Evolis Primacy Card Printer Support
This page covers the most faq’s support based questions we receive about the Evolis Primacy ID Card Printer.
Our support team have collated some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about it and provided some helpful answers.
Just click on the questions below to scroll to useful tips and troubleshooting advice.
Remember, our support team can help you further if you can’t find your answer here.
Evolis Primacy Printer Support FAQs
How do I solve a card jam?
How can I prevent a card jam?
How do I update the firmware and driver?
How do I resolve a breaking ribbon?
How do I print a test card?
How do I calibrate the flipper sensors?
How do I increase the resin heat?
How do I ensure print quality does not drop?
How do I carry out a standard clean?
How do I carry out an advanced clean?
Evolis Primacy resources
How do I solve a card jam?
If you suffer a card jam in the Primacy, the yellow warning light will illuminate on the front of your printer (hazard triangle). To resolve the jam:
- Open the printer cover and remove the ribbon
- Press the pushbutton to turn the card rollers. If the card remains stuck, slide it manually towards the printer output to remove it.
- Replace the ribbon and close the printer cover.
How do I prevent a card jam?
To prevent a card jam occurring in the Primacy:
- Check the thickness gauge is correctly adjusted for the card size.
- Ensure the thick of the cards matches the specifications.
- Check the cards are flat. Keep them in a horizontal position.
- Check the cards are not stuck together due to static electricity and ensure they are clean.
How do I update the firmware and driver?
You can find firmware and driver updates at:
Once downloaded, update the firmware by:
- Save the files to your hard drive. The firmware is stored as compressed files, so you’ll need to extract it.
- Double-click on the file in the directory in order to run the firmware installation program.
- When prompted by the program, follow the instructions in order to select the printer and start the operation. The firmware download is in progress.
- After approx. 30 seconds, the firmware has transferred to the printer and the operation is complete.
Note: If the printer is not showing a ‘READY’ status, this means that the update has not been carried out correctly or, that the printer is not working.
How do I resolve a breaking ribbon?
To resolve a broken ribbon in the Primacy printer, remove the ribbon and tape the broken ends back together. If the ribbon continues to break:
- Ensure you’re running the latest driver and firmware updates available from Evolis.
- Clean your printer to ensure you remove any dust and dirt particles that could be contaminating the ribbon.
- Calibrate the ribbon sensors to ensure they are aligned.
- Ensure the ‘O-ring’ at the bottom of the ribbon uptake pulling hasn’t slipped off the pulley.
How do I print a test card?
To print a technical test card:
- Ensure all current print jobs are finished and that there is a card and ribbon in the printer.
- Press the pushbutton for four to five seconds until the printer turns off.
- Press and hold down the pushbutton again, and the pushbutton light will illuminate.
- The test ard is printed (in colour if a colour ribbon is fitted in the printer, or a monochrome one if the ribbon is monochrome. It will print on both sides if the double-sided print function is enabled)
- The test card will eject into the output hopper.
To print a graphic test card:
- Check that there is a card and ribbon in the printer.
- Go to the ‘Evolis Print Centre’ and select ‘system information’.
- Click on the ‘Test cards’ tab. Then click the ‘Graphic Test card’ button. The card will print and the printed card will be ejected into the output hopper.
How do I calibrate the flipper sensors?
To calibrate the flipper sensors:
- Ensure cards are loaded into the printer.
- Open the Evolis Print Centre and double-click on the the Primacy.
- Click on ‘Maintenance’ and type the command “Sa;p” (ensure this is exact).
- Click ‘Send’ and the printer will feed the card to align the sensors.
How do I increase the resin heat?
To increase the resin heat on the Primacy:
- Open the Evolis Print Centre and double-click on the Primacy printer.
- Click the ‘Printing’ tab and click into ‘Front Side Graphical Settings’.
- Use the slider bar to increase the Monochrome Resin Heat function. We suggest raising or decreasing the value in increments of 10.
How do I ensure print quality doesn't fall?
There are a number of things that can lead to a drop in print quality. To avoid them, Evolis recommends checking the card surface. Dirty cards can adversely affect quality. You should carry out printer cleaning the Primacy after 1,000 cards. A warning light will flash at this point and it’s important to carry out the clean: any more than 1,200 cards printed between routine cleaning cycles will invalidate the warranty.
If white lines are appearing on your cards, it may be due to a dirty print head. If your cards are printing blurred, check the ribbon is in the correct position, the printer is clean and you are using compatible cards.
How do I carry out a standard cleaning cycle?
Instructions from Evolis on carrying out a routine cleaning procedure are as follows:
- Open the printer cover.
- Remove the ribbon as shown on the diagram.
- Close the cover and check it has clicked shut.
- Open the feeder of the printer.
- Using the lever, set the card thickness to the MAX position.
- Remove any cards from the feeder.
- Double-clock the cleaning button on the control panel before inserting a cleaning card
- Remove the film from the adhesive card and insert the cleaning card into the feeder with the adhesive side up.
- After cleaning, the card will be ejected into the output hopper.
It’s important you follow this procedure. Not doing so could result in a voided warranty.
How do I carry out an advanced cleaning cycle?
Evolis recommends carrying out a more in-depth clean every five routine cleaning cycles. To do this you’ll need Evolis’ High Trust maintenance kit.
To carry out the advanced cleaning cycle:
- Open the printer cover.
- Remove the ribbon.
- Close the cover and check it has clicked shut.
- Open the card feeder
- Set the card thickness lever to the MAX position.
- Remove any cards present in the feeder
- Double-click the cleaning button on the control panel before inserting the cleaning card.
- Take the ‘T’ shaped cleaning card and insert it in the feeder as shown.
- Remove the ‘T’ shaped cleaning card, then remove the film from the adhesive cleaning card and insert it, adhesive side up.
- Once cleaning is complete, the used adhesive card will automatically be ejected into the output hopper.
Evolis Primacy resources
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