Visit ColorID at the 2014 ASIS Conference in Atlanta, GA ---- Booth 3114. Exhibit hall is open today & tomorrow ( Tuesday / Wednesday ) 9am - 3:30. We are showcasing our Identification Badge Printer line up as well as the latest in Biometric Solutions. Check out the ASIS Trade Show Planner by clicking here If you'd like to receive a free exhibit hall pass, contact us today.
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Whether to pre-print static areas of the institution's cardstock or rely on desktop printers to add all the elements on the fly is an important and debatable topic. There are tangible benefits - both in terms of the cards themselves and the process of issuing them -for a university that pre-prints its cardstock. But there are also drawbacks related to flexibility and timeliness.
ColorID's higher education & K-12 market manager, Tim Nyblom, spoke with CR80News about when pre-printing card stock is appropriate, why a university should consider it, and most importantly, how they should do it. Why pre-print? "Pre-printing is for universities that want a professional-grade cardstock and recognize that cost is not the primary concern," says Nyblom. "It creates a longer lasting card with superior color quality and provides a more robust final product than a standard desktop printer can yield." Professional aesthetics and longer lifespans aren't the only benefits, however. As Nyblom explains, pre-printing enables a university to expedite the issuance process, as there is less area for the printer to cover, allowing the ID card to be completed quicker. "Pre-printed cardstock using lithographic or digital presses is made via layers and the artwork layer is protected by a thick clear sheet of laminate," explains Nyblom. "Desktop ID printers print on the outside layer of a manufactured card and thus is prone to fading over time." Pre-printed cards offer a noticeably better print quality that cannot be matched using a desktop ID printer. "Pre-printed cardstock gives you 3,000 DPI (Dots per square inch), whereas desktop ID printers can only reach 600 DPI," he explains. "It also allows a university to utilize the Pantone Matching System to recreate their brand's specific colors." More than one way to pre-print Deciding whether or not to pre-print is just the first step. Next is choosing the printing method and whether to do the work in house or outsource to a third-party vendor.As Nyblom explains, there are three pre-printing methods that a university can choose from: lithographic printing, high definition/digital press printing, and dye sublimation. "In house pre-printing is usually done with a high issuance desktop ID printer utilizing the dye sublimation method," explains Nyblom. "This method is good when low quantities, single-sided printing or monochrome (one color) printing is needed." Nyblom stresses that the in-house method using a desktop dye sublimation printer is not to be confused with outsourcing via lithographic or digital press printing. "Once a card has passed through a desktop ID printer, you do not want to print on that same side again as the print head and ribbon can stick to the already printed cardstock," he says. In the campus card market where card fronts are almost always personalized to the individual, in-house dye sublimation pre-printing is typically only considered for static card backs as a time saving measure. This is not the case, however, with other printing methods. "Having your static design pre-printed via a lithographic or digital press first and then printing your variable information with your desktop ID printer is the best route to take," says Nyblom. Variable information often includes elements such as cardholder photo, name, ID number and barcode. Nyblom explains that lithographic printing is ideal for large quantity runs of 5,000 cards or more. The printing is of an extremely high quality, offering a 3,000 DPI resolution, and has the ability to print a large number of colors, including specific spot colors - often referred to as PMS or Pantone colors. "In this process, the cards are manufactured from large plastic sheets consisting of 28, 56 or 70 cards per sheet that are then cut down into individual cards," explains Nyblom. "The cards are built up through different layers of materials including clear plastic, PVC and PET." Another avenue is High Definition printing, otherwise known as Digital Press printing. This method is ideal for low to mid-level quantities from 500 up to 10,000 cards, while still offering up to 3,000 DPI print resolution. The main difference from Lithographic, as Nyblom explains, is that digital press plastic sheets typically consist of only 21 cards per sheet. "Universities that opt for digital press can still utilize multiple colors for their cards and incorporate Pantone colors for their unique and custom branding," he adds. While the other methods mass produce printed cardstock, dye sublimation printing is done one card at a time on pre-assembled ID cardstock, and is generally used for low-volume printing. "The dye sublimation process will apply color to the cardstock one color at a time: yellow, magenta, cyan and then black," says Nyblom. "Since this process only uses a four color process, it is not able to match PMS (Pantone) colors. It's a process that is excellent for quick turn projects, low quantities and variable printing jobs." The case against pre-printing Still, pre-printing cardstock may not always be the answer. "If a school is just launching their ID card program, I'd suggest starting off with utilizing a blank cardstock first," Nyblom says. "This will allow them to adjust and change their card design to what works for them. After the university gains more experience and has identified what matters to them, then I would suggest migrating to a pre-printed cardstock." Traditionally, the arguments against pre-printing highlighted the lack of flexibility it carries. Once a large quantity of cards is ordered and printed, changes to card design are not possible. If these changes are mandated any remaining inventory must be discarded. Additionally, inventory management becomes more crucial. If cards run out during the middle of an orientation session, it can cripple the issuance process and take weeks to replenish supplies. Finally, for small quantity issuers pre-printing may not be cost effective despite its benefits. Final thoughts Pre-printing is a great way for a university to expedite its card issuance, while also boosting the overall quality of its campus IDs. By understanding the pre-printing options that are available and the institution's specific requirements, pre-printing can offer a significant value add to campus card services. Are you looking for an affordable solution to reduce season pass fraud? If so, ColorID's RFID Ski Solution may be your answer! Our solution allows resorts to add RFID identification to any current system without significantly altering current processes. How it works is a season pass ID card is personalized in a desktop printer after which the UHF (Ultra high frequency) chip embedded inside the card is programmed using a desktop programmer. Out on the slopes, handheld scanners with UHF readers are used to read the programmed number from the card. Some advantages include:
![]() About ColorID, LLC Every year, ColorID assists more than 1000 colleges and universities and their project managers personally oversee 700 custom projects each year, including many small and large recarding projects. ColorID offers best-in-class products and solutions, including: contactless, smart and financial cards from every major manufacturer, multiple ID printer platforms; transaction and point-of-sale software and hardware, a variety of handheld devices for identification and tracking applications and biometrics solutions, including fingerprint and iris readers. The company’s manufacturing partners include: Iris ID, HID, Fargo, Datacard, CardSmith, Gemalto, Zebra, NiSCA, Evolis, Allegion, Aptiq, Magicard, Brady People ID, Integrated Biometrics, Oberthur, NBS, Vision Database Systems and many others. Contact ColorID at 704-987-2238 or toll free in Canada and the US at 888-682-6567. Visit ColorID on the web at: www.colorid.com or email ColorID at [email protected]. Check out the following article by CR80News & ColorID regarding mag stripes and the University market CR80News Article link (click on picture or text) ![]() About ColorID, LLC Every year, ColorID assists more than 1000 colleges and universities and their project managers personally oversee 700 custom projects each year, including many small and large recarding projects. ColorID offers best-in-class products and solutions, including: contactless, smart and financial cards from every major manufacturer, multiple ID printer platforms; transaction and point-of-sale software and hardware, a variety of handheld devices for identification and tracking applications and biometrics solutions, including fingerprint and iris readers. The company’s manufacturing partners include: Iris ID, HID, Fargo, Datacard, CardSmith, Gemalto, Zebra, NiSCA, Evolis, Allegion, Aptiq, Magicard, Brady People ID, Integrated Biometrics, Oberthur, NBS, Vision Database Systems and many others. Contact ColorID at 704-987-2238 or toll free in Canada and the US at 888-682-6567. Visit ColorID on the web at: www.colorid.com or email ColorID at [email protected]. Check out the upcoming NACCU web conference titled, "A River Runs Through it: Data Flow and the Card System".
Wednesday, July 16, 2014 12:00pm Eastern Description Data integration is essential to student life, but it is - and should be - invisible to everyone but its maintainers. Here we talk about how the sausage is made at Kutztown University; how, why, and how often data gets from one system to another. What factors do we consider when designing an interface? Which systems should be involved? Which department should be responsible for it? How do we know, and what do we do, when it breaks? Presenter Leslie Dreyer Kalra Kutztown University Register Now https://web.telspan.com/register/NACCU/webinar0716
ColorID is known for its innovative approach to identification products and services for universities across North America. The recent installation of the ColorID Biometric Dining Solution makes it possible for students at Georgia Southern University to enter dining halls with only a momentary pause for fast and accurate identification. We are receiving many requests from universities across the country for information on this unique and effective solution.
Please join us for a half-hour webinar on the ColorID Biometric Dining Solution on June 24 at 2 pm ET. You can click on the link below to register: *** Registration HERE *** Webinar ID: 132-631-787 Featured in reports by CNN and CR80 News, and at presentations to national education conferences, the ColorID Biometric Dining Solution uses the template derived from a photo of the eyes to identify each individual and then sends the student's card number to the card system. The solution fits perfectly with board plans, stored value programs and access control systems. Advantages include:
The following is a recent ColorID & CR80News article on ID Card Printers and the things you need to consider when repairing, servicing and extending your initial warranty.
ColorID recently joined the National Association of College & University Food Services organization as a business partner. The recent implementation of the Biometric Dining Solution has been a highly successful and popular product within the Dining & Food services industry seen in action here at Georgia Southern University.
ColorID plans to introduce this quick and highly effective solution to the NACUFS organization members this summer and offering a webinar presentation that will be sent out shortly regarding the solution. The 2014 European Campus Card Association is set to begin May 25th at the University of Cantabria, Spain. ColorID will be in attendance yet again this year and as always, contributing on two of the round table discussion panels:
ECCA's annual conference pulls together a number of campus card professionals from all over the globe. Attendee's walk away from the conference learning about the latest technology advances, business practices and ways to operate a successful card program.
Click here to learn more about this year's ECCA annual conference. HID Global, a worldwide leader in secure identity solutions visited ColorID headquarters this week for training on their latest revision of iClass credentials and physical access wall readers tabbed as iClass SE. Nathan Cummings, Director of Sales Engineering headed the training at ColorID and spoke about the improvements made for both the credentials and readers.
The latest revision of readers has the ability to read a multitude of contactless card technologies as well as magnetic stripes. The iClass SE readers have the ability to:
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