Lanyards are being worn much more often, as people of all ages are starting to see how useful they can be. They started out life as extendible key chains and our PE teachers’ whistle-holders, and have slowly – but surely – made their way into mainstream use.

You will see them in offices and schools as staff and pupils alike wear them to show their ID badges and cards, wearing them over their head like a necklace.

They are also being worn from the waistband, attached to phones and keys, and are often left with most of the lanyard intentionally visible. In this way they are usually chosen for their colour, material or print, and can be worn almost like a piece of jewellery.

Some people have different coloured lanyards to suit different outfits and are worn as an accessory, like a scarf or a belt.

If you prefer, they can be worn much more subtly; they can be thinner, darker material, and attached to a bag strap. With your wallet on the other end, and most of the lanyard tucked into the bag, they can be almost invisible.

There are hundreds of colours and designs available, so splash out and get a few to suit your different moods!

If you want your staff or members to have personal ID cards, but don’t want them done in bulk, or with the same design, you can always choose to print them yourself using one of the many plastic card printers available.

That way, you can print just one card at a time to check that your design has printed exactly as you wanted. If it’s not, you can adjust the design using card printing software (often supplied with the printer) and then print one more card to check. Once you’re happy with the design and the way it looks, you can set the printer to print off 10, 50, 113, 241, however many cards you need.

Most card printers today have the capability to print out lots and lots of cards, in exactly the same design, without there being any inconsistencies in the print run. This means that you can be confident of your cards all looking the same.

With easy to use software and installation guidelines, even those who don’t know much about design or design programs can make ID cards or membership cards themselves.

Having a card printer yourself also means that you have control over each step of the card design and printing process, so you can be confident that they look exactly as you want.

If you’re one of those people who always end up losing things in your Mary Poppins handbag, there are plenty of ways to keep your work ID card safe and easily accessible. This works for any loyalty cards, discount cards, membership cards or any other plastic card you might have.

Badge holder – These are plastic cases that your card will sit in. They can be just bigger than the size of the card, or more like a wallet that your card sits inside. Either way, they’re sturdy and will protect the card and make it easier to find.

Badge clip – These will attach themselves to a badge holder, or if you have a hole punched into your card. Depending on the clip itself, it can clip onto material (like a pocket, or a bag) or through a loop (like a key ring, handle or button hole).

Lanyard – These are long strips of material which clip onto your card (or card holder) and then can be worn like a necklace or a belt. They are flexible and light, and can be knotted around almost anything.

With any or either of these items, you shouldn’t have to dig around in your bag for your ID card again, as they will make it immediately accessible.

The Independent Identity Commissioner in charge of UK ID cards has spoken out to reassure the public that any sensitive personal data will be kept extremely safe.

Sir Joseph Pilling also said that it would be premature to give ID cards the all clear yet as of yet, although said that the scheme was going well.

Sir Pilling explained:

“After three months of seeking to understand an ambitious and complicated programme of work, it would be foolish to give it a clean bill of health.
“But I’m pleased with the commitment and dedication to producing a safe and secure ID card programme that the members of IPS have shown.”

Home Office minister Meg Hillier added:

“I’m pleased the identity commissioner feels the Identity and Passport Service is doing a pretty good job… however we are not complacent.”

However, Sir Pillings comments have come up against opposition- particularly from the Liberal Democrats’ Chris Huhne who stated:

“Even if officials do not lose personal data as they have done in the past, ID cards are not going to help in the fight against crime, terrorism or illegal working. They should be scrapped immediately.”

ID cards have come up against strong opposition from the moment they were announced, and they are now a very controversial topic. However, whatever the critics may say, it seems as though the government are determined to make them as success.

ID cards can really help you feel comfortable and confident that the only people at your place of work are people who should be there.

Although there is some controversy over national identity cards, ID cards have been used by businesses for decades and are still used by thousands of companies worldwide.

There are plenty of different options when using ID cards and you can even get plastic card printers so that you could print them out yourself. That way, you can check that they look exactly the way you want them to before ordering in bulk.

ID cards can be really simple: one sided with an employee’s name and your company name on the front, with one or two colours. They can, however, have top of the range technology installed and come with photos, thermal fingerprint technology, and microchips.

You can have double sided cards, with your full colour company name and logo on the front and a picture of your employee, a signature strip, microchip and a unique code on the back. This way, the card cannot be unlawfully copied, as the unique code would be programmed to that chip, and any other attempted use of the chip or the number would be highlighted.

Securing your building is one of the most important things you can do to protect your business from fraud and crime. Relying on a Yale lock and a deadbolt is certainly not going to fit the bill. Most businesses will have doors with pin codes, or access control cards enabled.

Access control is vital to a business’s stability, as anyone entering your building – other than employees or authorised visitors – poses a risk to the public, not just your company. If somebody manages to get inside the building, there are probably confidential documents and information – such as client’s financial details and addresses – and if anyone other than a trusted employee got their hands on it, it could be another scandal.

Having an access control system whereby each employee has an access card that they scan or swipe to gain access, is one of the most secure ways to regulate who goes in and out of the building. These cards are more secure than PIN access, as PINs can be guessed or hacked, but a card has to be physically present to provide access. They can even have photo identification on for added assurance.

Lanyards come in different colours, prints, materials and sizes. They can be printed, embroidered or plain, and can clip-on, snap on, button on or loop on to just about anything.

Great for keeping your phone from going walkabouts, or for keeping a whistle around your neck, lanyards can attach themselves to just about anything with a loop or clasp.

If you hate rummaging around in your bag for your purse, attach a lanyard to the zip or loop of material inside it and then attach the other end of the lanyard around a handle of your bag. That way, whenever you need your purse, you can pull the lanyard and your purse will come out straight into your hand.

You could get a lanyard with your favourite football team’s logo on, or a plain dark coloured one that is less noticeable. Depending on what you want to attach to it, you can wear it as a necklace, so you may want one that shouts out your personality.

Alternatively, you could choose a chain lanyard and attach your keys to it. Clip it to a belt loop and stick the keys in your pocket, then you just lift the chain and – voila! – there are your keys, ready to open the door.

Loyalty cards have proven very popular with both businesses and customers. Businesses like them because they can see how many of which products are selling, as well as offering incentives to their customers. Customers like them because it makes them feel like they are getting something back for being loyal.

Loyalty cards offer some kind of reward system for regular use. One example is at a coffee shop, customers may get a free hot drink after buying ten, or a free syrup shot after 5 hot drinks. Or, it could be that each time a customer spends over ten pounds, they get a pound’s worth of vouchers to spend in-store.

Loyalty cards are sometimes made of printed cardboard, whereby a customer gets a ‘stamp’ on it when they buy a certain service or product, or they can be made in a similar way to credit cards, with a design printed onto a plastic card. This style is more expensive, but also offers much more variation and greater possibilities.

Plastic cards can have signature strips, barcodes or microchips. They can store information that can be kept on a central database and updated every time a particular card is swiped. This means that, as a company, you can monitor shopping patterns, which will help you to satisfy customer demands.

ID cards are used in many different environments and situations today- from offices to schools to libraries to gyms, they are extremely useful and extremely beneficial.

Whether you already use ID cards, or have been looking into investing in them, there’s no doubt that you will have realised that outsourcing their manufacture can be a costly affair. Luckily, there is more than one way of getting your hands on made to measure ID cards, and you can even make them yourself.

Using ID card software, you can design cards that fully meet your specifications, and customise them in a number of ways. However, once you’ve designed the cards you will need an ID card printer to complete the process.

ID card printers can be cost effective and beneficial in a number of ways. If you are lucky enough to have a constantly growing number of staff, investing in an ID card printer is a fantastic idea, as it saves you the costly task of ordering single cards from an external supplier, plus you can also keep track of how many cards you have issued and who you have issued them to.

ID card printers make ID card manufacture quick and easy.

Proof of age ID cards have proved popular in Trowbridge, with a large number of the town’s 18-25 year olds snapping them up.

The Touch2ID identity cards are aimed at slashing alcohol sales to underage drinkers, whilst allowing individuals to prove their ages without having to carry an expensive driving licence of passport around with them.

Over 600 of the cards have already been issued, with the number set to steadily increase. Touch2ID cards are accepted in many retail outlets, pubs, clubs and bars, and unlike traditional forms of ID, their authenticity is confirmed via the use of a special scanner.

In order to sign up for one of the cards, individuals have to prove their age by presenting their driving license or passport, with the local shopping centre and post office in Trowbridge currently taking applications.

Local bar worker, Melanie Ball, praised the cards and said:

“Gone are the days when you are embarrassed to ask someone’s age or they are made to feel small by you asking.”
“Young people are really happy to use it and they don’t have to carry their important documents around with them.”

The ID cards are also highly beneficial to those selling alcohol, who face hefty fines and even closure for selling alcohol to underage drinkers.