The NEW WAY of Making ID Cards
Today, digital printing has become the technology of choice for the majority of organizations issuing identification cards -- and with good reason. Digital ID card systems are growing increasingly affordable, are easy to use, and offer a host of benefits including:
- Ultra-fast production times
(complete, full-color photo ID badges in as fast as 25 seconds!) - Low cost per card
- Single-step printing
- Unlimited card design possibilities
- Unlimited color options
- Automatic magnetic stripe, bar code, proximity, or smart card options
(for access control, time and attendance, etc.) - Powerful database options
(for employee, student, or membership records or reporting) - Highly durable cards
- Difficult to counterfeit
- Faster, easier badge replacement
- Far less labor
... and the list goes on and on. But to truly understand the benefits of digital printing, you should understand how it works. It's suprisingly simple
How a Digital ID Card System Works
Digital ID card systems are made up of basically 4 componets:
- The software allows you to createan ID card design and enter all the information you would like to appear on the ID card.
- The digital camera captures a person's photo and automatically loads it into the software.
- The digital printer takes all the text, photos, and images from the software and prints them directly onto a plastic ID card.
- And lastly, the computer is what ties everything together.
As you can see, digital printing really is fast, efficent, and easy way to produce ID cards. And the results are outstanding. Just look at all the features digital ID cards have to offer.
How Digital ID Card Printers Work
If you are among the truly curious, you may wonder how digital ID card printers actually get those great looking images onto plastic cards. Well, this too is easier than you might expect. ID Card Printers utilize two different, yet similar, technologies called direct-to-card printing and High Defintion Printing (HDP™).
Direct-to-card printing is the traditional technology used by digital card printers to print images directly onto the surface of a plastic card. It does this by heating a special print ribbon beneath a thermal printhead, resulting int he transfer of color from the ribbon to a blank card.
High Definition Printing is different in that the printer first prints images onto a special HDP film which is then fused into the surface of a blank card through heat and pressure. Because the graphics and text are printed on the underside of the HDP film, the image is "sandwiched" between the highly durable film and the card. This unique process results in exceptional print quality, extreme durability, and the ability to print on virtually ANY card size or type.
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