IDSecurityOnline Blog

Choosing the right ribbon for your card printer can help you save a lot and increase your card production rate significantly. This is particularly true if you are printing your cards in color.

YMCKOK ribbons

Most card printer users purchase a standard YMCKO color ribbon to print their ID cards and badges and it does make sense for full color single-sided badges. However, if your card application requires color on the front and black on the back, a YMCKO-K ribbon is a lot more cost-efficient. This ribbon is specifically designed for dual-sided card printers and includes an extra Black panel that is used to personalize the back of your cards.  A typical application is an organization looking into printing employee badges with a photo ID, text, logo and background on the front and the company’s contact information in black on the back.

Inc. 500 has just published its 2014 list of the 500 fastest-growing private companies in the United States and we are very proud to announce that IDSecurityOnline.com ranked #214. IDSecurityOnline.com has earned the #214 position on the 2014 Inc. 500 list thanks to an astonishing three-year sales growth of 2,093%.

We also ranked:
#4 on the list of Top Security Companies in America.
#16 on the list of Top Companies in New York.  
#20 on the list of Top Companies in the New York City Metro Area.

IDSecurityOnline.com provides photo ID badge systems, software, and supplies to organizations of all major industries including corporate, education, government, healthcare, retail and events. Thousands of companies nationwide rely on IDSecurityOnline.com to get durable, secure and affordable ID card solutions that will help them keep their employees, visitors and assets safe at all times.

The use of ID card systems in our modern, technology driven society is pervasive—so much so in fact that it’s hard to think of any large organization that doesn’t rely on IDs in some way, especially organizations that interact with the public or manage large numbers of individuals internally. The need to control access, monitor personnel movement and recognize authority is a big part of what enables highly complex systems of human interaction to function efficiently and securely. Businesses, institutions, healthcare facilities, schools and universities, and governments all use photo ID systems, but each user group has unique needs, depending on how they use ID badges and cards, the features and functions sought, the rate at which they must produce them, the environment within which they operate, and their internal system configurations. 

Proximity cards are increasingly popular, and are today’s door-access standard, because they permit users to conveniently (and more quickly) gain entry by simply waving cards in front of a point-of-entry reader. No physical swipe or magnetic strip is necessary. Today these ID cards are offered in open or proprietary formats, and offer varying levels of security, programmed with facility codes and a unique card (user) serial number.

Proximity cards are read-only devices that have an embedded antenna. The cardholder data can be read when the proximity card is passed within range of a reader.

When it comes to card printing, there are two primary options that consumers can choose from–direct-to-card and retransfer. While both versions have their supporters, deciding which one is right for you is a matter of comparing their benefits and drawbacks in relation to your card printing needs. Here’s a quick look at how both these options work, as well as some reasons as to why they might be the right or wrong choice for you.

Direct-to-Card Printing

Direct-to-card printing (sometimes shortened to just DTC) is by far the most common printing technique used today. As the name implies, printers that utilize DTC technology print images by having the printhead in direct contact with the surface of a blank card. DTC printers use ribbons with different panels.

If your organization has a need for ID cards, you have two basic options — printing them in-house or outsourcing the project to a printing company. Both of these choices will ultimately provide you with cards you were looking for. However, if you are looking for a cost-effective solution to get professional badges, in-house printing definitely makes sense.

Control your ID card production

With in-house printing you are in control of the entire process from start to finish, which is beneficial for a couple reasons.

For one, you don’t have to worry about receiving a low-quality or inferior finished product — you have the ability to monitor the progress of your ID badges every step of the way. Plus, in-house printing allows you the luxury of making beneficial changes to the process.

Now is a great time to upgrade your ID card system and plan for your 2014-2015 ID badges.

Getting the right ID card system is the most effective and affordable way to secure your school.

We have designed comprehensive ID card solutions to help you create professional ID cards for your students, employees and visitors. Whether you need to print a few hundred cards for your K-12 school or thousands of badges for your university, you will find the perfect photo ID system right here!

At ID Security Online, we are constantly looking for new solutions to enhance our customers’ experience and help everyone build a successful card program. Today, we are happy to announce the launch of a brand new line of Proximity cards called QuickShip.

Proximity cards have quickly become a premier choice for access control applications. Proximity cards are custom programmed with a facility code and a serial number to control users’ access rights. Proximity cards are widely used in the security industry but are typically ready to ship in 6-10 business days.

On April 7, 2014, researchers disclosed a vulnerability in a technology called OpenSSL that powers encryption across much of the Internet. The vulnerability is known as the "OpenSSL Heartbleed Flaw."

Security has always been our priority and today, we are happy to confirm that our store IDSecurityOnline.com has not been affected by this flaw.

As a safety precaution, we want to encourage you to reset your password. To do so, log in to your Account and change your password in the Update Billing Information section.

Have questions? Call us at 1-800-897-7024 or email [email protected].

Thank you for trusting ID Security Online.

Safe shopping!

If you are looking for a new ID card printer, consider getting the fastest machine in the industry. The Zebra ZXP7 card printer produces 300 single-sided cards per hour in color. For an even faster throughput, the printer can simultaneously print, encode, and laminate a card.

If you are already an ID Security Online customer, you know that we are constantly looking for ways to improve your shopping experience and make sure that you build a successful ID card program.

With that objective in mind, we have just developed a new ribbon selector to help you choose the right color ribbon for your printer.

Each manufacturer offers many options, from YMCKO to YMCKOK or half-panel color ribbons. So which one do you really need? Follow these steps to make the right decision every single time.

We have designed a unique support program called IDPlus to help you with your ID card program at all times.

This program includes key features such as:

• Superior Customer Support on all items
  Do you need help with your ID card system? We got you covered for life! Call us at 1-800-897-7024 whenever you need it and get answers fast!
• Warranty and Non-Warranty Repairs
  If your printer is under warranty, we will fix it at no charge! Beyond the warranty period, we will service your printer at the best rates of the market.
• Certified Repair Center
  ID Security Online is a certified repair center for all major card printer brands. We stock all parts to fix your printer fast and minimize downtime.

Good news! ID Security Online sets a new standard in the ID card industry by providing all its customers with FREE UPS ground shipping on all $50+ orders.

This unique shipping policy will translate into additional savings for all our customers who were already getting the best deals on all ID card solutions.

This decision is part of our commitment to delivering superior customer service and support. Now our customers do not have to pay any extra fees if they need to order one card printer ribbon or a box of cards.

No coupon code is required as free UPS shipping is automatically applied to all $50+ orders.

Have questions? Call us at 1-800-897-7024 or visit IDSecurityOnline.com.

We are happy to announce that you can now connect to your favorite ID store on the go! The mobile version of IDSecurityOnline.com gives you quick access to all the major sections of our site: our ID card printers and photo ID systems, card printer supplies and full customer support.

User-friendly and easy-to-use, our mobile site is loaded with features:

• One-click call to talk to an ID expert;
• Get a free quote instantly;
• Order a brand new card printer or consumables for your solution within seconds;
• Read the latest posts on our blog;
• Check out our videos to learn more about a product or get support on your printer;
• Contact our certified repair center to get your card printer fixed;

Hanging on to your outdated card printer might be costing you way more than you think.

Here are the facts:

Consumables and parts for an outdated printer can cost you twice as much as supplies for a new machine.
New printers are faster, which means that you will increase productivity and therefore profitability.
The latest printers are more durable to significantly reduce downtime and issue highly secure badges.
The maintenance costs of a discontinued printer are substantial. Changing a printhead will cost you hundreds of dollars if your printer is out of warranty.