Datacard CD815 Card Printer Support

 This page covers the most common technical-based questions we receive about the Datacard CD815 ID Card printer.

You’ll find helpful advice and tips on printer cleaning, resolving errors and the latest driver and firmware installations.

Datacard CD815 Support FAQs

How do I resolve a breaking ribbon on the CD815?
How do I adjust the printhead power?
How do I remove a card jam in the CD815? 
How do I run a test print with the CD815?
How do I resolve communication issues?
How do I resolve common errors?
How do I update my Firmware?
How do I retrieve the Internal USB IP Address?
How do I retrieve the IPv4 Address?
How do I resolve driver install issues?
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Datacard CD815

How do I resolve a breaking ribbon on the CD815?

Printer ribbons are prone to breaking, but if the problem keeps recurring while you’re using your Datacard CD815, it’s worth carrying out the following steps to ensure there isn’t a more serious underlying problem.

  1. Clean your CD815 using an official printer cleaning kit from Datacard. It’s important that you keep your printer as clean as possible: ribbons are sensitive to tiny particles of dust and debris. It’s also worth cleaning out your printer with compressed air if your ribbon issue keeps recurring. 
  2. Try reducing the printhead power. The heat from the printhead can have an adverse effect on the ribbon. If breakages become a regular occurrence, this is worth a try.
  3. Ensure that you’ve connected your CD815 using the correct power supply lead.
  4. If the problem persists, it’s worth checking the cards you are using. Depending on how they’re stored, plastic ID cards can pick up static electricity which makes them prone to attracting dirt and dust particles. Try printing with new ones.
  5. Finally, it might be time to try a new ribbon. Shelf life of ribbons vary depending on the  manufacturer, but if you’re using one that’s more than 12 months old, we’d advise changing it.

How do I adjust the printhead power on the CD815?

If your Datacard CD815 printer is suffering from regularly breaking ribbons, or you’re finding it prints images too light or too dark, you should adjust the printhead power. To adjust the printhead power:

  1. Go to the ‘Devices and Printers’ folder on your PC, right-click on ‘XPS Card Printer’ and click ‘Printer Properties’.
  2. Choose the ‘Printer Status’ tab and then click on ‘Configure Printer’. This will bring up the Printer Manager program.
  3. Choose ‘Web Admin’ from the dropdown menu and then log in. 
  4. From the ‘Printer Setting’ dropdown menu, click ‘Print’.
  5. You need to scroll down the screen until you see the adjustable bar ‘YMCPower’. This is number 56. To darken your image, you should increase the value. To make an image lighter, you should decrease it. We recommend you change the value in steady increments, carry out a test print and adjust again as required. 
  6. Once you’re happy with the print, click ‘Set Current’ to save your changed settings. 

How do I remove a card jam in the CD815?

A card jam can occur when it does not reach the position of the next action within the printer. With a Datacard printer, you can usually resolve the error immediately by pressing the ‘User’ button so that the printer returns to its ‘Ready’ state. However, if cards keep jamming, carry out the following:

  1. Open the printer and remove the ribbon cartridge.
  2. Turn the manual advance dial forward until you can see the jammed card. It will exit via the rollers or the exit into the output hopper. 
  3. Remove the card, replace the ribbon cartridge and close the printer.
  4. Press the ‘User’ button on the front of the CD815, or click ‘Retry’ on the PC window. 
  5. If the problem has occurred multiple times, clean your printer with a cleaning kit and compressed air to remove any dust or debris.

How do I run a print test on the CD815?

If you have a recurring error or issue with your CD815, running a self test print can help resolve them. You can carry out a test print by using the main control panel on the front of the printer. 

  1. Enter into the menu system by pressing the ‘User’ button.
  2. ‘Suspended’ should display on the first line of the screen. Press the ‘Enter’ button.
  3. ‘Maintenance’ should display on the first line of the screen. Press the ‘Enter’ button.
  4. ‘Cleaning Card’ will display on the second line of the screen. Now press the down arrow key.
  5. ‘Test Card’ will display on the second line of the screen. Press the ‘Enter’ button.
  6. ‘Start’ will display on the second line. Press ‘Enter’. A test card will now be printed.

How do I resolve a communication issue on the CD815?

You may experience an error with your CD815 because it cannot communicate with the computer. To resolve the issue, check the following:

  1. Ensure your printer is turned on and ‘Ready’.
  2. Check it is connected via the USB port and ensure the leaders are not loose or damaged.
  3. Ensure there’s not a printing job in the printer queue. 
  4. Check you’re using the correct connection and power leaders. 
  5. Ensure you’re running the latest Driver and Firmware versions from Datacard. You can download these via the links at the top of this page.
  6. Uninstall and reinstall ‘USB Printing Support’ in the Device Manager.

How do I resolve common errors?

Errors 109, 110, 118 and 119 are the most common to occur with the CD815, and are all caused by issues with the ribbon. To resolve the issue:

  1. Open the printer and remove the ribbon cartridge.
  2. Reposition, repair or replace the ribbon and advance the ribbon by a full turn using the manual advance knob.
  3. Press the ‘User’ button on the front of the printer or click ‘Retry’ in the printer menu.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Datacard ribbons all have an RFID tag which, if removed, will always cause one of the above errors. If the RFID tag has been removed, you’ll need to purchase a new ribbon. This is because the RFID tag communicates with the printer. It can be found on the ribbon cap which should never been removed from the ribbon itself. 

How do I update the CD815 Firmware?

It’s important to keep your CD815’s Firmware up to date to ensure you don’t run into problems when printing. To update the firmware, first you need to download the latest version. You can download Datacard firmware here.

  1. Go to ‘Devices and Printers’ folder in your computer, right-click on ‘XPS Card Printer’ and select ‘Printer Properties’. 
  2. Select the ‘Printer Status’ tab and click ‘Configure Printer’.
  3. Once the web interface window has opened, choose ‘WebAdmin’ as the username and log in.
  4. Select the ‘Maintenance’ tab and select ‘Updates’.
  5. Click ‘Browse’ and navigate to the firmware file you downloaded. Click Upload File’. 

Your firmware should now be up to date. 

How do I retrieve the Internal USB Address of an CD815?

To resolve errors, it’s necessary to know your ID card printer’s Internal USP IP Address. You can find it by: 

  1. Pressing the ‘Up’ or ‘Down’ arrow key while the printer is displaying as ‘Ready’.
  2. Scrolling into the system ‘Status’ menu on the LCD screen. 

How do I find the IPv4 Address on an CD815?

If you need to find the IPv4 address, you can do so using the ‘Status’ menu. After you’ve ensured the CD815 is connected to your network: 

  1. Access the ‘Status’ menu via the LCD screen. To do this, press the ‘User’ button, then press the ‘Enter’ key to access the menu system. 
  2. Press the down arrow to display ‘Status’ on the second line of the screen. Now press the ‘Enter’ button to display the network IPv4 address. 

You can also access the IPv6 Address, subnet mask, gateway address and MAC address via the same method if you need them.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Remember that an IPv6 Address is much longer than an IPv4. This means the screen displays the two types of addresses differently. 

How do I resolve driver issues with the CD815?

If ‘CD815’ appears as in your ‘Devices and Printers’ folder instead of ‘XPS Card Printer’ you need to follow the steps outlined below: 

  1. Run the driver installer and choose ‘Network Printer’. It’s important that the printer is connected via the USB port during this process. 
  2. When the ‘Printer Properties’ window pops up, click on ‘Configure Port’. 
  3. You’ll need to get retrieve the USB IP Address via the printer menu. This is outlined on this page above. 169.254.1.1 is normally the default address.
  4. Once you’ve retrieved it, enter the USB IP Address into the window. 
  5. Click ‘OK’ and close the window.
  6. Verify that you printer is communicating by printing a test card. 

Need help with something else? Get in touch...

Printer downtime can quickly escalate from a slight inconvenience to a business-critical issue. That’s why Digital ID offers best-in-class support packages to meet the requirements of all our customers. In-house technical experts are on hand to solve your problem, big or small.  

Printers purchased from Digital ID include IDCare® – a class-leading package that includes lifetime email support and 30 days of free telephone support. Our most popular add-on package – IDCare Plus+® – is a great idea if your card printing is business-critical. Advantages include priority telephone support, annual printer servicing*, remote installation options and zero labour costs. We can assist non-Digital ID customers too, but please note that charges and deferred response times may apply. 
*Printer servicing will not invalidate manufacturer warranty.

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