What to Consider When Buying a Student ID Card Printing System
By: Jennifer Clancy
We're all familiar with what student ID cards are and what they look like, but where do you start when you've been tasked with printing ID cards for your school? You may be surprised by how easy it can be.
To make your purchase of this new technology cost-effective, and to simplify your buying process at the same time, some photo ID retailers provide bundled solutions that include all of the elements needed to begin printing your own ID cards. Not only can a complete system solution make your purchase decision easier, it will also be easier on your budget than buying each item individually. Most photo ID systems include an ID card printer, ID card software, a web or digital camera, a photo backdrop, and supplies for your printer, such as a ribbon, a cleaning kit, and blank PVC cards.
So, where do you begin your search for a photo ID system? You'll want to consider your needs for the most important elements of a system––the card printer, software, and camera. Not only are these components integral to your system, if you don't get what you need to begin with, you'll likely end up replacing them.
Do Your Homework
The type of card printer you need will largely depend on what will be printed on your cards and how they'll be used. If your cards will include quite a bit of printed information, consider a printer that is capable of printing on both sides of cards (called dual-sided or duplex printing).
Some card printers are capable of encoding magnetic stripes or even smart cards, so that you can store card holder information directly to the card. Also consider whether your card printer will be operated on a network and what type of operating system your printer will need to be compatible with.
Another item to consider is card durability. If your ID cards will be swiped for access into your school or for tracking lunch accounts, you may consider a printer with lamination capability. A laminating printer will apply a thin layer of protection over your printed card in the printing process, protecting the printed image from wear with repeated swiping, exposure to the elements and dye-migration (transfer of the "ink" to other materials).
ID badging software helps you create and manage your card designs and the data that is printed on them. Badge software is available with a range of capabilities, from very basic to highly advanced. Most entry-level badge software options limit how much information can be included on a card, have very limited database capabilities, may not be able to handle the kind of barcode you need, and is unlikely to manage magnetic stripe encoding.
More advanced badge software will offer you greater flexibility in what can be printed on a card, allow you to transfer information from existing databases, will provide more encoding capabilities, and offer additional features such as networking, image management, and batch printing.
As with any software, you'll also want to consider how easy it is to learn and use. Badge software with a "WYSIWYG" (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) interface will be easier for anyone to use. Downloading free trial version software is a great way to try out software before making a commitment.
The camera is often not given much thought in the ID system buying process, yet the quality of your cards is highly impacted if you don't have the right camera. Basic web cameras may be used, but you'll get a low-quality image. Digital cameras, on the other hand, will provide a quality photo and offer other benefits as well, such as camera-control right from your PC. Some cameras even offer image cropping and color correction controls.
Next Steps
Now that you've done your homework on what your card printer, software, and camera need to do for you, it's time to begin the search for your card printing system. Staying focused on the needs you've already identified will help you avoid simply shopping for the least expensive solution––and having to spend even more money to get what you really needed to begin with.
To help ensure you end up with a system that fits your needs, find a retailer with expertise in photo identification. A retailer specializing in photo ID will be experienced enough to ask about your photo identification needs and will be well equipped to provide a solution that is right for your school.
Jennifer Clancy is the marketing manager at www.IDWholesaler.com. Serving schools nationwide, ID Wholesaler is a large online retailer of photo identification products.
