Confirm this procedure applies to large format Prestige and Aries printers. Ensure the printer is powered on. Press the left arrow key once to disengage the capping station from the print head. Press and hold the left arrow key to move the carriage to the center of the printer bed. Turn the printer power off. Go to the left side of the printer. Locate the end of the encoder strip. Remove the two screws securing the encoder strip. Carefully remove and retain the metal bracket without dropping it. Go to the right side of the printer. Repeat the same steps to remove the two screws and metal bracket. Slide the old encoder strip out from behind the carriage. Take the new encoder strip. Position it on the right side of the printer. Assemble in this order: Encoder strip Secure the encoder strip on the right side. Take the free end of the encoder strip. Position it into the center of the metal guides. Hold the encoder strip steady from the right side. Slowly push the carriage over the encoder strip. Once halfway through, reach in from the left side. Pull the remaining portion of the encoder strip through to the left side.
Positioning the Encoder Strip in the Sensor Before securing the left side, confirm the encoder strip is inside the encoder sensor. Use a flashlight from the opposite side to verify placement. Check all encoder strip guides. Confirm the encoder strip is centered in every guide. Inspect the inlay on the left side. If the encoder strip does not sit flush: Cut a small amount from the end of the strip. Confirm the encoder strip now sits flush with the rail. Pull the encoder strip to the left to keep it taut. Ensure the encoder strip is not loose. Round the corners of the strip. Place the metal bracket over the encoder strip. Secure the encoder strip using two screws. Perform a final check to confirm: The encoder strip is centered in all guides. The encoder strip is properly seated inside the encoder sensor.
Power On and Gear Ratio Calibration Turn the printer back on. Connect your computer to the printer. Wait until the printer status shows idle. Open DTF Station Pilot software. Go to the Advanced tab. Enter the required password. Click Confirm. Verify the target move under gear ratio is set to 300. Click Check to calibrate the gear ratio. Allow the carriage to move during calibration. Monitor for errors during the gear check. If a pulse error appears, verify encoder strip placement in the encoder sensor. If no error occurs, proceed. Go to File. Click Save. Click OK.
Initializing the Printer Go to the Operation tab. Click Initialize. Close the window.
Bidirectional Calibration Go to the Calibration tab. Select Bidirectional Calibration. Click Test Print. Allow the printer to print the calibration chart. Inspect the printed calibration chart. Focus on the zero bar and several bars to the left and right. Identify the bar where the top and bottom dark bars align with the center lighter bar. Use a phone camera and zoom in if needed for accuracy. If the straightest bar is already at zero, no adjustment is needed. If another bar is straightest, note its position. Add that value to the current value in Pilot software. Enter the new calculated value. Click Test Print again. Verify the straightest bar is now at zero. Click Save.
Completion Confirm calibration is complete. Verify normal printer operation. 