A Plus ID

Are Photo ID Cards required for medical practices? We are often asked if it is mandatory for medical and health-care practices to furnish photo ID cards to their staff members. Some people wonder whether this is part of the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations. This post provides some clarity to the various answers we’ve seen to this tough question. First of all, it is generally recognized that the medical profession in the United Stat...es considers it a best practice that all employees clearly identify themselves with a professional photo ID badge indicating their name and qualifications. Today it is very rare to enter a major hospital and not see all staff members clearly displaying their identities, typically with a photo ID card worn on a lanyard around their neck. However, this practice becomes more and more spotty as you visit the thousands and thousands of smaller clinics and medical practices throughout the country. We are not aware of Federal HIPAA requirements for photo ID badges in hospitals or other medical facilities. But, this may be because HIPAA generally covers the protection of confidential patient information, and may not cover this aspect of healthcare provider responsibilities. However, many states have made photo ID cards mandatory for medical service providers. The following list is a sample of some of the States which have enacted regulations concerning the requirement to wear an identification badge: Pennsylvania Georgia Illinois Rhode Island Iowa Massachusetts Texas So the question of whether badges are mandatory probably depends on the State in which you are located. You should check current regulations in force in your area. But no matter what the law says, healthcare industry leaders all agree that medical professionals should properly identify themselves. This applies not only to medical professionals working in a licensed facility, but also to caregivers who visit patients at their homes or in managed care facilities. You can learn more about ID cards for hospitals, clinics, and medical facilities by contacting us. We can help you create a customize badge for your facility.

Why Employee’s ID Badge is Crucial in Today’s Corporate World Security is an important feature in all organizations regardless of their size or nature. It not only keeps the premises, staff, and your assets safe but also offers a sense of comfort to customers and other visitors. Id badges are one the crucial elements that each organization must give top priority if at all they are keen about a secure working environment. Each and every employee must have a well-designed ID ba...Continue reading

What You Need to Reorder Prox Cards Prox cards are powerful tools for securing your building and limiting who has access but they only work if you order the cards correctly so they can integrate with your access control system. This is the information you’ll need to order more cards. Card Style & Material... First thing to select is your card style and material. Prox cards come in a wide range of styles, so you can select the one that works best for your unique access control system. For example, AlphaPass cards come in these styles: Clamshell cards Printable prox cards Printable prox cards with magnetic stripes Key fobs Adhesive tags Format Then you’ll need to enter your access control system’s format. Most prox cards are 26 bit (H10301), although specialized systems can use a different format. Not sure what your format is? This information will be printed on the box of your last cards, or you can look it up in the settings of your system. Facility Code The facility code is a number between 0 and 255 that is assigned to your location. With most access control systems a single location like a business will use a single facility code, although some systems or businesses use multiple codes. Not sure what your facility code is? This information should also be printed on the label on your last box of cards. Sequence Start Number Each prox card in an access control system has a unique ID number, called a sequence number. If you’ve already printed cards 1 to 250, the next card sequence start number when you order new cards would by 251. Not sure what the next number is? The card range of the order will also be printed on the label of your last order, or you can look at which numbers have been assigned in your system. Printed Serial Number You also need to decide if you want a printed serial number on your cards. This number can either match the card’s sequence number or be a unique ID you designate (like an employee ID number or student ID number). Slot Punch And finally, you need to select a slot punch or not (available for horizontal and vertical orientation). Keep in mind that if you plan to print on your prox cards, you should never slot punch them before printing. Once you’ve entered all that information, you are set to order your new prox cards! Questions? For help finding the best prox cards for your access control system, contact our expert sales staff at (866) 433-9737 or [email protected]. We’re happy to walk you through your card programming and appearance options.

Is Your ID Printer Ribbon Sticking to Your Cards. Here’s how you fix it. When using an ID card printer it is possible for your ribbon to break during the printing process. The result is the ribbon or dye film sticking to your card, which is obviously not what you’re going for. There are two likely culprits for this:... 1. The card is slipping on the print roller during the printing process. So here’s how you fix it. Clean your ID card printer. All printers have recommended cleaning instructions in the manual so that’s a good place to go after you finish reading this. The issue is that your print roller has become dirty and doesn’t grab the cards as well making them slip and get the dye film stuck to them. How do I clean my ID card printer? All printers and printer brands have different cleaning guidelines and products so make sure you are cleaning your ID card printer with the correct products. You can find cleaning kits here. As a rule of thumb, we always recommend cleaning your printer between every ribbon change, however, if you are experiencing this issue we recommend you perform an advanced cleaning where you open your printer and roll the cleaning card directly on the print rollers after you do the normal cleaning. 2. The ID card printer density is too high. First try cleaning your printer and if that doesn’t solve the issue, the ID card printer is most likely printing at too high of a density. Changing the printing density can be done within the ID card software but we recommend contacting your ID badge supplier to get help as this can be difficult to find in the menu. Note that reducing the density will result in a lighter print.

How do your ID card printer, ribbon and colour palette work? Understanding how your ID card printer works will help you to get the most out of it. Maybe you’ve experienced technical issues, such as your printer ribbon not working or your printed ID card not looking quite right. In this blog, we will help you get to grips with your ID card printing process by explaining how the printer ribbon works and how this can influence your printed card designs so you can get the best qu...Continue reading

What is an ID Card Printer An ID card printer is a machine that prints on a plastic (PVC) card. They are used to print employee ID badges, membership cards, credit cards and more. ID card printers work the same way a typical inkjet printer does. Your office printer sucks in a blank piece of paper, prints on it, and then spits out the finished product for you to use immediately. In the same way, an ID card printer sucks in a blank white PVC card, prints your design and then sp...its the card out so that you can use it right away. While they are easy to use like your paper printer, printing on plastic requires a different process and internal parts. This means, ID card printers are generally more expensive than inkjet printers. Do I Need an ID Card Printer? If you have employees or provide cards to customers you need the ID cards, but whether you need to buy an ID printer comes down to two factors: 1. Immediate Issuance Do you need to use your cards immediately? If so, printing them in-house with an ID card printer is your only option. 2. Quantity If you only need a few cards per year, you can contact us for more info at [email protected] to create template design and print for you. If you need a hundred or more, the math suggests it’s the best decision financially to buy an ID card system. This is because a service will cost you $7 per card or more while the printer is a large upfront cost but the cards cost roughly $0.70 per card after that. Service Cost (card qty x card price) x number of years = Service cost (100 card x $7) x 5 years = $3500 Printer Cost printer price + ((card qty x card price) x number of years) = Printer Cost $1500 + ((100 cards x $0.70) x 5 years) = $1850 While printers have a large up front cost, their cheap cost per card pays dividends down the road. Printers often last around 10 years so imagine the price difference using 10 years instead of 5! Contact us at [email protected] to request for printer details and card samples.

When to clean your ID Card Printer The best way to prevent streaky cards, broken printheads, and other problems with your ID card printer is to regularly clean it! Printer cleaning kits remove dust, dirt, oils, and other debris that can build up over time. What Comes In A Cleaning Kit?... Each ID card printer manufacturer has its own cleaning kit lines, designed to best fit their printers. While supplies in each kit will vary by manufacturer and printer model, most often a cleaning kit will include some of the following: Printhead cleaning pens Extra-long alcohol soaked cleaning cards Swabs Wipes Cleaning cloths Sticky cleaning rollers How Often Should I Clean My Printer? Your ID card printer should be cleaned regularly for the best print quality and to prevent expensive repairs. We recommend cleaning your printer every time you replace the ribbon. This makes it easy to remember, since you’ve already got printer supplies out and the printer open so it is also the most efficient use of your time. https://www.aplusid.com//id-supplies-id-ribbons-parts-clea

Criteria for Choosing your Online ID Card Supplier The most important consideration in choosing your ID card supplier is matching the service offered to your organizations exact requirements. When evaluating potential service providers, you need to look carefully at the details of the service offering, and then make sure that the service descriptions are backed up by verified reviews from satisfied customers. But there is an important consideration that buyers often overlook.... What is the scope of the services offered by the company I’m planning to buy from? For certain purchases, a broad scope of products (such as the variety found at a typical department store) is an advantage. In other situations, you’ll receive better advice at a dedicated shop, like buying high-end computer equipment at a specialty shop, rather than a department store. Now, if you are looking for a service provider to outsource your ID card production, do you really want that company to also be selling a wide range of other products and services? Some companies in the ID card business sell hundreds of products: printers, supplies, laminators, software, access control systems, accessories, etc. etc. If your potential supplier falls into this category, you may need to ask yourself: Will my sales rep really try to sell me the service which fits my needs best, or perhaps try to sell me something else which just earns him more commission? Will the service provider’s customer support be diluted by the need to support a wide range of products and services, of which mine represents only a small percentage? Are all those reviews of the company really relevant to me, or are many of them based on a completely different product or service from that which I am seeking from this company? Here at A Plus ID we only provide one single service: photo ID cards on-demand. If you need to buy a printer or other equipment, we can’t help you. But if you are looking for a company which is laser-focused on providing the best online experience in the ID card business, at the lowest cost, then we should be on your list.

How A Custom Personal Identification Card Can Keep Your Child Safe The safety of your child should never be taken for granted. One of the ways that you can ensure that your child stays safe at all times is to make use of a custom ID card. The stories of how children get missing easily are enough to take the necessary steps to keep them protected and this should top the list. Child ID cards ensure that your child has important information at every point in time no matter where...Continue reading

Should I Buy a Single-Sided or Dual-Sided ID Card Printer? Producing employee, student and/or membership badges in house can offer added control, convenience, and cost savings! All you need is an ID card system that includes badging software, an ID card printer, a camera and a designated location for photo capture. While there are many choices and options available, the first thing you’ll need to determine is if you will need a single-sided or dual-sided printer... Single-Sided Printers Single-sided ID card printers can print on one side of the card in one pass. Most single-sided printers are lightweight and compact in size, making them ideal for any workstation. Is it right for me? Single-sided printers work well for organizations that need basic badges (cards with only the employee name, photo and logo, for example). However, there are some single-sided printers can be upgraded to include dual-sided card printing, magnetic stripe encoding, smartcard encoding or lamination as your needs change. If you want to start with a basic printer, but have plans for growth in the future, be sure to choose a printer that is field upgradeable! Dual-Sided Printers Dual sided printers can print both sides of the card in one pass, eliminating the need to manually flip your cards. They also minimize smudging cards or damaging your printhead from unnecessary handling. Is it right for me? Dual-sided printers work well for cards that require a considerable amount of information, such as: Schedule/Calendar: listing of upcoming events, sales, activities, holidays, etc. Rewards/Membership: program requirements, contact information, expiration date Disclaimer/Lost Card: company information, cardholder responsibilities, how to return a lost card Some dual-sided printers can be upgraded to include magnetic stripe encoding, smartcard encoding or lamination as your needs change. If you are unsure about your future needs, be sure to select a dual-sided printer that is field upgradeable. Contact us if you have any questions

Printing All-at-Once vs. Pre-Printing Graphics on ID cards Whenever a large organization is planning to roll out an ID card printing project, it has the option of choosing 1-step or 2-step printing: 1-step printing involves printing all information, both fixed and variable, on a blank white card in one single pass.... 2-step printing involves pre-printing the first layer of graphics on a card, then subsequently in a second pass printing the variable information card-by-card For smaller organizations, 2-step printing will not make sense because typically you need to have a minimum volume of several thousand cards to even consider pre-printing graphics. But for larger organizations, both options are viable. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? The 2-step process, with pre-printing graphics, will often allow for a very fast card issuance process. So if speed of card issuance (printing the variable information) is critical, then this is often the path chosen. This is because printing variable information like a name and an ID number in black ink can be done in seconds, on top of the pre-printed color graphics. Situations where time is of the essence include, for example, the issuance of 1,000’s of student ID cards during the first week of college, or the issuance of event passes at the start of a major conference or trade show. In addition to speed, the cost per card of a 2-step process can be substantially cheaper, because bulk pre-printing of the fixed color graphics is done using industrial offset print machines on large sheets of plastic. And the cost of printing black-only on individual cards is quite low. Of course, if color photos need to be printed on each card, this will immediately increase the cost and slow the process down substantially. The 1-step process will typically be more expensive on a per-card cost basis, but it will be substantially more flexible. This is because smaller printers are used, which can be deployed on-demand when and where they are required. And since pre-printed card stock does not have to be ordered and distributed in advance, the use of standard white card stock allows greater flexibility. So typically where flexibility, rather than speed and cost, is the primary driver, this process will be chosen. This is generally the case for corporate ID cards, where the flow of new hires rises and falls throughout the year. A Plus ID can help you implement either one of these approaches, but our core service uses 1-step printing to provide our clients with maximum flexibility day-in and day-out.

Things to Consider When Choosing an ID Card Printer There are tons of great ID card printers available on the market. The tricky part is determining which card printer is best for your organization. There are lots of factors that contribute to finding the perfect solution, but here are the top five (5) things to consider: 1. What will you be printing from?... ID badging software is critical to any ID card system. Will you need a software that can connect with an existing database? (Ex: Student Information System or HR Database) What functionality do you need from your ID badge not just today, but in the future? How will you manage other applications that use the ID card like access control or tracking? 2. Will you be printing on plain or technology cards? Many organizations have moved to technology (smart or prox) cards for employee and student IDs. This is a direct result of needing to use those badges for more than just visual identification. It’s important to note that direct to card printers are ideal for standard PVC or composite cards; however, depending on your badge design, may not produce the print quality you’re looking for when using a technology card. Some customers find retransfer printing provides better results on cards with a prox or smart chip. 3. Will you be printing on the front only or front and back? Often people consider price point before thinking about functionality. Dual sided card printers allow for printing on both sides of the card in one pass, eliminating extra steps in card production. You may not be printing on both sides today, but if that’s something you’re considering in the future, it may be easier to implement a dual sided printer on the front end, as some card printers cannot be upgraded later. 4. How long do you need the card to last? If you’re planning to regularly replace or reissue badges, then durability may not be a factor for you. However, if you want to extend the life of your cards, or need them to withstand harsh environments, you may want to consider lamination. Lamination can greatly extend the life of a card, which can be especially important when you want to protect costly technology cards. 5. How secure do you need the ID card to be? Is it important that your badges be highly secure and tamperproof? If so, you may want to consider a security add on like Tactile Impression, which customizes each card with a unique impression, like your logo. Custom holographic laminates are also available, adding both durability and security to your card design. Equally important to choosing a card printer is thinking about how you will protect your investment after the purchase. Who will provide new user training, clean and maintain parts in the machine and help you with new designs and templates? A Plus ID offers onsite service and support for all our ID systems, providing both the functionality and the customer service you deserve. Contact us to learn more today.

The Best ID Card Printer By Company Size Your business or organization needs ID badges and now you’re in the driver’s seat to find the perfect badge printer solution. A great place to start is but understanding what printer is geared toward your company size? ... Here are the best printers for Small, Medium and Large companies. Small: 1-500 employees Medium: 500-1200 employees Large: 1200 or more employees The Small Business (1-500 Employees) If you are a small organization your best options are the Fargo C50, and Zenius Systems. Both systems are great whether printing one-off ID cards or small batch runs. With a small footprint and quiet nature either will easily fit into any office environment. So, if you’re a growing small business looking for reliable single-sided ID card printing the Fargo C50 and Zenius Systems will get the job done at an unbeatable price. The Medium Business (~500-1200 Employees) If you’re more of a medium sized organization, the Fargo DTC1250e and Primacy systems are best for you. The Fargo DTC1250e is a great option if you need a cost-effective system that can grow with you. The Primacy boasts the best print quality of all our direct to card printers and does so with an impressive print speed and best-in-class reliability. Both have additional magnetic stripe and encoding options available as well as input and output card hoppers, so printing a batch of ID badges in one go is a snap. As for price, they sit right in the middle of the pack and offer some incredible results and features. The Large Business (1200+ Employees) We’ve got you covered with the retransfer printers Fargo HDP5000 and the Magicard Prima 4! If you’re looking for ID cards with advanced security features that make forgery nearly impossible the Fargo HDP5000 can handle the job. With custom holographic overlays and available encoding upgrades this system will allow you to make high security IDs in a matter of minutes and can handle larger print jobs. The Prima 4 is a powerhouse and the only retransfer printer in our line-up, producing a high-resolution glossy images edge-to-edge. It’s also FIPS201 certified, making this a great option for government organizations. Retransfer printers offer a longer lifespan, more durable id card prints and an image clarity direct-to-card printers simply can’t match. The downside is that you’re paying more for the printer and the supplies, but organizations of this size find this a much better option that other printers simply because the printer will last longer and will pay for itself over time.