Technical Bulletin #33
Date: August 26, 2001
Subject: Using Printable Metals with the Millennium Printer
Since the introduction of our printable metals in February, several Millennium customers have asked for tips on printing, storing, and fabricating metal products. This bulletin will address these questions.
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Print on DCS printable metals as you would on DCS plastic products. Metals have a thin, plastic coating applied to their top surface which makes them as print receptive as our plastic products. The coating readily accepts dyes from the ribbon and requires no special heat settings to transfer the image. We suggest you use our recommended printer driver settings for your jobs as set forth in our software and printer user manuals.
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Unlike most plastic products sold by DCS, printable metals have a masking applied to their top surface to prevent scratching during shipping and storage. Store printable metals with the protective masking applied, however be sure to remove the masking before inserting blanks into the Millennium Card Feed Tray.
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It is important to print on the TOP SURFACE ONLY of printable metals. As a result of the fabrication method used to produce pre-cut pieces, a slight burr may be present on the bottom surface of the blank. Printing on the bottom surface of the blank may cause print head damage that is not covered under the printer’s warranty. Use caution to assure that you print on the top surface only.
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If fabricating your own pieces, always use a shear with a sharp blade designed for cutting metals only. A sharp blade will produce a crisp, clean edge and will minimize the possibility of rough bottom edges. Rough or burred bottom edges can scratch the printable top surface of metal blanks when stacked in the Card Feed Tray.
If you need further assistance in upgrading your printer, please contact DCS technical support at techsupport@directcolorsystems.com or the same via phone at 860-829-2244.
