If you are experiencing a problem or performance issue with Jolly software, review the following solutions to see if they may resolve your issue.

License Key / Registration
If you are prompted to enter your license key every time you start Jolly software, your logon user account most likely does not have sufficient privileges. Try the following: Log in as Administrator, run the Jolly software again, then enter the license key. You should no longer be prompted for the key, regardless of what user you log in as.

Magnetic Stripe
If ID Flow or Print Studio says your card printer doesn't support magnetic stripes but it does, contact support@jollytech.com and we will assist you.

Database Performance Tuning
Due to the tight integration between a Jolly design file and the associated database back-end, database performance can significantly affect Jolly software's overall performance. There are several issues that contribute to database performance. Below are some design considerations to keep in mind to achieve maximum performance.

• Network latency: If your database is located on a network drive, the performance will be limited by the latency of the network itself. The faster the network, the faster the data can be retrieved and updated. For maximum performance, keep the data on the local PC's hard drive.
  
  
• Database table size: One way to improve performance is to break the data up into separate database tables. This will result in smaller database table sizes which will in turn result in faster loading times. For example, a school may store student information in several tables based on grade level, so a high school may have three tables, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, and 12th Grade, rather than storing all the students information in a single database table.
  
  
• Image and signature size: If you are storing images and/or signatures in a database, it is very important to keep image size as small as possible to maximize performance. Images typically occupy the vast majority of space in a database. When you acquire an image or signature, do so at the lowest resolution and image quality that produces an acceptable image for your application. If you plan to store a large number of images in a database, a good alternative is to store picture paths in the database rather than the actual image file binary data. For additional information, see the Mail Merging with an Image Database section below.
  
  
• Database type: The type of database you use will affect database performance. Jolly's Sample Database uses Microsoft Access. Access is suitable for standard database applications, typically up to database sizes of around 2 GB. However, performance may drop off before that. If you intend to add upwards of 500 records with pictures, you should consider moving to an enterprise level database such as MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, or Oracle.
  
  
• PC RAM and hard disk space: If you are working with a large database, the more RAM and free hard disk space your PC has, the better. When working with data from the database, it is loaded into your PC's memory. If your PC has limited resources, performance may be slowed significantly. If you are working with a large database, a minimum of 512 MB of RAM is recommended.

Mail Merging with an Image Database
If the software slows down or complains about low memory while printing mail-merged pictures, read the following paragraphs.

If you are managing a database of pictures, two types of database picture fields are available: picture-data and picture-path. Image-data embeds the picture directly into the database file itself, so that if you move the database file from one computer to another, all of the images are transported automatically. Whereas picture-path only stores the filenames and optionally the file location of the images.

If you choose to add picture-data to your database, as you enter pictures, the size of your database may increase dramatically, dependent on the size of the images you are adding. If the database is a simple database such as Microsoft Access and your computer is not very powerful, you may notice severe slowdown as the number of records grows.

If you plan to add a large number of pictures (more than 500), your best option is most likely to use the picture-path method. To do so, you will save the filename in the database as normal text. See the example below:

Image Folder (where you will store your picture files):
C:\Images

Image File Name (stored in your database):
Joe_Smith.jpg

In Print Studio, choose Add > Image > Image From Database and select the second option:
Obtain image path by combining plain text and one or more database fields

In the text box, enter the Image Folder name followed by a '\':
C:\Images\

Then click on Insert DB Field and select the database column containing the file names of the pictures. You will see something like:
C:\Images\<<Image_Path>>

In the case of the example above, where the picture file name, Joe_Smith.jpg, is saved in the database column Image_Path, the software will replace the fit the picture file, C:\Images\Joe_Smith.jpg, to the picture place holder on the card or label at print-time.

To capture images and store file paths more simply, you should mark the Image_Path field as an image path field. To enable this feature, open Database Setup, click on Database Source, click on Field Setup, select the Image_Path field and check the Image Path check box.

Database Errors; No Templates Listed
If you are getting database related errors or Jolly software doesn't list any templates in the Create New Document dialog, you may need to update a component of Microsoft Windows or Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC). Try searching http://www.microsoft.com for MDAC, then download and install the latest version on your PC. A link to the MDAC download page is provided below.

Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) Downloads

Microsoft Excel
If you use a Microsoft Excel database and some of the database records aren't showing up properly, your database may have formatting applied to columns that prevent it from working properly. You may need to create a new spreadsheet and re-enter the data. Don't use copy-and-paste or you could end up copying the problematic formatting.

A common symptom is when leading zeros are not shown in the Jolly software.

MySQL Error Messages
If you are using the MyODBC connector version 3.51.10 or newer, you may receive an error message while trying to connect to your MySQL database. This is due to a bug in the MyODBC connector. We recommend using 3.51.09 or earlier until the problem is fixed by the MySQL developers. Click here to download. If you need further assistance, contact support@jollytech.com and we will assist you.

Print Quality
If blending and/or gradient effects are not printing correctly or if you are using a PVC card printer and the cards are feeding through without printing, open File > Print Setup, click on the Print Setup tab, and check "Send Bitmap". Print Studio will then internally convert your design to an image and print the image instead of using vector print commands.

If the color of PVC cards appears to be "washed-out," or if black objects are printing too lightly, check your printer settings. Check that you have the proper ribbon selected, using black resin where available.

Print Copies
To change the number of copies you would like to print, select File > Print Options and change the Number of Copies setting to the desired quantity. To print multiple database records at the same time, select File > Select Records for Printing and highlight the desired records.

Printing Offset
To make minor corrections for printing offsets, select File > Print Options and click on the Print Setup tab, then enter values in the X and Y Calibration fields.

Errors While Adding Text
This is typically caused by dll incompatibilities or a corrupt Microsoft Windows installation. Try reinstalling the software, and if that doesn't work, then you may need to reinstall Microsoft Windows.