ID Card Printing Across Campus On a Budget
As many people are now aware, the business of printing ID cards for staff, visitors or students need not be restricted to a single office or location. Modern ID card software and printers can be rolled out across campus for surprisingly little cost, bringing the benefits of less waiting time and greater versatility, because cards are produced at the point of issue.
Card printing software can come in various forms and levels of advancement, depending on the user’s requirements.
Some educational establishments will have card printing software that is integrated with their access control system. This enables design and printing procedures to be centralised and readily put into production. For those using standalone card design software, however, there are certain things to consider.
In the case of a smaller establishment, printing might be done in a single location – a reception or main office, for example. Costs are lower as the software does not need as many features and perhaps only one or two printers are required (at least one back-up printer is a common-sense investment during a busy registration period!).
Where a larger campus is involved, there could be several sites which require an ID card printer and software, so, what happens then? ID card software manufacturers have a solution in the form of additional licences, often tailored to ‘release’ the features required to the relevant campus locations. Datacard’s ID Works software for example enables the purchase of a main licence containing a full suite of card printing features and the choice to purchase additional, user specific licences for the point of production. This brings down the cost of having more than one licensed PC or laptop because the additional licences are available at a lower premium. A licence may simply have ‘Production’ functionality to enable printing at site or just ‘Design’ capability where a card needs to be created. A full list of the features that are needed can be discussed at the point of sale in order that the correct version is specified as most software has several levels of advancement.
The science of compliance
It is commonplace for most establishments, not just those in the field of HE, to store data centrally. A question which springs to mind is: how do I transfer my records to the card printing software? The answer is: very easily! Higher versions of most card printing software will have a functionality known as ‘ODBC’, or Open Database Compliance. That is to say, the card printing software can access and extract data from other database file types, usually in a ‘CSV’ format, such as Excel or Access. Updating your central database simultaneously updates the card printing software, negating the need to copy and paste data.
Sign of the times
Historically site visitors have used a signing-in book. Traditional paper-based visitor pass systems allow organisations to issue all of their visitors with a visitor pass featuring Health & Safety rules that must be followed whilst on-site. This pass is then visibly worn by the visitor throughout their stay, clearly indicating that they are authorised to be on site. The emergency evacuation register within the system provides an accurate, up-to-date record of all visitors on site which is useful in the event of an emergency. As each visitor enters your premises they are issued with a visitor pass which contains health and safety information, thus helping you comply with Regulation 3 of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974. At the same time as completing the visitor details on the pass, the Emergency Evacuation Register is automatically completed. This ensures that reception has an accurate record of all visitors on site. A ‘discreet sheet’ helps protect the names of previous visitors.
Modern visitor management systems manage your visitors electronically using a simple yet effective out-of-the-box solution. The benefits of such a system are manifold. Firstly, and possibly most importantly, site security is enhanced by having a highly secure system in place which allows management of staff and visitors through a single location. In turn, this makes it far easier to monitor people for Health & Safety purposes and for fire drills. In the long-term, an electronic system will save money and resources versus the ongoing outlay involved in paper-based systems, particularly if re-writable cards are used.
Words to the wise
For sites which have opted for more than one ID machine, the wisdom of having more than one card printer is not just logistical. Modern card printers are relatively small and light so can be relocated as required. This ensures versatility and means back-up machines are ‘on hand’ where a big enrolment or reprint job is imminent. Additionally, card printer ribbons for the smaller decentralised site may not require such a large yield, so ribbon costs can necessarily be reduced. Canny buyers might be able to negotiate a discount by buying several lower yield ribbons to spread out across campus and equip each card printer. The ribbons could easily be removed and swapped, assuming the same model printer is used in each site, as required.
Buying all your supplies in one go is a good way to save because most good suppliers will have price breaks in place that reward bulk purchase. To save even more money and really expedite a print job however, many organisations will opt for a pre-printed card which can later be personalised at the point of issue, perhaps with a name, ID number and a photo. By buying pre-printed cards in bulk, costs are reduced dramatically, both because of economy of scale and by the need for fewer deliveries. A secondary benefit is that pre-printed cards will have a noticeably sharper finish than that produced by a desktop card printer alone and can also incorporate a gold or silver ‘hotfoil’ stamp or a hologram.
Personalisation of the resultant ID cards on site can be in colour, although, in many instances, only a monochrome ribbon is required. Monochrome ribbons simply print in one colour, usually have a higher yield and cost a lot less than a full colour ribbon. Personalising cards with monochrome text, rather than full colour, can be up to four times faster, saving valuable time as well as money.
In the current economic climate it makes sense for buyers to source from home, boosting the local economy and reducing the air miles involved in their purchases. A visit to your supplier’s website will provide a background to the product and the manufacturer-supplier relationship and, at the same time, give you the reassurance that the products are exactly what you expect and the after-sales support is included.
Whether specifying new card printer hardware, software, consumables (or all of the above), contact a reputable UK-based company well before your next enrolment.