RESTRICTED USE ONLY Fargo Electronics, Inc.HDPii High Definition Card Printer/Encoder User Guide (Rev. 1.1) 2-16Functional SpecificationsThe Card Printer utilizes two different, yet closely related printing technologies to achieve itsremarkable print quality for dye-sublimation and resin thermal transfer. See previous sectionas needed.The following describes how each of these technologies works:Function DescriptionDye-SublimationDye-Sublimation is the print method the Card Printer uses to producesmooth, continuous-tone images that look photographic. (Note: Thisprocess uses a dye-based Ribbon roll that is partitioned by a number ofconsecutive color Panels.)• Process colors: The Panels are grouped in a repeating Series ofthree process colors - yellow, magenta and cyan (YMC), along theentire length of the Print Ribbon. (Note: The Inhibit or I designationunder YMCI, YMCKI, and YMCKIKI indicates the ability to prevent thetransfer of film to the card surface. Users can select these Ribbontypes to prevent film from transferring over security features,signature panel or other areas of special interest on the card surface.)• Panels: The Printer always prints the yellow Panel first, followed bythe magenta Panel and the cyan Panel.• Printhead: As the Print Ribbon passes beneath the Printhead,hundreds of thermal elements, within the Printhead, heat the dyes onthe Ribbon. (Note: When these dyes are heated, they vaporize anddiffuse into the surface of the film. A separate pass is made for eachof the three color Panels on the Ribbon.)• Color Shades: By combining the colors of each Panel and byvarying the heat used to transfer these colors, it is possible to print upto 16.7 million different shades of color. (Note: This blends one colorsmoothly into the next, producing photo-quality images withabsolutely no dot pattern.)• Dye-Diffusion Thermal Transfer: It is the process of heating a dyesuspended in a cellulous substrate until the dye can flow, diffusinginto the dye receptive surface of the card or InTM. (Note: Thisproduces the image in the surface of the card.)
