Proper printer care is very important and regular maintenance can go a long way to ensuring that your badge printer stays as reliable as the day you purchased it. There are a lot of different things that can go wrong with an ID card printer. One of the worst scenarios is when the print head isn’t performing correctly, making any cards that print from the machine useless.
Printhead damage can happen for a variety of reasons. The most common cause is a bit of dirt or grit staying stuck to a card as it goes into the machine for printing. That grit scrapes the print head as the card is printing, leaving a scratch in the delicate part of the printer. The result is a white line through your printed card. The line corresponds with the scratch on the print head; a place where the head couldn’t heat up properly and melt the ink onto the card.
The best way to deal with this problem is, of course, prevention. Proper regular cleaning and maintenance to make sure the cleaning rollers are clean is the first line of defense against this kind of damage. Should this fail, there is a chance that the issue is actually caused by a speck of debris stuck to the head instead of damaging it. Following the manufacturer’s instructions for correctly cleaning the head may solve all of your issues without the hassle or cost of replacing the part.
For guidance on proper cleaning or maintenance of your badge printer, look no further. The ID card industry experts here at AdvantIDge can advise you on the proper steps to take for your badge machine, as well as offer all of the right cleaning supplies to get the job done right. If things do turn out to be the worst; a need to replace that print head, AdvantIDge can help there, too. We keep most parts in stock and offer expedited repair services for all the major card printer manufacturers. With more than 40 years of combined industry experience, we’re ready to help you achieve your identification goals. For specific information please contact our sales department at [email protected] or call 800-965-5932 for more information on this update– we provide excellent customer service!
