ID card printers are essential for a range of businesses, corporate spaces, schools, and professional settings, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a significant investment. As with any expensive piece of equipment, you want to ensure that your ID card printer will last, and one of the best ways to do just that is with regular maintenance and cleaning.
Card printer maintenance is a crucial aspect of owning an ID printer, and it can save you time and money in the long run. As experts in the ID card printer space, we know all there is to know about maintaining your printer. This is our comprehensive guide on why ID card printer maintenance is important and how to do it properly to ensure the longevity of your printer.
Why Is Card Printer Maintenance Important?
Regular cleaning is vital for both the lifespan of your equipment and the overall quality of your prints. When you keep up regular maintenance of your printer, you reduce the likelihood of card jams or dirt buildup that can make your machine break down faster. You also ensure your cards are printing properly as debris inside your printer can lead to streaks, spots or faded images or text.
But it’s not just a longer lifespan and a better print quality you’ll experience when you take care of your machinery properly, you’ll also protect your warranty. This is because a lot of manufacturers' warranties are actually void if you don’t follow the proper cleaning and maintenance instructions laid out in your manual.
What Does Proper ID Card Printer Maintenance Look Like?
Card printer maintenance is so much more than just regular cleaning – even though that is incredibly important. It also includes using the right supplies, proper storage and so much more. Here are some of our top tips for effectively maintaining your printer.
Regular Cleaning
It might seem like we are stating the obvious, but regular cleaning is one of the most important aspects of printer maintenance. You need to ensure that your equipment is free of dust and debris to extend the lifespan of your printer and ensure a great print every time.
You can purchase cleaning kits for your specific printer with everything you need to keep your machine in tip-top shape. It’s critical that you use the kit that corresponds to the brand of your machine. For example, if you have a Magicard Printer, make sure you’re using a Magicard Printer Cleaning Kit only.
These kits normally come with instructions, such as cleaning swabs, cards, and pens, which have isopropyl alcohol to deep clean the internals of your printer. This helps to remove excess ink and dirt buildup inside the printer keeping your equipment working like new (even if you’ve had it for months!).
The Right Supplies
You might not have even considered this as a regular part of maintenance, but using the right supplies for your brand of printer can help keep your equipment in the best shape. You need to make sure you’re shopping from trusted brands (like us) and that the printer ribbons and rollers you use are compatible with your printer.
By shopping only for manufacturer-approved products for your printer, you reduce the likelihood of jams or damage caused by the wrong consumables. Not only does this mean that your prints will be more high-quality (since you’re using the right equipment) but it also means your printer is going to have a far longer lifespan than if you weren’t using manufacturer-approved supplies.
Proper Storage
It can be easy to see the “store in a cool, dry place” message on your consumables and either forget about it or ignore it, but proper storage of your cards, your ribbons and your cleaning kits is vital. If you’re not storing these items properly, they’re less likely to work at their best, which can negatively impact your ID card printer.
By ensuring your consumables are properly stored and only using these in your printer, you can extend the lifespan of your machine saving you time and money.
Annual Servicing
You should be servicing your printer at least once a year if you want to extend the lifespan of your equipment. There are a few different things you should be checking when it comes to your yearly service that you may not look for in your regular cleans.
If you’re not feeling confident in your ability to service your card printer yourself, you can schedule a professional to come and have a look at it at the same time each year. By doing this, you get access to an expert who knows how to thoroughly clean and troubleshoot your printer in ways that you may not know how to do.
Proper Maintenance Is The Key To Success
If you want to ensure the longevity of your ID Card Printer, keep your warranty intact and ensure the best print quality possible, it all comes down to proper card printer maintenance. By following our tips and tricks, you can ensure your printer is properly maintained and works at its best for many prints to come. Save yourself time, money and the headache of trying to find a replacement printer on short notice with regular maintenance.
If you’re looking for advice on how to best maintain your printer, or you’re looking to buy cleaning kits, consumables or a brand new ID card printer, our expert team can help! Contact us today for expert advice and access to an extensive range of card printers and printer products.