebble4 and Evolis Dualys3 plastic card printers. Some of the remedies may also apply to other Evolis printers, and those from other manufacturers.

Evolis Tattoo2, Pebble4, and Dualys3 - Card Feed Problems

Plastic card printers may have instances when they will not feed cards consistently from their card input hoppers. This can occur when there are just a few cards in the hopper. But it is more common when their card hoppers are full.

Usually, the cause is not with the printer itself. Rather, the problem most often is the result of the cards being difficult to separate.

Card Feed Problems – Remedies:

Before attempting remedies, remember to handle blank plastic cards carefully, and only by their edges. This will prevent the transfer of lint, dust, and residual body-oils from your fingertips. The presence of any of these contaminants can result in poor print-quality.

  1. Remove the cards from the input hopper and fan out or shuffle them to break any static-bond, and to dissipate natural static charge
  2. Check the card thickness gauge and set just slightly more than your blank cards’ thickness. For example, if the cards are 30 mils thick, adjust approximately 32 or 33 mils.
  3. Clean the card intake roller with alcohol wipes and/or an IPA alcohol cleaning card. Both are included in the Evolis #A5021 UltraClean printer cleaning kit.
  4. Ensure the cards are stacked properly in the card hopper, and that there are no obstructions that might prevent the printer from extracting them.

Need further assistance or more info?

Safe-Card ID Services offers our clients free telephone-based tech support for the life of all printers sold. For additional assistance, or other information about all Evolis printers, please contact our ID-card experts toll-free at +1 888.485.4696 (US & Canada), or +1 704.535.5200 (elsewhere).

Based in Angers, France, Evolis is a leading global manufacturer of quality plastic card printers.

Tales from the Intake Department: Fargo Uptrade Edition

The Fargo UpTrade Program: Credit for Any Printer

We recently received a trade-in printer after one of our clients took advantage of the excellent Fargo UpTrade program. One of the best features of this program is that you can receive a credit for a printer in ANY condition. In this particular case, that included evidence that rats had been inside the printer (at SCID, we’re pretty grateful that rat poop is rarely part of our job description). Luckily for our client, this doesn’t even affect the credit they receive for trading in their old printer.

Fargo UpTrade Program

If you’re looking sideways at your old printer right now, you aren’t alone. Let us help you replace it and get some money back for your current printer, regardless of condition. Generally, however, we recommend keeping your systems rodent-free; they tend to last longer. 😉

The Safe-Card ID Service Promise

Another benefit of using the Fargo UpTrade program through us? Safe-Card ID is proud to offer free telephone-based support for our clients. Our experts are happy to help clients with any update issues, or to answer any questions about the information above! For more information and help determining what new printer best suits your needs contact one of our experts at +1 888.485.4696 (US & Canada), or +1 704-535-5200 from other locations. You may also browse our online printer catalog.

End of Life Period: Evolis Securion

Evolis has announced that as of December 1, 2016, its Securion printer has entered the End of Life period. The company has made the decision to cease production of this printer following the introduction of a lamination module for its popular Evolis Primacy printer.

The last date to order an Evolis Securion printer is March 31, 2017. Spare parts for the printers will be produced for 5 years following its discontinuation, and consumables will be available for 10 years.

For more information about the Evolis Securion, Evolis Primacy or the discontinuation process, please contact one of our ID card experts at +1 (704) 535-5200.

Now Available: eMedia CS2

logo-emedia-cs2-hdeMedia has launched a completely revamped version of their popular CS software. eMedia CS2 features enhanced performance and a more user-friendly design. The software allows for more control over printing and design elements and can now be migrated from one computer to another easily.

Current users who received a free Standard version with the purchase of an Evolis Primacy printer are able to upgrade at a 50% discount. Those who purchased a Standard version independent of the Primacy or upgraded to the Professional or Expert versions of eMedia CS can upgrade to the new software for free!

Support for eMedia CS will end on February 28, 2017, so we recommend upgrading at your earliest convenience.

The New Color Touch Screen on the Evolis Primacy

The Evolis Primacy is now available with a color touch screen option. This screen allows users to monitor the status of the printer ribbons, cleaning cycle, and operations. Additionally, it provides step-by-step instructions for completing the cleaning cycle and routine printer maintenance.

Now through December, Evolis is running a special on the Primacy with the touch screen. Visit our web store to order the Simplex or the Duplex printers and find the most up-to-date pricing. As always, our experts are available at 704-535-5200 to answer questions or provide more information about this offering from Evolis.

SwiftID Card Software from HID Global

*** PLEASE NOTE ***

As of Q1 2021, the SwiftID feature of the Fargo Workbench Utility will no longer function, and HID/Fargo has discontinued support for this application. This is due to the end of support for the Adobe Flash application and development environment, which was required for SwiftID to function. Following Adobe’s decision, Microsoft opted to remove support for Adobe Flash from all supported versions of the Windows operating system. HID/Fargo has no current plans to develop a free alternative to Swift ID. Instead, they are recommending former users consider the Asure ID Solo Edition to meet their card design and printing needs. Asure ID Solo will allow for the importing of any prior card designs created in SwiftID, easing the transition to this alternative and widely used application.

Please feel free to contact Safe-Card ID Services for more information, or to obtain a license for the Asure ID Solo Edition software. Email: safecard@safecardid.com or phone: +1 704-535-5200, or +1 888.485.4696 toll-free.

SwiftID is an ID-card design program that comes free with new Fargo DTC1250e, Fargo DTC4250e, and Fargo DTC4500e printers. The software is a no-frills option for designing and printing basic cards. SwiftID is installed with the Fargo Workbench Utility program, which is included on the product CD/DVD packed with each printer. The Workbench Utility can also be downloaded for free directly from the HID/Fargo website.

SwiftID offers basic card-design and printing options for items such as visitor cards or loyalty cards. There is no database available with this application, meaning that it does not store card data after printing. Instead the program erases data when you begin a new card or exit the program. Therefore, we do not recommend SwiftID if you have to retain, recall and reprint cards.

SwiftID also relies on some features built into each printer’s firmware. As such, only one user or PC can access it at a time, a significant limitation for a network-connected printer. In these cases, users will have to develop a method to ensure only one user prints cards at a time. (Ethernet connectivity is optional on the DTC1250e, and standard on the DTC4250e and DTC4500e).

Prerequisites for use of SwiftID include use of Windows 7, 8.1 or 10 on the host PC, and an installed copy of the Fargo Workbench Utility. HID/Fargo’s technical support group handles support for both applications directly.

Additional Limitations:

In addition to the items mentioned above, SwiftID has a limited font selection available and no ability to print bar-codes. It also cannot encode mag-stripes or proximity access or smart cards. Clients with these additional requirements are advised to purchase Asure ID, a more advanced software offering from HID Global.

Need more info?

For additional information about SwiftID, or current Fargo printer models and options, please contact our ID experts toll-free at +1 888.485.4696 (from US & Canada), or +1 704.535.5200 (elsewhere).

Clean Your Evolis Primacy using the Print Center

Why Clean Your Evolis Primacy?

To maintain warranty coverage for your Evolis printhead, Evolis requires that you clean your Evolis Primacy at certain intervals. The printer automatically tracks cleaning cycles and the intervals between them. However, these cleanings must follow the proper procedure for the printer to record the event.

Evolis requires two types of cleanings performed at the indicated intervals:

  • A “regular” cleaning every 1,000 cards, using the Evolis Regular Cleaning Kit:
    1. Run a “sticky” cleaning card through the printer,
    2. Manually clean the print-head with a special IPA alcohol saturated, foam-tipped cleaning swab,
    3. Wipe down all card-transport rollers with an IPA alcohol wipe.
  • An “advanced” cleaning every 5,000 cards, using the Evolis Advanced Cleaning Kit:
    1. Run a special IPA alcohol soaked “T-card” through the printer,
    2. Perform the “regular” cleaning, described above.

While not required, we recommend removing and cleaning the built-in cleaning roller each time that you change the ribbon.

Recommended Procedure to Clean Your Evolis Primacy:

It is best practice to use the cleaning wizard integrated within the Evolis Print Center utility program. Using this program helps the printer to recognize and log your cleanings. It will guide you through completing the seven steps listed below:

  1. Prepare to clean your Evolis Primacy by ensuring that your printer is:
    • connected to the PC that you normally use it with,
    • powered on and “ready”,
    • not waiting on any print-jobs in the printer queue (via Windows’s “Devices and Printers” menu).
  2. When you have prepared your printer, open the Evolis Print Center utility program. This action should pull up a status window similar to the one in the image below:  Clean Your Evolis Primacy, Step 2

    Troubleshooting: If the printer status is “Offline”, verify that the printer is firmly plugged in and that it is powered on. If the printer status is “Not Supervised by Evolis Print Center”, right-click on the Printer Name (i.e., “Evolis Primacy”), and select “Enable Supervision”.

  3. Once the printer status is “Ready”, right-click on the printer name (“Evolis Primacy”) and select “Properties”. Doing so launches a second window that looks like the one below where we have pre-selected the cleaning tab.Clean Your Evolis Primacy, Step 3

    **Note: this tab provides statistics regarding the next required cleaning, the last cleaning, and regular and advanced cleanings performed since new. It also displays whether the warranty remains in force thanks to keeping the cleaning schedule.

  4. To view your cleaning options, click on “Proceed with Cleaning” under the cleaning heading in the left menu bar:Clean Your Evolis Primacy, Step 4
  5. Click the “Start cleaning” button under the correct heading. The cleaning wizard will then launch, as in this example of the regular cleaning process:Clean Your Evolis Primacy, Step 5
  6. Continue through the cleaning process by following the instructions on each page of the Cleaning Wizard then clicking the “Next >” button to move on to the next step. Once you have completed all of the cleaning steps, you will see with the “Finish” screen shown below. Clicking the “Finish” button on this screen will return you to the main properties menu shown in Step 3.
    Clean Your Evolis Primacy, Step 6

    **Note: If you have executed the Advanced Cleaning process, return to the “Proceed with Cleaning” section shown in Step 4. Then follow the advanced cleaning with the Regular Cleaning process.

  7. Make sure that the printer logged the cleaning properly by returning to the “Cleaning” tab shown in Step 3. While there, verify that the value in “Next cleaning in:” is 1000.

Restock your printer

To finish, reload the printer with cards and ribbon then reset the card thickness gauge to the appropriate setting for your cards. We recommend a setting slightly above the actual card thickness so, for a 30 mil card, a setting of 32-33 is most appropriate.

As always, our technicians offer free service to our clients by phone at +1 888.485.4696 (toll-free US & Canada), or +1 704.535.5200.

How to Clean a Fargo HDP5000 Retransfer Printer

HID Global has provided a video guide on how to clean a Fargo HDP5000 printer. In it, you will see the contents of the cleaning kit as well as how to run the cleaning process. To clean your HDP5000, you will need a 089200 cleaning kit, your computer, and the printer. Before beginning any cleaning process, remove the retransfer film, print film, and card input hopper.

We recommend that you run the basic cleaning process every 1000 cards in order to keep your printer in optimal working condition:

  1. Open the cleaning kit and remove the adhesive backed card.
  2. Remove the paper backing and place the card at the entrance to the printer input feed.
  3. In your PC’s start menu, open “Devices and Printers.”
  4. Right click on the HDP5000 and choose “Printing preferences.”
  5. Within this window, click the “Toolbox” button on the bottom left, then open the “Clean Printer” tab.
  6. Review the instructions provided to make sure that you are prepared to run the cleaning process, then click the “Clean” button at the bottom of the window.

Less frequently (we recommend every 3000 cards), run the alcohol cleaning card:

  1. Open the card and insert it into the input hopper.
  2. Hold the card in place and press the forward button for 10 seconds.
  3. Continue to hold the card and press the back button for 10 seconds.
  4. Feed the card through the printer by pressing the forward button until the card exits the printer.

To clean the print-head (also every 3000 cards), we recommend completing this process with the alcohol cleaning process detailed above:

  1. Disconnect the printer power supply.
  2. Open the print-head cleaning swab.
  3. Open the front panel of the printer.
  4. Remove the ribbon.
  5. Squeeze to saturate the tip of the cleaning swab.
  6. Firmly wipe across the surface of the print-head.

After finishing any cleaning process, replace the ribbon and retransfer film and close the front panel. Also, don’t forget to replace the card input hopper.
To clean the outside of the printer, use the cleaning pad provided in the cleaning kit. Additionally, each new film cartridge comes with a cleaning roller, which is inserted at the input feed. We recommend changing that roller every time you change the film in order to keep your printer at its cleanest.

As always, if you have any questions or need any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our experts at +1 704.535.5200 or +1 888.485.4696.

Biometric Enrollment Updates to Asure ID 7

Last week’s update from HID Global® included information about biometric updates to Asure ID® 7 Enterprise and Exchange editions.

HID Global® has announced the latest release of its popular Asure ID® 7 Card Personalization Software suite, now incorporating greater functionality to support biometric enrollment and ease of use to the ID card personalization process. To support the biometric needs of healthcare, corporate enterprise and government applications, the latest release adds support for biometric enrollment when using HID Global Lumidigm® fingerprint sensors. Now, the user is able to store the fingerprint template in an external database using Asure ID’s Live LinkTM real-time data exchange and write the fingerprint template to a various smart cards using the iCLASS SE® encoder.  This new Lumidigm fingerprint sensor enrollment is supported by the following two editions:

  • Asure ID Enterprise – Featuring Live Link for large organizations that require multiple workstations to share a common database over a network in real time.
  • Asure ID Exchange – Designed for the most sophisticated and secure credential applications combining Live Link advanced database support and iDIRECTOR™ technology card design for smart card deployment.

HID Global encourages all current owners of Asure ID to download and install the latest update (Asure ID version 7.7), which is available at no charge to current Asure ID 2009 and Asure ID 7 users.  This update can be easily applied from within the application by clicking Options > Resources > Check For Updates.
New users can download a trial version of the software at hidglobal.com/asureid.

Incompatibility Issue with Certain Evolis Premium Suite and Firmware Versions

Evolis has found an incompatibility issue with some versions of Evolis Premium Suite and some printer firmware versions. Affected users will see an “offline” printer and can correct the issue by following the Evolis Premium Suite update instructions below.

EvolisMaydaySymptoms:

The printer appears as “offline” in the supervision mode in the Evolis Print Center. Communication with the printer and printing are not possible.

Printers affected:

  • Evolis Zenius
  • Evolis Primacy
  • Evolis Elypso
  • Evolis KC200 et Evolis KC200B

Evolis Premium Suite versions affected:

  • 6.18.0.688          (Published 10-July-2015)
  • 6.18.3.733          (Published 27-Aug-2015)
  • 6.18.4.750          (Published 25-Sept-2015)
  • 6.20.0.758          (Published 14-Oct-2015)
  • 6.21.0.800          (Published 19-Nov-2015)

 Printer firmware versions affected:

  • 1607 (or above)

Beginning with Evolis Premium Suite version “6.22.0.838” (published 13-Jan-2016), Evolis has solved this incompatibility error.

Evolis recommends updating Evolis Premium Suite in case the printer appears to be “Offline” in the Evolis Print Center, or in any instance of a client running one of the driver or firmware versions identified above. Following this recommendation will solve the incompatibility problem and may prevent it before it starts.

Clients should use the “Update Verification Wizard”, available from Evolis Print Center | Tools | Update Verification Wizard, to install the latest version of Evolis Premium Suite, and the latest printer firmware. The Update Verification Wizard requires access to the internet so it can connect to and retrieve the most recent updates from the Evolis website. If the host PC is not connected to the internet or you have any trouble following these instructions, please contact Safe-Card ID Services for assistance in retrieving and applying the necessary updates.

These kinds of compatibility issues are why we offer free lifetime support for a printer purchased from us! Our support technicians are available at +1 704.535.5200, or toll-free from the US and Canada at +1 888.485.4696.