58 Troubleshooting
Print quality concerns
Problem Probable Cause Solution
One or more color or
white streaks appear on
the card.
Dust or debris on the
printhead.
Try printing another card as the dust may
no longer be on the printhead.
Clean the printhead. Refer to “Clean the
Printhead” on page 49.
If the printhead is damaged, contact your
service provider.
Non-repeating color dots
appear on multiple
printed cards.
Dust or debris on the ink
ribbon or retransfer film.
Advance the ink ribbon or retransfer film, or
install new supplies.
Repeating color dots
appear on multiple
printed cards.
Dust or debris on the cam
rollers located opposite
the printhead.
Clean the printhead cam rollers with an
adhesive-coated cleaning card. Refer to
“Clean the Printhead Cam Rollers” on
page 45.
One color panel is not
aligned correctly with
other color panels.
The ink ribbon or
retransfer film is slipping.
Contact your service provider to adjust the
tension on the ink ribbon or retransfer film.
Card with darkly colored
areas are not printing
properly.
The card includes very
dark areas.
If possible, change the design to use
smaller areas of dark color.
Use a different color ink ribbon. Contact
your service provider for more
information.
Color printing is darker
than intended.
The black (K) panel of the
ink ribbon is used to
darken other colors, in
addition to printing any
black elements. The black
ink is beneath the color
(YMC) pigments when
they are placed on the
card.
Refer to “Elements of Card Design” in the
printer’s Installation and Administrator’s
Guide for suggestions and printing guidelines.