Swapping between a YMCKO and K ribbon efficiently with a Javelin

These notes explain how to swap between a YMCKO and K ribbon and vice versa in the most ribbon efficient way! They only apply to non i-series printers such as the J310, J420 etc.

Swapping from YMCKO to K

  1. Switch off the printer. (It is essential to switch off the printer during a YMCKO to K change because the latching down of the print head is its cue to search for the start of the next yellow panel. It is not until the printer has been set to K only via the driver, that it stops searching for the start of the yellow panel. If you do leave the printer switched on during this operation, when you latch the head down, it will try to search for the next yellow panel on a black only ribbon and eventually fail with an OUT OF RIBBON error.)
  2. Open the lid and release the print head.
  3. Remove the YMCKO ribbon and replace it with the K only ribbon (remember the new ribbon goes under the head (to the right) and the take up spool is to the left).
  4. Take up any slack by turning the right hand spool clockwise, then latch the print head back down again.
  5. Switch the printer back on and wait for READY on its LCD display. (At this point the printer is still in colour mode, and assumes it is still at the start of a new yellow panel.)
  6. In Windows (options are slightly different for 98/2000/XP), click Start, Settings, Printers, right-click on the "Javelin J310 Card Printer" and select Printing Preferences...
  7. Click the Advanced button in the bottom right.
  8. Under Document Options, expand the Ribbon branch by clicking on the + symbol.
  9. Select the Ribbon item and from the drop down list select K.
    Printer Advanced options for the K ribbon
  10. Click the Set ribbon button (the ribbon will advance a very short amount).
  11. Click OK, and exit the driver properties.
  12. The printer is now ready to print with the black ribbon.

Swapping from K to YMCKO

  1. Leave the printer switched on.
  2. Open the lid and release the print head.
  3. Remove the K ribbon and replace it with the YMCKO (remember the new ribbon goes under the head (to the right) and the take up spool is to the left).
  4. Take up any slack by turning the right hand spool clockwise, then latch the print head back down again (the ribbon will advance a short amount because the printer still thinks the ribbon is black).
  5. In Windows (options are slightly different for 98/2000/XP), click Start, Settings, Printers, right-click on the "Javelin J310 Card Printer" and select Printing Preferences...
  6. Click the Advanced button in the bottom right.
  7. Under Document Options, expand the Ribbon branch by clicking on the + symbol.
  8. Select the Ribbon item and from the drop down list select YMCKO.
    Printer Advanced options for the YMCKO ribbon
  9. Click the Set ribbon button (the ribbon will advance through the colour panels until it reaches the next yellow panel).
  10. Double-check your black options (normally select Except in colour picture) and also the head settings as these are sometimes reset to their defaults.
  11. Click OK, and exit the driver properties.
  12. The printer is now ready to print with the colour ribbon.