ID cards and membership cards can look almost anyway you want them to. They can have security features like magnetic strips, chips, thermal fingerprint technology, barcodes or signature strips. You could print a photograph onto the card for easy identification, and have a name, job title, membership number or package printed on as well.
In terms of design and layout, membership cards are really flexible, and cater for any budget. At the cheaper end of the scale, you can have one side of the card printed, and only using one colour ink – so you could have a name and pattern on it, or a barcode and name. At the other end of the spectrum, you could have the card printed on both sides, with up to four colours of ink. The whole card could be printed with your logo, or a photograph of your shop, business or organisation. It could be an image that you think represents your company, or you could even have a collage of images.
The shape and thickness of ID cards and membership cards varies too; standard business or bank card size, or larger, oversized cards. You could have die cut cards with funky edges, or key fobs, small enough to fit on a key ring. They are available in three thicknesses, with each being more suited to a certain use.
Proximity access control is unique in that you do not have to always physically scan or swipe the user’s card/fob. The clue is in the name: the reader only needs to be close to the fob or ID card in order to read the information.
One of the most common types of proximity access control systems is a token. These look like small plastic bullets or key fobs, which can be attached to key rings or lanyards, or easily put in a pocket. They are usually black plastic with a coloured stripe or section, and come with a circular rivet.
These tokens are each individually encoded and encrypted, and will only take 0.5 of a second to provide a result on the reader. This is usually in the form of access granted or denied.
Proximity desktop readers are a great way for people to scan themselves in at reception. The reader can sit near a computer, on top of the desk, and people can wave their cards or tokens near it and it will pick up their signal.
If you want the most user friendly, simple method of access control, proximity cards and tokens are certainly a step in the right direction.
The complexity and vibrancy of a design depends completely on the material and printing method you choose for your company lanyards. They can vary from one colour surface printing with just your company, business or organisation’s name on, to patterned lanyards printed with full colours, this can include photographs and images.
If you want an embroidered lanyard, your design will have to be relatively simple, as they are only available with a few colours. Writing is popular for this type of lanyard, as embroidering the company name (such as H&M, Boots, The Children’s Fund or Party World) is more robust than having it printed.
Printed lanyards can be double or single sided, and can have one, two, three or full colour options; enough variety to suit any budget.
You could have your company name in the font you like, with an outline or background colour of your choice. You could also have your logo printed next to it.
Sub-dye printed lanyards are little more expensive than other printing methods, but this method of printing is known to make the ink heat and water resistant, so it will not come away from the lanyard after long term use.
Membership cards and loyalty cards can save your customers and your staff an awful lot of time. They can also make your customers feel valued as a member, and feel as though they are getting something back from the company.
If you introduce membership cards, you can store all sorts of information on these cards. For example, if you run a leisure centre, with different facilities and membership packages, you can give each member a personalised card as they join up. This card can act as an identity card, with their name, address, membership package, and photo on. Some of this information will be stored electronically, and some you can have printed onto the card.
You could then have a system whereby, as a member comes to the leisure centre, they scan in their card which will display all the relevant information onto a computer system. This means that a register of who is in the building is automatically updated, and you can keep track of which membership packages seem the most popular. This will prevent members of staff on reception having to write down each person that comes in, and your members will not have to be bothered with questions like ‘Sorry, how do you spell that?’ or ‘Which package are you registered with?’
Access control is essentially anything that prohibits anyone other than authorised personnel from accessing areas, equipment or information. The term is generally used when information technology systems are in place, and where there are computers involved. Therefore, if there is a key code, or an electronic pass for a vault or private area of a building that is an access control system. Likewise, if there are bouncers or security guards, only allowing authorised personnel into a club or hotel, that is a kind of access control, but does not use any kind of IT system.
Smartcards are an extremely advanced method of organising access control. They have the ability to communicate to a specific card reader through a ‘smart chip’ which contains the card’s information. This information could be the user’s name, photograph, security number or access level as well as contact details and user history. One popular make of smartcards, is the Mifare DESfire, which uses the most up to date technology to make your access control secure, safe and easy to use.
Proximity Cards can store similar information to smartcards, but are better for more general use. They communicate to the reader via radio waves, so need to be near the reader, but do not necessarily have to be swiped or scanned.
There’s no doubt that identity cards are essential in modern society, and they are now used in an endless number of different environments.
From hospitals to schools to airports, identity cards are vital in keeping staff and the public as safe as possible. Not only this, but identity cards are great for providing peace of mind by ensuring that only those who are authorised are allowed to enter an area.
If you run a business or facility where you think identity cards would be beneficial, you’ll be pleased to know that you can create them from the comfort of your own office.
With ID card software, you can design identity cards from scratch all by yourself. This software allows you to create fully bespoke cards, and you can also add barcodes and magnetic strips to cards for added peace of mind.
Once you have designed your ID cards, you need to invest in an ID card printer. Printers which print in either black and white or colour are available, so you should choose one that best suits your needs.
Making your own identity cards is a great way of saving money and enhancing security.
ID cards are becoming more and more widespread, as the need for tighter security in many different types of environments increases.
ID cards can commonly be seen in offices, educational institutions and medical surgeries, to name but a few. Many companies now require all members of staff to carry an ID card, in order to restrict access to buildings to authorised personnel only.
If a company has many members of staff, outsourcing the design and manufacture of ID cards can be a little expensive. However, by investing in ID card software, you can complete the task yourself very easily.
Ease of use
Id card software is incredibly easy to use, and with instruction manuals that are simple to follow, you’ll be designing the cards in no time at all.
Store information
Another great benefit of ID card software is that it allows you to store the information of personnel. This means that you can keep track of who you have issued ID cards to, and when.
Additional features
ID card software allows you to achieve enhanced security by enabling you to add photographs, barcodes and magnetic strips to cards.
Invest in ID card software and stop wasting precious funds on outsourcing what can be a very quick and easy task.
The majority of companies need to use ID cards nowadays, so that only authorised personnel can enter the premises.
However, if your company has a large number of staff, and staff numbers are constantly growing, outsourcing the production of ID cards can be expensive. There is a solution to this though, as you can now buying software and printers that allow you to make ID cards from the comfort of your own office.
There is some advanced ID card software on the market today, which allows you to fully design your won cards. With this software, you no longer have to rely on expensive design services. ID card software allows you to design your cards and also keep a record of staff and cards issued on the database.
If you invest in ID card software, you will also need an ID card printer. Cards can be printed in colour or black and white, and you can choose from a single or dual side printer.
So, why waste money on outsourcing all of your ID card requirements when you can design and print them yourself at a fraction of the cost.
The controversial national ID card scheme was at the centre of confusion recently, when it was refused as an acceptable form of ID in a Manchester branch of Santander bank.
Greater Manchester is one of the first areas where the ID card scheme has been rolled out, although this latest commotion highlights that there is still some confusion over it.
Manchester resident Darren McTeggart attempted to use his ID card to pick up a new credit card from the branch, only to be told that it couldn’t be used.
Mr McTeggart explained:
“They said it was not on their list of approved ID.
“I sent an email to the head office, but they wouldn’t budge. The government has been pushing this card on TV and elsewhere so it beggars belief why the bank won’t accept it.”
However, there is no need for those with one of the ID cards to panic, as a spokesperson for Santander commented: “We do accept them. This seems to have been a customer service issue and we are looking into it.”
As the ID cards are becoming more and more popular, it seems like there may still be a little work to be done to ensure that all customer facing staff can identify them as an acceptable form of ID.
