by
Nam Huynh
| Dec 16, 2019
Do a quick search on "fake ID" or "fake badge" with your preferred search engine and you will see endless stories of crimes committed using fake ID cards or badges. Shockingly, many of the stories involve a perpetrator using just a common desktop inkjet printer and a basic laminator from their local office supply store.
From a fan creating a fake press pass to attend Game 7 of the NBA Finals to civilians flashing fake law enforcement ID badges to get free food around town, just about every type of business or organization has been a victim of fake IDs.
Fake IDs are commonly associated with state ID and driver's licenses, but all types of falsified IDs have financial and security implications. For example, duplicated membership cards are created to avoid paying membership dues and ID badges are forged to gain access to secured buildings and areas.
There are a variety of fake ID crimes, with consequences from these crimes ranging from slaps on the wrists to bans from establishments and criminal charges. Regardless of the severity of the crimes, it all can be avoided with a secure ID card program.
To combat against these fake ID crimes, ID card printer manufacturers have developed a variety of secure card printing features to make counterfeiting ID cards and badges extremely difficult to do.
Top Security Features:
- Tactile Impression - Some printers are equipped with an impressor feature that utilizes a mechanical die within the laminator that physically impresses a generic or custom design directly onto the card substrate and overlay or patch laminate in the same pass.
- Custom Lamination - Custom text and image on lamination makes counterfeiting and tampering very difficult.
- UV Print - UV fluorescent ribbons contain special panels that allow you to print fluorescing images on cards. These fluorescent panel ribbons produce grayscale images and text that only appear with a UV black light.
- 3D Effects - Add a metallic silver layer to the card to create 3D visual effects, without having to change ribbons. The printer creates a base layer of metallic text or images, adds a dye receptive layer, a standard layer, and finally a protective overlay.
- Color Shifting - Color-shifting ribbon allows you to print cards with pearlescent text and images that shift from pink to green as you rotate the card.
- Foil Stamps - A metallic or holographic foil that is transferred using a heated die to stamp an opaque or translucent image onto a surface.
- Microtext - 600 DPI printers are able to print in small text that can only be read with a magnified glass. Microtext is difficult to counterfeit because most available desktop printers cannot print that high of a resolution.
- Watermark - Use a double overlay ribbon to print images on either the first or second overlay panel to create a subtle “watermark” feature that is faint yet still visible to the human eye.
IdentiSys is North America's largest full-service identification and security solutions provider. IdentiSys carries a variety of ID card printers that can produce cards with extra security features. Whether you are looking to start a new ID program or improve an existing, contact us to connect with your local sales representative to discuss your project.