Photo ID Card Printing Introduction and Overview

Photo ID cards allow businesses to quickly identify visitors, employees, and contractors in a secure, cost effective way. Printing photo IDs requires specific equipment, and this article will provide an overview of plastic card printers, the associated accessories and supplies, and reviews of some of the more popular ID printing solutions on the market.

Plastic Card Printers

A plastic card printer is the main component in a photo ID system. Typically, it consists of a printer connected to a computer, and it is used to print information (employee name, title, etc.) and images (photo ID) onto pre-manufactured plastic cards. Plastic card printers can be used to create highly secure cards with magnetic stripes and chips, allowing for powerful access control and authentication.

Features

• Prints name, title, and photo onto secure plastic cards
• Variable printing with options for magnetic stripes and chip encoding
• Portable and desktop models available
• Compatible with popular PC, Mac, and Linux operating systems

Benefits

• Ideal for companies requiring detailed authentication and access control
• Cost effective compared to more traditional approaches
• Easily scalable to fit the needs of any size organization
• Prints ID cards quickly and accurately

Pros Cons

Case Studies

Plastic card printers have been used by many businesses, including the following case studies:

Fortune 1000 Company

This Fortune 1000 company needed a secure way of controlling access to their building and wanted to restrict access to certain areas. Their solution was to use plastic card printers to create highly secure photo ID cards. The cards were encoded with a magnetic stripe and chip, which could be used to control access and authentication.

Global Education Non-Profit

This global education non-profit wanted to simplify the process of authorizing students to take part in international events and courses. They implemented a plastic card printer solution with magnetic stripe encoding. This allowed them to quickly and securely create cards with individualized access and authentication for each student.

Large Hospital System

This large hospital system wanted to control the flow of visitors, physicians, and staff within their facilities. They implemented a plastic card printer system to issue photo ID cards to all personnel, which were encoded with a magnetic stripe and chip. They were able to control access and authenticate individuals with the system.

Card Printer Accessories

Besides a plastic card printer, a photo ID system also requires additional accessories and supplies to print photo IDs. These include blank cards, card lamination film, cleaning supplies, software, and more. Here are more details on some of the most popular card printer accessories.

Cleaning Kits

Card printers require regular maintenance to ensure optimal performance. Cleaning kits help keep the printer running properly by removing dust and dirt from the print head, rollers, and other components. The kits come with everything needed including cleaning swabs, cleaning cards, and instructions.

Card Lamination Film

This is a special type of film that can be used to protect the printed surfaces on plastic cards. The protective film helps to preserve the quality of the printed cards, and also helps to make them more resistant to wear, tear, and abuse. It can be used with both color and monochrome printers.

Encoding Equipment

Encoding equipment is used to add magnetic stripes, chips, or both, to ID cards. It is used to store data on the cards, such as employee ID numbers, authentication credentials, or access control codes. These can be used to secure access to buildings and also allow for powerful authentication.

Summary Review

Plastic card printers are an efficient and cost effective solution for businesses that need to print photo IDs with magnetic stripes and chips. The printers are compatible with most operating systems, and provide highly secure authentication and access control features. Photo ID systems also require additional accessories and supplies, such as blank cards, card lamination film, cleaning kits, and encoding equipment. Plastic card printers provide an ideal solution for businesses that need to control access, authenticate users, and protect confidential information.