FARGO electronic HDP700 - Manual (Page 39)

FARGO Electronics Inc.
HDP700 Series Card Printer 3-3
For all these reasons, it is important to evaluate a customer’s card stock selection as part of the selling
process. This will help optimize the HDP print process for the specific card and maximize customer
satisfaction in the printer. The remainder of this document describes how this should be done.
3.2.2 Selecting The Appropriate HDP Printer Driver Settings
FARGO offers two types of PVC cards: glossy UltraCard™ cards and matte-finished HDP-PVC Cards.
The HDP printer driver software (version 1.3.0 or higher) has default Transfer Temperature, Dwell
Time and Flattener Temperature settings that deliver the best transfer for these card types. These
defaults automatically configure based on the card type, ribbon type, and whether printing single- or
dual-sided. Before printing, if using these standard FARGO card types, check to make sure that the
appropriate card type option selected from the Card Tab of the HDP printer driver:
Table 3-1
Card/Ribbon Type Transfer Temp Transfer Time Flattener Temp (1)
UltraCards-Glossy PVC
+ non-H panel ribbon
175º 2 seconds/inch Dual Side: 75º
Single Side: 90º
HDP Cards-Matte PVC +
non-H panel ribbon 195º 2 seconds/inch Dual Side: 75º
Single Side: 90º
UltraCards-Glossy PVC
+ H panel ribbon (2)
175º 2 seconds/inch Dual Side: 75º
Single Side: 90º
HDP Cards-Matte PVC +
H panel ribbon
(2)
175º 2 seconds/inch Dual Side: 75º
Single Side: 90º
(1) Based on 30-mil card thickness. For thinner cards, reduce the Flattener temperature; increase the Flattener temperature for
thicker cards.
(2) YMCKH panel ribbon provides a "Heat Seal" panel that aids in transferring to matte-finished cards and requires a lower
transfer temperature. Note that only matte-finished cards with a surface roughness (Ra) of 60 micro inches or less are
recommended.
It is very important to note that not all card types will be accommodated by these default settings. In
some cases experimentation may be needed to find the proper settings.
For the cases where custom settings are required, the printer driver's Card Type option also includes a
"Custom 1" and "Custom 2" option. These settings allow designating a unique Card Type name, which
then saves custom Image Transfer settings. For example, "Custom 1" could b e changed to read as
"My Cards". Custom transfer settings would then be available whenever this Card Type option is
selected and saved each time the printer driver setup window is closed. To determine the proper
settings for custom card stock, FARGO recommends the Tape Adhesion Test.
3.2.3 Tape Adhesion Test
If printing to a card other than UltraCard or HDP-PVC, FARGO cannot be certain which transfer
temperature and dwell time work best. Optimal transfer settings may vary from card type to card
type. It is important to use sufficient time and temperature to transfer HDP Film to the card to ensure
a long lasting, durable card. Inadequate time and temperature could produce cards that are more
vulnerable to accelerated wear and dye migration.
One way to test the adhesion quality of the HDP Film to the card is by printing sample cards and
completing an adhesive tape test. The IPC (Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic
Circuits) outlines a pressure sensitive tape test (test manual Section 3.7, number 1, IPC-TM-650-
3.7.1D) that evaluates adhesion quality.