Monthly Archives: February 2012

Fargo Ribbon Compatibility – C30 and DTC400 Series Printers

The new Fargo DTC series printers, the Fargo DTC1000 and Fargo DTC4000 printers have printer ribbons that can not be used straight out of the box in older Persona C30 and Fargo DTC400 card printers. With a firmware update, however, these older printer models can be updated so that they are able to print with the new printer ribbons.

To update the C30 or DTC400 series printer:

1. Visit https://fargosupport.com/
2. Locate your current printer using the drop down box.
3. Update both the workbench and the firmware.

Once these steps are completed, you can use DTC1000 printer ribbons with the C30 and C30e printers. You can also use DTC4000 ribbons with your DTC400 or DTC400e printer.

Direct to Card Printers vs. Retransfer Printers

Card printers have the ability to print crisp, life-like images but it is important to understand the two most common printing technologies and the results they produce before purchasing your printer.

Direct-to-Card (DTC) Printing

Direct-to-card technology is currently the most common form of card printing. The direct-to-card printing process transfers images directly onto PVC cards. Direct-to-card printers are available in a wide price range, with varying features and capabilities. Direct-to-card printers, like those from Evolis, Magicard and Zebra are an economical choice for those where print quality is not as much of a priority as the printer leaves an unprinted, white edge on cards.

Retransfer Printing

Retransfer technology is the latest printing technology, and is growing in popularity. Retransfer printing applies images onto a special clear film that is then fused onto the surface of a blank card. Retransfer printers like the Fargo HDP5000 allows greater flexibility to print on a wider variety of cards, including proximity cards, smart cards, pre-punched cards, key tag cards, or any type of card with an uneven surface. The fact that retransfer printers print images to a clear film, its print quality is vibrant and crisp. Retransfer is an ideal choice for those requiring high quality, vibrant images and those with a need for advanced technology. It’s ideal for high security and large applications, especially when smart cards or other technology is being used.

To better understand the difference in these two printer technologies and which best suits the need of your organization, give a call to an expert at Safe-Card ID Services today.

Two Important Questions to Ask When Looking For an ID Card Printer

One of the most important questions you can ask yourself prior to purchasing an ID card printer is how many cards will you be printing initially and then over the course time. The answer to that question will help guide you to a printer suited to meet you project needs. Some printer models are equipped to print larger volumes of cards than others. Another important question is how durable do your ID cards need to be? An average PVC card will last 1-2 years. Swiping bar codes or magnetic stripe card readers can wear on a card. It’s an important factor to consider, particularly for large organizations, as card replacements can add up over time.
You can extend the life of your cards with an overlay or lamination. This requires a printer with a laminating module such as the Fargo DTC4500 and the Fargo HDP5000 or an additional laminating ribbon similar to the Evolis Pebble and Dualys. Another option would be increase the thickness of the card you are printing to (standard thickness is 30ml, but you can print on 10ml to 40ml on most printers) or composite card that offers more durability and warp resistance.

Check your printer’s specifications or talk with an ID Printer Specialist at Safe-Card ID Services before purchasing cards to ensure that the card will feed into your printer and meet your needs.

Tips for Printing Adhesive Backed Cards

You have decided to use adhesive backed cards for your identification card printing. This will allow you to combine your access card with your photo identification card so that employees will have one less thing to keep track of.

When this decision is made, it is beneficial, but often there is printing issues with either the paper backed adhesive card or the mylaor backed adhesive card. Card jams, the quality of printing, and multiple card feeding are just some of the issues we receive calls from our customers about.

Following are some simple tips to keep in mind as you begin printing with these cards:

1. Double check your adhesive cards to ensure that they look good. Check to make sure that adhesive is not leaking out of the edge of the card causing problems in the printer and also cards that stick together.
2. Ensure your printer settings are correct and that your printer is capable of printing your selected card stock. You may need to reset the thickness guage or set the printer for CR-79 cards.
3. Ensure your printer is extremely clean. Check the printer ribbons and transport rollers regularly. Blow the printer out occasionally to remove any dust left in the printer mechanisms from paper backed cardstock.

To view and find out more information about the cardstock options, visit these links:

Paper backed 10 ml adhesive cards here.
Mylar backed 10 ml adhesive cards here.

A Few Common ID Card Applications

There are a number of ways to utilize the PVC cards printed on an ID card printer. From identification cards for business to membership cards for a health club, ID cards are easily adaptable to various industries and applications. Why spend the extra money and time to have them outsourced when you can do it yourself? Common applications include:

Employee Identification

Accurately track time and attendance
Control location access
Store employee information

Student Identification Badges

Accurately track time and attendance
Cafeteria debit card
Library or equipment checkout
Control student, staff, and faculty access

Membership Cards

Offer membership perks
Allow access to the facility during set hours

Loyalty/Reward Cards

Offer discounts and savings to all or segmented customers
Encourage customers to visit frequently
Track valuable data to monitor inventory, item popularity, seasonal trends

Gift Cards

Issue store credit, debit, and gift cards on the spot
Access individual customer shopping history, such as items purchased and prices

Figuring out which ID Card Printer and software works best for your ID card project or projects give an expert at Safe-Card ID Services a call today.

Datacard Printers – Change the Supplies on a SD Series Card Printer

See how easy it is to change ribbons and cleaning rollers using the Datacard SD series card printer models. This free training video provided by the Datacard Group will demonstrate how to properly change the ribbon and rollers.

Safe-Card ID is an authorized provider of SD series card printers manufacturered by Datacard. If we can assist you with Datacard printers or supplies, we would love to hear from you.

Emergency Services Uses FARGO ® HDP5000 Card Printer and Encoder for Durable ID Cards

Action Ambulance of Eastern Massachusetts provides 24-hour emergency and non-emergency medical services  from 13 different locations. The identification cards worn by emergency personnel face challenging conditions, not only from extremes tempuratures and inclement weather, but also from blood and other fluids, of patients being treated.

In addition to printing its own ID cards, Action Ambulance Services also prints photo ID cards for other government entities involved in collaborative efforts with the organization. The challenge was to find a printer that provided lamination, high quality printing and quick turnaround that could run off of the company’s existing computer network. 

An detailed search lead to the  FARGO® HDP5000 Card Printer/Encoder as the solution.

To learn more about the Fargo HDP5000 or any of the ID Card Printers in the Fargo line up call an expert at Safe-Card ID Services today.

ID Works Software – Connect to a SQL 2008 Database using the OLE DB Connection

Datacard Group has released a free training video demonstrating how to connect your SQL Database to their software by using the OLE DB connection. You will find steps needed to make this connection in their video below.

Safe-Card ID is an authorized distributor of Datacard Printers and supplies. We also supply many types of access cards and badge holders. We look forward to hearing from you when we can assist you with your needed supplies.

ID Works Software – Creating a Record and Printing the Card with ID Works Software

Datacard Group has released free training videos to show how to design an ID card, create a record and print the card using their ID Works software. Following is a free video demonstrating how to print a card through the software.

Safe-Card ID is an authorized distributor of Datacard SD printers and software. If we can assist you with a printer or supplies, we would love to hear from you.

Paper Backed and Mylar Backed Adhesive Cards

With the popularity of access cards in so many workplaces, their is often a need to combine both the access card and the photo ID card of the employee. Some access cards can be printed on, however, there are some cards that are non-printable. No matter which of these cards may be yours, there is sometimes a desire to be able to remove the ID card information from the access card at some point in the future.

With the advent of the adhesive card, an access card like the HID access card, can be both access and a custom printed ID. The adhesive card can be printed on using an ID card printer. Just as with a standard 30 ml card, the most ID card printers will print your card design on this 10 ml adhesive card. (Please check your printer owner manual to ensure capability and proper printer settings.

Once the card has completed printing, the paper or mylar backing on the card can be removed and the 10 ml PVC can be adheared to the access card.

For details about the cards, please see our product pages

10 ml Adhesive Cards
10 ml Adhesive Cards with Mylar

Please contact our ID card experts at 888-485-4696 for additional information about ID card products.