Error 48 on a Bodno A-Series Printer: What It Means and How to Clear It

Fix a problem·Updated Oct 9, 2026·4 min read

Bodno A-Series Help · Ribbon errors

A10A20A30A40 Pro

Error 48 stops the print before it starts. It looks serious, but on an A-Series printer it nearly always comes down to the ribbon or the small sensor that reads it, and you can usually clear it yourself in about ten minutes.

The short version

Reseat the ribbon, check the gear on the spool for missing teeth, recalibrate the ribbon sensor with the ribbon out and the cover closed, clean the sensor, then check the sensor bracket. If only one design triggers it, turn on Rotate 180°.

What Error 48 is telling you

The printer reads small marks on the color ribbon with a light sensor so it knows which color panel is under the printhead. Error 48 means that reading failed. The ribbon, the gear that turns it, the sensor and the little bracket that holds the sensor light are the only things involved, so that is where the fix is.

Do these five checks, in this order

Print one card after each check. Most printers are back after the first or third.

1Is it the right ribbon, seated properly?

Each model takes its own ribbon: A5100 on the A10, A5300 on the A20, A30 and A40 Pro, or the 500-print A5500 on the A40 Pro. Lift the cartridge out and make sure the film is flat, not creased, and not wound tight. Put it back flat in its guides and close the cover gently. A cover pushed down hard is the usual way the sensor bracket in check 5 gets knocked out of place.

2Does the gear on the ribbon spool have all its teeth?

The plastic gear on the end of the spool turns the ribbon. A chipped or cracked gear lets the ribbon slip, and the printer loses its place. Swap in an A-Series ribbon drive gear; the gear from a used ribbon core will do for a day if you are mid-batch.

3Recalibrate the ribbon sensor

Ribbon out, cover closed. Then run the calibration:

Windows:Printing Preferences › Tool › Calibrate Ribbon LED Mac:Printer Utility › Other Tools › Calibrate Ribbon LED

Put the ribbon back and print. If calibration reports a failure, run it once more. Two failures in a row send you to check 4.

The result shows a reading for each sensor, and the number tells you where to look:

Around 195Normal. Reinstall the ribbon and print.
Fails, but reads above 50The sensor is dirty or slightly out of line. Checks 4 and 5.
Reads 0The sensor or its cable has a fault. Contact us; this is not a cleaning job.

4Clean the sensor

Power off and unplug. Wipe the sensor light and the sensor under it with a dry swab, or one lightly dampened with the alcohol swab from the BB001 kit. Let it dry, then calibrate again with the ribbon out.

5Is the sensor bracket in its notch?

The sensor light sits on a small plastic bracket. If it has been pushed out of its notch it points at the wrong spot and every calibration fails. With the power off, press it gently back if it has only slipped. If it is bent, cracked or hanging loose, leave it: it is a replacement part, and we send it with a short video of the swap.

Other ribbon codes you might see

41 or 46: ribbon used upThe roll and its count disagree by a print or two at the end of a ribbon. Fit a new ribbon.
43: no ribbon foundNo ribbon in the printer, or it went in backwards. Match the colored ends of the spools to the colors marked on the cartridge.
44: ribbon not supportedThe ribbon was made for a different region. Use ribbons from Bodno for your printer.
45: ribbon missingUsually a torn ribbon or a worn gear. See ribbon tearing.
49: ribbon errorThe ribbon is dragging or slipping. Check the drive gear (check 2), make sure the ribbon matches your model, then recalibrate (check 3).

Error 48 only on certain designs

If the test chart prints without an error but one design throws Error 48, the ribbon is sticking or tearing on that design and the printer reports it as a ribbon error. Two settings cleared this in our cases:

  • Reset image color to default in Printing Preferences if anyone has changed it.
  • Turn on Rotate 180° and print again.

If the ribbon is visibly tearing, go to Ribbon tearing or sticking to cards.

Error right after you changed the ribbonCheck 1: seating, ribbon type, tension
Ribbon slips, gear looks chewedCheck 2: replace the drive gear
New ribbon, looks fine, error staysChecks 3 and 4: calibrate, then clean
Calibration fails every timeCheck 5: sensor bracket
Only one design causes itRotate 180° and default image color
Ribbon winds backward when you close the coverA motor problem. Contact us, do not open the printer

Parts for this fix

A-Series Ribbon Drive Gear $29.99 Add to cart
Bodno A5100 Color Ribbon, A10 (100 prints) $64.99 Add to cart
Bodno A5300 Color Ribbon, A20 / A30 / A40 Pro (300 prints) $94.99 Add to cart
Bodno A5500 Color Ribbon, A40 Pro (500 prints) $149.99 Add to cart
Bodno BB001 Cleaning Kit for A-Series $39.99 Add to cart

Write to us with these and we can answer the same day

Most cases go back and forth an extra time only because we have to ask for these. Put them in your first message:

  1. The serial number from the label on the back of the printer
  2. Your model: A10, A20, A30 or A40 Pro
  3. A screenshot of the printer information screen in the driver (it shows the firmware and driver version)
  4. A photo of the ribbon and the gear on its spool
  5. What the calibration said (pass or fail, and any number it showed)
  6. Whether it happens on every card or only one design (attach the design if so)
Call (732) 987-5300Email support@bodno.comSupport request form

Written by Bodno Tech Support from real A-Series support cases. Last reviewed October 2026.

Still stuck?

Tell our support team your printer model and what you see on the screen, and we'll help you get printing.

support@bodno.com·(732) 987-5300
Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 7 PM ET

Products in this guide

Questions about this

01 Is Error 48 a sign the printer is broken?
Rarely. In our support cases it was almost always the ribbon, its gear, the sensor calibration or the sensor bracket, all fixable in a few minutes.
02 Can I calibrate with the ribbon installed?
No. Take the ribbon out and close the cover first, or the reading will be wrong and the error will come back.
03 Why does Error 48 only appear on one of my designs?
When the ribbon sticks or tears on a heavy design, the printer reports a ribbon error. Turn on Rotate 180° and reset image color to default, then see the ribbon tearing guide.
04 Is a replacement sensor bracket covered?
Send us the serial number and a photo. A-Series printers carry 3 years of parts-and-labor coverage, and we will tell you right away what is covered.