Government ID Cards

"For National ID cards, Drivers Licenses, Government Employee cards Security and Durability are most important"

These demands place certain requirements on the ID card printing equipment:

• The ability to encode biometric and access information to the chip on the smart card at the same time as printing the card.
• Card lamination for extra durability.
• The application of watermarks and holographic patterns on the card, for added security and authentication.
• The security of the ID card printing equipment itself, to prevent unauthorized use.

KEY FEATURES OF MAGICARD PRINTERS FOR GOVERNMENT APPLICATIONS

• The single-sided Magicard Rio and double-sided Magicard Tango printers print a HoloKote watermark on the card. This watermark can be customized to a particular organization’s logo, meaning that only they can produce cards with that design.
• The Magicard Tango +L adds card lamination, to provide both visual security and physical card protection. Laminating films are available in a wide assortment from standard clear laminates for durability to custom laminates for extra security and card protection. Custom laminates can be tailored precisely to suit an organization’s design and security requirements. Heavy duty (0.6 mil and 1.0 mil) clear and holographic films, and thin holographic films are available. In addition, Magicard’s unique HoloKote watermark can be combined with lamination for a low-cost custom security solution.
• Where cards include both Contact Chip and Contactless technology, in some cases they can be difficult to print on consistently. The Magicard Prima reverse-transfer printer is the solution to this issue; by printing on a transfer film, which is then applied to the card, all types of card surfaces can be printed on with the highest quality.
• Where cards need to have data written to the chip at the same time as printing, Magicard Professional printers can all have Encoders fitted to them. Available for all major cards, such as HID i-Class, Mifare, Desfire and other types, the encoder is integrated with the printer to provide a one-stop card issuance solution.
• In order to keep valuable card supplies secure, the Magicard Tango +L features printer locking capabilities, to prevent removal of cards without obvious signs of physical damage to the printer.

LAMINATION

Lamination works by bonding, at high temperature, a tough plastic patch to the face of the ID card after it has been printed. Most laminators handle two thicknesses of lamination film, 0.6 mil and 1.0 mil. The 0.6 mil lamination film is a popular choice as it provides almost as good wear resistance as the 1.0 mil film, but often bonds better to the card and is more flexible. Overlaminates also increase resistance to UV fading. In addition, ‘thin’ lamination films are also now available; these provide edge to edge holographic patterns for visual security, but are less suitable where card protection against wear is required.

Lamination has these benefits :

• Increases card life to 10,000’s of swipes, so it is good for high-use applications like airports or factories where cards may be swiped many times per day or exposed to UV light for long periods.
• For applications where cards are required to have a long life such as drivers licences, lamination produces a durable solution.
• The lamination layer can include fine-detail holographic patterns, for the ultimate in card security. These holographic patterns can be standard (available off-the-shelf) or they can be customized with an organization’s unique security logos.

Government ID card applications are at the forefront of ID card technology, demanding high levels of security and physical card protection. Please talk to us about your needs; together with our Integrators we have the solutions available to ensure your ID credentials remain secure.