Comparing Single Sided ID Card Printers

Is your business looking to purchase a single sided ID card printer in the near future?  With so many choices and options to choose from it can be difficult to determine which card printer may be best suited to meet your needs.
The first thing to consider when purchasing a card printer is the volume of ID cards that you will be printing each year.  If your company or business will be printing a minimal number of cards or badges yearly, which is usually considered to be any quantities up to 1,000 cards per year, then the Fargo C50, the Magicard Enduro+, the Zebra ZXP Series 1 or the newest Datacard SD160 may be a good choice.
The second thing to consider is the print speed, or the time that each printer will take to print and produce your ID badge. The Fargo C50 printer has a print speed of 24 seconds per card or 150 cards per hour in color.  The Magicard Enduro+ has a print speed of 35 seconds per card in color and 7 seconds per card in black.  The Zebra ZXP Series 1 print speed is 130 cards per hour in color with 545 cards per hour in monochrome.  Datacard’s newest SD 160 is capable of printing 150 cards per hour in color and 500 cards per hour in black.  The Magicard Enduro+, the Datacard SD160 and the Zebra ZXP Series 1 all come with a 100 card automatic input hopper while the Fargo C50 offers a 50 card input hopper.
For higher volume single sided card printing, some options to consider would be the Fargo DTC1250e, the Magicard Rio Pro, the Zebra ZXP Series 3 and the Datacard SD 260.
The print speed does increase on all of these printers.  The Fargo DTC1250e will produce a color card every 16 seconds which equates to 225 cards per hour in color.  The Magicard Rio Pro is capable of producing color cards in 31 seconds in standard mode and can produce a monochrome card in 6 seconds.  The Magicard Rio Pro does offer a color fast mode which can produce color cards in as fast as 23 seconds.  The Zebra ZXP Series 3 card printer produces 196 cards per hour in color for single sided printing while the Datacard SD 260 is capable of printing 200 cards per hour in color for single sided printing.  All of these printers come with a standard 100 card input hopper. These printers are also capable of manual dual sided printing if needed.  Additional printer options are also available with these models which can include magnetic stripe or smart card encoding.
The warranties offered on ID card printers vary from each manufacturer.  The Datacard SD 260 comes with a 30 month warranty; the Zebra ZXP Series 3 offers a two year warranty while both the Magicard Rio Pro and the Fargo DTC1250e offer a three year warranty.
The printers we have chosen to highlight are only a few options in an assortment of great printers.  Other printer options which we did not mention include Evolis and Nisca card printers.  All of these manufacturers offer top notch ID card printers with optimal printing quality.  It is simply a matter of preference to the end user. We proudly represent and sell printers from all of these manufacturers mentioned and we are confident that any of these brands or printers that you choose, that you will not be disappointed.
If you would like any additional information or printer brochures on any of the above referenced printers, please feel free to contact our sales team at (865) 771-9697 or please visit our website for information and pricing at https://absoluteaccessid.com/id-card-printers

Identiv Credentials Identiv Credentials

If you are looking for a cost savings for your business when it comes to purchasing ID cards and badges, we have the solution for you!  Identiv credentials offer the same security, same formats and same reliability as well known ID credential manufacturers but at a fraction of the costs.
Identiv is a global company with locations in the US and across the world.  They offer security credentials and readers for both physical and logical access.
Identiv’s physical access credentials consist of printable prox, clamshell cards, proximity with magnetic stripe, composite cards to key fobs and tags all in the standard 125kHz frequency.  Identiv offers a wide range of format and bit options and their credentials are compatible with and can be used in place of HID, Indala, AWID, Honeywell, DSX, Simplex, Keyscan, AMAG and Casi Rusco.  With Identiv, you can still utilize your same facility/site code and can continue with your series of range numbers. 
The uTrust credentials by Identiv are offered for information technology such as desktop login, digital signatures, email security and remote access.  Their uTrust credentials can be used for both physical and logical access and support HID Prox, Casi, Indala, Mifare classic and Desfire.  These credentials meet the FIPS 201 requirements.  These too are available in ISO cards, key fobs, key tags and clamshell cards.
Identiv credentials also offer a full lifetime warranty for any normal usage.
We will gladly provide you with any sample cards or credentials to test prior to purchasing.  Please feel free to contact our sales team at 865-771-9697 for any additional information or assistance or view our Identiv products. For more information visit us at https://absoluteaccessid.com.
Posted by Doug

Needing badge reels to display your ID?

Needing badge reels to display your ID?

Absolute Access offers a wide array of styles, colors and options when it comes to badge reels.
The variety of styles available range from round to square, rectangular to heart shaped or rhinestone embellished.  Most can be customized with your company name or logo.  Other style options include heavy duty reels or twist free reels, which are designed to keep your ID facing forward at all times.  Many reels are available with either a belt slide clip or a swivel clip to attach easily to your clothing or uniform. We also carry a variety of carabiner reels, most of which can be customized as well.
Badge reels come in many color options as well from solid to translucent.  Some are even available in patterns or prints such as zebra or floral.
Awareness badge reels are a great way to show your support for causes that are important to you.  We offer a wide selection of breast cancer awareness and autism awareness badge reels and carabiner reels.
If you need to place a large order, volume based pricing is available.
Our team is here to assist you.  If you need information on any of our badge reels or on the process and cost to customize any of our badge reels, please feel free to contact our sales team at 865-771-9697 or https://absoluteaccessid.com. Posted by Cindy

Datacard's new SD160 ID Card Printer

Datacard just released their newest ID card printer, the SD160.  Still designed to offer outstanding print quality, the SD160 is an economical option for businesses, schools, medical facilities and industries. 

The SD160 still offers the magnetic stripe encoding as an option familiar with the Datacard SD card printer series. Magnetic stripes can be encoded for physical or logical access control as well as authentication at reading machines. 

An added bonus of the SD160, is its ability to offer a unique ultraviolet (UV) printing security feature which can be added to your ID cards and badges for additional protection.  This ID card printer is able to print 150 cards per hour (single sided) in color or 500 cards per hour (single sided) in monochrome.  The Datacard color ribbon for the SD160 is the YMCKT, 250 print yield.  The optional UV ribbon is the YMCKFT with a 300 image yield.

Your purchase of the SD160 comes with a 24 month warranty.

We are presently offering a Datacard SD160 card printer bundle which includes the ID card printer, a full color ribbon and Datacard's ID Works basic software.  Visit us at https://absoluteaccessid.com for pricing, datasheets and downloads on the SD160. Posted by Doug

Cleaning your ID Card Printer

ID card printers are an investment that your business or company makes.  So how do we maintain them to ensure that they continue to provide us with the highest quality printing? 

Most all ID card printer manufacturers’ recommend cleaning the print heads each and every time that you change your ribbons.  This removes any dust or debris which may be present on the print heads.  Some manufacturers provide cleaning cards with each new ribbon.  These cleaning cards can be run through your printer prior to installing your new ribbon.  This takes only a few minutes to do.  Additional cleaning kits can also be purchased which contain cleaning cards, cleaning swabs or a cleaning pen to clean the print heads.  All ID card printer manufacturers recommend that you purchase only the cleaning kits made for your brand of printer to ensure that your printer is cleaned appropriately and continues to provide you with the utmost in quality printing. 

Absolute Access carries a full line of cleaning kits available for your card printer.  Please contact us today if you have any questions about which cleaning kit is best for you or about caring for your ID card printer. Call us at 865-771-9697 or visit us on line at https://absoluteaccessid.com
Posted by Doug

Show Your Support! Show Your Support!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

All of us here at Absolute Access know of someone who has been affected by breast cancer to some degree.  Thankfully most of them have been successful at beating the disease.  Our employees have been encouraged to wear pink or pink ribbons throughout this month to memorialize that special person who has fought against this disease. 

We carry a large assortment of badging supplies that can show your support for the cause as well.  From badge reels to lanyards, badge holders to card printers, there are many options to help your company or organization express awareness.  The Datacard Limited Edition Pink SD260, is a single sided ID card printer that is available through March of 2015.  Of course, our Pink Ribbon badge reels and lanyards are always available throughout the year and can be purchased at any time.

Absolute Access will donate a portion of all profits earned on any Pink Ribbon or Breast Cancer Awareness products during the month of October to the Pink Ribbon Foundation.  Let us help you show your support in the fight! Visit us today at https://absoluteaccessid.com.
Posted by Cindy

Which Badge Holder is right for you?

There is certainly a vast assortment of badge holder options available. Not sure which one is right for you?  We are here to help!  From vinyl to rigid plastic, to clip on or magnetic, for single card or multi card, to specialty and FIPS approved holders, we are sure to have the right solution for you. 

Some options for our vinyl badge holders are textured back, anti-print transfer, re-sealable holders or color framed holders. All vinyl holders come in either horizontal or vertical. Most of our vinyl badge holders can be customized with your company name or logo.  These vinyl badge holders are most often attached to a lanyard or badge reel for easy display and access of your ID.

Our rigid plastic badge holders offer a variety of options as well.  Your ID can be easily removed by a thumb notch dispenser or by a slide dispenser.  Some of our rigid plastic badge holders can even display your ID open faced as well.  These too are often attached to a lanyard or badge reel for ease and comfort. 

Magnetic badge holders or our clip on badge holders can be worn on a shirt or shirt pocket without the need for a lanyard or badge reel.  These holders also have the option of either vertical or horizontal display of your badge.  Armband badge holders are also an option and are convenient for construction or airport personnel. 

Our FIPS 201 approved badge holders protect your smartcards or RFID cards from being skimmed by data thieves or security hackers.  These badge holders will protect all 13.56 MHz technology cards such as iClass, Mifare, PIV, CAC, TWIC and FRAC cards.  These holders can be purchased for either single card or dual cards and also come in a variety of color options. 

If you still aren’t sure which badge holder will best meet your needs, please feel free to contact a member of our sales team at 865 771-9697 or at https://absoluteaccessid.com  and we will be glad to assist you in finding your perfect solution.