Abstract: A card printer is provided with a cleaning roller that will pick up debris on the surface of a card on which printing is to take place. The cleaning roller has a sticky surface, that is engagement with a band of adhesive tape that moves to contact the surface of the cleaning roller and remove debris that is on the cleaning roller surface. The tape is preferably formed in an endless band mounted on a pair of rollers that are in a common housing with the cleaning roller. The housing is removably mounted in the printer, and can be opened for replacement of the band of tape.