Printmaster FP-R Manual

How to Keep Your Printmaster® Inker Operating Properly

Periodically check the ink reservoir. Only fill the reservoir to the top of the rollers. Never fill the reservoir completely. If the machine runs out of ink, the pillow may stick to the ink dispenser roller and be drawn into the dispenser and torn.

Be sure the pillow is not too close to the ink dispenser.

For proper positioning of the pillow in relation to the ink dispenser, refer to diagram B and the instructions on Routine Servicing. If the pillow is too close to the ink dispenser and rubs against the case or other portions of the machine, it will cause the pillow to wear out prematurely.

Do not let the ink become too tacky.

Tackiness is evidenced by a darkening of the prints and a tendency of the pillow to stick to the finger when prints are made. To correct this condition, first stir the ink with a pencil or stick. If tackiness persists, add 2 or 3 drops of Printmaster® Ink Thinner to the reservoir and rotate the pillow several times. If the pillow continues to feel tacky, it should be wiped clean using either the ink thinner or alcohol.

Do not let dirt or lint accumulate on the pillow.

Clean the pillow with the edge of a card, i.e., business card or 3x5 index card. If the pillow is dirty, it will result in small uninked spots on the finger or palm, resulting in small holes or blanks in prints.

Do not store the Printmaster® Inker in temperatures over 100° F.

Prolonged exposure to high temperatures will cause the elastic cover of the pillow to deteriorate and stick to the machine. If such storage is unavoidable, remove the pillow, and store it separately (at a lower temperature if possible). Do not store your Printmaster® Inker for more than 3 months without use.

Only use U.S. brand fingerprint ink.

Only use U.S. brand fingerprint ink on your machine. This is the ink that comes with the Printmaster® Inker. Other brands of ink may lack the proper viscosity or be too tacky. To order additional tubes of ink, use catalog number 2-0012 or 2-0010.

Operating Instructions

Putting the Printmaster® Inker into operation

1. Place the Printmaster® Inker on a table or countertop to the side of the fingerprint card holders and fold back the cover. Ideally, the counter or tabletop should be 36 to 40 inches high.
2. Plug power supply into a 120v 60 hertz receptacle.
3. Swing back the plate on top of the ink dispenser and check the ink dispenser to be sure that it contains ink. Add ink if necessary. Use only U.S. brand fingerprint inks. Only a small quantity of ink is required for the inker to operate properly over many hundreds of prints. Add just enough ink to reach to the top of the rollers (approximately 1/2 oz.). Never fill the ink reservoir completely.

   Caution - do not let machine run out of ink.

4. Press the Rocker Switch and hold it down until the pillow has made 3 or 4 revolutions (15 to 20 seconds). This should be done whenever the Printmaster® Inker has not been used for several hours as it will insure an evenly inked surface.
5. Make a test print on a piece of paper.
   1. Press the pad of the finger straight down into the pillow and lift it straight up, off of the pillow.
   2. Roll the print on the paper.
   3. The Adjustment Screw was set before shipping and should not need any adjustment. However, if the print is too light, rotate the Adjustment Screw on the dispenser 1/8 turn toward Darker. If the print is too dark, rotate the adjustment screw 1/8 turn toward Lighter.
   4. Press and hold the Rocker Switch until the pillow has rotated 3 or 4 revolutions. This will take approximately 15 to 20 seconds and will distribute the ink uniformly over the surface of the pillow.
   5. Repeat making test prints until the print has the proper contrast.

Note: If Adjustment Screw is turned too far toward Lighter, it may stall the machine. If this occurs, and the machine stops operating, turn the Adjustment Screw toward Darker until the pillow will rotate again when the Rocker Switch is pressed. This will then be the lightest setting you can reach on this machine.

If prints cannot be made light enough within the adjustment range, add 2 or 3 drops of Printmaster® Ink Thinner to ink reservoir. Once the Printmaster® Inker is properly adjusted it should remain in adjustment indefinitely.

Taking Fingerprints

Taking Palmprints

The roller model has a removable pillow with a handle. The handle has two positions, straight down or a 60° angle. The machine is packed with the handle in the down position. The position of the handle may be changed by loosening the Handle Screw, rotating the handle to the chosen position, and retightening the screw.

To remove the pillow, grasp the handle, lift it slightly, and draw it out of the machine toward the left. To replace the pillow, aim the pillow downward and insert the pillow into the left side of the pillow well. Then lower the handle while gently forcing the pillow toward the right as far as it will go. Lower the handle down as far as it will go and release. The pillow and handle will snap back to the left and into the proper position.

Routine servicing

Your Printmaster® Inker should be examined weekly and serviced when necessary.

1. Examine the dispenser to be sure it contains ink. The ink level should never be higher than the top of the rollers. Add ink if required (approximately 1/2 oz). Only use U.S. brand fingerprint ink. This is the type of ink that came with your Printmaster® inker.
2. Observe the contact between the dispenser and the roller. The roller should contact only the center 3/4 of the pillow (see Diagram B). If the pillow edges are being compressed by the dispenser, turn the Pillow Positioning Screw until the correct contact is achieved. The Pillow Positioning Screw can be reached through a hole on the left side of the Printmaster Inker.
3. Observe the quality of ink on the surface of the pillow. Do not let the ink become too tacky. Tackiness is evidenced by a darkening of the prints and a tendency of the pillow to stick to the finger when prints are made. To correct this condition first stir ink with a clean pencil or stick. If tackiness persists, add 2 or 3 drops of Printmaster® Ink Thinner to the reservoir and rotate the pillow several times. If the pillow continues to feel tacky, it should be wiped clean using the technique found in Step 4 below.
4. Examine the inked surface of the pillow for dirt and particles. To remove dirt or particles, hold the edge of a business card or 3x5 card against the pillow while it is rotating. The scraping action of the card will eliminate dirt and dust particles from the surface. If it is necessary to clean the ink from the pillow the following procedure is advised:
   1. Rotate the pillow so the area to be cleaned is facing upward.
   2. Remove the power cord from the wall receptacle.
   3. Gently swab the surface of the pillow with a lint-free cloth moistened with Printmaster Ink Thinner or alcohol until the dirt and dust particles are removed.
   4. Plug in the power cord, rotate pillow to the next position to be cleaned, and repeat Steps B and C.
   5. After the pillow is clean, rotate it 3 or 4 times to coat it with ink. This will take approximately 15 to 20 seconds.
5. Clean the external surface of the case with alcohol or the waterless hand cleaner normally used for cleaning ink from the fingers.

Pillow Replacement

Step One

1. Remove the pillow from the machine on its roller.

2. Lift the spring wire loop from the hub of the pillow and swing it to one side, (see diagram A). Remove the pillow from the shaft.

3. Remove the new pillow from its wrapper. Place the new pillow on the roller shaft. Be sure the open side of the pillow goes on the shaft first.

4. Replace the spring wire loop.

5. Place the roller handle with the new pillow into the machine.

   Step Two Adjust the Pillow Positioning Screw on the left side of the machine (see diagram B) to place the pillow in the correct position with respect to the dispenser; Three-fourths of the surface of the pillow in contact with the dispenser roller (See diagram C).
   Step Three Press the Rocker Switch and hold it down so the pillow rotates continuously until the pillow is uniformly coated with ink (15-20 seconds). Step Four Make several test prints on a sheet of paper. If necessary, adjust the ink dispenser until the proper contrast in the prints is obtained.

   Troubleshooting Hints

   Problem	Cause	Remedy
   Occasional blank spots in the rolled fingerprints	Foreign material on the pillow surface preventing uniform inking.	Clean the pillow by holding the edge of a card against the surface while continuously rotating the pillow. Persistent spots may need to be removed with Printmaster® Ink Thinner.
   Black line at the joint position of the inked fingerprint	The pillow may be touching the edge of the inking wheel	Move the pillow away from the inking wheel by adjusting the pillow positioning screw. Also, check to see that the Teflon covered wire and the pillow edge guides are in place.
   Occasional narrow light area or line in fingerprint from joint to nail	The fingerprint is being taken in the region of the pillow that had previously been in residual contact with the inking wheel	Rotate the pillow a few times before using.
   The fingerprints are too dark. Unable to control with Darker/Lighter Adjustment (usually accompanied by tacky feeling to ink on pillow)	1. The ink is too thick. 2. Ink other than U.S. brand Fingerprint Ink has been used. 3.The ink reservoir has been overfilled.	1. Add 2 drops of Printmaster® Ink Thinner to the reservoir. Rotate pillow 3 revolutions. Repeat as necessary until prints have proper contrast. 2. Empty ink reservoir and replace with U.S. brand fingerprint ink. 3. Remove excess ink from the reservoir.
   The fingerprints are too light.	1. The machine is out of ink. 2.There's too much ink in the reservoir and a crust has formed preventing normal gravity feed.	1. Add 1/2 oz. ink. 2. Remove crust with a clean pencil or stick and add a few drops of Printmaster® Ink Thinner to the reservoir. Rotate the pillow. Repeat as necessary. < tr>
   The pillow does not rotate.	There is too much pressure from the inker mechanism.	Turn the Darker/Lighter Adjustment toward Darker until the mechanism operates, then readjust.
   The pillow cover was pulled into the ink dispenser.	The pillow cover is broken.	If the pillow cover can be removed from the ink dispenser, install a new pillow. If the pillow cover cannot be removed from the ink dispenser, return the unit to the factory for refurbishing.
   There are dark lines across the fingerprints.	1.There may be lint on the wiping wire. 2.The roller may be scored.	1. Clean the wiping wirewith a clean, lint-free cloth. 2. The roller will have to be serviced or replaced by the factory.

   Factory Refurbishing

   Your Printmaster® Inker should be refurbished every 1-2 years.

   After a period of time, it may be necessary to have your Printmaster® Inker refurbished. For high-use agencies, it may be necessary to have the unit refurbished every year. For low-use machines, it may only be necessary to refurbish the unit every other year. The time-frame is dependent upon the amount of usage and the care the machine receives. If it is not properly cleaned and adjusted, it may be necessary to have the unit refurbished sooner than expected.

   To have your Printmaster® Inker refurbished, please send it to:

   Lightning Powder Co., Inc.
   ATTN: Printmaster Refurbish
   1230 Hoyt St SE
   Salem, OR 97302-2121

   You may wish to call first to receive the most up-to-date pricing and turnaround time. Please include a cover letter with your machine, stating whether you need a new pillow with refurbish or not, and any significant problems that were noticed