Last updated: Nov 16 2025
Check waste jar. Rinse if close to full.
Check ink levels.
Plug in printer. Open BetterPrint software. Turn on printer.
Place paper on tray. Load tray in.
Open BetterPrint.
Press Adjust -> Nozzle Test.
Check test results. If good, skip to next steps. Else:
Clean.Print Set.Add Ink. This purges and primes the printhead. Run for 10-15 seconds. Press stop. It doesn't stop on its own.Nozzle Test.Generally speaking, seems like we might have to run Add Ink every new day. However, can experiment with longer cycles.
Use the arrows on printer, or controls on BetterPrint to move tray out.
Ensure two leveling cards are in each jig. These raise the height.
Ensure jig has no piles of dried ink. Sand it off if there is.
Ensure blank cards are clean.
Place blank cards on jig.
Close lid if open. It's fucking bright.
Optional: move tray back to start position. Should say X: 0 Y:0 on BetterPrint.
Load single_card.psd file. Put image in. Account for bleed.
Important: Flip the image horizontally.
Save single_card.psd file.
Open albumcards_template_187x410.psd.
Relink single_card smart object. This will automatically fill the template.
Save as tif in default settings (yes, RGB).
Open blank 187x410 RPJ file.
Right click -> add image. Load tif file.
Press print.
Leave print settings as is.
Save to Desktop/PRN files folder.
In Options, check following:
UP_KPMCS_UVNormalBetterNone (if we need white, check next section)In BetterPrint:
Open PRN file. If it's not there, click on another directory, and then back to refresh it.
In Task Set -> Check H Mirror. Press Save.
Press Flash. Ensure icon switches to green light.
Press Print. You may press stop at any time.
Push tray out with controls.
Inspect quality of cards.
Wait 20 seconds before flip cards over to ensure fully cured.
Place cards in 'done' pile.
It's not necessary to run Clean between every batch. Still unsure optimal time to do so.
Cleaning is quite demanding on the printhead, so don't overdo it.
Close BetterPrint before turning off printer.
If cards have full white in them, there are two options:
Skipping white means we use the white substrate of the card to be our 'white'. It's shinier.
Using white ink gives a textured surface. It's matte.
One benefit of using white ink is that it prevents stray drops and faint areas, so is 'easier'.
Same options as color, except:
Full30% (try experimenting)Same options in BetterPrint, but check "White".
Cause 1: Tray height too low. Raise it.
Cause 2: Clogged nozzles or air bubbles. Run clean and add ink.
Cause 1: Check jig for dry ink piles. Sand it off.
Less likely causes:
Cause 2: Tray height too high. Lower.
Cause 3: Clogged nozzles. Run clean cycle.
Cause 4: Air bubbles. Run add ink cycle.
Thin: ensure two leveling cards are below the card.
Thick: ensure that single_card.psd file has bleed accounted for.
Cause: Nozzle needs cleaning.
Run clean cycle. Wipe down excess ink from sponge.
Do nozzle test to verify.
Cause: nozzle contamination. Run clean cycle. Do nozzle test to verify. "Add ink".
Should have minimal gaps. Note: have yet to see zero gaps, but seems OK.
If significant gaps, clean. You may need to hit clean more than once.
If a color is faint, check ink levels. If levels good, but ink looks thick, give shake.
Wait 5 minutes for bubbles to settle.
Run "Add Ink". This primes ink lines and removes air.
Note: yellow often looks fainter than the rest on white paper. This is normal.
Canvas size should be 187x410.
This creates 3 columns by 4 rows of cards.
Until we have correct BetterPrint config/different software, we're limited to this size.
single_card.psd is 59x92mm. Note that this is 2.5mm bigger on each side versus the true size of card.
This is to account for bleed.
Use content aware-fill to fix designs that are too small.
Note: will try experimenting with smaller bleeds as jig configuration is perfected.