FAQ01

I usually get paper jams. How can I prevent this from happening?

Paper jams are usually caused by one or more of the following reasons. The printer is poorly cleaned or maintained Inferior quality ticket or paper stock is being used Improperly handled ticket stock is being used Paper tension between tractors is not often checked The printhead is set too close to the platen to compensate for a worn-out ribbon. Most of paper jams can be avoided by using only good quality ticket and paper stock. Also, this stock must be stored before use under clean, dry, and medium-humidity conditions to further prevent paper jams. Here are other recommendations to prevent paper jams: Your printer must be kept cleaned and well maintained. Ticket or paper stock must be stored off the floor and in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment. High humidity can cause stock to swell and warp, resulting in paper jams and other problems. Ticket or paper stock must stay in its original, sealed carton until it is ready to be used. A good measure to prevent paper jams is to check the paper tension between the printer's feed tractors often, especially when there has been a significant humidity change. But remember, if you have to adjust the tension, do it so by moving the right tractor only. If you move the left tractor, you may lose your margin settings. Inspect the first form or ticket to come off the supply stack when you load stock. Be sure the first one is clean, smooth, undamaged, and in new condition. If it is not, carefully tear off any damaged stock at the horizontal perforations and load only good stock into the printer. Do not set the printhead closer too the platen to compensate for a worn-out ribbon. This can cause paper snags and jams. Instead, replace the ribbon with a new one.

FAQ02

I take good care of my printer and use only good quality ticket stock, but I have a paper jam right now, How do I clear it?

By following the above suggestions, you should have very minimum paper jams incidents. However, in case of a paper jam, clear the error as follows: Press the [Load/Park] touch switch Remove the top cover Look down into the top paper-feed mechanism. Open the top tractor doors, and remove any paper strips, scraps, etc. Replace the top cover and reload stock as described in your user manual If you turned off the printer, you may have lost data. If necessary, call your host system and tell them the last good ticket printed.

FAQ03

I was getting good reports before, but now, I do not like to print quality of my printer. What can I do?

Printhead adjustment and ribbon wear can affect the quality of the printed characters. Please follow these instructions to enter the test mode and print the barberpole test while adjusting the printhead : With the printer in Normal mode, take the printer offline by pressing the [On Line] touch switch. The On line indicator turns off. Press the [Command] key. The Normal indicator turns off, and the Command indicator turns on. Press the [Test] key. The Test indicator turns on, and the printer immediately prints a status report. Press the [Change] key. The printer begins to print what is called a Barberpole test. If printed barberpole characters are too light: Slowly rotate the printhead adjustment knob counter-clockwise (toward the paper) while the barberpole is printing to obtain darker printing. Do not set the printhead any closer than necessary or you may cause a paper jam. If the printed characters do not darken, replace the ribbon. If printed barberpole characters are too dark or smudging and smearing appears on the barberpole printout, while the barberpole continues to print : Rotate the printhead adjustment knob clockwise (away from the paper) while the barberpole is printing to obtain lighter printing or reduce smudging. If the printed characters do not lighten, call ODS tech support. To stop the barberpole test, press the [Accept] key or the [Normal] key.

FAQ04

My printer does not turn on. What do I do?

There can be several reasons why a printer does not turn on. Before you call ODS tech support for help, please do the following: Check that the printer power switch is on. Be sure the printer power cable is securely connected to both the printer and the AC wall receptacle. Check the wall receptacle by plugging in a known electrical appliance such as lamp. If the printer still does not work, call ODS tech support.

FAQ05

My printer was printing and suddenly stopped, but the power indicator is on. Why is that and what can I do?

Configuration or hardware conflicts can cause this error. Here are some steps you need to do: Check that the Print Features rotary switch is set correctly for the stock loaded in the printer. Be sure the data cable from the printer to the host computer is securely connected. Check the printer's configuration: see Appendix B of your user manual. Run the barberpole test described in your user manual. If the printer works, the problem could be the data cable or host. If the printer still does not work, run a status report described in your user manual under Status Report and call ODS tech support.