| > | | | | image, with a repeatable quality from print to print. |
| When people approach the subject of ID card printing, | | | | However, because dye-sublimation printers thermally |
| they often think that it must be complex and | | | | transfer dye into the card surface, the print quality |
| expensive. The new generation of desktop ID printers | | | | does suffer if dirty or sub-standard cards are used, or |
| are surprisingly affordable and very easy to install and | | | | if the printer is not cleaned regularly. What happens is |
| to use. We are all used to our convenient desktop | | | | that dirt actually gets sealed into the card surface by |
| ink-jet printers, whether we use them at work to print | | | | the clear overlay that is used to protect the card from |
| documents, or use them at home to print our family | | | | fading and scratching. All the user has to do is to buy |
| photographs. But when people approach the subject | | | | good quality, smooth and clean plastic cards, and to |
| of ID card printing, they often think that it must be | | | | clean the printer from time to time, using simple |
| complex and expensive. In fact, ID card printers and ID | | | | cleaning cards, and replacing or cleaning the |
| badging software are very easy to install and to use, | | | | dirt-removal roller in the printer. |
| and the equipment and running costs are also | | | | Not just printing, but encoding as well |
| surprisingly affordable. | | | | ID card printers such as the Magicard Rio 2 and Tango |
| Even small companies can have their own printer now | | | | 2 will also encode a smart card at the same time as |
| If you look at ID card printers now, you will see a | | | | printing. This means that the chip on a contact chip |
| revolution in what you can buy. | | | | card or a contactless (proximity) card is written to |
| * Printers which are easier to install and use than | | | | within the printer. For users who employ contactless |
| your office ink-jet. | | | | cards for access control, for example, this means that |
| * Smaller printers, mechanically less complex and | | | | they only need one piece of equipment — the ID |
| more robust. | | | | card printer — to issue cards. It is not necessary |
| * A very attractive price to buy and to run. | | | | to train users to use multiple pieces of equipment, and |
| This means that even small companies or | | | | there is no danger of issuing cards that are printed but |
| organisations, as low as 50 people in size, can now | | | | not encoded. All printers offer the option of magnetic |
| afford their own printer, and that they don’t | | | | stripe card encoding as well. |
| need to employ experts to operate and support the | | | | Adding card security with a click of the mouse |
| printer. | | | | With Magicard printers, you can even print a secure |
| Simple printers, designed for what you need | | | | watermark across the card surface just using your |
| An example of a new, no-nonsense design is the | | | | standard printer. With a simple click of the mouse, you |
| Magicard Tempo ID card printer. Compared to printers | | | | can choose to turn on and off watermark printing. The |
| in the past, the Tempo is a much simpler design. It is | | | | watermark is placed on the card at time of printing, so |
| only 20 cm each side and weighs just over 3kg, thus | | | | does not involve any complex laminate films that need |
| making it very portable. If used together with a | | | | to specially ordered at extra cost. This Magicard |
| notebook computer, the Tempo provides a portable | | | | watermark technology, called HoloKote, allows all users |
| printing solution that can be easily taken to branch | | | | to employ simple card security. |
| offices. The Tempo is a hand-fed printer — the | | | | Low cost of purchase and ownership |
| user feeds in one card at a time, holding it by the | | | | In the past, there was often a compromise between |
| edges to keep it clean. For many applications, this is | | | | cost of purchase and cost of ownership. The printers |
| quick and convenient, and even allows for easy | | | | that were low cost to buy had expensive |
| double-sided card printing — just flip the card | | | | consumables, and the printers that had low-cost |
| over and print the other side. | | | | consumables were very costly. This has changed, and |
| Loading consumables is equally easy. Dye-sublimation | | | | it is now possible to buy a proper dye-sublimation |
| printers like the Magicard Tempo use a simple drop-in | | | | printer for US$1,500 or less, and the cost per |
| ribbon. Unlike ink-jet cartridges, ribbons don’t get | | | | single-sided print runs at around US$0.40 or less. The |
| clogged with dirt, or require frequent cleaning cycles. | | | | costs are now very comparable to those of |
| Just because printers like the Tempo are smaller and | | | | cut-and-paste laminated’ ID cards, and of |
| less expensive, it does not mean that the quality of the | | | | course the quality and durability of a plastic card |
| printed card is compromised; cards are still printed | | | | produced by a proper dye-sublimation printer is far |
| edge-to-edge in bold and vibrant colours. | | | | higher than that of a cut-and-paste card. |
| Printing a quality card | | | | Conclusion |
| The latest ID card printers are also very easy to setup. | | | | ID card printers are now easier to use than desktop |
| You don’t need to spend hours making detailed | | | | ink-jet printers. In terms of installing the printer, designing |
| printer settings to get great quality cards. In most | | | | the card and using the printer driver, loading |
| cases, the printer driver settings will work | | | | consumables, and printing cards, anyone who has a |
| out-of-the-box, and if you need to adjust them | | | | computer can easily use an ID card printer. Printers |
| it’s a simple case of maybe increasing the | | | | can even encode smart cards and magnetic stripe |
| printer head power or adjusting the colour balance. | | | | cards at the same time as printing for a one-stop |
| There are also many excellent ID badging software | | | | solution. Together with the affordable price of |
| packages, which allow you to design a card so that | | | | purchase and operation, this means that even |
| what you see on the screen is what gets printed on | | | | organisations as small as 50 people can buy, and can |
| the card. Most ID card printers use dye-sublimation | | | | easily operate, their own ID badging solution. |
| technology to produce an excellent photo-quality | | | | |
