Author Archives: Safe-Card ID Team

Tips to Incorporate Security in your ID Card Design

custom id

It is easy to duplicate a white card with a logo and name on it. There are additional security measures you may wish to consider when designing your id card for maximum security.

1. To begin the graphic design process, you may find it helpful to divide your card up into a grid. Place the larger and fixed elements into the card first and determine whether the card will be veritical or horizontal. Remember to leave a placeholder for the badge slot punch if there will be one on your cards.

2. Use color in your card. Avoid extremes. Dark colors are hard to read and light colors make the card look washed out. Bright colors work best with variance in color to distinguish different levels of access or achievement.

3. A colored photo of the cardholder as large as possible on the card increases the security of the card. A colored photo is more secure than a black and white picture. Although high resolution is important, a picture size that is too large will be combersome in some computers and id badge design programs.

4. Choose a good font or fonts that appeal to the reader and are in good taste. Too many fonts on the card are distracting. Often a sans serif font is recommended for the text.

5. You may wish to incorporate a hologram on the card. The hologram can be clear, a standard pattern or custom. The protective overlay makes it difficult for counterfeiters to reproduce.

6. If your budget allows for an advanced printer, you may wish to consider a printer that uses reverse image printing technology. The security level of these cards are greater than a standard direct-to-card print. With the additional benefits of a better quality print and durability of the cards, some organizations choose to go this route.

If you have additional questions about id card printing, contact our id card experts at 888-485-4696. We provide and service Asure Software, ID Flow Software, EpiSuite, Fargo printer models, Evolis printer models, CIM printer models and Magicard printer models.

Fargo Replacement Printhead Warranty

Fargo Printhead

Fargo ID card printers use a printhead to burn color onto the PVC card as it passes through the printer. This process produces the colorful identification cards and membership cards that you carry in your wallet.

Occasionally, it is necessary to replace the printhead. You will often need to replace the printhead when you see a small white horizontal line consistently in your printed cards.

The replacement printhead as a one year limited warranty. The replacement warranty is subject to review by Fargo Electronics Technical Support Team.

This means that the printhead would need to be returned to Fargo by way of an RMA. If they deem that the printhead was internally defective, they warranty the part. Shipping charges are the responsibility of the customer.

If you have additional questions about this warranty or other card printer questions, contact our id card experts toll free at 888-485-4696. For additional information about the Fargo DTC400e, Persona C30e or other Fargo printers, let our ID card experts provide you with a free consultation.

Card Feed Error on a DTC525 and DTC 550 Printer

Fargo Fargo DTC550

When printing PVC cards with a Fargo DTC525 card printer or a Fargo DTC550 card printer, the LCD screen may display that a card feed error has occurred when a print job stops printing cards. Steps to follow to correct the card feed error and continue card printing are as follows:

1. Clean the printer with a printer cleaning kit. Make sure that all of the rollers are cleaned well.

2. Check and replace the card cleaner roller that is attached to the blue cleaner roller cartridge. This is located in the inside right hand side of the printer. Make sure that the cleaner roller cartridge is seated all the way down into the the slot.

3. Check your PVC cards for extensive static that can cause the cards to stick together and not feed properly.

4. Make sure the card thickness gauge on the right hand side of the card hopper is set to the proper card thickness for the cards you are using.

For information about the Fargo DTC550 or other Fargo printers, contact us for a free consultation at 888-485-4696.

Black Bar Codes – How to Print True Black Bar Codes on your ID Badge

It is important for the correct working of your bar code that it print in a true black setting. Sometimes this will happen automatically, but it is best to double check your printer preferences prior to printing to make sure that you will obtain the bar code output desired.

The following instructions will provide a printed bar code that will print true black. The bar code in the following example is for a bar code close to the bottom edge.

1. Go to your computer and go to the start button in the left hand corner. Go to SETTINGS. Then go to PRINTERS and FAXES.

2. Right click on the correct driver for your printer and select PRINTING PREFERENCES>

3. Find the K PANEL RESIN tab. Click on the DEFINED AREA box.

4. Select PRINT K ONLY at the bottom of your form.

5. Double check to make sure that the X and Y axis settings are set to zero.

6. The height and width settings are found above the axis settings. If you have a vertical card, set the height for 2.11″. If you have a horizontal card, set the height for .500″. The width for both cards should be set at 3.377″.

Looking at your id card software design, you should see a black rectangle at the bottom of the card where you, hopefully, want the bar code to be placed.

For more information about designing id cards with id card software , contact our id card experts. We provide id card systems with Fargo printers, Evolis printers, CIM printers or Magicard printers.

Asure ID Software – Which version is right for your application?

Asure Enterprise

The various versions of id card software by Asure sometimes is a complex process to wade through. It is important to consider what requirements the current organization needs in their id card uses as well as what might be required out of the id card in a couple of years. This software will last for some time and will need to encompass the abilities of id card printing for the foreseeable future.

One way to make sure that you make the best decision in selecting the Asure ID software version is to review the features of each product to see if your current and possibily future requirements may be defined and the correct software version selected.

The inital review may be best found by looking at the product selection guide that Asure ID makers have put together indicating the capabilities of each software version. Once that is reviewed, usually the decision can be narrowed into about what is needed. At that point, a specialist from an id card company can confirm the decision and provide the best possible options for smooth id card making.

For additional information about Asure ID Card Software, id card printer systems or badge attachments, contact us for a free consultation at 888-485-4696.

Asure ID Express

Asure ID software is powerful id card design and printing software made by HID. The software is trusted by organizations of all sizes and is rich in features and easy to learn. The software is able to provide card design, data management, card production and developer tool benefits to provide the capability to produce professional id cards for groups, organizations and business.

The Asure ID Express is the stand alone photo id software. Containing many powerful features, this software exceeds the requirements of most small to medium businesses or high school applications. Following are the features of the Asure ID Express Software available in the versions of 5.x.

      Password log-on with definable user privileges

 

      Languages supported: English, French, German, Spanish

 

      Native support for MS Access

 

      Internet enabled (Send cards to an Asure ID Card Service Bureau for backup or primary card production.)

 

      Dual-sided template designs

 

      Supports all field types

 

      Add data fields

 

      Add photo fields

 

      Add signature fields

 

      Import logos

 

      Add linear bar codes

 

      Add magnetic stripe

 

      Set conditional design and print rules

 

      Save and search records(Storage limitations based on MS Access)

 

      Dual-sided printing

 

      Batch printing

 

      Integrated photo capture

 

      Integrated signature capture

 

      ODBC import

 

      Live Link™ (Real time data exchange – MS Access – single table only)

 

      Custom reports

 

    Optional Annual/multi-year support packages

For specific information about Asure ID Express, other Asure ID software versions or additional id card software options, contact our id card experts at 888-485-4696.

HID Prox Cards – Increase Safety and Eliminate Proximity Card Cloning

Proxcard II

Proximity cards are contactless integrated circuit cards that are used to access a secure area or network. The increased security of these cards make them imperative in the operations of many organizations with confidential areas and databases of personal information.

Although technology can provide a high level of security. The cards will not, within themselves, provide complete security without proper policies and procedures implemented throughout the organization.

HID corporation recommends implementing the following procedures with the use of prox cards to maximize security and eliminate the possibility of cloning the cards for improper uses.

  1. Require immediate reporting of lost or stolen cards (so they can be deleted from the system)
  2. Prohibit sharing or lending of cards
  3. Encourage employees to shield their cards from public view when not at work (this makes sense from a privacy perspective as well if a name and picture are printed on the card)
  4.  Encourage reporting of suspicious activity at the facility
  5. Discourage “tailgating” where one employee uses a card to gain access and others follow without using their own cards.

HID also recommends using RFID shielding products to increase the security level of HID cards not in use.

Current Fargo printers that will allow encoding of proximity cards are the Fargo HDP5000, Fargo DTC550 and Fargo DTC400e. For information about cards that can be integrated with identification applications, visit our HID prox card page.

Asure ID Software – Color Matching

Asure Enterprise

Your id card printer system is set up, you have designed your badge and print the first card. The graphics and text look awesome, except for one thing. The colors printed just don’t match the color you were expecting. If you have calibrated the ribbon and things still don’t work out for your card colors, you may need to adjust settings in your Asure ID card software. The following are steps that allow adjustment to the color output within the software settings:

1. In the software card design center, click on the red or blue bar.
2. Go to properties.
3. In the lower right corner, click on the field color. It says select color.
4. Click on define custom colors.
5. Adjust the color palette and run a test print.

The above adjustments will adjust the color on the computer monitor as well and the monitor view may not look correct. Focus on the card output and adjust as needed to get the desired output.

For additional information about Asure ID Card Software, id card printer systems or badge attachments, contact us for a free consultation at 888-485-4696.

Calibrate a Ribbon Sensor – Fargo DTC400 – Persona C30 – Fargo DTC300

How to Calibrate a Ribbon Sensor for the Fargo DTC400 printers, the Persona C30 printers and the Fargo DTC300 series printers.

1. Go to the start button on the lower left corner of your computer screen.

2. Click on Printers and Faxes.

3. RIGHT click on your printer and select printing preferences.

4. At the top of the screen, select the tab that says calibrate.

5. Click on the button half way down on the right that says sensors.

6. Follow the directions on the screen.

For information about the Persona C30e , Fargo DTC400e or other Fargo printers, contact us for a free consultation at 888-485-4696.

Asure ID Software – Adding Data and Photos to the Database

SafeCardID.com offers a free training video which demonstrates how to add cardholder data to the database and import pictures from a TWAIN driver camera or computer folder to complete a custom badge ready for printing.

For additional information about Asure ID Card Software, id card printer systems or badge attachments, contact us for a free consultation at 888-485-4696.