ID Card Printing Blog
October 01 2013 |
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Let's make a difference!
In October, when you make a purchase on ID Security Online, you help us make a difference. At the end of the month, we will donate 1% of our Photo ID Systems sales to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.
Since 1982, Komen has played a critical role in every major advance in the fight against breast cancer – transforming how the world talks about and treats this disease and helping to turn millions of breast cancer patients into breast cancer survivors. We are proud of our contribution to some real victories:
September 30 2013 |
Make your printer evolve with your needs!
If you purchased an ID card printer, you might be part of the vast majority who buy “Basic” printers: no encoding, single-sided capabilities, USB only.
Those
printers are perfect to personalize ID badges with names, pictures, logos and
barcodes. But what happens if one day, you are asked to print and encode
magnetic cards or if you need a dual-sided printer to add more information on
the back of your cards? Should you just get another printer?
Here
is the thing with card printers today: many machines can easily be upgraded
onsite! Let’s say you have a single-sided printer and you want dual-sided
capabilities, you can get an upgrade kit and do it yourself in no time! With
some card printer manufacturers, this can be done with an activation key or a
special upgrade ribbon.
September 12 2013 |
Standard YMCKO vs. Half-panel color ribbon: make the right choice!
If you want to print color badges, you will need a color ribbon but if you look closer at the options, you will find YMCKO ribbons and Half-panel YMCKO ribbons. What’s the difference?
YMCKO
ribbons are standard color ribbons. YMCKO stands for Yellow, Magenta, Cyan,
Black and Overlay. The printer uses the YMC panels to print in full color, the
Black (K) panel to print in real black and then applies a clear coating overlay
(O) to create durable plastic badges.
Half-panel
color ribbons are different: the Yellow, Magenta and Cyan panels are half the
size of the regular panels of a YMCKO ribbon. The K (Black) and O (Overlay) are
full size panels. This means that up to
half of the card can be printed in full color while black text or images can be
printed anywhere on the card.
September 04 2013 |
Tips to fix ribbon breaking issues
You are trying to print your badges but your ribbon keeps breaking. The good news is that this issue can easily be fixed.
- The first step is to clean your card printer. Follow the recommendations of your card printer manufacturer to clean printer and printhead. Dust and debris can damage your printer and considerably impact print quality.
September 03 2013 |
How to choose your ID cards
Your card printer and card application will determine which ID cards are right for you.
Here are a few tips when choosing ID cards:
- Card thickness: ID card printers will only accept specific card thicknesses. Most printers are built to print 30mil cards (thickness of a credit card) so if you need to personalize thinner cards (10-20mil), check the specs of your printer.
August 08 2013 |
New Zebra ZXP Series 1 printers: superior print quality at a great price!
Zebra has launched a brand new line of single-sided card printers called ZXP Series 1. You can now print high-quality ID cards and badges on the spot without breaking the bank.
The main features of the printer include:
- Single-sided printing
- Edge-to-edge printing on standard CR-80 cards
- 300 dpi (11.8 dots/mm) print resolution
- Load-N-Go™ drop-in ribbon cassettes to load and replace ribbons in a snap
- Auto calibration of ribbons
August 04 2013 |
Enhanced version of the Zebra ZXP Series 3 printer: what’s new?
Zebra has launched a new version of its ZXP Series 3 card printer. Available as a single or dual-sided printer, the ZXP Series 3 printer is a cost-effective solution to print high-quality ID cards and badges on the spot. Packed with user-friendly features, the ZXP Series 3 offers incredible value with dazzling print quality at a low cost of ownership.
This enhanced version includes a wide array of new features:
- New eco-friendly, high-capacity ribbons for increased productivity
- New printer enclosure with updated color scheme
- Improved reliability and performance enhancements
- Card feeder design for improved card feed
July 17 2013 |
How to choose the right ID card software
If you have already implemented an ID card program, you know how important your ID card software is. Not only does it help you design professional badges but it also manages your cardholders’ data and adds various features to your cards.
Before making a buying decision, identify your needs and consider these key features:
- Database functionality: some programs come with an internal database, which allows you to save your cards and cardholder data for easy reprints. Entry-level software typically does not have this option so check the specs of your software carefully.
July 15 2013 |
Which supplies do I need for a retransfer card printer?
The list of supplies that you need for your retransfer printer is quite different from what you would get for a direct-to-card printer. Follow this quick checklist to get stunning badges and protect your investment.
1. Retransfer film: In retransfer printers, the printhead does not come in direct contact with your card: your card design is printed into a clear film called retransfer film. This film is then is fused onto the surface of the card to produce over-the-edge badges in vibrant colors.
July 02 2013 |
Meet the new Nisca PR-C201 card printer!
Retransfer technology, dual-sided printing, 24-bit images, standard Ethernet connectivity: these are just a few features of the new ID card printer from Nisca: the PR-C201.
The NiscaPR-C201 retransfer ID card printer delivers perfect dual-sided badges even on irregular surfaces such as smart cards or ABS, PET, PVH and Polycarbonate cards.
The print quality of the Nisca PR-C201 ID card printer is astonishing: 600 dpi, 24-bit images for flawless colors. Not only do you get perfect badges but you get them at the amazing speed of 160 color cards per hour! For an even faster throughput, the printer is equipped with 250-card input and output hoppers.
Loaded with easy-to-use features, the Nisca PR-C201 offers an LCD display for instant printer status, quick-change ribbon cassettes and easy cleaning.
June 25 2013 |
Finally! The first Mac-compatible photo ID systems are here!
Mac users, we have big news! You can now design and print professional ID cards and badges from your Mac. We have designed unique ID card systems that include everything that you need to create all types of ID cards such as employee badges, student IDs, membership cards and more.
And yes, each package includes ID card software! CardPresso is the first ID card software designed for Mac OS X. Easy-to-use and packed with powerful features, this intuitive platform simplifies the creation of any type of badges.
May 29 2013 |
No ID card program is complete without accessories!
An ID card is meant to be visible and needs to be displayed properly to be a secure and durable tool. To do so, a wide array of options is available to you: from badge holders to lanyards, find out now which badge accessories are right for you.
- Badge Holders: choose from a variety of horizontal and vertical badges holders. Solid and available in multiple colors, our badge holders will extend the lifespan of your cards.
- Badge Reels: attach your ID card to clothing or bags with our line of colorful retractable badge reels. Their unique ‘pull’ system is perfect for an easy access to your badges.
- Clips and Magnets: secure your ID cards and badges to anything with our solid and affordable clips and magnets.
May 21 2013 |
What can I do with ID cards?
ID cards are now used in pretty much every industry. Here is an overview of what ID cards can do for your business.
- Corporate. Secure ID badges allow you
to identify your employees and visitors, and control access to your premises
for a safer workplace. Design and issue photo IDs with your logo, text and
pictures. For a higher level of security, add a barcode or encode data on a
magnetic stripe or smart card. Your ID
cards become multifunctional badges and may serve for time and attendance and
access control to company property.
- Education. ID cards have been widely adopted in all educational structures: not only do they help keep students and staff safe but they also make daily tasks much easier to manage. For example, a photo ID badge can help you visually identify students, staff and visitors, but it can also be used to control access to your school, manage equipment checkouts and lunch programs, and even pay for campus purchases.
May 12 2013 |
The enhanced Fargo HDP5000 is now available!
HID has announced a new version of the Fargo HDP5000 card printer, now available at ID Security Online.
The Fargo HDP5000 is a retransfer printer that produces ID cards of a superior print quality. Reliable yet affordable, the Fargo HDP5000 is a great solution to issue highly-secure badges on demand.
April 23 2013 |
How do I choose the right ID card printer?
Choosing the right card printer can be overwhelming. In all cases, we recommend calling one of our ID experts at 1-800-897-7024 for a free consultation but if you want to get a better understanding of what would work for you, answer the following questions.
March 26 2013 |
IDSecurityOnline.com now offers RFID solutions
IDSecurityOnline.com now carries a comprehensive asset tracking and surveillance package, the Nox Sting Kit, along with a full line of RFID tags.
Not only does RFID work magic for the supply chain and asset tracking/inventory control, but it also makes a world of difference in the security, surveillance, and evidence fields. The Nox Sting Kit is a unique Plug-and-Play RFID and video surveillance solution that reveals on a facility map the movements of people and assets in real time.
Scenario: your company wants to track the movements (check in/out) and total inventory of over 1,000 high value assets. You want to be sure that no asset leaves your premises without anyone knowing exactly which asset left, when and who took it.
March 19 2013 |
You need a photo ID system!
Choosing the right card printer can be confusing and buying one comes with a series of questions: which software should I use? Which ribbon do I need to buy? Can I use any camera to capture photos? Which cards do I need?
This is why the easiest way to print your ID cards is to get an ID card system! At ID Security Online, we have already gone through all those questions and we have designed comprehensive photo ID systems to meet every requirement. Each system comes with a card printer, ID card software, web camera, color ribbon, and PVC cards.
February 25 2013 |
Zebra ZXP Series 7 ID card systems now available
Last week, we announced the release the Zebra ZXP Series 7 card printer. Extremely fast and reliable, this printer already promises to be a reference for high-volume and high-security applications such as service bureaus, identification cards, government credentials and secure access control badges.
To help you get started with the new ZXP Series 7 line, ID Security Online has designed 6 comprehensive ID card systems that are packaged with everything that you need to print IDs within minutes!
February 11 2013 |
Save more with a half panel color ribbon!
You just bought a brand new ID card system to print employee badges. The design of your cards is pretty standard: it includes your company name, logo, full name of the employee, title and photo. To do so, you need a full color YMCKO ribbon, right?
Well maybe not! Most ID card printer manufacturers offer a half panel color ribbon. This ribbon is called half panel because the Yellow, Magenta and Cyan panels are half the size of the regular panels that you find in a YMCKO ribbon. The K (Black) and O (Overlay) panels stay full size.
February 03 2013 |
How to encode data in your ID cards
To increase security and create multifunctional badges, you can encode information onto your ID cards. Card printers come with a variety of encoding options to answer the needs of every application.
Here is an overview of the different options available today:
- Barcodes
Easy-to-use and inexpensive, barcodes are easy to set up as the printer doesn’t need a specific encoder. All you need to do is add a barcode to your cards through your design software. Barcodes don’t store data: a barcode reader is used to scan the code.
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