FARGO electronic II - Manual (Page 6)

1
The Color ID Card Printer utilizes dye-sublimation
printing technology to achieve its direct-to-card
photo-quality output. Dye-sublimation is a process
which uses a dye-based ribbon roll that is
partitioned by a number of consecutive color
panels. The panels are grouped in a repeating
series of four separate colors, Yellow, Magenta,
Cyan, and Black (YMCK), along the entire length
of the ribbon. The ID Card Printer always prints
the yellow panel first, followed by the magenta
panel, the cyan panel, and finally the black panel.
If applicable, the fifth clear overlay panel will
always follow the black panel.
As the ribbon and card pass simultaneously
beneath the printhead, the hundreds of thermal
elements within the printhead heat the dyes on the
ribbon. When these dyes are heated, they vaporize
and diffuse into the surface of the card. By varying
the heat intensity of each thermal element within
the printhead, it is possible for each transferred dot
of color to vary in hue, thus blending one color into
the next. The result? Continuous-tone, photo-
realistic color images.
The Color ID Card Printer will print from any IBM-
PC
¨ or compatible running Windowsª 3.1x or
Windows 95. This means that you can use the
printer with virtually any software package
running under Windows without any special set-
up or configuration beyond the initial installation
of the specific software driver and interface cable.
Data is sent to the Color ID Card Printer in a bit-
mapped, rasterized format so your computer,
along with the printer driver software, will do
almost all of the complex Raster Image Processing
(ÒRIPÓ) work; therefore, the faster your computer,
the faster the image will be RIPÕd and sent to the
printer.
A. How Your
Color ID Card
Printer Works 1
Introduction
Congratulations
on your purchase
of the Color ID
Card Printer. This
printer has been
designed to
provide you with
stunning, photo-
quality color
output on a
variety of
different card
sizes and
thicknesses. It
offers many
features which
easily allow you
to create full-color
photo ID cards
complete with
high resolution
graphics, text, bar
codes, and even a
clear or
holographic
overlaminate.
B. Special
Features
Your Color ID Card Printer has many distinct
advantages over other color ID card printers. Its
100 card capacity card hopper allows for automatic
card feeding which reduces the time and personnel
required to create a photo ID card. In addition, the
Color ID Card Printer offers:
■ Automatic, dual-sided printing in color or
monochrome