Error Message? Dye Sub Printer? Don't Panic!

Error Message coming up on your dye sub printer? Don't panic. First, assess the situation and inspect the machine. If the ribbon is torn, tape the ribbon together and reload it, then check for paper scraps.

Firstly, if your dye sub ribbon does snap, tear or break don’t throw it away.  You can splice it back together again. Tape it up and roll it past the next whole set of colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Clear). If you don’t have any tape put the ribbon on a flat surface and roll out one side about 6 inches. Then roll the other side out about 6 inches.  Overlap the pieces and roll the unused side up on the used side. Roll it up until you have passed one whole set of colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and clear). Put the ribbon back in and try it again.

Second, If that doesn't work for your photographic printer, pull out your backup ribbon/paper/printer/camera/USB cable or Power Cord and start testing.  Don't you have that stuff? We'd suggest always having two of everything to be safe.  If you can’t have two of everything, start with the small stuff and work up to the larger items.  USB cables, we suggest a long one and a regular (shorter) one. The other things like a printer may take longer to acquire but they also save you in a jam. Also always have extra paper and ribbon on hand.

Third, if you do have a fatal error displayed on your printer you can always pull out the backup and continue your printing.  This saves you the stress and aggravation of scrambling to continue printing and keeps your customers happy when they have their order on time.  If you don’t have a backup printer, you are going to need to find another solution.  You can store the images and print them later.  You can email the images to customers.  Bottom line is, know your gear and always have backups.

If you need additional help or have any questions, feel free to contact us