For many years, the Datacard CD800/CD880 and Zebra ZXP7 have been the go-to printers for many schools in the K12 market due to their reliability, speed and ease of use. The features on these printers are essential for the schools to facilitate their student ID and faculty badge program; however, IdentiSys offers new and emerging printers that offer these features and more. 

Introducing the Entrust Sigma ID3, where you can easily issue secure ID cards. This printer is equipped with a printer dashboard where you can seamlessly order supplies, see the printer status, update firmware and more via your mobile device. 

Also, the Sigma ID3 features a variable light LED ring that is designed to integrate into your physical environment which adds to your personalized experience. Although this printer is easy to use, your data is safe from intruders with encryption technology, TPM Module and Secure Boot, making it extremely difficult for breaches to occur. 

Another exciting new printer that IdentiSys offers is the Zebra ZC350, where you can design and print virtually any card! Whether you want to make a logo pop with metallic underlay, add 3D text, create a security watermark or more, the ZC350 can get the job done. Due to this printer's slim profile and low clearance, the ZC350 allows users to create and issue ID cards at any location, even at the front desk of your school. With print speeds up to twice as fast as some competitive printers, the ZC350 can print single or dual-sided cards including complex edge-to-edge graphics. The LED/LCD interface allows users the ability to easily troubleshoot and load supplies, making it easier than ever to use. 

For Mac users, we recommend using the Evolis Zenius or Evolis Primacy because Evolis continually updates their Mac drivers. The Zenius is a compact printer designed for single-sided printing that is ideal for pre-printed cards. This printer is a user-friendly and cost effective solution for creating your personalized edge-to-edge ID card. The Primacy is a fast and versatile card printer that uses advanced encoding technologies. Not only is this printer powerful and efficient, but you're also able to print single-sided or double-sided edge-to-edge ID cards. Evolis printers pair well with IdentiSys ID Core Original, compatible with Mac OS X Lion 10.7 (64-bit Processor only) to Big Sur 11.0.1.

Choosing an ID printer for your school can be overwhelming, so we're here to help! Don't hesitate to contact us at sales@identisys.com so we can help you out with your school's ID printer needs. 

Petroleum is a finite resource, and plastic products don't break down in the environment. Plastic fragments and particles are in every layer of the Earth's oceans, and now they're in the air.

One way to prevent more plastic particles from getting into the environment is plastic recycling. Take a moment to look through your kitchen or work break room and find some plastic bottles and containers with a universal recycling symbol on the bottom. Plastic containers with a number 1 inside the recycling symbol are polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, and are highly recyclable.

When you recycle these PET containers, they become “post-consumer PET.” This material is sorted by color at a recycling center, baled, and sent to a reclaimer for processing. The raw material is eventually processed and sold to manufacturers. While the recycling centers do their best to sort the clear plastic from tinted plastic, sometimes there are variations in the color of the finished recycled products. The recycled white PET cards offered by IdentiSys might have a slight grey or green tint, but most consumers can’t tell the difference between recycled and regular cards, especially when printing cards in full color.

In addition to offering 100% recycled PET blank cards, IdentiSys carries recycled PET lanyards in a variety of colors. IdentiSys also offers many ID card printers that are eco-friendly, with the use of recycled materials in their manufacture or in the reduction of ribbon cartridge waste. HID Global and Zebra both have laminate that doesn’t include extra backing, and Evolis designs their printers with a light, compact design to reduce emissions during transport and packaging. Entrust uses biodegradable supply cores and recyclable packaging with their products.

Browse Earth-friendly Products

When purchasing an ID system for your organization, consider the importance of your ID program's uptime and reliability. What the manufacturer warranty covers varies, and are often limited to a specific time. It's also common that only certain parts of the equipment are covered and the type of service repair is limited to only depot.

IdentiSys offers many options for ID card system service contracts including on-site installation, repair and maintenance.

The benefits of service contracts include financial savings and peace of mind. Repairs and ongoing maintenance can add up, but a service contract can minimize those expenses and keep your ID card system in optimal working order.

Consider the key benefits of having an IdentiSys service contract:

• Cost Benefits
  • A service contract can save you a lot of money in overall maintenance and unexpected repair costs.
  • The additional costs associated with a service contract should pay for itself by extending the life of the system, or when the system needs repairs.
• Peace of Mind
  • Service contracts provide you with peace of mind should anything go wrong with your ID system. Most issues will be addressed in a timely manner without much effort on your part.
  • Having peace of mind is especially beneficial when your ID program cannot afford to have lengthy downtimes.

Instead of being left scrambling to come up with a solution when your ID system equipment breaks down, consider entering into a service contract with IdentiSys. A service contract gives you the benefits of routine preventative maintenance along with access to emergency onsite repairs, technical support and depot services.

The Datacard ID Works and IDCentre ID card software platform will be discontinued on March 31, 2021. For a limited time, Entrust has a promotional offer where current ID Works or IDCentre customers can save 20% when they upgrade to Entrust Adaptive Issuance Instant ID software.

Adaptive Issuance Instant ID software takes card issuance to a new standard with a web-based architecture and contactless card enablement that allow you to expand your card issuance system at your own pace.

• Valid on orders placed from August 1, 2017, through September 30, 2021. Orders must be submitted by September 30, 2021.
• Promo code INSTANTID20 must be used to receive the promotional pricing.
• Customers must provide a serial number of a previous purchase of ID Works or IDCentre software to be eligible.
• Offer cannot be combined with any other special offer. Valid only in participating countries.
• Entrust reserves the right to modify or terminate this promotion without notice.

Contact us today to learn more and take advantage of this special offer! IdentiSys is a proud Entrust Platinum Plus partner.

Protect your organization with HID iCLASS credentials, which are specifically designed to make access control more powerful, secure and efficient. 125 kHz proximity credentials serves a single function of providing the card's identification number and/or site facility code. The iCLASS smart card format provides identification, authentication, and stores information on the card because of the microchip and memory which is embedded within the smart card.

Unlike standard proximity cards, HID iCLASS uses security mechanisms such as mutual authentication and encryption in conjunction to reduce the risk of compromised data, all while limiting transaction times to ensure quick processing and data communication.

Also, HID iCLASS processes information quickly due to the relatively high radio frequency, which results in faster transmission speeds and a greater bandwidth. Not only that, but higher frequencies reduce any potential interference from environmental factors. 

The features are endless with HID iCLASS as you can add magnetic stripes, barcodes, custom artwork, and anti-counterfeiting properties directly on the credential. Because there are multiple securely separated files enabled, numerous applications may support future capabilities as our industry continues to evolve. 

Contact us to learn more about HID iCLASS and how it provides a cost effective way to improve the security of your access control system. 

Whether it's lanyards, badge reels or badge holders, having personalized accessories with your ID badge system is another great opportunity to market your organization. IdentiSys can help you with your custom badge accessory needs all while ensuring affordability, performance and appearance. 

Lanyards not only function as an ID and gadget holder, but they're an effective way to promote any events or business offerings as well! Simply having custom badge accessories like these serve as great conversation starters that can potentially lead to business. 

Our retractable badge reels are another great way to use custom badge accessories as an extension of your brand. IdentiSys offers complete customization ranging from logos to tag lines, and you can even choose your own unique reel style. 

IdentiSys knows the importance of keeping your ID badges and technology cards safe - especially if they are integrated with some sort of access control system. Badge holders provide extra protection from wear-and-tear along with damage from UV rays, which can help extend the life of your ID badges.  

IdentiSys is North America's largest full-service identification and security solutions provider. Whether you are looking to customize your badge accessories or simply protect your ID badges, contact us to connect with your local sales representative to discuss your project.

When choosing an ID card printer for your organization, you must first determine your requirements for your ID card or ID badge. What information you plan to have on the card will help determine whether you need to print on just one side or on both sides of a card. In some cases, an organization may use pre-printed cards and require only the ability to print on one side.

Most ID card printers — direct-to-card, reverse transfer or inkjet — are usually available in two different options of either simplex or duplex. Simplex printers produce single-sided cards and duplex printers produce double-sided cards. 

Simplex card printers are technically able to print on both sides of ID cards, but it requires you to manually flip cards into a feeder or hopper because they don't have the built-in flipper mechanism that rotates the card automatically​. If you plan to print more than a few dual-sided cards a day, a duplex printer is much more time efficient. Another thing to keep in mind is that some simplex printers are field-upgradable to be able to print duplex, usually by installing a flipper module.

Choosing between a simplex or duplex printer is just one of the many functionalities of an ID card printer to consider. Contact us to speak with your local ID expert.

For users of FARGO printers, the FARGO Workbench utility had always included the Swift ID badging software free of charge. Unfortunately, Swift ID has been discontinued due to the end of life for Adobe Flash player, which is a key component of the Swift ID badging application.

IdentiSys recommends purchasing an ID card personalization software as a replacement for Swift ID. Various options are available to choose from:

• IdentiSys ID Core 2.0
• IdentiSys ID Core Original
• IdentiSys SpIDer ID
• Asure ID - Solo, Express, Enterprise, Exchange
• BadgePass Identity Manager

Contact us to learn more about ID card personalization software and an ID expert can recommend the right software for your budget and needs.

Each week, doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are released by companies for distribution, while states and agencies across the country are tasked with the mass distribution of the vaccines. When vaccines were first rolled out, the CDC recommended priority distribution to health care workers and nursing homes. Now, priority is given to schools and high-risk people. Vaccines will eventually be made available to the general population, and many organizations are actively working on a plan for distribution.

IdentiSys has ID and tracking solutions for mass vaccine distribution and can help with the following:

• Identifying people as they wait in-line at locations by scanning their driver’s license
• Generating a barcode tied to each individual
• Managing vaccine inventory and print barcode labels
• Scanning, tracking and verifying individuals before administering the vaccine

Our mass vaccine distribution solution can be configured in many ways to accommodate different methods. Contact us today to learn how IdentiSys can help your organization plan for mass vaccine distribution.

 

Now through the end of the year, IDP is offering a fantastic rebate program for IDP printers and the SMART-BIT shredder. This offer is only valid when purchased from an authorized channel partner such as IdentiSys. Contact us today to learn more about IDP products and to take advantage of this great offer.

• Purchase a Smart-31 Single-Sided or Smart-31 Dual-Sided printer, earn up to $125 rebate per unit.
• Purchase a Smart-51 Single-Sided or Smart-51 Dual-Sided printer, earn up to $400 rebate per unit.
• Purchase a Smart-70 Single-Sided or Smart-70 Dual-sided printer, earn up to $700 rebate per unit.
• Purchase a Smart-Bit Ribbon Shredder, earn up to $50 rebate per unit.
  

Terms and conditions apply. Follow directions on the rebate form and submit the form directly to IDP to receive your rebate.

Download mail-in rebate (PDF)

Providing identification badges have always helped organizations maintain professionalism and allow for better security. Now with the developing situation with COVID-19, photo ID badges play a key role in helping identify authorized personnel in a facility, however; these people are now wearing some sort of face covering and are not as easily identified. As of now, at least 36 states have a statewide order that requires people to wear face masks or coverings in some capacity.

• Businesses

  At a minimum, most states are highly encouraging businesses to have employees wear masks, especially when in settings in which social distancing is not feasible. The CDC recommends wearing a cloth face covering “as a measure to contain the wearer’s respiratory droplets and help protect their co-workers and members of the general public.” With employees wearing masks, photo ID badges not only add that extra level of visual security, but can also be integrated with other solutions like access control, authentication, time tracking or to automate tracking and monitoring protocols for social distancing and contact tracing using real-time location services.

• K-12 Schools

  Most K-12 guidance in every state for returning to school in the fall — whether it be a traditional, distanced or hybrid model — require all students and staff to wear face masks. The CDC recommends face coverings “when students, teachers, and staff are indoors and when social distancing of at least 6 feet is difficult to implement or maintain.” For security reasons, and for the simple requirement of identifying new students and classmates, photo identification badges worn on a lanyard will play an important role to the school year. Develop contact tracing by scanning ID badges for temperature readings and check in/out when entering a bus or school premises.

• Colleges and Universities
  Many colleges and universities are implementing a distanced or hybrid model for returning to school in the fall. The CDC suggests colleges and universities “recommend and reinforce use of masks among students, faculty, and staff. Face coverings should be worn [if] feasible and are most essential in times when physical distancing is difficult.” Students and faculty typically already require an identification card, so implementing a visual element could be as simple as redesigning a card and supplying lanyards.

IdentiSys is a full-service identification and security solutions provider, delivering affordable end-to-end solutions for ID badging, as well as integrated access control, tracking, and real-time location services. Contact us to learn more about how we can help your organization mitigate the developing situation with COVID-19.

As the curve of COVID-19 infections begin to level off, more of the population recovers from infections, and as government shelter-in-place and similar orders begin to expire, colleges and universities are confronted with the complexities of returning students, faculty and staff to campus in a manner that is safe and ensures continuity to the academic program. Colleges and universities must implement a plan that is tailored to their academic mission and responsive to the developing situation with COVID-19. Here are some recommendations that will help ensure the safety of people on campus by limiting the spread of COVID-19.

Digital Identification - Offer digital identification cards with the use of mobile devices. Student ID cards can be loaded on to student smart phones with the same barcode and contactless capabilities of plastic cards, or simply for the use as visual identification only. Offer secure on-line photo submission that can be digitally approved to be used for digital or plastic ID cards. For student and faculty plastic ID badges, consider offering anti-microbial lanyards and badge holders.

Event and Visitor Tracking - Track students, parents and guests on campus at events and other large group gatherings. Track and document for contact tracing, should anyone on campus test positive for COVID-19 during the school year.

Thermal Temperature Detection - Screen and detect elevated body temperatures related to illness such as COVID-19. Solutions are available for access control and for monitoring low and high volume traffic though doors, gates and main pathways.

Sneeze Shields and Face Shields - Proper barriers for campus personnel in high-volume areas of campus will limit the spread of COVID-19. Places to consider include student administrative counters, point-of-sale areas, libraries, book stores and more.

Learn more about our solutions and products for essential businesses.

Contact tracing is a disease control method used by health professionals and health department personnel and is critical for tracking and preventing the spread of COVID-19.

According to the CDC, new technology and agile data management systems for contact tracing are ​necessary for fast reporting and public action on communicable disease. When hospitals and clinics admit patients, medical personnel, visitors and other patients are potentially exposed to COVID-19. If a test on a patient returns positive, technology is the most effective way to determine where that patient has been and when, in order to identify and communicate with those who have been exposed.

IdentiSys offers an effective contact tracing solution to track patient, personnel and asset​s using real-time locating systems.

The HID Contact Tracing Surge Response Rapid Deployment Kit is a comprehensive system that tracks patient movement and encounters with other people, and allows health care personnel to analyze that data quickly and react appropriately. It uses a combination of hardware and secure cloud software via Bluetooth, wi-fi and cellular networks to generate data on patient and staff location and movement.

The kit includes BEEKS badge beacons and asset beacons, BluFi wifi gateways that communicate with the beacons, and cloud-based software for patient, staff reporting and analytics.

Contact us to learn more about contact tracing with real-time locating systems.

What do you do with your ID card printer ribbons after use? Chances are you're just tossing them in the trash.

Not a great idea, because whether you have a direct-to-card or reverse-transfer printer, used ribbons contain imprints of every piece of data that was printed on ID cards.

When printing on cards, data is transferred from the print head to the ribbon, before ultimately printing to the card. However, the used ribbon contains a mirror image of every card that ran through the printer.

If you don't properly dispose of the used ribbon, full names, account numbers, barcodes, and other sensitive information can easily be stolen. For example, employee ID badges, membership cards, and payment cards (gift cards, debit cards, etc.) are especially vulnerable because of the type of data made available on the cards.

Fortunately, there are two solid options for properly disposing used ribbon from your ID card printer:

• The SMART-BIT printer ribbon shredder from IDP takes your used printer ribbons and slices them up into a thin, confetti-like pieces, making them completely useless to scammers and counterfeiters.
• If you have an existing industrial office shredder, the Rippa from IdentiSys is an attachment accessory that sits on top of the shredder to simultaneously shred up to four ribbons at a time by threading between two rolls of standard, commercially available paper.

Secure Printing Option 

Remove the need to properly dispose ribbon altogether by ​printing on the Fargo DTC1500 by HID Global. The DTC1500 has a unique resin scramble data protection feature that essentially hides data by making used panels unreadable.

Protecting data by properly destroying used card printer ribbons is often overlooked and can potentially be harmful to a business. Fortunately, there are disposal methods for used ribbons that can drastically lower the chance of such a data breach.

IdentiSys is North America's largest full-service identification and security solutions provider. For more information about card printer security and about these ribbon disposal options, contact us to connect with a security and identification expert.

If you are in the hospitality, grocery or restaurant industry, you are tasked to comply with regulations and standards for food labeling. Food labeling must include nutritional information, ingredients and potential allergens to enable consumers to make ​better informed decisions about their food choices.

IdentiSys is an authorized sales and service provider of the Edikio desktop printer system, an all-in-one solution that lets you design and print attractive food contact-safe labels quickly and easily, all from the comfort of your establishment. Food labels are created with plastic cards that are more hygienic and very easy to clean compared to commonly used chalkboard cards or laminated paper.

This solution is appealing for buffets, but these multi-purpose cards are used for various applications where display signs for food ​are required.

There are a few Edikio package options, but all of them include:

• Printer
• Label design and print software
• Ribbon
• PVC Cards

The software included with the system is intuitive and contains a wide variety of different templates and images to use to personalize your labels. Excel databases can be used to make bulk updates and for batch printing.

Contact us to learn more about the Edikio all-in-one solution for your plastic card labeling needs.

Automark Marking Systems is an industrial manufacturer of metal tag embossing and indenting machines. Automark went out of business in December 2014, leaving customers scrambling to find a supplier for compatible tags/plates and spare parts.

IdentiSys can source many of the metal plates and strip tags used with existing Automark machines that still work. Unfortunately, if you have an Automark system that doesn't, repairs are extremely difficult because replacement parts are now essentially nonexistent.

To prevent delays in production, it is recommended to replace your Automark metal tag embosser or indent machine with a model that can be serviced and repaired. IdentiSys is North America's largest sales and service provider for identification and tracking solutions, including metal plate embossing and indenting systems.

Many types of machines are available to be configured to work with various tags and plates of different metal types, shapes and sizes to accommodate various identification and tracking applications. IdentiSys is an authorized supplier and service provider for metal marking machines from Matica and CIM.

Contact IdentiSys today for more information and a quote.

Do you ever get white specks or discoloration on your printed cards? Your printer probably just needs a good cleaning.

As with most ​equipment, care and maintenance of your ID card printer goes a long way. Printers aren’t airtight, and dust and debris will eventually find their way into even the best printers. Regular cleaning will prolong the life of your machine and give you better looking prints. You’ll also avoid potential warranty issues with certain manufacturers. Regular cleaning also prevents larger bits of dirt from contacting the print head, which could cause damage. Be aware: The print head is usually the most expensive part of a machine to replace! Always check your manual for directions to properly clean your printer.

Most card printers ​use adhesive cleaning rollers, which need to be replaced on occasion. Some rollers are meant to be reused and contain a static charge that collects dust and requires occasional rinsing under water. Cleaning cards are used for cleaning important parts, such as print heads, transport rollers, and the magnetic encoder station. Some print heads can be cleaned using a special cleaning pen.

Most manufacturers recommend cleaning card printers after 500-1000 card prints, or every time after changing a ribbon. Again, check your manual for the recommended cleaning schedule for your printer.

Cleaning your printer isn’t overly complicated, but not doing so can lead to unnecessary repairs and issues. In addition to regular cleaning, preventative maintenance will maintain the system's peak performance. With an IdentiSys Service Maintenance Agreement, periodic system maintenance is scheduled to keep your machine working optimally. Worn or defective parts are replaced and your system is cleaned—all at no extra charge. Contact us for more info on pricing and availability.

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.

When choosing card stock for your ID card printer, you'll come across two types of plastic ID cards — PVC and composite.

Cards made of PVC — which stands for poly-vinyl chloride — is the standard card stock material and works well for most ID card printing jobs. In most cases, if you are using just a dye sublimation (direct-to-card) ID card printer with no laminating, you can use a standard PVC card.

However PVC does not stand up well to heat of 280ºF or above — temperatures of which can be reached with the extra heat from laminating or retransfer card printing. Warping, the slight bending or cracking of the card, may occur with standard PVC cards in these cases. Composite PVC-PET cards contain polyester material (usually up to 60%) and can withstand higher temperatures, preventing the risk of warping. Because of this, composite cards are highly recommended for laminating cards and for retransfer printing.