Page 1: Table Of Contents
ID system installation sequence 4 Installation choices 5 Unpacking and connecting the printer 7 Unpacking the printer 7 Powering on an SP35 or SP55 printer 7 Powering on an SP75 printer 7 Data cables 8 Is the printer ready for driver installation? 9 Installing the driver 11 Install the Smart Driver™...
Page 2: Installation
Installation The printer is easy to install and use. It is also flexible; you can connect and use it in many different ways. Most often, one printer is connected to one PC. However, two or more PCs can connect to and use one printer, or more than one printer can be attached to a PC.
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Page 4: Before You Install
Datacard®-authorized service personnel also install printers. Site requirements The SP35 Printer Guide, SP55 Printer Guide, or SP75 Printer Guide describes site requirements for each printer. Site guidelines When choosing a site for the printer and its supplies, consider these guidelines: •...
Page 5: Pc And Software Requirements
— The PC might have more than one USB port, or USB devices already attached to the PC might provide USB ports to use. Datacard® recommends using the Windows XP or 2000 operating systems if you plan to connect more than one printer to a PC using USB ports or using a USB port and another connection method.
Page 6: Installation Choices
USB devices (including other hubs) can be connected (cascaded). Up to five hubs can be used between the printer and the PC. Every other hub must be powered. Datacard® printers do not contain a hub to support connecting other devices. If you need to connect two Datacard® printers to a PC with one USB port, obtain a USB hub to which both printers can be connected.
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Page 8: Unpacking And Connecting The Printer
2 Remove the installation map. The top side shows the accessories shipped with the printer. If the printer includes optional items, the options are checked on the installation map. 3 The cables, Printer Guide, and other supplies are contained in the accessories tray. For SP35, lift out the accessories tray.
Page 9: Data Cables
2 Plug the other end of the power cord into a single-phase, 3-wire grounded receptacle with 90-130V AC or 195- 254V AC at 50 or 60 Hz (2). 3 Press | to power on the printer (3). The printer automatically adjusts to the voltage of the input power. Data cables All SP Series printers have a USB data port, and some also have an Ethernet data port.
Page 10: Is The Printer Ready For Driver Installation
Is the printer ready for driver installation? Before installing the printer driver, do the following: • Load cards in the input hopper. See the SP35 Printer Guide, SP55 Printer Guide, Network Printer Guide, SP75 Printer Guide, or the Installation Map. •...
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Page 12: Installing The Driver
If the PC does not have a CD-ROM drive, request diskettes from your service provider. (Service providers can obtain the driver as diskette images from the partner page.) You also can download the printer driver from www.datacard.com. • If you have installed the printer driver and want to update to the most recent driver, follow the steps in "Updating...
Page 13 Central (or e-Guide) is not installed. Click Okay to close the message box. You can locate the download file for SP Series Info Central and e-Guide in the downloads area of www.datacard.com. — If the firmware needs to be updated, you will be prompted to follow the instructions on the screen.
Page 14: Install The Smart Driver™ To A Usb Port On Windows Me
17 Click the Print Sample Card button to verify printer and driver installation. If you will connect additional Datacard® printers, you can install e-Guides for the Magna Platinum AIT printer, the Select Platinum AIT printer, and the ImageCard IV printer. The procedure is slightly different for these e-Guides.
Page 15: Install The Smart Driver™ On Windows Nt
Central (or e-Guide) is not installed. Click Okay to close the message box. You can locate the download file for SP Series Info Central and e-Guide in the downloads area of www.datacard.com. 10 After the PC restarts, the Printer Toolbox is displayed.
Page 16: Printing Sample Cards
"PC port settings" for more information. • Supplies are installed in all cartridges and cartridges are loaded correctly. See the SP35 Printer Guide, SP55 Printer Guide, Network Printer Guide, or SP75 Printer Guide for more information. • The printer is ready to print. The status light on the printer should be steady green when you send a sample card.
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Page 18: Setting Printer Permissions
Setting printer permissions This section includes: • "Setting printer permissions with Windows XP or 2000" • "Setting printer permissions with Windows NT" • "Changing user permissions in the Registry" Setting printer permissions with Windows XP or 2000 If the PC to which the printer is attached has other users and runs the Windows XP or 2000 operating system, set permissions that: •...
Page 19 Setting printer permissions with Windows NT If the PC to which the printer is attached has other users and runs the Windows NT operating system, set permissions that: • Allow users to use all features of the printer and driver, including messages. (Messages inform users when they need to change the ribbon, load cards, and fix problems.) •...
Page 20 5 In the Registry Key Permissions dialog box, select Replace Permissions on Existing Subkeys. Then select Full Control from the Type of Access list. 6 Click OK to save the new permissions and answer Yes to the message that follows. SP Series Install e-Guide...
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Page 22: Changing The Type Of Printer Connected
Changing the type of printer connected The Smart Driver™ supports SP35 printers, SP55 printers, SP75 printers, Select printers (Platinum Series or with Advanced Imaging Technology), Magna printers (Platinum Series or with Advanced Imaging Technology), and ImageCard IV printers. Each of these groups is considered a printer type.
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Page 24: Network Installation
Network installation This section includes: • "About network printing" • "Prepare the printer for installation" • "Connect the printer to the network" — "Use the Ethernet port" — "Use the USB port and a wired print server" — "Use the USB port and a wireless print server" —...
Page 25 • The printer can be connected to a wireless print server, which communicates with a PC using a wireless connection on the PC (ad hoc or peer-to-peer mode), creating a local wireless network. • The printer can be connected to a wireless print server, which communicates to a wireless access point (WAP) on an existing network (infrastructure mode).
Page 26: Prepare The Printer For Installation
— More than one PC on the network can print to the printer. All PCs must send cards to a printer in the same way; either using the Smart Driver™ or using the optional Open Card data format. Datacard® recommends that one PC be used for administrative tasks, such as running the setup utility and, if needed, Diagnostics.
Page 27: Connect The Printer To The Network
6 Work with network support personnel to understand whether the network uses DHCP or static IP addressing. If it uses static IP addressing, obtain the IP address, subnet mask, and gateway address from network support personnel. (In a printer with the Built-in Ethernet feature, you can also use the default IP address in the printer.) DHCP is the printer default.
Page 28 — Choose to install a directly networked printer. — Make sure that each printer has a unique name on the PC. One PC can connect to multiple Datacard® printers on the network. 5 Configure the port to define the connection between the printer and PC.
Page 29 — Choose to install a directly networked printer. — Make sure that each printer has a unique name on the PC. One PC can connect to multiple Datacard® printers on the network. 6 Configure the port to define the connection between the printer and PC.
Page 30 5 The display shows the address mode, which can be DHCP (default) or Static IP. — If the address mode setting is the one you want to use, use the Network Status submenus to retrieve the IP address, subnet mask, gateway address, and, if needed, the MAC address values from the printer: —...
Page 31 — If you choose DHCP, the display shows “Apply/Restart” on line 2. If you are not connected to a DHCP network, the IP address will be blank until you connect the printer to the network. Continue with step 9. — If you choose Static IP, the second line of the LCD panel shows “IP Address.” —...
Page 32 9 Press the Enter key to apply the value(s) and restart the printer. The Status light shows amber (yellow) and then blinks green. Internal printer components move and the LCD panel changes to show “Printer Ready” on the first line. Set the Data Format This section applies only to the SP55 printer with the Built-in Ethernet and Open Card features.
Page 33: Printer And Smart Driver Setup
Printer and Smart Driver setup For printer and Smart Driver setup information, see the Setup e-guide. To begin producing cards, see the Production e-guide. SNMP Support The SP Series Card Printer with the Built-in Ethernet feature supports the following SNMP (simple network management protocol) features: •...
Page 34: Updating The Driver
The Printer Toolbox displays the version of the printer driver, which can help you to decide whether to update the driver. See the SP35 Printer Guide, SP55 Printer Guide, or SP75 Printer Guide if you need instructions on opening the Printer Toolbox.
Page 35: Updating The Printer Driver For Windows Me, 98 Se, Or Nt
6 You must restart the PC before the driver can work with the printer. Click Finish to close the installation and restart the PC. 7 Follow instructions to update the printer firmware if prompted. Make sure the printer is connected to the PC and powered on before running the Firmware update utility.
Page 36: Reinstalling The Driver
Your service provider has asked you to remove and reinstall the driver as a solution to a problem You can download the current printer driver from www.datacard.com. Go to the downloads area and click Printer Drivers. Be sure to download the correct printer driver for your operating system. When you download the printer driver, Datacard®...
Page 37: Running The Cleanup Utility
Running the Cleanup utility Tips for success • Download the Cleanup Utility from the downloads area of www.datacard.com. • The cleanup utility is also available on the printer driver CD-ROM. • If you have attempted to delete the printer and the icon remains, run the Cleanup utility as though the driver was deleted.
Page 38: Troubleshooting Installation Problems
Problem Cause Possible solution For SP35 and SP55 printers, the The power outlet does not work. Connect the power supply to another light on the power supply does power source that you have verified, for not come on within 30 seconds example by connecting a lamp.
Page 39: Troubleshooting A Network Installation With A Print Server
Problem Cause Possible solution The USB cable is defective. Use a different USB cable that is up to 6.5 feet or 2 meters long. The printer is connected through Remove hubs until the printer is more than 5 hubs (or devices) or connected through 5 or fewer hubs (or through 2 or more unpowered devices) or directly to the PC.
Page 40: Troubleshooting An Sp Series Card Printer With The Built-In Ethernet Feature
In the printer Properties dialog box, make The port mode has not been the printer has not been defined. sure the port is a Datacard® network port detected. (DCNet_) and that the IP address or device name is configured for the port.
Page 41: Removing A Device From The Device Manager
If you use a print server, read the guide(s) for the print server, which addresses many common situations not specifically covered in this e-Guide. • Request assistance from your Datacard® service provider. Removing a device from the Device Manager Remove a device from the Device Manager if the Add/Detect New Hardware wizard was cancelled (or another installation problem occurred), or you want to reinstall the printer driver.
Page 42 Locate the device to delete. The device might be called “Unknown device” or “Smart Driver.” It is usually marked with a yellow question mark. If neither of these types of devices is displayed, go to step 10. — On Windows Me and Windows 98, click on the device name or icon to select it, and then click the Remove button.
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Page 44: Connecting More Than One Printer Or More Than One Pc
PC. Datacard® printers do not have ports to support daisy chaining. If you need to connect two Datacard® printers to a PC with one USB port, obtain a USB hub to which both printers can be connected.
Page 45: Using More Than One Printer On A Pc
• Select the printer to use in the application. Card jobs will be sent to the selected printer even if more than one Datacard® printer is attached to the PC. • When messages are displayed, the title bar of the message box displays the name of the printer causing the message.
Page 46: Printer Pooling
All printers must have the same features to be part of the pool. Printers can be installed before or after the printer pool is set up and will be included in the pool. By default, all directly connected Datacard® printers are included in the pool, so all printers must support and use the same card features.
Page 47: Use A Printer Pool
To use the printer pool effectively, each card must be sent from the application as a separate job. Some applications, such as Datacard® ID Works, send each card in a batch as a separate job, while others send the batch as one job. Test the application you use to determine the best way to send multiple cards to the printer pool.
Page 48 — No jobs are pending in the spooler for that printer — The printer is not paused — The printer is not set to “work offline” — The printer status is not “User Intervention Required” — The Printer Toolbox is not in Advanced Setup mode After a card is sent by the printer pool to a specific printer, it cannot be removed from that printer and assigned to another printer.
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Page 50: Printer Sharing
Printer sharing This section includes: • "Requirements for local printer sharing" • "Components" • "Setting up printing sharing" • "Installing the printer driver on the client PC" • "Performing management tasks at the host PC" • "Using the printer from the client PC" This section describes how you can print to a printer over a network using Microsoft File and Printer Sharing.
Page 51 Network: A network must be set up and working before you begin. See "Network installation" for more information. Host PC: The host PC has the printer attached to it. The host PC must be connected to the network. For Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows NT, you need to set up users and access.
Page 52 Choose the printer to which the user will print. The printer name appears in the Printer box. e Change the name of the printer if needed so it is different from the name of other Datacard® printers attached to the PC.
Page 53 Performing management tasks at the host PC The user at the host PC has more control over the printer and more information about the printer. This section describes some tasks performed at the host PC. For Windows XP and 2000, the user must be logged in with Print, Manage Printers, and Manage Documents permissions.
Page 54 • Use the Color Settings page of the Toolbox. The Printer Toolbox box on the client PC provides access to the Color Settings page. The color settings can be used to fine-tune the appearance of cards sent from the client •...
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Page 56: Pc Port Settings
PC port settings This section describes how to configure ports on the PC attached to the printer. For a local connection, the PC uses a USB port. If the printer includes a smart card module, that module connects to a USB or serial port on the PC.
Page 57: Serial Port Settings
9 Click OK on the Properties dialog box and on the System Properties dialog box to save settings and close the dialog boxes. Serial port settings This section describes how to set serial port values. A serial port might be used with a smart card module. For some smart card applications, you connect the PC to the serial port on the printer.
Page 58 6 Use the following settings: Setting Value Baud rate 9600 Data bits Parity None Stop bits Flow control None 7 When the settings are correct, click OK to save settings and close the dialog box. Setting a serial port for Windows Me or 98 1 From the Start menu, choose Settings and then Control Panel.
Page 59 4 Press the "+" next to Ports (COM & LPT) to display a list of ports. 5 From the Ports list, choose the port, such as COM1 or COM2. — If the PC has more than one serial port, make sure you view the settings for the serial port to which the smart card is attached.
Page 60 8 Use the following settings: Setting Value Bits per second 9600 Data bits Parity None Stop bits Flow control None 9 When the settings are correct, click OK to save settings and close the dialog box. Setting the serial port on Windows NT 1 From the Start menu, choose Settings and then Control Panel.
Page 61 Stop bits Flow control None 6 When the settings are correct, click OK to save settings and close the dialog box. SP Series Install e-Guide...
Page 62: On The Cd-Rom
The following table lists the contents of the CD-ROM, the path, and the purpose of the program, file, or utility: Path Purpose Datacard® Smart Driver™ User-friendly access to all D:\SETUP.exe CD-ROM of the applications on the...
Page 63 The printer drivers are updated from time to time to provide optimal functionality. You can obtain the most recent printer driver for the PC operating system you use from www.datacard.com. You also can request the newest release of the printer driver on CD-ROM. The part number changes with each release. The e-Guides are also updated from time to time and can be downloaded from the Datacard®...
Page 64 Add New Hardware wizard 13, 38, 43 address mode network set up 28 Administrator Windows 2000 and XP 17, 33, 35 Windows NT 18 Adobe Acrobat Reader 62 badging system installation sequence 4 built-in Ethernet option 24 cable connecting 8 data 8 network 24 USB 8, 38...
Page 65 host PC 49 management 52 print server 26 ID system installation sequence 4 Installation 5 installation Adobe Acrobat Reader 62 audience 3 choices 11 connect more than one printer 5 Copying Files dialog box 44 fixing problems 40 prepare the printer 25 printer ready 9 report 15 sequence 4...
Page 66 network installation connecting to the network 26 directly from printer 23 overview 23 requirements 24 types of connections 23 with print server 23 with wired print server 26 with wireless print server 23, 27 operating systems supported 4 client 50 connecting more than one printer 5, 43 host 50 ID software 4...
Page 67 more than one per PC 5, 43, 44 network setup 28 restart 30 sharing 49 SNMP support 30 Printer Diagnostic Utility 5 printer driver change printer type 21 client PC 50, 52 directly networked 33 host PC 50, 52 install using USB port 11, 13 installing 11 installing network client 50 PC requirements 4...
Page 68 site requirements 3 Smart Driver see printer driver 21 SNMP support 30 software requirements 4 SP60 printer, use SP55 instructions 7 Start menu 35 static IP network addressing 26 status light restart 30 storage supplies 3 supplies storage 3 TCP/IP protocol 24 connect cable 8 port settings 55 USB port 4...
Page 69 printer sharing 49 service pack 33 update printer driver 33 USB port 55 Windows Me and 98 printer sharing 49 Windows NT host PC permission 52 network permissions 52 permission to delete printer 35 permissions 18, 49 printer sharing 49 service pack 4 Windows operating systems supported 4 Windows PC settings 55...
Page 70 SETUP FOR CARD DESIGN GUIDE Setting up for your card design 1 Getting started 1 How do I create a card design? 1 What is a card design? 1 When should I perform setup tasks? 1 What do I use to set up the printer? 2 Why are there several interfaces to set up the printer? 2 Card design checklist 3 Working with Properties and Printing Preferences 5...
Page 71: Getting Started
How do I create a card design? • ID Works® and Preface ID™ software from Datacard® are designed to capture, format, and manage the data that often appears on cards. (Other applications can use the Smart Driver™ API or other driver features to handle card-specific data.) See www.datacard.com for more information about Datacard products and...
Page 72 For example, you cannot change printhead settings at the same time as you are printing cards. The current interfaces are the result of efforts by Datacard to meet the needs of customers and dealers who use the printer. (The driver for SP Series printers can be used with other Datacard printers.)
Page 73 Card design checklist Use this checklist to guide your selection of set up tasks to perform. Before you print the design: • Does the card include a smart card or magnetic stripe on the printed side of the card? If yes, set topcoat blocking to prevent application of topcoat over that feature.
Page 74 — Select a dithering method (for Windows 98 or Me) to manage how color photos are printed using one color. — Use the Brightness, Contrast, and Sharpness controls on the Color Settings page to obtain the best quality printed photos. See "Color settings"...
Page 75 Working with Properties and Printing Preferences Printer driver settings and data are organized in a set of dialog boxes or pages where settings for the printer are displayed and can be changed. The dialog boxes are organized differently for Windows Me and 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows NT.
Page 76 3 Click once on the Smart Driver™ icon. Smart Driver is the default name of the printer. The name of your printer might be different. 4 Select File from the Printers menu bar, and then select Properties. The Smart Driver™ Properties dialog box appears.
Page 77 6 If you make changes, click Apply to save the settings. When you are done, click OK to close the dialog box. If you do not want to make changes, click Cancel to close the Properties dialog box. Properties & Printing Preferences for Windows 2000 & XP The Properties dialog box includes the following: •...
Page 78 — Ports: Shows the port to which the printer is connected, and includes the Port Settings button for setting up a directly networked printer. — Advanced: Contains the “Update Driver” button. Use the Datacard installation, not this button, to install a more recent printer driver —...
Page 79: Properties And Default Document Properties For Windows Nt
— If the setting you want to change does not appear, click the Advanced button to display the Advanced Options dialog box. — Click the plus sign (+) to see all selections available. — When you click a selection, a list of choices appears next to the selection. Click the arrow on the box to see the selections available.
Page 80 • Card design settings, such as landscape or portrait orientation • Print blocking pattern • Whether to apply topcoat or patch material to the front of the card, back of the card, or both • Data about the printer, including the printer type •...
Page 81: Changing The Type Of Print Ribbon
3 Remove the ribbon cartridge and remove the existing ribbon from the cartridge. 4 Load the new type of ribbon on the cartridge. Make sure the ribbon is Datacard-approved for use in the SP Series card printer you are using.
Page 82 Several colors of monochrome (single-color) print ribbon are available for the SP Series printer. A roll of ribbon prints 1500 or more images. The Ribbon Saver feature is enabled by Datacard-certified monochrome ribbons. Ribbon Saver increases the number of cards printed with each roll of ribbon.
Page 83 Changing the print intensity When you use Datacard monochrome ribbons, the printer identifies the ribbon and changes internal values for optimal printing of a range of card features. (For example, the printer uses slightly different values to print with black ribbon than with red ribbon.) However, your card requirements might be different. For example, your card might include a bar code and you might want to change print intensity to produce the most readable bar codes.
Page 84: Color Settings
Color settings Use the Color Settings page to fine-tune the printed appearance of your cards. Color settings affect how the printer driver prepares card data to send to the printer, so the changes to color settings affect only the cards sent from the PC on which you make the changes.
Page 85 The page displays the current settings. For all settings, a value of 0 (zero) is equal to no change. What should I do before changing color settings? 1 Set up your card design, using your ID software. Make sure that you use all the data you plan to print in the design, such as a logo, a photo, text, and a bar code.
Page 86 Tips for success • The color preview will change as you change settings. • The driver displays a message if you select a bitmap that does not meet requirements. • The current settings on the Color Settings page are printed on the card, along with the preview image you choose, when you click the Print Sample Card button on the Color Settings page.
Page 87 — In the ID software, print one or more sample cards. — Click the Print Sample Card button to print a card. 6 Use a permanent marker to mark the back of the card with a 2 (or the next number if repeating these steps). —...
Page 88 3 Drag the pointer to the new position. 4 If changing the color that appears to be a problem does not fix the situation, try changing the other two colors. For example, if the logo is too red, try changing green and blue to bring red into balance. 5 Wait a moment while the Color Image Preview changes to show the effect of the new setting.
Page 89 3 Click the Color Settings tab and make sure the Match Monitor setting is clear. 4 Click the Apply Changes button, if necessary. 5 Print a sample card. (Use the same method as you used in step 1.) — In the ID software, print one or more sample cards. —...
Page 90: Process For Changing Settings
Changing settings in the printer This section describes the settings in the printer that you might want to change. These settings can be used to customize the performance of the printer to meet the demands of your card design. This section contains: "Process for changing settings"...
Page 91 Suggested process 1 Make sure the printer is powered on and is directly connected to the PC. 2 Identify the setting to change and the result you want. (Stating the desired result in a measurable way can help you identify when you have met your goal.) 3 Make a test card (or sample card) and record the current values for the setting to change.
Page 92 8 Mark the card on the back with a 2 (or the next sequence number if repeating these steps) and the new settings (such as K -20 for K intensity). 9 Evaluate the result as shown on the printed card. —...
Page 93 Make small changes in settings to avoid breaking the laminator material. • You can use the mouse or the arrow keys (><) to move the slider. • Do not change laminator settings unless requested to do so by your Datacard®-authorized service provider. SP Series Info Central: Setup...
Page 94 Your Datacard®-authorized service provider can provide specific guidance for your situation. — Speed: Decrease the speed to improve how well the material adheres to the card. Your Datacard®- authorized service provider can provide specific guidance for your situation.
Page 95 — Supply Registration: Move the slider to the right if the supply material (or holographic image) is too far from the leading edge of the card. Move the slider to the left if the supply material is too close or over the leading edge of the card.
Page 96 Datacard strongly recommends that you do not create a bitmap for customized blocking. Instead, modify the Datacard-provided files to work with your card design. The file must meet very specific requirements, and starting with Datacard-provided files can more quickly result in success.
Page 97 If the side of the card for which you want customized blocking includes more than one blocking area, you need to create all blocking areas in the bitmap file. Datacard ID Works® ID software allows you to specify the following...
Page 98 • You might want to copy the Datacard-provided blocking bitmaps to a second location so you can start over with editing if needed. If you will include a graphic image, save the graphic image file with a new name before modifying it to work with a blocking bitmap.
Page 99 • If you use Datacard ID Works® ID Software, the blocking you specify in the ID software is combined with user- defined blocking.
Page 100 To prepare the image shown, do the following: — Invert the colors (change the white background to black and the black image to white). — Scale the image to occupy the appropriate area of the card. — Copy the image and paste it in the blocking bitmap. (Do not specify “transparent” when pasting because the white image might disappear!) 9 Save the file with the same name and in the same location as you found it.
Page 101: Magnetic Stripe Setup
Magnetic Stripe Setup Do the following to set up the printer and driver to encode magnetic stripes on cards: • Use cards with magnetic stripes when making a magnetic stripe test card. • Identify the encoding format and how it will be formatted (by the application, using magnetic stripe fonts, or using escape codes).
Page 102: Magnetic Stripe Escapes
SP Series printer. Magnetic stripe escape codes are used by card printers from several other manufacturers. To support existing custom applications, Datacard has implemented magnetic stripe escapes. To use magnetic stripe escapes with the driver, a custom application must send data to the driver, not directly to the printer.
Page 103: Using Magnetic Stripe Escapes
To enable magnetic stripe escapes, do the following: 1 Make sure the printer power is on and the printer is connected to the PC. Also make sure that the driver is installed on the PC and communicates with the printer. 2 Select Start from the Windows task bar.
Page 104 IATA, ABA, and TTS character sets The IAT encoding format selection for the SP35 printer encodes IATA data on track 1, ABA data on track 2, and TTS data on track 3. This meets the requirements of the ISO standard.
Page 105: Ntt Character Set
TTS (Thrift Third Standard) The maximum field length for TTS format is 104 characters. TTS allows numeric characters and the following special characters: : ; < = > NTT character set The maximum field length for NTT (Nippon Telephone & Telegraph) format is 69 characters. NTT allows spaces, numeric characters, upper case alphabetic characters, lower case alphabetic characters, and special characters.
Page 106 Magnetic Stripe settings used by the printer The following table presents technical details that apply to encoding magnetic stripe data. IATA Binary Character Differential Start Sentinel (SS) % (37) ; (59) ; (59) None (ASCII character) End Sentinel (ES) ? (63) ? (63) ? (63) None...
Page 107: Smart Card Codes On The Printer Label
The printer label includes codes to identify the type and model of smart card module installed in the printer. The model(s) of reader available might change and additional models might become available. (SP35 printers might have identifiers that describe the reader, such as SC430.)
Page 108 If the printer contains a smart card module, the printer label will include “SC” and three numbers. Each digit in the number represents a different part of the code. The following table lists the codes used on the printer label. Code Components SC110...
Page 109 If the reader is a GemPlus 680, files to support a contactless reader are available from the Downloads area of www.datacard.com on the Utilities page. The zip file you download will include instructions. On some PCs, you also need to install Windows Smart Card Base Components, which are available in the Support folder of the Smart Driver™...
Page 110 • If the printer has a USB smart card port, follow these guidelines: — The USB cable must be a type CM 30V cable, up to a maximum of 6.5 feet or 2 meters long. A longer cable might result in electrical interference. —...
Page 111 USB smart card port to the PC. More recent files for GemPC readers are available from Gemplus. Install the files from Gemplus after Windows installs the device. — If you plug in the smart card USB port instead of the printer data port when installing the printer, the Add/ Detected New Hardware wizard appears, naming the reader as the hardware it found.
Page 112 • Check the Windows Device Manager to verify that the device is installed: — A contact smart card reader will appear as an entry under “Smart Card Reader.” — If the contact reader appears as an entry under “Other devices” the device is not installed correctly. For Windows Me and 98 SE, restart Windows to enable device installation.
Page 113 Laminator Setup The information in this section applies only to SP75 printers. All SP75 printers have one laminator, which is always in the L1 location, toward the front of the printer. Some SP75 printers have a second laminator in the L2 location, toward the back of the printer. Laminator materials The laminator applies topcoat or DuraGard®...
Page 114 To improve security of the card. Holographic and other transparent images are tamper-evident and can be difficult to mimic. Users can purchase material with Datacard®-designed images or can develop a customized image and purchase custom material to meet specific security needs.
Page 115 — The patch does not come off when the card is bent or twisted If any of these conditions are present, you might need to change settings to provide the best possible results. Ask your Datacard®-authorized service provider for guidance and then see "Change laminator settings (SP75 only)"...
Page 116 color quality 3 advanced setup 20 help 6 spooler setting 5 application Default Document Prop- print ribbon graphics 3, 26 erties 10 driver setting 5 ID software 5 Printing Preferences 9 Properties 6, 7, 10 monochrome 3 bar codes holographic topcoat saving 3 printing intensity 20 registration 24...
Page 117 print ribbon 3 software printing 20 settings graphics 3, 26 bi-directional support 5 ID software 5 Windows color 14 image editing 3, 26 Device Manager 41 default 5 smart card 37, 41 Windows 2000 and XP not available 5, 9 support color profile 3 printer 20...
Page 118 CARD PRODUCTION & SYSTEM MAINTENANCE GUIDE Card production and system maintenance 1 Card Production 3 Printing cards using ID software 3 Printing cards using a PC application 3 Laminating only 4 Responding to messages 5 Cleaning 7 Cleaning the printer rollers 7 Cleaning the duplex module(s) 10 Cleaning the printhead 11 Cleaning the laminator 13...
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Page 120: Card Production And System Maintenance
Card production and system maintenance After the printer, driver, ID software, and capture system are set up, you are ready to produce cards. To assure that you produce cards that meet requirements, be familiar with how to make cards. In addition, invest small amount of time to care for the equipment you use to print cards.
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Page 122: Card Production
For the most current information about messages, see the online help for each message. Printing cards using ID software To use ID software, such as Datacard® ID Works™ or Preface™: 1 Follow instructions for the ID software to capture, format, and save the card data.
Page 123: Laminating Only
6 When the card data is ready, select Print to send the card to print. The printer driver receives and processes card data, places cards in a queue, and sends the next card to the printer. Laminating only This section applies only to the SP75 printer. Tips for Success •...
Page 124: Responding To Messages
(see the Printer Toolbox). Call your service provider. • On the SP35 and SP55 printer, rejected cards are placed in the output hopper. On the SP75, rejected cards are placed in the reject bin. SP Series Production e-Guide...
Page 125 SP Series Production e-Guide...
Page 126: Cleaning
Cleaning This section contains: • "Cleaning the printer rollers" • "Cleaning the duplex module(s)" Site requirements for guidelines for a good printer environment, which can reduce the amount of cleaning required to produce high-quality cards. Cleaning tips • Run a printer cleaning card as the first step when cleaning the printer. The printer cleaning card can remove most contaminants from the printer.
Page 127 c Remove the cap from the cleaning pen. Hold the end of the cleaning pen against the pick roller. d Click the Clean Printer button in the Printer Toolbox. Click OK on the prompt that appears. Do not insert a cleaning card! The driver sends a command to the printer to run the printer cleaning card.
Page 128 c Observe the permanent cleaning rollers, especially the lower roller (location 1 in the illustration). If you observe ribbon or other debris on the rollers, clean the rollers using the cleaning pen. (If not, continue with step 4.) d Do one of the following to turn the rollers in the printer. —...
Page 129: Cleaning The Duplex Module(S)
7 Replace cards in the input hopper. 8 Print a card to verify the quality of printing. You can print a printer test card, a sample card, or a card using your card creation application. Cleaning the duplex module(s) On SP55 printers with the optional duplex module, and on SP75 printers, clean the duplex rollers as described next.
Page 130: Cleaning The Printhead
Cleaning the printhead The printhead can have contamination stuck to it. You might notice it as unprinted lines on printed cards. Clean the printhead only when needed, such as: • The printhead has been accidently touched, such as when changing supplies or clearing a card jam. •...
Page 131 6 Connect the power cable to the power receptacle to power on the printer. 7 Print a card to verify the quality of printing. You can print a sample card or a card from your application. SP Series Production e-Guide...
Page 132: Cleaning The Laminator
Cleaning the laminator This section applies only to the SP75 printer. Using the laminator cleaning card Use the laminator cleaning card when at least one laminator is loaded with holographic topcoat material and one or more of the following are true: •...
Page 133 7 Click OK on the message box to begin running the laminator cleaning card. 8 When the process is complete, the printer ejects the laminator cleaning card in the output hopper. 9 Pull out the laminator cartridge and inspect for particles. If particles are present: —...
Page 134: Replacing The Printhead Cartridge
Replacing the printhead cartridge The printer uses an operator-replaceable printhead cartridge. For more information about printhead cartridges, see Supplies. This section contains: • "Remove the printhead cartridge" • "Replace the printhead cartridge" Remove the printhead cartridge Do not touch the printing edge of the printhead cartridge. If you do, clean it using the cleaning pen, as described in "Cleaning the printhead".
Page 135 Replace the printhead cartridge 1 Position the printhead cartridge with the silver label toward you and on top. Place the printhead cable behind the cartridge so the plug is visible through the opening in the printhead cartridge. 2 Carefully align the plug with the receptacle on the printhead. Push the plug all the way onto the receptacle (see the following illustration).
Page 136 4 Press in the printhead latch (step 1 in the illustration above) and push up on the printhead cartridge to seat it in the cradle. (step 2 in the illustration above). Release the printhead latch when the printhead cartridge is in place.
Page 137 SP Series Production e-Guide...
Page 138: Maintain The Pc
Maintain the PC Good PC operation contributes to good operation of the printer and driver. Problems on the PC can prevent efficient operation of the system that includes the PC and printer. Perform PC hard disk maintenance on a regular basis or when the following occurs: •...
Page 139 Installing the Driver. • If a Datacard® printer driver was installed on this PC and then removed, you can run the Cleanup Utility to remove any files that Windows does not remove. See the “Running the Cleanup Utility” in Reinstall the Printer Driver.
Page 140 card appearance problems 11 not picked 7 preventing jams 7 signature panel 7 card production 3 cleaning 7 printer rollers 7 printhead 11 cleaning card, using 7 cleaning pen, using 7 cleaning the laminator 13 color alignment problems 7 Disk Cleanup program 19 Disk Defragmenter program 20 disk space 19 jams, preventing 7...
Page 141 card quality 11 colors misaligned 7 on the PC 20 repeated card jams 7 replace printhead cartridge 15 roller pick roller, cleaning 7 transport rollers, cleaning 9 ScanDisk program 19 signature panel 7 utilities Disk Cleanup 19 Disk Defragmenter 20 ScanDisk 19 SP Series Production e-Guide...
Page 142 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE Troubleshooting 1 Is it really trouble? 1 How do I troubleshoot a problem? 1 Locating the problem 3 Making Test Cards 4 Making a printer test card 4 Printer test card 5 Card appearance problems 6 Printing appearance 7 Monochrome printing 14 Print Topcoat problems 16 Laminator topcoat problems (SP75 printer only) 18...
Page 143: Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting This e-Guide helps you to understand problems you might have when using an SP Series printer and how to address those problems. Is it really trouble? The following table provides a quick guide to help you get started troubleshooting. Pick the problem that is most like yours (or use the Contents to locate the section you are interested in).
Page 144 — Communication method used to connect the printer and PC • Obtain information about the supplies used, including: — Card stock and type (such as composite or PVC, three-track magnetic stripe, manufacturer, and so on). This information is located on the packaging for cards. —...
Page 145: Locating The Problem
Locating the problem When you think the printer is not working correctly, use the following procedure to locate the source of the problem. The printer, printer driver, and card creation application work together to produce cards. If the system is not working as you expect and does not display messages, follow these steps to isolate the source of the problem before contacting your service provider.
Page 146: Making Test Cards
Making Test Cards You can make the following types of test cards. • Printer test cards verify the function of the printer. You print them using controls on the printer. The personalization of the card is determined by the printer, the print ribbon, and modules (such as magnetic stripe) installed in the printer.
Page 147: Printer Test Card
5 After it is printed, remove the card from the output hopper. A printer test card is shown in "Printer test card". Tips for success • Press the Ready key firmly. You might need to hold the printer in place as you keep the Ready key pressed. •...
Page 148: Card Appearance Problems
Card appearance problems Problems with card appearance can be the result of the following: • Image capture tools, such as the camera • The card creation application, which displays the image • Limitations in technology, such as differences between how an image looks on the PC monitor and how it looks after it is printed •...
Page 149: Printing Appearance
Printing appearance What you see Possible causes Solutions One or more unprinted lines The printhead might be dirty or Clean the printhead. run the entire length of each damaged. Print a sample card to confirm card. that the problem is fixed. The card was scratched after it Run a cleaning card and then was printed.
Page 150 What you see Possible causes Solutions Part of the printed card is not The ribbon might have been The next card will print correctly. the expected color. moved while the printer power If this happens frequently, was off. change the Ribbon Initialization setting.
Page 151 What you see Possible causes Solutions Printed cards, including text, Print ribbon may have been Change the print ribbon. look faded. stored improperly or damaged. Color settings might not be Change color settings. optimal for the card design. The cards may not meet Obtain and use a different supply specifications.
Page 152 What you see Possible causes Solutions The top of the card is partly The Leading Edge setting is too Change the Leading Edge (edge- printed. far from the edge of the card. to-edge) setting. If the problem persists, contact your service provider. Printed images (photos) are The image capture system needs See the information for the image...
Page 153 What you see Possible causes Solutions Part of the printed image is Cards might have fingerprints or Handle cards without touching discolored. other dirt on them. the surface to be printed. Wear gloves when handling unprinted cards. The cards might be Obtain and use a different supply contaminated or otherwise not cards.
Page 154 What you see Possible causes Solutions A pattern is visible on the You are printing on an RF Change the card design to avoid printed card when printing a (contactless) card and the card placing a photo or other smart card. surface is uneven where the important feature over smart card antenna and chip are located.
Page 155 What you see Possible causes Solutions Part of the printed card is Cards might not meet Obtain and use a different supply blank. specifications. cards. Cards might be dirty. Clean the printer more often. The printhead cartridge might not Remove and reinstall the be installed properly.
Page 156: Monochrome Printing
What you see Possible causes Solutions The card is printed upside The card creation application has See the information for the card down (the image is rotated rotated the card. creation application. 180 degrees). The driver card rotation setting Set the card rotation using the might be incorrect.
Page 157 What you see Possible causes Solutions Text printed on the card has The intensity setting is balanced If the card does not include a bar broken (partly printed) to print both bar codes and fine code, increase the intensity characters. text.
Page 158: Print Topcoat Problems
What you see Possible causes Solutions A card was printed On an SP Series printer with the If the Smart Driver™ is installed unexpectedly and the text Built-In Ethernet and Open Card on a computer and connected to does not make sense. options, you have changed the the printer (locally or through the Data Format from Smart Driver™...
Page 159 What you see Possible causes Solutions A color panel is missing from You have printed a card when The next card will print correctly. the printed card. the ribbon was moved after If you move the ribbon often with powering off the printer. the power off, change the Ribbon Initialization setting to...
Page 160: Laminator Topcoat Problems (Sp75 Printer Only)
Laminator topcoat problems (SP75 printer only) This section describes problems that might originate when applying topcoat material using a laminator: What you see Possible causes Solutions Random scratches appear in The inside of the printer is Run a cleaning card and then the topcoat of the printed dirty.
Page 161 What you see Possible causes Solutions The topcoat shows wavy The temperature for applying Lower the laminator lines along the length of the topcoat is too high. temperature for this material. card (woodgrain or clouds). The topcoat shows opaque The temperature for applying Contact your service provider areas along a short edge of topcoat is too high.
Page 162 What you see Possible causes Solutions The hologram of the topcoat The Apply Material setting for Change the Apply Material does not appear on the card. the laminator is “Do not setting for the laminator. apply.” Clear topcoat or patch Remove the cartridge and material is installed in the change the supply material to...
Page 163: Laminator Patch Problems (Sp75 Printer Only)
What you see Possible causes Solutions A long edge of the topcoat The temperature of the Increase the laminator does not stick to the card. (It heated roller is too low. temperature for this material. might have a gray appearance.) The card has a T panel Holographic topcoat is not applied as part of the print...
Page 164 What you see Possible causes Solutions Cards are bowed (curved) Debowing is set to off. Set debowing for the laminator too much. Debow time is not set Contact your service provider correctly. to change the debow time. Temperature is too high for Lower the laminator the card stock.
Page 165 What you see Possible causes Solutions The laminate patch does not The supply material was The next card should process adhere to the trailing edge of attached to the take-up spool correctly. If it does not, remove the card. and then wound in the wrong the cartridge and turn the take- direction.
Page 166 What you see Possible causes Solutions The laminate patch shows The temperature for applying Decrease the laminator card opaque areas at the leading the supply material is too registration setting to reduce edge of the card (clouds). high. the impact of the temperature at the beginning of lamination.
Page 167 What you see Possible causes Solutions Particles appear between The inside of the printer is Run a cleaning card and then card and laminate patch. dirty. change the cleaning sleeve. Clean the printer rollers. The heated roller is dirty. Run several cards to see if the problem corrects itself.
Page 168 What you see Possible causes Solutions The laminate patch is The supply spool is loaded in Load the laminator supply missing. the cartridge incorrectly. correctly and then send the card to print again. The supply was moved and Advance the supply past the the patch was used used area.
Page 169 SP Series Info Central: Troubleshooting...
Page 170: Communication Problems
Communication problems Communication between the printer and PC can be disrupted for many reasons. This section describes causes and possible solutions for the following situations • "For locally attached printers" • "For local or network-connected printers" • "For network-connected printers" •...
Page 171 For locally attached printers Problem Solution The data cable is loose. Reconnect the data cable to the port on the PC and the printer. Restart the printer. If the PC and printer still do not communicate, restart Windows. The data cable is damaged or Power off the printer.
Page 172 Problem Solution The PC USB port does not Power management on the PC has shut down USB communication. communicate reliably with the Open the Device Manager and the list of USB devices. Disable printer USB port. shutdown for each hub in the list. You might need to restart Windows to make the changes take effect.
Page 173 For local or network-connected printers Problem Solution Other applications on the PC Many applications that might run on a PC can interfere with might interfere with data communications, often by using all (or most) PC resources. For communications. example, network-connected mail applications can poll a server to send or retrieve items.
Page 174: Other Problems
The printer is not configured with Make sure that you have entered the server name or IP address in the the correct network address. Port Settings or Configure Port dialog box on the computer. If your network uses DHCP, the IP address can change whenever the printer is disconnected or powered off.
Page 175: Magnetic Stripe Problems
Magnetic stripe problems This section helps you to troubleshoot magnetic stripe problems. Magnetic stripe test card If the printer includes a magnetic stripe module, you can print a magnetic stripe test card. The card uses the magnetic stripe settings in the Properties or Printing Preferences dialog box. Use this card to verify that the printer encodes a card correctly.
Page 176 Problem Solution The magnetic stripe on the To use the cards you have, select high coercivity encoding. To card is high coercivity material encode with low coercivity, obtain cards manufactured for low and the Low Coercivity setting coercivity encoding. is selected. The magnetic stripe module Run a cleaning card to clean the magnetic stripe head.
Page 177: Obtaining Service
Your service provider should record information about how to contact them on the back cover of the Printer Guide shipped with the printer. If you do not know how to contact your service provider, contact Datacard, who can direct you to your service provider. See the inside of the front cover of the Printer Guide.
Page 178: Installing Printer Diagnostics
The Printer Diagnostics utility is intended for use by Datacard-authorized service providers, including depot and field engineers. Service providers must be certified to repair the printer on which this utility is used. This program is also for use by owners of Datacard printers working at the direction of their Datacard-authorized service provider.
Page 179 9 If you installed from downloaded files, you can delete the C:\Diags folder (and the downloaded file) from the SP Series Info Central...
Page 180 unexpected colors 8 application unprinted lines 7 ID software 4 unprinted spots 12 wavy lines 12 button, Ready, see Ready key 4 woodgrain 12 wrinkles in dark areas 11 card design 4 laminator factory-printed 4 patch appearance 21 faded appearance 9 supplies 2 magnetic stripe test 34 topcoat appearance 18...
Page 181 fixing 3 isolating 3 proximity cards not working 21 quality printing 6 Ready key 4 repairs 36 RF cards not working 21 sample cards 4 service obtaining 36 shipping carton 36 printer 36 software ID software 4 starter kit 4 status light when printing test card 5 test card...
Page 182 SUPPLIES AND PARTS INFO SP Series Supplies and Parts 3 Supplies and cards 5 Print ribbons 5 Cards 6 Card quality guidelines 8 Cleaning supplies 9 Printer components 11 Printhead cartridge 11 USB data cable 12 Power supply 12 Power cable 12 Smart card cable 12 Carrying case 13 Related publications 13...
Page 183 SP Series Supplies and Parts The printer uses supplies, similar to a paper printer. The following describes how the supplies are similar and different. • Where a paper printer uses paper that you can purchase at an office supply store, the SP Series printer uses cards that you purchase from a dealer.
Page 184: Print Ribbons
"Cleaning supplies" Print ribbons Ribbon kits contain a roll of print ribbon, a cleaning card, and a replaceable cleaning sleeve. Datacard® recommends that you run a cleaning card and replace the cleaning sleeve each time you change the print ribbon.
Page 185: Laminator Material
552954-609 Fleck When you use most monochrome-only print ribbons in SP35, SP55, and SP60 printers, use a printhead cartridge designed for monochrome printing for optimum results. For most card designs, you can print with a Black HQ ribbon using a color printhead. When you use a color ribbon that includes a K (monochrome or black) panel, use a color printhead cartridge.
Page 186 DuraGard laminate 562750-001 Clear 0.5 Mil DuraGard laminate 562751-001 Clear 0.5 Mil smart card DuraGard laminate 562752-001 Clear 0.5 Mil magnetic stripe DuraGard laminate 562753-001 Clear 1.0 Mil DuraGard laminate 562754-001 Clear 1.0 Mil smart card DuraGard laminate 562755-001 Clear 1.0 Mil magnetic stripe DuraGard laminate 562756-001...
Page 187 Thickness for SP75 only: printing and 0.030 to 0.050 inches 0.762 to 1.27 mm laminating Thickness for SP35, SP55: printing only 0.010 to 0.050 inches 0.254 to 1.27 mm SP75: 0.020 to 0.050 inches 0.508 to 1.27 mm Actual card thickness can vary by up to ten percent from the sizes listed. Smart card chips can be raised slightly from the printing surface.
Page 188: Card Material
Pre-punched cards Datacard® recommends that you punch cards after printing them. However, you can use pre-punched cards with the SP Series printer as long as the hole is free of raised areas or burrs. In the following illustration, the gray area shows where punched areas are allowed.
Page 189: Card Quality Guidelines
• Applying DuraGard patch to pre-punched cards is not recommended, unless you punch the card after laminating to remove the patch material. New cards preferred The SP Series printer is designed to print on new card stock. If you print on cards twice, be careful to avoid getting dirt, fingerprints, or other contamination on cards before the second printing.
Page 190: Cleaning Supplies
Printhead cleaning pen • Laminator cleaning cards (SP75 only) The print ribbon kit includes a cleaning card and a replaceable cleaning sleeve. Datacard® recommends that you keep additional cleaning supplies on hand to address unusual situations. You can order: •...
Page 191: Printer Components
The printer has a replaceable printhead cartridge. The printhead is subject to wear or damage and has a direct impact on print quality. The silver label on the printhead shows the printhead type. The following printheads are available. Printhead SP35 SP55 SP60 SP75...
Page 192: Cleaning Roller Spindle
SP55, SP60, and SP75 printers use a USB cable with part number 807614-001. • The SP35 printer uses a USB cable with part number 807614-002 You must provide a network data cable if you use one. SP Series Supply e-Guide...
Page 193: Power Supply
Power supply SP35, SP55, and SP60 printers use a power supply rated at 100-240 VAC, 50-60 Hz. The power supply is part number 808403-001. Power cable The printer uses one of the following power cords: • U.S. power cable (part number 804517-001) •...
Page 194: Carrying Case
The USB cable must be a Type CM 30V, up to a maximum of 2 meters long. The smart card USB cable is part number 807614-001. Carrying case The carrying case for an SP35, SP55, and SP60 printer is part number 553950-002. Laminator cartridge For the SP75 printer only, the laminator cartridge is part number 558318-999.
Page 195: Related Publications
The online e-Guide provides advanced information, such as how to connect two printers to one PC. Info Central collects all the online information under one desktop icon. It can be download from www.datacard.com or installed from the User Information area of the driver CD-ROM.
Page 196 This manual is part of the Smart Driver™ Software Developer's Kit (557214-001) and provides information to programmers who are developing applications to print to Datacard® printers, including the SP Series printers. This manual is available only as part of the kit.
Page 197 cable data 12 power cord 12 serial 12 smart card 12 USB 12 card cleaning 9 contactless specifications 7 handling 8 material 7 pre-punched 7 printing twice 8 quality 8 size 7 specifications 6 StickICards 7 storage 8 thickness 7 carrying case 13 cartridge printhead 11...
Page 198 humidity supplies storage 6 power cord 12 supply 12 print quality edge-to-edge 7 print ribbon cartridge 11 part numbers 5 storing 6 type 5 printer components 11 printer parts carrying case 13 cleaning roller spindle 11 power supply 12 print ribbon cartridge 11 printhead cartridge 11 publications 13 USB data cable 12...
Page 199 card storage 9 ribbon, See print ribbon 5 serial cable smart card 12 smart card contactless 7 proximity 7 RF 7 serial cable 12 Software Developer’s Kit 13 storage cards 9 supplies 6 supplies authorized 5 cleaning 9 storage 6 temperature supplies storage 6 cable 12...

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