If you’re preparing for the upcoming school or work year, you may be asking yourself if your organization has everything you need so that you don’t have to rush to put in last minute orders. Here are some questions you may be asking:

We’re here to help you avoid all those headaches, and make sure you’re ready to start your school or work year off right with these printer maintenance tips.

Higgins Helpful Hints: Printer Maintenance Tips

Check out some Higgins Helpful Hints below to give your organization a head-start on a smooth start to the year, preventing the need for extra printer maintenance and expenses you could otherwise avoid.

  1. Upgrade your old credential system – If your printer or software is more than 10 years old and you’re seeing much longer print times than usual, it’s probably time for an upgrade. This can be quick and painless and will have you creating top-notch, glossy, full-color credentials at ultra-fast speeds for less than you originally bought your printer for in the first place! We’ll help you find the most ideal printer for your organization’s needs at the best price possible.
  2. Keep your IDs looking fresh and new all year long with customized on-brand accessories – The key to long-lasting credentials is as simple as keeping them safe and secure with our wide array of ID accessories ranging from: lanyards and clips of all varieties, badge reels, silicone wallet attachments or plastic badge holders with badge reels to encase your ID and protect it from outside damage and general wear and tear, & much more! Keeping your ID in your pocket or with other cards in your wallet every day can start to damage your ID by wearing down the magstripe on the card and preventing them from functioning properly, which typically results in having to replace the card after just a short use period. Taking advantage of the many accessory options we offer enables your employees, students, and staff to ultimately extend the life of their IDs by shielding them from harm while keeping them easily accessible to use. Take a look at our online product accessories catalog, or try out our design-a-lanyard tool to create a fun, personalized look you’ll turn heads with!
  3. Only buy your printer ribbons, card supplies, and laminates from an authorized reseller – You may be thinking, ‘All printers are the same, these ribbons will work fine with ours and their even less than the on-brand ones we usually buy!’ Well…think again. Like most things in life, quality trumps quantity here too. Yes, your card and credential printer is picky and contains very specialized technology that can easily be damaged if you try to use off-brand ribbons or laminates. That said, stick to supplies you know are compatible with your machine, and always purchase them from an authorized re-seller, like us! If you’re unsure of what your machine is compatible with, don’t hesitate to reach out to our identity experts.
  4. Clean your printer regularly – This may seem like more of a chore, but it’s necessary to be aware of how your plastic card printer is operating to prevent the need for repairs, replacements, printer downtime, or any other added costs of maintenance to keep it running smoothly. Cleaning your printer is actually very simple and quick to do, so don’t put off this upkeep until your printer is on its last legs. Use one of our cleaning kits or cleaning cards every 200-300* cards produced (depending on the size of your organization and how often you print cards). Keep a running log of when the printer was last cleaned so there’s no question you’ll be printing clear, accurate credentials every time, all the time. If you don’t remember how to clean your printer, call to speak to one of our highly trained printer servicing technicians.

*Pro Service Tip: Remember, don’t rob your ribbons of their cleaning cards or you’ll miss a necessary cleaning once the ribbon is out! Instead, purchase a cleaning kit from us at Higgins to use when it’s time for a printer cleaning before you run out of your current ribbon.

  1. Schedule a printer maintenance tune-up with a Higgins Certified Service Technician – Before you get too busy into the year, you’ll want to schedule a time to have your machine serviced and inspected by one of our expertly trained service technicians. Give us a call at 800.486.1312. Even if you think your machine is working fine, it doesn’t hurt to have routine check-ups to prevent lengthy maintenance interruptions or costly repairs that could have been avoided.

Higgins Corporation is your New England provider for the leading brands in all things secure photo identity and situation management.