Category Archives: Learning Center

ID Card Printers and Scratch-Off Ribbons

Similar to the scratch-off lottery tickets you can buy at a local convenience store, certain printers, like the Evolis Pebble and Dualys offer a scratch off ribbon that can produce the same effect. These ribbons are great for use with promotional offers or gift card programs. These specialized ribbons print scratch-off material over a pre-printed portion of the card and are typically used to cover a number, special code, or the value of the card.

Scratch-off ribbons produce a gray/silver effect that can be scratched off just like the lottery tickets mentioned above. Once you print your color cards, you need to change the ribbon and make a second pass for each card so the material covers the required area on the already printed card.  Using the printer driver set the ribbon to ‘K’ when you are ready to apply the scratch-off material to the cards.

Not all printers are compatible with scratch-off ribbons. Call an expert at Safe-Card ID Services  to check your specific model before purchasing a scratch-off ribbon.

Professional ID Photos Need a Tripod and Backdrop

Since we create and print ID Cards for a large number of business onsite at Safe-Card ID Services, the Art Department sees all kinds of photos. The honest truth is a perfectly designed card needs an equally great photo, which can be achieved with a backdrop and tripod. By taking photos at a uniform height with a consistent background color, ID cards are harder to counterfeit and helps ensure the cards appear standardized.

Safe-Card ID offers a wide variety of backdrops for your photo ID pictures. Multple colors are availible to choose from and solid colored backdrops help center the focus on the person in the photo. Also, many backdrops are portable, allowing ID card photos to be easily printed off-site.

Tripods minimize blurry photos by stabilizing the camera. Simply attach a camera to the top of the tripod before snapping a picture, guaranteeing all photos are taken at the same height and angle. Our patented HD Image Cam Pro ID Camera comes with a tripod and monitor mount that are also conveniently compact and idea for business travel.

Call an expert at Safe-Card ID Services today to make sure your employees have the great photo they deserve on thier ID Card or Badge.

 

ID Card PVC Sizes

ID Card and Badge printers come in all shapes and sizes but are limited in ability in terms of the card sizes they can print. Todays’ card printers are made to print on standard CR80 size cards, with a number of them also capable of printing on CR79 and only a very few that can print CR100 size cards.

– CR79 cards measure 3.303″ x 2.051″ and are slightly smaller than a standard CR80 size card. CR79 cards typically have an adhesive back and are commonly used for printing and adhering to a clamshell HID Proximity card.

• CR80 cards are 3.375″ x 2.125″ (exactly the same size as a credit card) and are the standard, most commonly used size of PVC card. They are great for almost every ID card application.

• CR100 cards are much larger measuring  3.88″ x 2.63″ – that’s 42% larger than a standard CR80 card, making them easier to see from a distance but too big to hide in a wallet. CR100 size cards are often referred to as “oversize” or “military-size” cards. These are great for event passes. Printers that can handle these cards such as the Fargo HDP600 are usually manufactured to order and are very expensive.

Before ordering any type/size of PVC cards it is very wise ensure your printers specifictions to ensure it can handle them or call a specialist at Safe-Card ID Services.

 

Keep Your PVC Card Stock Clean

pvc cardsKeeping your blank pvc card stock clean is vital for ensuring that you get the best quality prints each and every time you use your ID card printer. That is because any abnormalities contained on the card stock can be transferred to your print job, giving you less than desireable results and wasting pvc with costly reprints.

To maintain cards for optimal printing make sure to keep your blank cards free from debris and dust. Any stray particles on the surface of a card can and will cause imperfections and flaws when you print. Dust and debris can also damage the print head and other printing mechanisms inside your ID card printer. Safe-Card ID Services offers pvc cards wrapped in batches of 100 making it easier to help keep them clean if you ordered more for future use.

It is also wise to keep your cards in the case they came in, or in an airtight and watertight container. Look the cards over before printing and keep a dust cloth handy to wipe the cards off if you notice any dust or debris. Make every effort to only touch the sides of the cards and not the surfaces that will be printed on. Oils from your hands will also decrease the quality of the printed card.

While most cards are stored in an office enviroment it is also improtant to take note of the card storage temperature. Extreme heat or cold can damage PVC cards, making them more brittle and susceptible to snapping. Be sure to store your cards in a temperature controlled area and make sure not to put them through drastic temperature changes.

To learn more about proper card handling give an expert at Safe-Card ID Services a call today.

 

Can I Pre-Punch My PVC ID Cards?

pvc cardsThe simple answer to that question is yes. All you need to do when ordering  your Image Grade PVC card stock is to ask to have them pre-punched. We will ensure the card expert that punches the cards on your behalf maintains the graphic intergrity of the cards by wearing gloves to ensure the oils from the skin do not touch the surface of the card.

If you would prefer to punch the cards yourself, Safe-Card ID Services offers a wide range of slot punches for all volumes of cards to all budgets. Remember no matter which slot punch you use, it can and will only punch one card at a time.

The catch about pre-punching you cards is that if you are using a direct to card printer you run the risk of damaging the print head causing a nce white line appear across your printed card. A print head will cost about $500-700 to replace.

One solution to this problem is to use a re-transfer card printer, such as the Fargo HDP5000. Re-transfer printers print onto the underside of a film that is heat rolled onto the card surface, so the print head never touches the card.

To learn more about pre-punched cards or a re-transfer printer give an expert at Safe-Card ID Services a call today.

 

Visual Security and Your ID Card Program

A number of visual security features can be added to your ID card program to decrease the likelihood of fraud or counterfeiting. While some of the features are specific to the brand and model printer you own, a few features can be implemented regardless of the type of printer. These include peel-and-stick holographic markers that can be applied by hand before printing or a holographic overlaminate. There are also whole card holographic stickers you can apply after you print a card. While most over-laminates require a laminating module in the printer you can laminate cards with a holographic ribbon on the Evolis line of printers as shown in the image to the left.

To learn more about how to incorporate these features into your ID card program give an expert at Safe-Card ID Services a call.

Tips for Effective Use of an ID Card Slot Punch

An ID card slot punch offers an affordable and effective way to create an attachment point on your ID cards for use with badge accessories, such as badge clips, badge reels or lanyards. Before you use a slot punch, it’s important to know how and when to use it.

Tip #1: A few test cards go a long way

It would be a waste to print hundreds of cards and then realize that the slot punch will interfere with the design of the card. Instead, print a few test cards and test location of the punch against your design. There are a number of models and prices of slot punches available with volume being the deciding factor in which to select.

Tip #2: Take extra precaution with access cards

Access cards have an antenna embedded into the card, so you will need to be sure to punch the slot in the correct spot on the card so as not to damage the antenna or chip. If the antenna is damaged, your access card will not work. Since these cards can cost anywhere from $3.00 to $6.00 or more per card, it would be a costly mistake to punch these cards in the wrong location.

Tip #: Slot punch already printed cards only

Slot punching makes the surface area of an ID card uneven and dangerous for your card printer’s sensitive printhead. If you slot punch an ID card and then feed it through your ID card printer, you may leave a small sliver of plastic behind that could possibly puncture a hole in one of the heat elements on the printhead. Damaged printheads result in distorted and poor quality images on your cards and can be $400.00 or more to replace. Slot punching the photo ID cards after they have been printed will not only ensure the quality of the card, but also the longevity of your ID card printer.

To determine which type of slot punch best meets your needs contact an expert at Safe-Card ID Services today. They carry a full line of quality slot punches that can hanle a few cards to those that can handle hundreds of thousands.

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.

The Evolis Dualys and the Cruise Ship Industry

Passengers use one single card for identification, access control and payment.

With over 2 million passenger travelling on their cruise ships in 2010, the Costa Crociere group, relies on smooth organization at every stage to ensure the customer experience is top notch. To make certian that guests are welcomed in the most hospitable way and everything exceeds expectations is the goal and it is one reason all guests are issues a Costa Card upon boarding. The Costa Card serves as an identification badge but it alsocontains personal details of its holder, text and photo. This card is also used to access passengers’ cabins and as a payment card thanks to a barcode and a magnetic stripe.

To read the complete story and learn how Costa Cruises uses 120 Evolis Dualys printers to issue over 3.5 million cards a year and exceed customer expectations  click here.

To learn more about how an Evolis Card Printer can help exceed the expections of your card project call Safe-card ID Services today.

 

 

Enjoy Enhanced Visual Security with HoloPatch Cards From Magicard

Magicard’s patented HoloKote system, available on all direct-to-card printers, offers you extra visual security at no extra cost by adding a watermark to each card that you print. For even more effective visual authentication, combining a standard or customized watermark with Magicard’s HoloPatch cards provides a distance-visible mark enabling a security guard or colleague to easily verify badge authenticity from a distance of six feet or more. It’s the ultimate in card security simplicity.

For more information on how to increase the security of your cards give an expert at Safe-Card ID Services a call today.