Monthly Archives: December 2010

Products In An ID Card Printer System

When looking for a turnkey ID card printer system, it is important to find a system that contains all of the pieces that will make your photo ID card making a smooth event. A number of different items are available that may or may not be needed for your printing needs.

Prepackaged systems from manufacturers include products to make a small number of basic ID cards. These systems are great although you may need to add additional items. An example of this is if you will have your employees wear their badge. Most manufacturer generated ID card systems do not include a slot punch or badge attachments to allow the card to be worn. Following are some of the products that are included in custom ID card systems that are recommended by our ID card experts. These products are only needed if they make sense for your card application.

ID Card Printer – This handy machine allows the design you have created to bond with a plastic credit card size PVC card. Coming in single or dual sided printing options, printers can also be found that print only monochrome. Other professional series printers can provide high security elements needed to prevent counterfeiting.

ID Card Software – This important piece of an ID card printer system makes designing and printing cards easier than trying to set up a template in other software programs. The software has a design side that allows a person to lay out their card design and save it. Some ID badge software options contain a database that allows data and photos to be saved for reporting and reprinting purposes. Some software is able to import and export from outside databases.

Printer Ribbons – Each ID card printer uses specific printer ribbons. Some ribbons print full color while others print only one color. Some ribbons print a single side of an ID card while others print both sides or a half panel on the card. Transfer ribbons are necessary in some printers that use reverse transfer printing methodology. Overlaminate ribbons are used in printers that have a lamination station.

ID Cards – PVC cardstock comes in different sizes and thicknesses. Cards need to be image grade quality or above to hold a good quality print. Cardstock is typically white although many colors are available. Standard 30 ml CR-80 cardstock will print in all ID card printers. Some printers will print cards as thin as 10 ml or as thick as 40 ml.

ID Camera – ID cameras for photos can range from a simple web camera to a digital camera. The quality of the camera will determine the quality of the printed photo on the card.

Badge Holders and Attachments – Various types of badge holders and attachments are available for wearing and securing ID cards. Popular options are badge clips, lanyards, and reels. Other badge wearing options are available for specialized environments or needs.

Slot Punch – If your card will be worn, it may be necessary to place a slot punch hole into the badge. Slot punches provide a professional hole that will not crack the plastic badge.

Data Capture Devices – Some situations require additional special information on the card. Using capture devices, things such as fingerprints and signatures can be obtained and printed on the badge.

Dust Cover – This handy product protects your printer when not in use. Keeping the printer clean is an important element in quality ID card printing.

Cleaning Kits – The inside of the printer must be kept dust and dirt free to provide cards that have sharp results. Manufacturers have specific cleaning kits for each printer model and recommended instructions for cleaning the printer.

Extended Warranty – Depending on your situation, an extended warranty may be a requirement. Various warranty options are available based on the printer model and the manufacturer.

YMCKT Printer Ribbon

YMCKT Printer Ribbons

This is a print ribbon for single sided ID card printers. The YMCKT abbreviation is used by Datacard and stands for the following:

Y – Yellow
M – Magenta
C – Cyan
K- Monochrome Black
T – Topcoat

The yellow, magenta and cyan panels provide the color for printed card. Each panel provides a part of the specific color needed. Color from each panel is released as it passes under the printhead. The panel colors released combine to produce the desired result. The K panel produces the black color needed for bar codes, text and more. The T is a thin, protective overlay that covers all of the the YMCK colors printed on the card.

To find the correct print ribbon for your ID badge printer system, visit our online printer ribbon store or contact our ID experts at 888-485-4696.

Upgrade Persona C30e printers using the Fargo Workbench Utility

Following are instructions to update the Fargo C30e printers using the Fargo Workbench Utility.

1. Click the round Application button in the upper left corner of the Workbench Utility and choose “Upgrade Firmware”

2. Click the “Browse” button to browse to the firmware file. Be sure the file has been unzipped.

3. Select the firmware file and click the “Open”

4. Make sure that your printer is connected to the PC and that the print queue is empty. Then click the “OK”. The Upgrade process should proceed automatically.

For more information about Fargo ID card printers or other photo ID card systems, contact our ID card experts at 888-485-4696.

YMCKO Printer Ribbons

YMCKO Printer Ribbons

This is a print ribbon for single sided ID card printers. The YMCKO stands for the following:

Y – Yellow
M – Magenta
C – Cyan
K- Monochrome Black
O – Overcoat

The primary color panels are the yellow, magenta and cyan. Each panel provides its portion of the specific color to be printed. The panel color combines with color from the other panels to produce the mixture needed for color on the plastic ID card. The K panel produces the black color needed for text, bar codes and more. The O is a thin, protective overlay that covers all of the the YMCK colors printed on the card.

To find the correct print ribbon for your ID badge printer system, visit our online printer ribbon store or contact our ID experts at 888-485-4696.

Campus Safety and Staff Efficiency Increased with Identification

Yesterday, the manufacturer of Zebra card printers outlined the benefits of providing secure identification for educational staff and students in a blog post. They advised that the benefits of using identification cards allow improved processes and increased security of the campus.

The article released advised that since it is not possible to hire enough security guards to police every corner of campus, one way to help secure school facilities and people was to issue identification cards similar to the way corporations do. Admissions departments can issue advanced level cards during student registration that can be used to check out books from the library and access various approved facilities on campus. It is possible to configure the cards so that they can be used for debit purposes in campus bookstores and dining facilities.

School cards can be used by retailers that market to the students and staff. Student/staff discounts and special offers can be generated with showing a valid ID. This will help to boost sales of local businesses.

Good quality ID card printing on durable cardstock will provide an ID lasting for many semesters of school. These cards will provide a better workflow process saving time and costs for many necessary procedures.

Here is the begining of the article from Zebra’s blog:

From universities to primary schools, a revolution in technology is taking shape. The days when mundane tasks such as registration, book purchases, and meal programs required an army of administrators to manage piles of paperwork is but a digital page in today’s history e-books. 21st-century innovation is bringing automation—and a chance to improve security—to the campus.

With education costs skyrocketing, departments at all levels are looking for ways to trim expenses while maximizing staff productivity. Add the looming threats to campus security, and educators must make decisions that trade off the quality of education verses protecting our students. In fact, the 2011 Campus Safety magazine’s “How Safe Is Your Campus?” report revealed that 42 percent of faculty said their institutions fail to dedicate sufficient resources to campus safety and security. Gone are the days of open campuses and a friendly smile to protect our students. READ MORE

Fargo C30e – How to Install a Printer Driver

This guide shows how to install a Fargo USB printer driver using a Fargo C30e printer. The steps are very similar for all Fargo USB printers.

1. Begin by unzipping the downloaded printer driver. Use the Windows Explorer to browse to the location you downloaded the printer driver.

2. Right click the file name and choose Extract All…

3. On the Extraction Wizard, click the “Next” button.

4. Browse to the folder where you want to store the unzipped printer driver file. If you choose the default, the driver will uninstall into a subfolder of the folder where the zipped file is located. A password is not required to unzip the file. Click the “Next” button.

5. When the unzip process is complete, click the “Finish” button.

6. Verify that the USB cable is not connected to the printer.

7. Verify the file has unzipped. The extracted file should be displayed similar to the example below. Double click the symbol to the left of the driver name.

8. Click the “Run” button to begin the installation of the printer driver.

9. The InstallAware Wizard window will appear as the installer prepares to install the necessary printer driver files.

10. In the language dialog box, choose the language you wish the printer driver to use.

11. When the Collecting Information is finished, click the “Next” button.

12. In the printer connection window select “Local Connection (USB:)” and then click the “Next” button.

13. When the Ready to install window appears, click the “Next” button.

14. When the Plug and Play window appears, connect the USB cable to the PC and the Printer. If the printer is not already on, turn it on. Connect the power at this point if it is not already connected.

NOTE: If at this point the Windows Printer Wizard appears, click here for helpful information.

15. Before you can use the printer you will need to restart your PC. If you do not want to restart at this time, uncheck the “Reboot computer now” check-box. Click the “Finish” button to complete the printer driver installation.

16. To verify that the driver is installed you can check for the driver name in the Control Panel’s Add or Remove Programs list.

This completes the printer driver installation.

Fargo C30e – Downloading the Printer Driver

To download the current printer driver, firmware and Workbench utility for the Fargo and Persona printers, visit the HID tech support website to obtain the most current version of the files. They can be downloaded here.

1. Under “What type of product” select “printer” from the drop down list.

2. Find your printer model by scrolling down the model options. Choose your printer model from the “For what product” list and click the “Go” button. If you have an older printer that is not on the list, choose “Other” at the bottom of the list. Be sure to choose the correct printer model.

3.  Click on the Windows printer driver to download it.

4.  Click the Save button.

5.  Browse to the folder where you want to save the downloaded file and click the Save button.

6.  Repeat the above steps to download the “Persona C30e Firmware Windows/Linux” and if it is not already installed on your system, download the “Workbench”.

7.  Additional blog posts will be coming for installing the printer driver, firmware and workbench.

Current Fargo Printer Models:

Fargo Printer Systems

Fargo C30e

Fargo DTC 400e

Fargo DTC 550

Fargo DTC1000

Fargo DTC4000

Fargo DTC4500

Fargo HDP5000

All Fargo Printer Models

How To Uninstall a Fargo Print Driver

There are times when a print driver will need to be uninstalled from your photo ID card printer. An example of this may be when you are needing to update the printer driver and and software in your Fargo ID card printer.

Following are step by step instructions for how to uninstall the Fargo print driver.

1.To uninstall a printer driver, select Start, then menu and then control panel. Your path to the control panel may vary depending on your installation of Windows.

2. In the control panel, double click “Add or Remove Programs”.

3. Highlight the printer driver you wish to install and click the “Remove” button.

4. Verify that you are uninstalling the correct driver and click the “Yes” button.

5. When the uninstall has completed, click the “Finish” button.

The printer driver has now been removed from your PC.