ID cards are now much more than just a photo ID. Various technologies are being implemented on ID cards today, such as barcodes, magnetic stripes, and RFID, to enhance security and tracking capability. With the ability to be fully customized, ID cards have become the default technology for tracking memberships, loyalty programs, employee and student access.

With the right tools, making identifications is easy. The system will essentially consist of a printer, media (cards, ribbons), and design software. Depending on your business needs, there are solutions to support low-volume printing for the office, as well as large-scale applications for business and education. To get the full benefits of a card system, it is essential to choose the right printing technology and security features for your application.

What are the main benefits of ID card printing?
Our card printing applications will increase your customer satisfaction, generate more customers, and help you track your employees or students in a scalable way.

• Efficiency – Quickly print ID cards on the fly with card printers and software.

• Simplicity – Easily load and manage printers with drop-in media.

• Accuracy – Record customer, employee, student and attendee information by swiping a magnetic stripe, scanning a barcode or reading an RFID tag to eliminate incorrect data entry.

What is ID card printing?
Creating ID cards on demand is an easy process when you have the right technology for the type of card you need to produce. Cards can be printed in a variety of ways. Knowing the differences between them is essential to choosing the best card for your application.

The first major difference between systems is whether they print in monochrome or colour. The most common route is the full-colour system, as it offers the greatest flexibility and the best print quality. However, monochrome systems can be cost-effective if your application lends itself to it. For any long-term or high-security application, colour printing is the best solution, but in cases where the card is a temporary item, a monochrome card can still serve its purpose at a lower production cost.

Card printers use thermal transfer printing with a fixed print head that heats and melts a ribbon onto a blank PVC card to create an image. There are two printing technologies for transferring the ribbon: direct dye sublimation (DTC) and retransfer (reverse transfer).

• Direct-To-Card (DTC)
  Direct-To-Card is the most common card printing technology because it allows for photo-quality printing of full-color images and logos by controlling the heat setting of the print head that produces variable sizes and color densities. The card passes under the print head up to four times to create the perfect color, tones, and highlights using the CMYK ribbon. With DTC printing, images have sharp edges, deep blacks, and a full spectrum of colors. This printing method does not allow for full coverage of the card, as there is a small white border around the edges of the card.

• Retransfer (Reverse Transfer)
  Retransfer printing is a two-step process that involves transferring your image to a retransfer film before applying it to the card. First, the image is printed in reverse directly onto a clear layer of film (similar to direct card, except the film replaces the card at this stage). Next, the print head heats and bonds the imaged film to the surface of the card using heat and pressure. The two-step retransfer process creates a high-quality edge-to-edge image (100% card coverage) on PVC and other card types.

Card printers also offer several options for encoding information on cards. Depending on the application the card is being used for, some encoding options will be better suited than others. Encoding information on the card itself increases the security of the card, making it harder to counterfeit, and makes reading the card faster, easier, and error-free.

• Barcodes
  Barcodes are the easiest to create because they are always part of the printing process – no additional functions are required on the printer. With options for 1D or 2D codes, you can encode a variety of information in a common, easy-to-read format.

• Magnetic stripe
  This type of card is capable of storing data on a strip of magnetic material. The magnetic stripe (also known as a smart card or magnetic stripe) is read by physical contact as it passes over a magnetic reading head.

• Contact smart card
  A contact surface of approximately 0.15 square inches. consisting of several gold-plated contact pads are embedded in the card. They provide electrical connectivity when touched or inserted into a reader.

• Contactless Smart Card
  These cards contain a rewritable electronic chip that can process and store data. They communicate with a terminal via radio waves with a reading range of up to about 5 inches.

• UHF RFID
  RFID cards store data that can be read via radio waves at greater reading distances (typically 3 to 10 feet), allow multiple cards to be read simultaneously, and are extremely secure.

Once you have selected the printing method and encoding requirements, you will need to decide how many sides of the card you want to print.

• Single-sided printing is typically used for simple card applications that do not require the front and back of the card to be printed simultaneously.

• Double-sided printing allows both sides of the card to be printed at the same time. It is typically used when color is required on the front of the card and black text or barcode data on the back.

Some high volume printers offer a built-in laminator to protect the card print from fading and wear. Lamination is the process where a protective polyester film is applied to the surface of the card to protect it from wear and UV rays. Unlaminated cards will last approximately 1-2 years with daily use, but for optimum security and longevity, card lamination is recommended. For added security, holograms can also be applied to your cards prior to lamination, which is a great deterrent to tampering.

What should be considered when creating an ID card printing system?
To set up an effective and suitable ID card printing system, there are a few key questions to answer:

• What is the print volume/duty cycle?
• Will printing be done on a regular basis or in limited batches?
• How long should the card last?
• Will you print in one color or four color?
• Do you need single or double sided printing?
• Can your card have an unprinted border around the card or do you need an "on edge" cover?
• Will you encode data on the card? What method? Barcode, magnetic stripe, smart card, RFID?
• Should the card be laminated to ensure security and durability?
• Will you create maps manually or require a database connection?

What are the components of an ID card printing system?
All ID card printing systems consist of three essential components:

• Thermal ID Card Printer – The printer is the heart of your system and determines the type of cards and printing you can produce. The model you choose will depend on the volume you print and the specific features you want for your cards. Lamination, data encoding, edge-to-edge printing and duplex printing are all factors that come into play when choosing a unit.

• PVC Cards and Ribbons – Cards and ribbons come in a variety of colors and options, including magnetic stripes, smart chips, and RFID elements. Ensuring the media you choose matches your application and printer model is essential to achieving the best and most durable printed results.

• ID Card Software – Whether you’re printing images, barcodes, or encoding a magnetic stripe, the design software will determine what features you have available. If you’re creating high volumes of cards, you’ll also want an application that can access a database to automate your printing.