Different printer manufacturers use different nomenclature to describe their ribbons, but the most common one is YMCKO with each of the letters representing a different coloured panel on the ribbon. Y for yellow, M for magenta, C for cyan, K for black and O for the varnish overlay. Some manufacturers use T instead of O, which is short for topcoat. What this means is that the ribbon will print in full colour with black and an overlay to help protect the card.

Another common type of ribbon is YMCKOK, which is designed specifically for double-sided printers, like the Evolis Dualys or the Zebra P430i. This ribbon does the same as the YMCKO, but it also prints in black to the reverse of the card. This can be very handy if you do print to both sides of the card, otherwise you’ll find that you use up twice as much of a YMCKO ribbon as you were expecting.

You can also get a variety of different monochrome ribbons for some printers. The most popular is black, which some people use because it’s an easy way of batch-printing cards more cheaply than in full-colour. It’s popular to print the back of cards in black and then print the fronts in full-colour using a YMCKO. We do also supply monochrome ribbons for different printers in colours like red, blue, green and even metallic silver and gold.

Some manufacturers also make more specialised ribbons for their printers, things like ribbons for applying a holographic overlay to your cards, or a signature panel or even scratch-off panels.

If you have any queries about what sorts of ribbons are available for you to use with your printer, just call ID Management Systems and we’ll give you all the help you need.

If you are looking for ID card printers, plastic cards and other items connected with ID systems, you have come to the right place! We pride ourselves in looking after every aspect of our customers business security by supplying items such as an ID Lanyard – these are ID cards worn around the neck which make it easier for people to identify staff members – and visitor card holders.

There are very few companies these days who do not use ID systems of one kind or another. Some will have a basic ID system, buying them in from an outside supplier, while other prefer to have their own plastic card printers on site which allows them to issue cards immediately to new staff or visitors. If you want advice on the best way to set up ID systems, get in touch and we will be happy to help.

The main one, and perhaps most important, is that you can issue ID cards to your staff and visitors. Visitors to your business may only be on the premises for a couple of hours, but it is still important that they have something which identifies them. Our ID card printers will let you produce visitor passes.

This is the best way to make sure that only authorised personnel are in the building, and this is especially important if your company handles sensitive information.

If you regularly hold business meetings and conferences, ID cards are useful when it comes to remembering the names of your staff, particularly if they are from another location and you don’t see them too often.

ID Management Systems are leading suppliers of ID systems and card printers for the production of high-quality, tamperproof photo ID cards and visitor passes.

We can supply all your needs when it comes to security in the workplace, from Plastic Badge Clips, Visitor Management Software, Visitor Badge Holders and Visitor Labels to ID card software.

ID Management Systems have been at the forefront of providing everything businesses need for their ID Cards programme. We supply the software, hardware and whatever accessories are necessary, for example ID Card Printers. Our customers come in all shapes and sizes, from the small companies you will find on the local business park right through to large organisations such as the DVLA.

These days more employers are issuing ID cards to their staff and to visitors to come to their business premises. This is just one way of enhancing security within a company that deals with sensitive information, as anyone who is within the building is likely to be challenged if they are not wearing ID cards.

ID cards are also being used more widely in places like gyms and sports centres. If you are looking for information about plastic card printing and ID cards, ID Management Systems will be able to help you. They can also supply all kinds of security accessories, such as ID Badge holders, visitor management software and neck lanyards.

At ID Management systems we can offer card printer accessories such as:

Card Shredders

In, for example, the sensitive corporate environment it is crucial both for an employees peace of mind and for security reasons that any old ID cards are correctly disposed of. This should ideally go beyond throwing an ID card away intact and should involve shredding a card, which is a surefire and affordable way to protect an employee’s credentials.

Cleaning Kits

Like all printers, ID card printers may require a certain level of maintenance from time to time. Never fear, however, as this doesn’t need to incur significant maintenance costs, and can instead be completed with a “Zebra Premier Cleaning Kit,” for example.

Holokote

If you want to achieve the optimum in security, then you can’t go wrong with Magicard’s patented “Holokote” technology, which will automatically print a watermark onto your ID cards and therefore immunise them from cloning – a thoroughly modern ID card solution.

Dust Covers

Last but not least, if you want a highly effective, though simple solution to dust retention, you should invest in an affordable dust cover. These are perfect for when you need to leave your ID card printers for any length in time, and don’t want to endure any significant maintenance costs down the line.

Issuing all personnel with colour coded ID cards means that not only are they identifiable by name but it can be seen at a glance, even from a distance, whether they are authorised to be in a restricted area. For many years we have supplied the plastic cards, ID card printers and ID card software for companies to do plastic card printing on the premises and in the shortest possible time. Having your own equipment means that any new staff can be issued with a card immediately they start work for the company and also that any visitors can be issued with the appropriate ID card or pass before they are allowed out of the reception area.

Although a simple tool our clients across the world have found that these cards can make a big difference to security within your company premises at minimal cost and with maximum efficiency. We are always delighted to discuss any requirements you may have or to arrange a demonstration of what can be achieved within your company.

Here at ID Management Systems we have been providing the software, hardware and accessories for producing plastic cards, including ID card printers, for a number of years. We have customers who are SMEs and huge bodies like the DVLA and we have noticed that the sort of enterprises using these types of cards has become much more diverse in recent years. Many employers now issue ID cards as a matter of course to all employees and visitors to their premises. A few years ago it would only have been to employees who were working outside the main premises calling on people at home, for instance meter readers or council workers, who would have any form of employer’s identity card.

The equipment and ID card software needed to produce these plastic cards is affordable and simple to use. As it only takes moments to produce a card once the initial set up has been done they are being used far more widely, for instance as club membership passes. They may be just what you need.

• Put a dust cover over the printer when not in use. Dust accumulations mar printing performance

• Establish a regular cleaning routine, following the manufacturer’s recommendations. Read and adhere to the instruction manual. Have one or two personnel specifically tasked with this maintenance, who become skilled at it

• Recommended frequency of cleaning varies between brands, but most manufacturers suggest changing printer ribbons every 1000 prints, so this is a good opportunity to do the cleaning as well

• There are various cleaning products: cleaning cards, cleaning pens, cleaning kits and maintenance kits. At ID Management Systems we suggest using only the recommended ‘own brand’ cleaning materials for your printer, as some machines can be intolerant of substances meant for others

• Use only the manufacturer’s recommended brand of ribbons and cards. Other, cheaper brands may work temporarily, but can lead to longer-term deterioration of both print quality and printer heads

• Change the ribbon as recommended. Trying to extend use will lead to misprinting and wasted plastic cards

• If an integrated cleaner ribbon is present with the print ribbon, this must be cleaned too

• Ensure ribbons and cleaner kits are correctly installed. Slight misalignment will lead to print streaking, discolouring, and jammed cards

• After cleaning the print heads, use a compressed air spray to remove dust and debris from the printer, to prevent discolouring and card jamming

Proper maintenance prolongs the life of ID card printers.

You will need to consider the types of information you want to include on the card. Obviously you will want to print names, for the card holder and your organisation, and possibly additional data such as role, section, and contact details. You may also want to incorporate encoded information such as access rights to particular areas, and event generated items, for example dates of birth, so that under-18s can be detected and excluded from events serving alcohol. You will almost certainly wish to include a photograph, and possibly a hologram, so your software will need an image editing function. Perhaps you also want to incorporate your logo, or graphics. You may need, or plan, to include a barcode or credential recognition. More complex ID systems may require signature recognition and fingerprints and perhaps even iris-recognition.

You then need to decide whether you want your cards to be multi-coloured, and single sided or double-sided. Additionally you will need a security enhancement with password protection to properly store all your data entries. ID systems must respect confidentiality.

Your software must perform all you want it to. Here at ID Management Systems we are happy to discuss your requirements and guide you to the right choices for your present and future needs.