IDSecurityOnline Blog

All types of businesses, organizations, education systems, clubs, and many others use some form of a PVC card as either access control, identification purposes, membership access, hotel room keys, gift and loyalty cards, promotional purposes, and even gaming and casino cards. And that’s not even including the vast majority of credit cards, ATM cards, and other forms of payment cards.

The first thing you need to know if you encounter a broken ID card printer ribbon is DON’T throw it away. Even if it’s torn and wrapped around the main card roller that’s under the print head, it can be salvaged and repaired so you can continue printing with it. Here’s what you need to do if your ribbon breaks.

If you’ve already realized the benefits of creating a customer loyalty program, you know that research shows you can increase customer spending between 20% to 40% by using gift and loyalty cards. That’s enough of a ROI to consider adding an ID card printer to your program, but there are many more ways that a printer can enhance your customer loyalty program. 

There are as many options for choosing the right ID security card for your business as there are reasons for needing a way to keep employees, visitors, and tenants safe and secure. So how do you determine what the right choice is for all your security needs? We have a quick and easy guide to help you figure out exactly what you need.

Like most investments, proper care and maintenance can prolong the life of your ID card printer. A proper cleaning can keep print quality high and reduces the likelihood of performance issues later on. 

But how often should you clean your printer?  

It’s generally recommended that you clean your ID card printer every 700 to 1,000 cards printed. Refer to your card printer manual for manufacturer-specific instructions, but this is a good guideline to follow. If you notice any of the following signs, however, you might need to clean your printer sooner rather than later. 

ID cards and badges are important, they serve important functions, and we depend on them to make our way through important parts of each day. They do their job best when they’re used effectively.

An ID badge does what it does, but to work best, with maximum utility and function, the right accessories are key. What’s a badge without the accessories? Less than it is with its accessories.

ID cards and badges need to be easy to use, store, display, and protect.  They work best when be reliably attached to their person and easy to present–and, of course, when they’re not lost.

Zebra card printers are widely heralded for reliability and excellent print quality, and also offer a big selection of models and options–to accommodate users’ different card-production needs and budgets.

Zebra set out to create well designed ID card printers that meet you where you work, whether you’re printing cards in high volume or just on a regular basis, and whether you need high security smart cards or just the basics, and deliver the print quality, flexibility, and security you want within your budget.

Below are Zebra’s card printers’ primary features along with some useful comparative summaries for the high- and mid-range models.

Getting the most out of your ID card system and printer means having the right accessories at hand. Creating visitor badges is one thing; ease of use, function and utility are another. You need to have the right badge- and card-related accessories to efficiently produce cards on the spot, provide card users the means (tools) to carry, wear and use them properly, and give your personnel the ability to easily spot expired temporary badges.

Proximity cards (aka prox cards) are contactless read-only devices containing an antenna and integrated circuit embedded within the card itself–which contains the user's ID number and no other data (proximity cards can't hold any more data than a magnetic stripe card). The card can be “read” from a distance without inserting it into or passing it through a reader device. Cardholder data is instead read when the proximity card is passed within range of a reader–when briefly flashed near an electronic reader the number/data encoded in the card’s antenna is exchanged with the reader, identified and authenticated. The reader typically responds by beeping (indicating the card has been read) and signaling another device to permit access.

Cyber Monday is here. It's time to get a new ID card printer or a new ID card system at an unbeatable price.

Sunday, November 29 to Wednesday, December 2, 2015

CYBER MONDAY DEALS AT IDSECURITYONLINE:

• Get a FREE slot punch with any ID Card printer order with promo code CYBER
• Magicard Pronto Single Sided Photo ID System - SKU: ProntoSystemSS: $799 with promo code CYBERPRONTO
• Get ANY Photo ID System for the price of an ID Card Printer with promo code CYBERSYSTEM

Don't wait! Place your order now at IDSecurityOnline.com or call 800-897-7024 to speak with an ID expert.

 

Most businesses and enterprises printing ID Cards are concerned about security at some level. What do we mean when we talk about “ID Card security”? Card issuers primarily want to protect identification, proximity and smart cards from fraudulent use and counterfeiting. ID card security features and technologies are designed to discourage fraud and misuse of ID cards.

When a card is issued the issuer wants to ensure the card is used by the actual person to whom it is issued for the purposes it is issued. Issuers don’t want cards to be used by anyone other than the cardholder, or for unauthorized purposes. The consequences of misuse can be significant and costly. Security features help ensure that the person using the card is the cardholder and that the card is used for an intended purpose. This limits organizational risk and enhances operational and financial control.

Okay, so you’re getting ready to buy an ID card printer, but you haven’t really thought much about what your ID card needs actually are, right? In fact, you don’t really even know where to begin. Don’t worry, you’re in good company. One thing we know for sure is that identifying your ID-card needs carefully and clearly really helps you make the right ID-card printer decision.

Today’s ID cards can be really basic (a photo and a couple of lines of information on one side) or quite sophisticated with data-storage and security features. Different ID-card printer models are designed for different needs, card volumes, applications and circumstances.

If your organization finally needs its own ID card printer, don’t wait around for someone else to tell you which ID Card Printer is the greatest. You may be in for a long wait – at least when it comes to what’s great for your particular card-printing requirements. Don’t worry though, you can do this on your own without much effort.

Truth is, there isn’t an ID card printer that’s perfect for everyone, and ID-card printer sales pitches can miss the mark– or be confusing – in some material respect, unless you well understand your card-related needs before you start shopping. Fortunately, there are enough ID card printers available that the right one is there to meet your organization’s specific requirements. You just need to know what you’re looking for.

Magicard has just released a new version of its top-selling Enduro printer, the Enduro3E. The Enduro has been a trusted solution for organizations in need of a durable solution to print ID cards and badges. The new Enduro3E now includes Ethernet as standard and a 3-year warranty.

This week’s featured printer is the Zebra® ZXP SERIES 7 ID Card Printer, a high-speed direct-to-card solution that affordably provides near photographic print quality and vivid colors. Designed for medium- to high-volume applications and/or instant card issuance this card printer is Zebra’s highest performance direct-to-card printer—and can simultaneously print, encode and laminate. It’s a rock-solid value and handles any organization’s high-volume card-production requirements with impressive easy-to-use results.