Photo I.D.
Product Questions

Making an I.D. card can be extremely simple or fairly complex... It can cost pennies or require an investment in equipment and supplies... It all depends on what you want to accomplish. Here are some considerations you will need to make:

• Name cards or photo I.D.? If you want to produce I.D.'s that only contain text information, such as cardholder name, title, etc., and perhaps a logo, then you can use label-making software (MS Word for Windows, for example) to produce cards, cut them apart, and laminate them using a small pouch laminator. This is definitely the least-cost method. If you want the cardholder's photo on the card, then your best bet for a professional-looking card is a polaroid or digital photo I.D. system. Either system enables you to accomplish the challenging task of sizing the photo correctly, and cutting or cropping it professionally to fit on the card.
• How many I.D.'s will you make? If you don't need very many I.D.'s, you may find it hard to justify the cost of your own equipment and supplies. You should consider using our service bureau to make them for you.
• Cards or badges? Do you need wallet cards or badges that the cardholder wears for immediate identification? Wallet cards must be small, ideally credit card size. Badges must be designed to accommodate a slot or hole for the badge attachment. They can be larger than wallet cards, although the standard for either is credit card size.
• What level of security do you need? Will your I.D. cards need to have a bar code or magnetic stripe? Do you need to have a smart chip imbedded in the card? And what about securing the equipment you will use to make the cards, and your cardholder data base?

• Digital Photo-ID systems and supplies. These systems consist of:
  • Plastic card printer
  • Digital camera
  • Software that allows you to design templates and create cards
  • Supplies: Printer ribbon or cartridge and PVC cards

  PRINTER

  +

  CAMERA

  +

  SOFTWARE

  +

  PRINTER CARTRIDGE & PVC CARDS

  =

  FINISHED PLASTIC I.D. CARD

  A digital photo-ID system is installed on your computer, where you are able to take a person's photo, key-in the variable data, and print the card directly on the plastic card printer in a matter of seconds.
  
  
• Polaroid Photo-ID systems and supplies. The components are:
  • Polaroid ID camera
  • Die-Cutter (used to cut the photos)
  • Pouch laminator
  • Supplies: Polaroid film, laminating pouches, and cardstock for inserts

  CAMERA

  +

  DIE CUTTER

  +

  LAMINATOR

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  POLAROID FILM, LAMINATING POUCHES, AND INSERTS

  =

  FINISHED LAMINATED I.D. CARD

  A Polaroid ID system requires some "cut-and-paste." You first take the photo using a Polaroid camera; then you use the die-cutter to cut the photo out. The system does not include a means of entering the cardholder name and other text information. This can be accomplished using a program such as MS Word for Windows. We do offer perforated cardstock that will make the job simpler. (Many people use perforated business cards available at an office supply store.) The photo can be secured to the right place on the card with the help of a glue stick. Then the card/photo are inserted into a laminating pouch and laminated. The finished result is a professional-looking laminated card.

  Pre-fabricated data packs are also available. Data packs are custom-printed with company logo and information and sealed on one side with the laminating pouch on the outside, sort of like a little booklet. A well can be cut into the inner piece so the die-cut photo will just fit and the laminated card will be flat. The core material of the data pack seals to the laminate, and no edge seal of plastic is required. Data packs produce a very professional I.D. that looks like a solid plastic card.

  There's another method of making I.D.'s that have no edge seal with a Polaroid system: using butterfly pouches and teslin paper instead of traditional pouches and cardstock. Teslin is a special product that actually bonds with the laminate. A butterfly pouch does not have a sealed edge. The pouch lays flat and is scored down the middle so the two sides on the pouch can sandwich tightly around the teslin insert, with no edge seal of clear plastic!
  
  

• ID Card Service Bureau. Our service bureau is an increasingly popular way to produce plastic cards. You take the photos using any digital camera. Then send the photo, together with any variable cardholder information, to us, and we print the cards using our plastic card printer. It takes a little longer to get the card into the cardholder's hands, but we strive to turn cards around as quickly as possible.

The trade-off between choosing a Polaroid system or a Digital system boils down to more than cost. There was a time when plastic card printers were prohibitively expensive, but this is no longer the case. Today, more and more people are choosing digital over Polaroid for a multiplicity of reasons. And yet, the Polaroid method is still viable. Here is an overview of the factors involved:

Our Polaroid systems vary only by the Polaroid camera that comes with the system. We offer both 4-lens and 6-lens Polaroid I.D. cameras. The 4-lens camera takes four photos on a single piece of film. Each photo is 1" x 1-1/4", which is the standard I.D. photo size. The 6-lens camera takes six photos on a single piece of film. The cost of a 6-lens camera is higher, but the yield of photos per piece of film is greater. In general, if you take a high volume of photos at a time, you would choose a 6-lens camera; if your use of the camera is sporadic, and you frequently only take several photos, you would choose a 4-lens camera. Why? Because you must pull the film out of the camera to get the photo, and the film can't be re-used. To minimize film expense, you will need to use up as much film as possible before pulling it.

We also have two camera models, SX and DX. The DX camera costs more and differs from the SX only by type of display and warranty. The DX camera has an LCD display and a three year warranty, while the SX camera has an LED display and a two year warranty.

A 2-lens camera is also available, but this is a passport camera. It takes 2" x 2" photos, which is standard passport size, but too large for I.D. cards.

The systems available in our Laminator Warehouse on-line catalog are perfect for offices or schools who produce up to 1000 cards per year. Bar coding and magnetic stripe capability is available. If you need to produce cards in greater volume, or you need smart card capability, or you need the added protection of an over-laminate or hologram, there are other printers available to meet your needs. Fargo has an excellent printer selection tool on the home page of their web site.

Our Basic, Best-Value, and Network Digital I.D. Systems are by far the most popular and most cost-effective configurations of a digital system. Here are some guidelines that will help you make the right choice:

It's fairly easy to make a decision whether the Service Bureau is a viable option for you. Here are some guidelines:

How much time do you have before issuing an I.D. card? If you need to be able to issue cards same or next day, then you need your own equipment. Although we strive to accomplish the very best turnarounds, the USPS or UPS delivery will take a little time. Yes, we will expedite when you need us to, using next day air delivery if you request it. But our normal production puts cards back into your hands about three to five days after we receive your order.

How many cards do you need? There is, of course, a point at which it's more cost-effective to buy your own card-making equipment. You can use our rate schedule to help with this decision. But we do have customers needing hundreds of cards who choose to use our service because their photos come from multiple small offices, none of which could cost-justify their own system.

How do you choose to spend your time? Most of our service bureau customers use our service because they want to spend their time doing what they do best, and leave the I.D. cards to us!

What if you decide to change and begin your own card production? No problem. If you choose, you can upgrade by purchasing an I.D. system. Any templates developed by the service bureau belong to you, and will be made available for you to import into your software so you can become immediately productive.

Now you have a way to produce your I.D. badges. You've chosen either a Polaroid or a Digital Photo I.D. System. But isn't something missing? How are you going to wear them? You need two additional things:

• A tool to punch a slot or hole in the badge. We have a variety of slot punches available just for this purpose.
• An attachment to finish the job. Here are some choices:
  • Strap clip. The most popular attachment is the common strap clip or badge clip.
  • Lanyards. These neck attachment come in a variety of styles and many prefer them to a clip.
  • Badge Reels. Retractable badge reels are convenient for employees who need to swipe their badge through a reader.
  • Beaded Chains. Economical neck chains offer an alternative to lanyards.
  • Badge Holders. Clear vinyl badge holders offer additional protection for a badge subjected to a harsh environment.