ALPS MD-5000P

Troubleshooting Tips for the PCPlease click any of the issues below for more technical information.

Anti-curl motor errorError writting to LPT portUsing special ink and paper.Change port to MD-LPT port ErrorInstalling and using Ink CartridgesPrinting Quality, Hue and SaturationPrinting is light, distorted, or has gaps/linesThe printer model detected is not compatiblePrinter does not print or stops while printingColor printing is not working or extremely slowA mechanism or cartridge change error occurred.How to Initialize the MD-5000 printer with the Dye Sub KeyMicro Dry™ printer driver Install / Uninstall for Windows 95/98 or MeMicro Dry™ printer driver Install / Uninstall for Windows 2000 and XPMicro Dry™ printer driver Install / Uninstall for Windows NT 4.0Paper is not feeding correctly or not ejecting correctly from the sheet feederThe printer makes strange noises when the power is turned ON, and the error light blinks.Alarm Status shown by indicator lights.

Miscellaneous Errors

I have a MD-5000(P). An error box stated there's an "anti-curl error"...can't complete printing. What does this message mean?

That message is the result of a defective or dirty "anti-curl" mechanism. Underneath the "veil or flap", there is a small device called "anti-curl head", which actuates at the end of a print job or final printing stage. Its function is to prevent the paper from curling at the end of the printing process.

Is there a fix to this anti-curl error?

To fix this problem properly, the anti-curl head has to be replaced. Please contact the RMA department at 408-361-6418 to arrange a repair exchange.Note: This is not a part that can be “field repairable".

Is there anything that can be done to partially fix this problem?

It is possible to try cleaning underneath the Veil/flap unit (see picture) with a compressed air can to blow paper debris or dust accumulated in that area. If this fails to make a difference, then the anti-curl head needs to be replaced.

Is there a way to bypass this error so the printing process can be finished, even with paper curl results?

Yes, there is. From the printer’s properties or printing preferences, click on “Document/Quality” tab and check the “Print On Backside” option. By doing so, the “anti-curl head” function gets disable.Printing process will be almost normal. However, the paper will come out curled.

"There was an error writing to LPT1" message appear when attempting to print a page.

o It is possible the printer cable is loose on either the printer side or the computer side. Another possibility is that the printer is connected through a A/B switch box, a scanner, zip drive, flash card readers or other parallel devices. Try connecting the printer directly to the system’s LPT port.

Using special Ink and paper How should I use white ink?

o White ink can be used as follows:

As with metallic ink, white ink is effective for spot color printing on dark colored paper.

White ink can also provide an undercoat for full color printing on light colored, decal or coarse surfaced paper. The white undercoat will improve image quality and color reproduction.

Can white ink be used for Iron-on transfer sheets or back print film?o When used in monochrome printing as spot color, white ink can be effectively

transferred to colored T-shirts or paper. Since white ink can not be printed on paper subjected to full color printing, however, use of white ink on these type of sheets is not guaranteed.

Can I print using the white color ink on top of a full color image?o This can cause unsatisfactory results. Print the white ink before using other ink

colors.

Can I use metallic ink cartridges on Iron-on transfer sheets or back print film?o Printing is possible, but when the image is transferred using the iron, the metallic

surface will be on the wrong side.

Can I use metallic ink cartridges on overhead transparencies?o Printing is possible, but when the metallic ink is not transparent.

Can I use the Photo Overcoat cartridge (blue casing cartridge) for standard glossy finishing?

o No. Always use the Finish (MD-1000 /MD-1300) or Finish II (MD-5000-P)cartridge.

Is there a single black color dye sublimation cartridge available??o No. A single black dye sublimation cartridge is not available.

Can 100% pure black color be achieved when printing in dye sublimation mode? o No. The printer / driver will render a black color by combining the yellow, cyan

and magenta dye sublimation colors.

For full color printing and glossy finishing, can I use any type of paper?o We suggest to use the "Hammermill" high grade laser paper for full color printing.

Using other low quality or rough surface papers can produce poor images. For the MD-5000 printer, using the Vphoto Primer cartridge will help make many plain papers suitable for full color printing.

An error indicating to change port to MD_LPT1 shows after I installed the printer driver. The printer is already connected to this port. What needs to be done?.

1. Make sure the printer is connected directly to the LPT1 in your computer. 2. Install by downloading from our web site or request the latest printer

driver for your Micro Dry printer model. 3. Before setting up the newest driver, please make sure you have removed

any previous older MD driver versions.

o Once you have installed the latest MD driver version, open the MD-XXXX printer properties and select the MD_LPT1 as the ALPS printer port, in case it's not selected. If this does not make a difference, please check and make sure the LPT parameters in your system BIOS comply with the printer requirements as follows:

LPT port set to ECP mode DMA#3 and IRQ7.

If you are not familiar on how to access your system BIOS, please consult with your computer's manual or your system administrator.

Ink Cartridges installation, compatibility, breaking

Is the bar code on the ink cartridge dirty?Is the ink cartridge installed in the holder with the (B) side up?

Has an ink cartridge for a different printer been installed?Do all MD-Series printer models accept all of the ALPS ink cartridges?

Does the cartridge ribbon break when trying to print an image?Are you experiencing a cartridge change error?

Is the printer failing to pick a cartridge out of the holder?

Is the bar code on the ink cartridge dirty?o Clean the bar code with a soft tissue.

Is the ink cartridge installed in the holder with the (A)side up?o Make sure the ink cartridges are installed in the holder with (B) side of the

cartridge facing up.

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Has an ink cartridge for a different printer been installed?o Ink cartridges made by other manufacturers will not work. Use only ALPS Micro-

Dry inks cartridges.

Do all MD-Series printer models accept all of the ALPS ink cartridges?o Not all cartridges are compatible with all printer models (see below).

Standard CMYK cartridges – All Models. Metallic cartridges – All Models. White ink – MD1000, MD1300 & MD5000(P) only. Finish cartridge – MD1000 and MD1300 only. Foil cartridges – MD5000 only. Finish II cartridge – MD5000 only. VPhoto Primer cartridge – MD5000 only. Multicolor cartridge – All models except MD5000. Photo cartridges (blue casing) – MD2300, MD1300 and MD5000 with

dye-sub key installed.

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Does the cartridge ribbon break when trying to print an image?o If experiencing broken ribbons the number one cause is using the wrong paper.

When using the standard cartridges and any paper designed for an ink jet printer, the ribbon will stick to the coating on the paper and cause the ribbon to break.If you are using the Photo Cartridges you must use the ALPS Photographic Quality paper (Letter size P/N: 105822-00, or 4”X6” size P/N: 105824-00),

nothing else will work. You also need to insure you are only printing on the glossy side of the paper.

Are you experiencing a cartridge change error?o Check the following:

Is the printer on a level surface? Is the printer in a place subject to bumps or vibrations? Is the front cover properly closed? Is something sitting on top of the printer? Foreign objects or paper debris inside the carriage area.

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Is the printer failing to pick a cartridge out of the holder?o If the cartridge is not picked from the holder the printer has suffered a mechanical

failure.However, before calling for a printer exchange, try the following.

Reset the printer by turning the power off. Open the front cover and remove all the ink cartridges from their holders. Load back the cartridges and close the front cover. Turn the power on and resume printing.

If this action fails to make a difference and the error appears constantly, please call (408) 361-6418 to setup an exchange order.

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Printing Quality, Hue and Resolution Are you using a low-resolution image to enlarge (web site, e-mail, and low-res

digital camera pictures are typically low-resolution images)o While these images are very popular trying to enlarge them will result in a poor

quality print. It will have a lot of blocking within the image and poor color reproduction. The larger the enlargement the worse the image.

Can all four colors of the color inks be combined for black and white printing?o If “Darker Black” is set in color printing or if the brightness and contrast settings

are right, 4-color black is possible. To print only with the black cartridge, turn off “Darker Black”, and return the image setting under “Image Settings” to default. For monochrome printing, select “Grayscale” under Document Type.

Black is printed with black ink, but gray portions are printed using four colors.o In color printing, grayscale intermediate colors (such as gray) are printed using

four colors. If you want to print only in black ink, set the Document Type setting in the Document/Quality tab in the Print dialog box to Grayscale (MD-5000) or Monochrome (Other models).

I would like to adjust the image quality of photographs without reducing character resolution.

o Characters always print at the currently selected resolution (if an outline font is used). The image quality of photographs can be adjusted independently using the Halftone setting in the More Settings dialog box (MD-5000) or the Quality Tab in other models.

There seems to be no difference between photographic output using monochrome printing at Fine and images obtained by monochrome printing at the standard setting.

o In monochrome printing at Fine dpi, only the characters can be printed at high resolution. This is done by smoothing the standard dpi images. The quality of photographs, however, differs very little from that of images obtained by monochrome printing at Standard.

When plain or other course-surfaced paper is printed in color, ink is missing from a number of points on the image.

o You should always try to use the smoothest paper you can find for printing with Micro Dry inks. The ink transfer process deposits ink only on the surface of the

paper. Coarse paper has a series of high and low points, the ink will only be on the high points of the paper. The low points of the paper will show as white dots because ink was not applied to those areas.For the MD-5000 only,  you can use the VPhoto Primer ink, the image quality will be improved by providing an undercoat. The degree of quality improvement depends on the coarseness’ of the paper.

When colored paper is used for full color printing, the colors are not reproduced correctly.

o Color printing is based on the colors reproduced when ink is printed on white paper, so correct colors cannot be reproduced on colored paper. The standard Micro Dry inks are transparent and achieve the mix of colors by layers. Because of the transparent nature of the inks the paper color will change the look of the inks. You can overcome this situation with the MD1000, MD-1300 and MD-5000 using an undercoat of white ink prior to printing the image. This works best on light colored paper.

Color images in the same document look different.o Make sure you select the same media type and print mode. The media type

presets the most suitable settings for your document.

Printing is light, distorted, or has gaps/ color lines?

Has one of the ribbons separated or folded from the head?Is the head dirty?Is the platen dirty?

Are you using the Photo Inks or Dye Sublimation Printing?Are there thin lines where no ink prints?

Using the correct ink cartridge for the chosen printing medium?Printing on a rough or special surface?

Are you printing on paper made for ink jet printer?Are you printing on envelopes?

Are you printing on the wrong side of the paper?

Has one of the ribbons separated or folded from the head?o Stop the printing and reinstall all the ink cartridges. Take up any slack in the

ribbons.If a particular ink cartridge repeatedly causes problems, try a different ink cartridge.

Is the head dirty?o Clean the head by following the directions in the User’s Guide that came with the

printer. The platen often gets dirty at the same time as the head, so it is recommended to clean the platen after cleaning the head.

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Is the platen dirty? Is there anything stuck on the platen?o Clean the platen by following the directions in the User’s Guide that came with

the printer.If anything is stuck to the platen, remove it, being careful not to damage the platen. The platen often gets dirty at the same time as the head so it is recommended to clean the platen as well as the head.

Are you using the Photo Inks or Dye Sublimation Printing? (MD-2300, MD-1300, MD-5000P with the Dye Sublimation Kit installed)

o Make sure you replace the cleaning pad that come with each package of Photographic Quality Paper.The cleaning pad is orange and located on the far left side of the printer carriage.

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After cleaning the print head and platen are there thin lines where no ink prints? o If there are still thin white or color lines, run the internal printer test page to verify

the print head integrity.Follow the steps below to perform the print head check

This test applies to the Micro Dry series MD-1000/1300/5000(P)only.

1. Turn the printer off. 2. Load a sheet of white laser paper. 3. Press and hold the "Power" & "Ready/FF" buttons at the same time. 4. Release the "Power" button, and keep pressing the Ready/FF" button. 5. Right after you release the "Power" button, count 4 seconds, and release

the Ready/FF" button. 6. Immediately, press and release the "Ready/FF" button one last time. 7. The printer should start printing a series of letters, numbers, horizontal

lines and a black solid bar at the bottom of the sheet. 8. Once this test page is completed, turn the printer off to stop the test.

If the printer does not produce the test page, please repeat steps 1 thru 6, and make sure you wait 4 seconds before you release the “Ready/FF” button.Looking at the black bar, it should be totally solid black. If one or more white thin lines are noticed on this bar, then the print head has dead elements, which cause the color lines or gaps on your normal printouts. If this is the case, the printer needs to be exchanged.Please contact the RMA department at 408-361-6418 to arrange an exchange order.

For Micro Dry series MD-2010/2300/4000, follow steps 1 thru 6.However, instead of getting a black solid bar at the bottom of the sheet, there should be two bars with a group of horizontal lines each. Looking at those bars, the horizontal lines should be evenly printed. If some portions of those lines are missing, then that indicates the print head has dead elements, which cause the color lines or gaps on your normal printouts.If this is the case, the printer needs to be exchanged. Please contact the RMA department at 408-361-6418 to arrange an exchange order.

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Are you using the correct ink cartridge for the chosen printing medium?o Use only ALPS ink cartridges for the MD Series printers. When printing in color

on the glossy side of a greeting card, use only metallic/foil inks cartridges.

Are you printing on a rough or special surface (such as overhead transparency film, iron-on transfer sheets)?

o Rough, textured or specially treated may not allow the Micro-Dry ink to adhere well. Resulting in gaps or distortions. In such a case, use a halftone setting appropriate for the image.

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Are you printing on paper made for ink jet printer?o You should never use any paper designed for an ink jet printer. They are coated

to accept the liquid inks and to promote drying. The MD Series uses a thermal transfer process and is not compatible with the coated papers. As a general rule of thumb if the media is made to be used in a laser printer it will work in the ALPS printers.

Are you printing on envelopes?o Printing is unreliable on envelopes and other surfaces which have a non-uniform

thickness. Around the flap area, there is a change of thickness. This will cause print degradation in that area. The print head cannot compensate for that thickness change.

Are you printing on the wrong side of the paper?o With Vphoto Print Film, Photographic Quality Paper and Photorealistic Papers,

printing should take place on the glossy side. Particularly with the Photographic Quality Paper, take care not to print on the back of the while using the Photo ink cartridges. The ribbons will break.

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The error message "The printer model detected is not compatible with this printer driver" shows up when trying to print with my MD-5000P

o The printer needs to be initialized properly with the Dye Sublimation key. To install the MD-5000 Dye Sublimation Upgrade Kit for a Windows PC (parallel port connection) or an Apple iMac, G4, eMac (USB port connection), follow these steps:

1. Turn off the computer and printer, and then disconnect the printer cable and power cord from the printer.

2. Remove the rectangular plastic connector cover (if present) that’s located to the right of the printer connector on the back of the printer. Grab the black tab at the bottom of the connector cover, pull it up, and twist it until it breaks free, revealing the accessory connector beneath.

3. Plug the Dye Sublimation Upgrade Kit’s electronic key into the accessory connector with the notched corner of the key on top, as shown in Figure 1 below. (The connector only fits one way.)

4. Reconnect the power and printer cable, and make sure they are secure . 5. Load the printer with standard Micro Dry ink cartridges (cyan, magenta,

yellow and black). DO NOT load the special dye sublimation ink cartridges at this time.

6. Turn ON the printer and wait for the Power and Ready lights to stay solid green.

7. Press and hold the Ready/Insert button until the printer lights begin to flash (about three seconds), and then release the button. The printer now prints a test page that gives the product name as MD-5000P (instead of MD-5000) and includes “Dye-Sublimation Printing” on the printed list of features.

o Do not remove the electronic key. The printer driver should be installed next. Please use the latest driver version according to your Operating System, from ALPS USA website: Driver Downloads

Printer does not print or stops while printingIs the printer turned on? Is the I/O cable disconnected or loose?</A< td>

Is the front cover closed properly?</A< td> Are you using a printer selection switch or a printer buffer?

Is the "Ready" light off? Is the I/O cable too long?Are you using the correct cable? Are you using the wrong cartridges?Is the Interface cable properly connected?</A< td>

Are the ink cartridges properly installed?

Is there a paper jam? Is any color ribbon used up?Are the printing settings in the application correct?

Is there enough hard disk space?

Is the printer driver properly installed? Does your Hard disk need to be defragmented? Is the printer turned on?

o Before printing make sure the printer is turned on. Is the front cover closed properly?

o Make sure that the front cover is closed completely. Is the "Ready" light off?

o Press the ready/insert button and make sure that the ready light comes on.

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Are you using the correct cable?o If you are using the parallel interface then an IEEE-1284 compliant printer cable

must be used. If you want to use a USB interface (MD1000, MD1300 or MD5000 only) then you MUST use only the ALPS brand of USB adaptor cable When using a SCSI interface then a standard SCSI printer cable and terminator are required.

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Is the Interface cable properly connected?o After connecting the cable, make sure nothing is putting pressure on the cable,

and tighten the fastening screws and clamps to secure the cable. Is there a paper jam?

o Remove the paper. If the paper is caught in the rollers, open the front cover, push down on the located on the right side, and gently remove the paper. Make sure there are no pieces of the paper left in the printer.

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Are the printing settings in the application correct?

o Recheck the printer settings in the application. If not sure check with the software provider’s technical support.

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Is the printer driver properly installed?o Make sure to install the correct and latest driver for the computer operating

system you are using. Updated versions can be found and downloaded from our website [www.alpsusa.com], hyperlink “Downloads”.

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Is the I/O cable disconnected or loose?o When one of the following occurs, it is possible that the printer cable is broken or

disconnected. 1. The gauge in the Print dialog box does not progress. 2. The “out of Paper” message appears repeatedly. 3. “I/O Device Error “ message appears immediately after executing the

print command. 4. “There was an error writing to LPT1” message appears when attempting

to print a page.

Replace with a new IEEE-1284 compliant cable, make sure the cable is properly connected to both ends.

Top of page Are you using a printer selection switch or a printer buffer?

o With bi-directional interfaces, operation is sometimes unreliable when using printer switching boxes or printer buffers. If you are using a printer selection switching box or printer buffer, use one-way communications or make sure the selection switch is IEEE-1284 compliant.

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Is the I/O cable too long?o Do not use a cable that is longer than you need. The signals become unstable as

the cable gets longer. A 6’ length is considered maximum. Are you using the wrong cartridges?

o Use only ALPS cartridges in the MD series printers. Do not use ink cartridges from other manufacturers.

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Are the ink cartridges properly installed?o Insert ink cartridges in the holders with the ALPS logo (B side) face up (except

the reversible ink cartridges: Econo Black and Finish II used in the MD5000 only).

Is any color ribbon used up?o When the ribbon in an ink cartridge has been spent, black and silver stripes will

be visible on the ribbon. Install a new ink cartridge. After replacing the ink cartridge, printing will continue from where it left off.

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Is there enough hard disk space?o The MD-Series printers require work space on the hard drive when it prints. Keep

enough space open on the disk for the printer to operate.(After printing, the workspace is released).

Does your Hard disk need to be defragmented?o If there are areas on the hard disk where reading or writing are unreliable,

sometimes a printing error will occur and printing will stop. Periodically use a utility like SCANDISK that comes with Windows to prevent those problems.For Macintosh users, it is recommended to use a defragmentation utility such as Norton, TechTool Pro etc.

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Color printing is not working or extremely slow

Are the ink cartridges for color printing installed?Are the printer driver settings correct?Is the application set for color printing?

Is there enough hard disk space?Are you using many applications at one time?

Do you have enough memory-RAM?General protection fault error

Is the free space on the hard drive fragmented?

Are the ink cartridges for color printing installed?o The following ink cartridges are suitable for color printing:

Yellow, cyan, magenta and black (all printers). Yellow, cyan, magenta and Finish (MD1000 & MD1300). Yellow, cyan, magenta black, VPhoto Primer, Finish II for the MD5000.

Are the printer driver settings correct?o Color printing is selected if Automatic, Photographs, or Graphic/Text is selected

in Document Type.

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Is the application set for color printing? Does the application support color printing?

o Some applications have color printing enable/disable settings.Some applications do not support color printing. Read the manual for the application and check color setting. If unsure call application technical support.

Is there enough hard disk space?o Make sure there is enough space on your hard drive. (The working space is

released once printing is finished.) A 8”x10” at 600 dpi photograph will require approximately 100 MB of HD disk space.

Are you using many applications at one time?o When very little memory is available for print processing, printing may take a long

time or fail. Close as many applications as possible and try again.

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Do you have enough memory-RAM?o Handling color images requires a lot of memory (RAM) for the application and for

the data. Sometimes there is insufficient memory left for printing. Make sure your computer has enough memory to print the size of images you are using. We recommend 64 MB of RAM as a minimum.

General protection fault erroro These errors can occur when there is insufficient memory for color printing or

when part of the hard disk including the Operating System has become corrupted. After decreasing the size of the print data or scanning / defragmenting the hard disk, try printing again. Please consult with your local computer store for more memory or hard drive repair.

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Is the free space on the hard drive fragmented?o The time required for printing can increase dramatically if the free space on the

hard drive is extremely fragmented. Clean up your files and defragment the disk by periodically running a utility like DEFRAG that comes with Windows. If in doubt please refer to your computer manual of the computer manufacturer’s technical support.For Macintosh users, it is recommended to use a defragmentation utility such as Norton, TechTool Pro etc.

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A mechanism or cartridge change error occurred Is the printer failing to pick a cartridge out of the holder?

o If the cartridge is not picked from the holder the printer has suffered a mechanical failure.However, before calling for a printer exchange, try the following.

Reset the printer by turning the power off. Open the front cover and remove all the ink cartridges from their holders. Load back the cartridges and close the front cover. Turn the power on and resume printing.

If this action fails to make a difference and the error appears constantly, please call (408) 361-6418 to setup an exchange order.

Are the cartridges installed correctly?o If a cartridge has become dislodged from its holder, a cartridge change error will

occur. Open the front cover and install the cartridge.

Are you using the printer on a level surface?o The printer will not operate correctly on a slanted surface. Place the unit on a

level, stable surface.

Is the printer in a place where is subject to bumps and vibrations?o Bumps and vibrations can cause mechanical problems. Place the printer in a

place free from vibrations and bumping.

Is the front cover properly closed?o The printer will not operate correctly if the front cover is not closed properly.

Close the front cover all the way.

Is something sitting on top of the printer?o The printer may malfunction if there are things stacked on top or pressing against

it from the side. Do not place anything on top of the printer.

The error message "The printer model detected is not compatible with this printer driver" shows up when trying to print with my MD-5000P

o The printer needs to be initialized properly with the Dye Sublimation key. To install the MD-5000 Dye Sublimation Upgrade Kit for a Windows PC (parallel port connection) or an Apple iMac, G4, eMac (USB port connection), follow these steps:

1. Turn off the computer and printer, and then disconnect the printer cable and power cord from the printer.

2. Remove the rectangular plastic connector cover (if present) that’s located to the right of the printer connector on the back of the printer. Grab the black tab at the bottom of the connector cover, pull it up, and twist it until it breaks free, revealing the accessory connector beneath.

3. Plug the Dye Sublimation Upgrade Kit’s electronic key into the accessory connector with the notched corner of the key on top, as shown in Figure 1 below. (The connector only fits one way.)

4. Reconnect the power and printer cable, and make sure they are secure . 5. Load the printer with standard Micro Dry ink cartridges (cyan, magenta,

yellow and black). DO NOT load the special dye sublimation ink cartridges at this time.

6. Turn ON the printer and wait for the Power and Ready lights to stay solid green.

7. Press and hold the Ready/Insert button until the printer lights begin to flash (about three seconds), and then release the button. The printer now prints a test page that gives the product name as MD-5000P (instead of MD-5000) and includes “Dye-Sublimation Printing” on the printed list of features.

o Do not remove the electronic key. The printer driver should be installed next. Please use the latest driver version according to your Operating System, from ALPS USA website: Driver Downloads

Installing the latest version for the Micro Dry™ printer driversClick below or scroll down the page for driver uninstall instructions

Installing the driver. Uninstalling the driver How to download and install the latest driver for MD-2010, 4000, 2300, MD-1000,

1300 and MD-5000, 5000P printer models for Windows 95/98 or Me? o Before installing this version of Windows Printer driver, please be certain

to uninstall any previous version from your system.

The latest driver version 6.40 supports the printer models above. This driver supports any parallel IEEE1284 compliant cable, as well as the ALPS made parallel to USB cable. From any page in our website [www.alpsusa.com], click on "Support from the menu bar, Retail Printers, Downloads" to get to the Micro Dry™ printer drivers page.

Next to the Scroll down bar, press the "GO" button. From the list of files, choose the MDP640.EXE file as the designed

printer driver. Click on this file and a dialog box will prompt you to "save this program to

disk". Click "Ok" and select a folder for the destination (C:\My Documents\….is

recommended), and click "Save". Once this operation is completed, open the folder where the file was

saved, and a new file called mdp640.exe should be present. Double click mdp640.exe. A "Self Extractor" window will open. From the menu bar, click on the "Self Extractor" command, and select

"Extract Files". Next, you will be prompted to select a folder to extract all the files to. (C:\

My Documents\… is recommended), and click "Execute" to start extracting all the files.

Upon completion, close the self extractor window and open the folder where the files were saved and extracted.

Inside this folder, a new one called WinDrv9X64 should be present. Double click this file to view its contents.

Open the "Drivers" folder, and double click the Setup.exe command to start the printer driver installation.

Click "Yes" to the license agreement. A a list of ALPS Micro Dry printers will appear.

Select/highlight the printer model you own, and click "Next". Click "Finish" to complete the Setup process, and re-boot your computer. Verify the new driver was poperly installed by opening the control panel

and the printers folder.There should be a new ALPS MD printer icon (MD-XXXX)present and checked as the default printer.

How to Uninstall the MDP640 printer Software / driver. 1. Click the Start button, choose Settings and select Printers. In the printers

window, right-click the ALPS MD printer icon, and select Delete from the menu. Click Yes to delete the printer driver.

2. For Win'95 users, double-click on My Computer desktop icon. Click on "view" at the menu bar and select Options. Click the "View" tab menu and check the "Show all files" bullet.Hit "Apply" button and close the window.

3. For Win'98/Me users, double-click on My Computer desktop icon. Click on "Tools" at the menu bar and select Options. Click the "View" tab menu and check the "Show hidden files and folders" bullet.Hit "Apply" button and close the window.

4. Double-click on My Computer desktop icon, and double-click drive "(C:)" icon.Find and double-click the "Windows" folder. Find and double-click the "INF" folder. Find and double-click the "OTHER" folder.

5. Once inside "OTHER" folder, delete the folowing files:

ALPSWIN95.INF ALPSMD1X.INF ALPSMD5X.INF

2. The printer driver should be totally removed now.

How to Uninstall the Print Monitor. o To remove the MD_LPTx: (ALPS Printer Port) port monitor, follow these steps:

1. Locate the ALPS MD Printer Driver folder and open it. 2. Double-click the Data folder. 3. Double-click the VxD folder. 4. Double click the MONITOR.EXE icon. 5. In the Port Monitor Installer dialog box, click Delete button.

The Delete Port window will indicate the uninstall process is complete.Click OK, and restart your computer.

Installing the latest version for the Micro Dry™ printer driversClick below or scroll down the page for driver uninstall instructions

Installing the driver. Uninstalling the driver How to download and install the latest driver for MD-1300 and MD-5000, 5000P

printer models for Windows 2000 and XP? o Before installing this version of Windows Printer driver, please be certain

to uninstall any previous version from your system.

The latest driver version 2.2.4 supports the ALPS printer MD-1300 and MD-5000(P). This driver supports any parallel IEEE1284 compliant cable only. From any page in our website [www.alpsusa.com], click on"Support from the menu bar, Retail Printers, Downloads" to get to the Micro Dry™ printer drivers page.

Next to the Scroll down bar, press the "GO" button. From the list of files, choose the MDP224XP.EXE file as the designed

printer driver. Click on this file and a dialog box will prompt you to "save this program to

disk". Click "Ok" and select a folder for the destination (C:\My Documents\….is

recommended), and click "Save". Once this operation is completed, open the folder where the file was

saved, and a new file called MDP224XP.exe should be present. Double click MDP224XP.exe. A "Self Extractor" window will open. From the menu bar, click on the "Self Extractor" command, and select

"Extract Files". Next, you will be prompted to select a folder to extract all the files to. (C:\

My Documents\… is recommended), and click "Execute" to start extracting all the files.

Upon completion, close the self extractor window and open the folder where the files were saved and extracted.

Inside this folder, a new one called MDP224XP should be present. Double click this file to view its contents.

Select and double click the Setup.exefile to start the printer driver installation.

Click "Yes" to the license agreement. A a list of ALPS Micro Dry printers will appear.

Select/highlight the printer model you own, and click "Next". Click "Finish" to complete the Setup process, and re-boot your computer. Verify the new driver was poperly installed by opening the control panel

and the printers folder. There should be a new ALPS MD printer icon (MD-XXXX)present and checked as the default printer.

There may also be another printer icon [MD-XXXX(MS)]. This is a generic Microsoft printer driver which does not have all the ALPS's printing features available. This driver can be removed or simply ignored.

How to Uninstall the Printer Software / Driver. o In Windows XP and Windows 2000

1. Make sure that all print jobs have finished printing before you begin uninstalling.

2. Close all running applications.

3. Click on the "Start" button, choose "Settings" and click the Control Panel. 4. Double click the "Add/Remove Programs" icon. 5. Select ALPS MD-XXXX Printer Driver from the list and clikc the

"Change/Remove" button. 6. Follow the screen instructions to complete the uninstall process.

Installing the latest version for the Micro Dry™ printer driversClick below or scroll down the page for driver uninstall instructions

Installing the driver. Uninstalling the driver How to download and install the latest driver for MD-1300 and MD-5000, 5000P

printer models for Windows NT 4.0? o Before installing this version of Windows Printer driver, please be certain

to uninstall any previous version from your system.

The latest driver version 2.2.4 supports the ALPS printer MD-1300 and MD-5000(P). This driver supports any parallel IEEE1284 compliant cable only. From any page in our website [www.alpsusa.com], click on "Support from the menu bar, Retail Printers, Downloads" to get to the Micro Dry™ printer drivers page.

Next to the Scroll down bar, press the "GO" button. From the list of files, choose the MDP224NT.EXE file as the designed

printer driver. Click on this file and a dialog box will prompt you to "save this program to

disk". Click "Ok" and select a folder for the destination (C:\My Documents\….is

recommended), and click "Save". Once this operation is completed, open the folder where the file was

saved, and a new file called MDP224NT.exe should be present. Double click MDP224NT.exe. A "Self Extractor" window will open. From the menu bar, click on the "Self Extractor" command, and select

"Extract Files". Next, you will be prompted to select a folder to extract all the files to. (C:\

My Documents\… is recommended), and click "Execute" to start extracting all the files.

Upon completion, close the self extractor window and open the folder where the files were saved and extracted.

Inside this folder, a new one called MDP224NT should be present. Double click this file to view its contents.

Select and double click the Setup.exefile to start the printer driver installation.

Click "Yes" to the license agreement. A a list of ALPS Micro Dry printers will appear.

Select/highlight the printer model you own, and click "Next". Click "Finish" to complete the Setup process, and re-boot your computer.

Verify the new driver was poperly installed by opening the control panel and the printers folder. There should be a new ALPS MD printer icon (MD-XXXX)present and checked as the default printer.

How to Uninstall the Printer Software / Driver. o In Windows XP and Windows 2000

1. Make sure that all print jobs have finished printing before you begin uninstalling.

2. Close all running applications. 3. Click on the "Start" button, choose "Settings" and click the Control Panel. 4. Double click the "Add/Remove Programs" icon. 5. Select ALPS MD-XXXX Printer Driver from the list and clikc the

"Change/Remove" button. 6. Follow the screen instructions to complete the uninstall process.

Note: To uninstall or remove the printer driver version 1.X.X follow these steps: 1. Click on the "Start"button and choose the ALPS MD-XXXX from Programs

menu. 2. Select the "Uninstall" icon. 3. Follow the screen instructions to complete the uninstall process.

Paper is not feeding or not ejecting correctly from the sheet feederAre you using curled paper? Is there a paper jam?

Are you printing on envelopes? Is the paper folded or has cut corners?

Is the paper feed guide adjusted properly? Is there too much paper in the sheet feeder?

Is the paper feed switch positioned correctly? Are you using transparencies or back print film?

Is there anything blocking the paper output slot?Is the paper thicker or thinner than

recommended?Is the automatic feed mode used for media other than plain paper?

Is the paper folded, ripped or has perforation holes?

Have you fanned the paper prior to loading into the sheet feeder?

Are you printing on thermal paper, postcards, home made thick cards?

Are you using curled paper?o This will cause paper jams. The paper should be curled in the opposite direction

to flatten before being used.

Are you printing on envelopes?o Printing is unreliable on envelopes and other surfaces which have a non-uniform

thickness. Around the flap area, there is a change of thickness. This will cause print degradation in that area. The print head cannot compensate for that thickness change

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Is the paper feed guide adjusted to the paper size being used?o The paper feed guide should be adjusted to the left edge of the selected paper

Make sure the feed guide is not too tight to bind the paper.

Is the paper feed switch positioned correctly for the paper feed method?o To print on plain paper using automatic feed, set the paper feed switch to the “A”

position; to print on thicker media position the switch to “M” for manual feed making sure there is only one piece of paper in the printer at a time and the ready insert button is pushed.

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Is there anything blocking the paper output slot, such as a large pile of printed sheets?

o Any obstruction can cause ejection or feed problems.

Is the automatic feed mode set for sheets other than plain paper, laser print paper, VPhoto Film or transparencies?

o Iron on transfers, back print film, greeting cards, reply cards, etc. can not be printed using automatic feed mode. You must use the manual feed mode.

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Is there a paper jam?o Sometimes a small piece of the page will tear off and remain in the printer so that

sheets will still get caught after the jammed page is removed. Use a thick piece of paper and remove any small remaining pieces of the paper.

Are you using paper with folded or cut corners?o This causes problems since the paper position sensor and paper length sensor

will not work properly.

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Is there too much paper in the sheet feeder?o The sheet feeder can hold up to 100 sheets of plain paper.

Are you using transparencies or back print film?o When these sheets are inserted with the cut corner incorrectly positioned, they

may not feed correctly and could cause you to print on the wrong side of the media. Follow the instructions and insert the sheets correctly.

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Are you using paper that is thicker or thinner than recommended?o Use paper within the range 0.07 mm – 0.23 mm (0.003” – 0.01”).  For auto

feeding use paper in the range 0.07 mm – 0.1 mm (0.003” – 0.004”) Maximum weight paper is 110 lb. stock.

Are you using paper that is folded, ripped or has holes?o Paper like this can cause paper jams and should not be used. Loose-leaf binder

or refill paper should not be used because of the holes.

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Have you fanned the paper sufficiently prior to loading it into the sheet feeder?o Paper should be fanned several times prior to being loaded into the sheet feeder.

If not, sheets of paper may stick to one another, causing multiple sheets to feed into the printer at one time.

Are you printing on thermal paper, postcards, home made thick cards? o Correct printing and feeding of envelopes, thermal paper, postcards, thick cards

can not be guaranteed. The size and uneven thickness of envelopes does not work well in the MD printers. The backside of the picture postcards can be used if the card is less than 0.23mm (0.01") thick and manual feed mode is used. Printing on the photo side of the postcard is unreliable.Cards with thickness within the range of 0.07mm - 0.23mm (0.003" - 0.01") can be used in manual feed mode.

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The printer makes strange noises when the power is turned ON Has a cartridge become dislodged from the cartridge holder?

o Open the front cover and make sure all the cartridges are properly installed.

Is there a paper jam?o Clear any paper jam that may occur. Occasionally a small piece of paper will tear

off and remain in the printer. If this happens, open the front cover, push down on the blue release lever located on the right side, and gently remove the piece of paper.

Is there any packaging material left in the printer?o Make sure all the packaging material has been removed from the printer.

Packaging tapes, styro foam and the carriage retainer piece (rectangular cardboard).

Alarm Status shown by indicator lights MD-1000 / MD-1300 / MD-5000(P)

STATUSLight Status

DescriptionPower Ready Error

Hardware errorFast

blinkingFast

blinkingFast

blinkingAn electrical circuit error or mechanical error has occurred

Nonvolatile errorFast

blinkingFast

blinkingFast

blinkingThe contents of the MD-printer nonvolatile memory have been lost.

Out of paper error ON Off Fast blinking

The printer is out of paper (detected during paper feed).

Paper Jam Error ON Off Fast blinking

A paper jam was detected.

Ribbon end detected error ON Off Fast

blinkingThe ribbon in the ink cartridge has been used up and needs to be replaced.

Cartridge change error ON Off Fast

blinking

An error was detected during an ink cartridge exchange, or there are eight ink cartridges installed in the holders plus one already in the carriage.

Mechanism error ON Off Fast blinking

An error was detected in the printer mechanism. (feeding mechanism or anticurl head)

Front cover open error ON Off Fast

blinkingThe front cover is open or not closed completely.

Necessary ribbon not installed error

ON Off Fast blinking

The necessary ink cartridge is not installed or the ribbon has been used up.  *Forced printing is still possible.

What to do when an error occurs? o When a printer error occurs, the red error light flashes, and the error message

dialogue box appears on your computer screen. Fix the error to continue printing, or terminate printing.Note: The error message dialog box can not be displayed if your computer is not capable of bidirectional communication.

*Forced printing and clearing data

When the data transfer from the computer stops for more than 30 seconds, and the "Ready" light is blinking quickly, press the "Ready/insert" button to force the printer to print the data received so far.

Miscellaneous errors"I/O device error message" appears... Error message when printing large size files..."Severe error: the Service can not be installed..."GPF screen errors when printing...Running Win XP the printer stops... "Open Cover" error before printing...Application forces to set the printer to Manual feed...

Printer does not work with my Application.

"I/O device error message" appears immediately after executing the print command.

o Make sure the cable is properly connected to both ends. If this does not help, it is possible the I/O cable is broken. Replace it with a new IEEE-1284 compliant cable.If replacing the cable does not cure the problem, an electrical failure has occured. Please contact 408-361-6418 for repair exchange.

"Severe error: the Service can not be installed due to an unknown error" This error appears when trying to install the printer driver.

o Please check and make sure the LPT parameters in your system BIOS comply with the printer requirements as follows: LPT port set to ECP mode, DMA#3 and IRQ7. If you are not familiar on how to access your system BIOS, please consult with your computer's manual or your system administrator.

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Running Windows XP the printer stops in the middle of the job and does not give me any error message.

o Make sure the printer is plugged directly into the LPT 1 port. Do not plug the printer through other devices such as A/B switch box, a scanner, zip drive, flash card readers , or other parallel devices..

I get the error message that I need to change the printer to Manual feed mode when printing from an application.

o Please observe the following: 1. Need to make sure the printer driver has the Automatic feed selected. 2. Make sure the MD ALPS printer being used is defaulted in your

application. 3. From Page Setup in the application, check the "paper source" tab. The

"First page" and "other pages". 4. Need to have the "default tray (Automatic feed) selected, not the Manual

feed.

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When printing large size files I get error messages, related to memory or my hard drive.

o Handling color images requires a lot of memory (RAM) for the application and for the data. Sometimes there is insufficient memory left for printing. Make sure your computer has enough memory to print the size of images you are using. We recommend 64 MB of RAM as a minimum.The time required for printing can increase dramatically if the free space on the hard drive is extremely fragmented. Clean up your files and defragment the disk by periodically running a utility like DEFRAG that comes with Windows. If in doubt please refer to your computer manual of the computer manufacturer’s technical support.For Macintosh users, it is recommended to use a defragmentation utility such as Norton, TechTool Pro etc.

General protection Fault (GPF) errors occur often when printing. o These errors can occur when there is insufficient memory for color printing or

when part of the hard disk including the Operating System has become corrupted. After decreasing the size of the print data or scanning /defragmenting the hard disk, try printing again. Please consult with your local computer store for more memory or hard drive repair.

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"Open Cover" error when attempting to print. o It is possible the cover sensor was pushed in, dirty, or broken. Try using

compressed air and blow that area just in case there is some debris that may be triggering the door error. Use the figure as reference to locate the door sensor. The sensor is the plastic pin.

Printer does not work with my Application.o Try printing on a different application. If the printer works with another

application, the problem is not the printer. Please refer to that particular application printing settings where the printer is not working.

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