Why plastic ID printing? 

Chapter 1: Why Should Organisations Use Plastic ID Cards?

Plastic ID cards are one of the unsung heroes in an office environment. Small but mighty, PVC ID cards provide a look of professionalism, improve office morale, and also offer multiple security benefits to your business.

ID cards benefit businesses in a variety of different ways. They instantly identify individuals in the workplace, which is ideal if you have a new starter, a visitor or contractors working in your building. Having ID in place to identify different groups of people helps to prevent visitors and contractors making their way into staff only areas or areas that may contain sensitive information. 

Plastic ID cards have the capacity to provide access control to secure areas, with either a magnetic strip or data chip built into the card. This added security will provide peace of mind, ensuring that any sensitive data and information that your company handles is secure at all times. As technology continues to improve, access control security will only become more enhanced. 

Providing access control cards also benefits the businesses when a staff member leaves, as you can instantly revoke their access to the building if they do not return their card. 

Having ID cards can also portray a highly professional image – meaning that any visitors will be instantly aware of your brand credentials and the expectations that come with working within your business. By having these standards established and on display, you can easily enhance the overall staff morale and team culture within the business.

If you are looking for a simple and cost-effective addition to your business that aids both security and positive staff culture – that is also customisable to your brand specifics – then a plastic ID card is ideal. 

Why should organisations use plastic ID cards?

There are many benefits available with plastic ID cards – from access control, clocking in and out, proof of employment and emergency information such as emergency contact numbers.

They are cost efficient and suit any business, and with Plastic-ID’s commitment to continue to be eco-friendly and focus on sustainability, the plastic ID card is a welcome addition to your business.

How plastic ID cards help your organisation

The introduction of plastic ID cards to your business will have a variety of benefits, all of which will save you time and money.

Reduce waste with plastic over paper

Whilst cardboard and paper are quick alternatives, they offer reduced security as they are easy to copy and don’t hold as much professional quality. 

Paper and cardboard will fade and suffer from wear and tear very quickly, making your brand and business look ‘rough around the edges’. To compensate for this, you will have to continually reprint the ID card and laminate the paper and card version to improve longevity, however this will end up costing you both time and materials, which are precious assets to any business. A plastic ID card simply lasts longer, looks better and doesn’t need constant repairs and replacements.

Higher professionalism

The combination of higher security and the professional manner that plastic ID cards offer helps to aid the overall office morale and culture. When your staff believe that you have their best interests at heart (such as with their security) and that you lead from the front by ensuring standards are met, they will develop a sense of belonging and ownership with the business and in turn feel more motivated, engaged and committed.    

There are a number of security features that can be added to plastic ID cards. Smart chips or magnetic strips provide access control to secure areas of the building, and they also can hold personal information on the individual staff member such as hours worked, medical requirements and more – allowing them to be used alongside a clocking in system, for example.

As part of the printing process, you can add holograms and UV watermarks to your ID cards. This not only makes the cards look more professional and eye-catching, but it makes them harder to replicate, reducing the risk of forgery and cloning.

Create your own Plastic ID card

Identification is something uniquely personal, to both the individual and to a business or brand. Plastic ID cards are a fully customisable product that allows your creativity and brand identity to take priority.

People take responsibility and ownership of their identification, so it stands to reason that they will want to add their own personality to their ID. Allowing this will add to the staff’s sense of belonging an office morale. Customised lanyards, ID card holders and badge reels all offer a way to differentiate each plastic ID card, and accessories such as retractable badge reels will make the staff’s day-to-day working life easier.

Plastic card printing vs outsourcing

Not only can you design your own plastic ID cards, but you can print them in-house as well. An ID card printer gives you the capability to design and print in-house, and you can have full control over your ID card output. This is ideal if you need to print cards regularly or have a regular flow of contractors or temporary staff, as you can print the cards from within your own business.

Alternatively, choosing a plastic card printing service such as the one Plastic-ID offers provides a professional output, and ensures that each and every one of your cards is created to the highest standard. They are delivered directly to your doorstep in as little as 3 working days, saving you time and finances so you can focus on your business.

Best ID card printers for small business

There are several options when it comes to ID card printers, so it is important to understand your requirements and make sure that you have the right printer for the job.

Rewrite ID card printers

Rewrite printers print to plastic cards using heat. The blank cards have a thermo-sensitive layer that change colour under the heat. Each card only has the capacity for one colour. These cards are ‘rewritable’ (hence the name) and the ‘print’ can be removed using the rewrite printer again, ensuring the card is reusable. The rewrite cards can be used up to 500 times meaning there is very minimal wastage with old cards. In addition, there is no printer ribbons meaning less waste and less consumable expenses.

This is ideal for businesses that have a high volume of visitors such as freelance representatives, clients who visit often, and contractors. It is also a great asset to businesses that hold regular events or take part in trade shows nationwide.

Retransfer ID Card Printers

Retransfer printers provide an extra layer of durability to your ID card. The printing is a two-step process that enhances the quality of the print and the staying power of the ID card. Firstly, the design is printed onto an overlay film via a printing ribbon rather than printing direct to the card, then the overlay is fused onto the surface of the ID cards with a heat and pressure combination. The retransfer printer then prints the design over the edge of the card, meaning the design will cover the entire surface area of the card, creating a more professional look.

Retransfer printers are ideal for printing onto access control cards and smart cards that have a raised chip, because the printhead doesn’t contact the card and chip. This means that no damage will be caused to either the card or the printer.

Retransfer printers offer a high level of print quality that doesn’t fade over time. 

Sublimation ID printers

Dye sublimation ID card printers are also known as direct-to-card printers (DTC), meaning that they print the design directly onto the ID card. 

These printers use a dye ribbon that applies the colour directly onto the blank ID card, and can provide an overlay layer for extra protection to the design against UV fading and general wear and tear.

Dye sublimation creates very little mess in the printing process due to the nature of how the ink is applied to the ID card, and because of this printing process, the ID cards are dry and ready as soon as they leave the printer.

Choosing the right ID card printer for your business

Evolis Zenius Card Printer

If you only need a small to medium print run, the Evolis Zenius card printer is ideal.

The Evolis Zenius is a dye sublimation ID card printer that offers high-quality ID card printing results without breaking the bank. With focus on being eco-friendly, the Evolis Zenius Card Printer prioritises recycled material in its design and has an energy efficient power consumption in both its working life and stand-by mode, having earned the coveted energy star certification.

The Evolis Zenius Card Printer will print up to 150 colour cards per hour or up to 500 monochrome per hour with a resolution of 300dpi. This printer prints edge to edge designs to single sided cards.

Magicard 600 Card Printer

The Magicard 600 card printer is a direct-to-card ID card Printer. With an impressive print quality of 600 dpi, this printer will handle over 10,000 cards per year and up to 200 cards an hour. 

One of the key advantages of the Magicard 600 card printer is the attention to security detail. The printer offers a feature called HoloKote®, a fully transparent watermark ribbons that creates further visual security and prevents against forgery. 

The Magicard 600 card printer also offers digital shredding – which digitally shreds the information printed on the ID card. Due to the nature of the sensitive material that the printer handles, this printer has the technology to digitally shred the ID card information, making it completely irrecoverable and helping you to adhere to GDPR regulations. It is, however, still advised to destroy the ribbons after use, as they can hold a shadow of the ID design.

Datacard CR805 ID Card Printer

The Datacard CR805 ID card printer offers next level quality and security for your ID card printing needs. With vibrant full colour printing on both sides of the ID card (if required), an impressive 600dpi means you can trust that this Datacard printer provides high quality in both colours and print.

The added security features of this printer sets the Datacard CR805 apart from the competition. Not only does it have the capability of adding secure holograms and a highly durable and thicker laminate, but this printer can also encode and personalise smart chips and magnetic strip cards.

The Datacard CR805 ID card printer can print produce up to 100 single sided, full colour cards per hour, and 66 double sided, full colour cards an hour.

Sustainability with plastic ID card printing

The use of plastic and the knock-on effect of plastic pollution is a serious issue in the modern world, and this is an issue that Plastic-ID takes seriously.

We are constantly looking at ways of reducing our plastic usage, by making the plastic ID card more efficient and introducing eco-friendly options. We use high quality PVC cards that are designed to last and remain durable for longer, resulting in less wastage. 

We also offer a hard-wearing paper alternative, which are ideal for short term badging requirements such as events. 

Evolis paper cards are a hard-wearing and durable alternative to plastic. They are ideal for businesses in the events industry or industries that have a high turnover of guests or contractors and can be printed on with a monochrome wax ribbon.

With eco-friendly certifications, these paper cards can be easily recycled after use.

Alongside our sustainable products, as part of our ongoing commitment to helping reduce plastic wastage, we remove 10 plastic bottles from the ocean with every order placed online.

We work with Plastic Bank to help reduce the 8 million pieces of plastic that enter our oceans every year. Plastic Bank is not only committed to removing plastic waste from the world’s oceans, but they provide an income to those in poor communities around the world who collect the waste plastic, providing a real path out of poverty. They also provide access to social programmes, schools, groceries, fuel, internet connections and much more. 

Chapter 2: Card Design and Security Features

 

What should an ID card contain?

An ID card is an important document. It is a unique item that contains personal information as well as providing or restricting access to secure areas in the office. An ID card can contain as much or as little information as necessary for your business and its employees, but the most common features of an ID card are:

•             Photograph

•             Name

•             Job title

•             Employee ID Number

•             Employee Signature

•             Company Logo

An ID card needs to be concise and easy to read quickly. Keeping the information concise and clear is vital to an efficient card.

What additional features can be added to an ID card?

Technology offers a wealth of options when it comes to adding information to an ID card. Magnetic strips and data chips can hold further information, such as:

•             Training records

•             Business information

•             Staff security clearance level

•             Health and safety information

Staff ID cards can be used as access control and for a clocking-in system, which aids the security of the building and amongst the team. It also benefits the management team as they have access to the timekeeping of the staff as well as an accurate record of who is in the building in the event of an emergency.

 

What are the security features of an ID card?

There are many options when it comes to security with an ID card. Additional security features prevent forgery while adding internal security for the business and boosting staff mentality and working culture.

Physical security features of an ID card

When it comes to security features for your ID card, there are several options depending on your requirements.

Photographs offer a basic level of security, as it makes it a lot harder for the cards to be used by anyone other than the photographed person. It is a simple but very effective method of security.

Using your own designs and branding also helps prevent forgery. Every designer has a personal style. If you design and create your own cards, not only do they represent the brand and business, but they are unique to your own business.

For higher security, cards can be printed with holographic images that add a layer of practical security to the card, and it becomes more complicated to forge.

Watermarks can be added to the ID card in a similar way to holograms. They both look professional and add an extra deterrent for potential forgers, as it protects against modification and copying and is harder to replicate.

UV printing is possible, which once again adds an extra layer of protection to your card. A UV mark is only visible under a black light.

Certain printer models also have their own security features that help to reduce the risk of forgery. Magicard’s HoloKote® is a tool that prints a holographic image (either standard or custom design) onto the surface of your cards. It is good practice to use a hologram of your company’s logo for the highest security level.

 

Internal security features of an ID card

There are many options when it comes to the technological security features of your ID card. You have the flexibility to decide which option most suits you and your business.

Using your ID cards for access control or clocking in and out provides a level of security for your staff. You can access information as to whether your staff are in the building or not whilst also seeing if they are consistently late or have worked overtime.

By securing the building and monitoring access, it demonstrates professionalism to your team while helping to encourage positivity and belief in you and your business.

This information is particularly important in the event of a fire – as you can produce an accurate record of which members of staff are in the building.

 

How to boost staff morale

Introducing an ID card system within the workplace can help improve staff morale. It brings a sense of belonging and community to the team.

If everyone has an ID card, they are part of the community of the workplace, and it separates them – the team – from the public. This provides a positive attitude to work, as staff tend to be more invested in the brand and your business ethics. If your staff believe in and cares about the company, they are more likely to be attentive to their duties.

 

How ID card printers help improve security

The ID card printer helps improve security before the card has even been printed. If your ID card printer has digital shredding technology, then it will internally destroy the sensitive data contained on the ID cards, so it is unobtainable to anyone who has access to the machine. This is a common feature with Magicard printers.

Data scrambling fragments eliminates any left-over imprints of sensitive information left on the printer ribbons, reducing the risk of identity theft. It is easy to forget that the ribbon can contain an imprint of personal data and throw it away when you are replacing your consumables. It is good practice to destroy your old printer ribbons as a failsafe. 

Kineclipse® is a technology on Evolis printers that blocks the information left on the printer ribbon. When the ID card has sensitive data (i.e. a bank account number), the Kineclipse® technology will instantly edit the information left on the ribbon and make it undetectable.

Security is a vital part of any business. As a business owner, you are responsible for the security of your building and your staff. ID card technology is consistently improving to ensure it is as effective as possible.

Chapter 3:  Eco-Friendly Options for ID Solutions

The desire to offer eco-friendly and sustainable practices within a business is greater than ever before. Awareness of our impact on the planet is higher than ever, with the public and businesses making concerted efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and make changes that are positive for the planet – as well as for the efficiency of the business. 

This, in turn, becomes financially beneficial, as the reduction of energy usage and wasted time benefits the business’ bottom line. Customers are also increasingly more likely to choose your business and service if your moral compass aligns with theirs.

Plastic-ID’s eco-friendly options

Improving sustainability is a process of making a lot of small changes that add up to an overall reduction of the carbon footprint and improvement of efficiency. Plastic-ID offers several environmentally friendly options designed to help your business make these changes and give back to the planet.

RPET lanyards

Recycled PET is one of the most sustainable and recyclable materials. Rather than discarding old plastic (such as bottles and milk cartons) in landfills, it is transformed into these useful lanyards. Despite being made of plastic, they look and feel like soft polyester to ensure maximum comfort and practicality for the wearer. 

RPET lanyards are available in a wide range of colours and can be custom printed with your brand logo or message. 

Paper ID cards

Whilst the durability of plastic makes it the standard material for ID cards, some temporary cards may not require using hard-wearing PVC. Instead, Evolis paper cards are a fantastic alternative and have been widely used across the events industry for years. 

Paper cards are ideal for contractors, visitors and temporary staff as the card will last long enough for these contracts, and then can be easily disposed of and recycled when they have served their purpose.
These paper cards are already made of recycled material, so before they begin their life as an ID card, they are an eco-friendly option. Once they have served their purpose, the cards can be disposed of with your normal recycling collection. We recommend that all cards are shredded prior to recycling to destroy any sensitive data.

Rewrite printers

Rewrite printers re-use plastic ID cards by transferring images and data onto the cards using heat alone – and these cards are easily wiped and re-used. This saves any faulty or old plastic cards being sent to landfill, as each card can be wiped and rewritten up to 500 times. That means that once the card has been used 500 times, you have prevented 499 old and wasted plastic cards from going into landfill.

These cards can only be printed in one colour, usually black or blue/purple, but they fulfil the purpose of an ID card and prevent plastic waste and save money on buying blank cards.

Bamboo lanyards

Bamboo is one of the most sustainable materials in the world. It is incredibly fast-growing and doesn’t require much maintenance from those who farm and produce it, and it is also a resilient plant that will thrive in the majority of conditions and soil types.

Bamboo-based material is used for a variety of products, including lanyards. They look and feel like a traditional polyester material and are comfortable for the wearer – as well as available in a variety of colours that can be customised with your organisation’s logo.

Evolis eco bundle

Plastic-ID offers an ID card printer bundle that’s designed to be eco-friendly. Reduced energy consumption is a key feature of the Evolis printer. 

The Evolis Zenius eco printer bundle is ideal for events that need a sustainable ticket or badging printing solution or organisations that require temporary ID badges. Designed for use with included recyclable paper cards, these standard credit-card-sized paper passes are more durable than you may think and are made from trees sourced from sustainable forests! 

Evolis paper cards can be easily recycled and will biodegrade in natural environments after a couple of months.

Chapter 4: ID Card Printers vs Outsourcing - Coming Soon!