The Three Most Common Types of ID Cards

Have you ever worked in an office, retail space, or at an industry event? Do you belong to a fitness gym or a club at a community centre? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you’re probably familiar with using personalized ID cards. Industries of all sorts use them because they provide a high level of security that’s unlike anything else.

 

ID cards serve as instant identification for individuals working in a facility, and they’re essential because they provide a feeling of safety and ubiquity among users.

 

We’re Avon Security Products, and we’re Canada’s biggest distributor of ID cards and printing supplies. We offer identification for any business and have the most extensive photo ID warehouse in the country.

 

Having been in the business for over 40 years, we understand that choosing the right kind of ID card for employees can be overwhelming — there are so many to choose from! Different types of cards offer unique features and functionalities.

 

To help you decide what type of card to get for your business, we’ve outlined the three most common options.

 

 Proximity Cards

These are popular security products that come in the form of printable cards about the size of a standard credit card. They feature an antenna and electronic chip that’s placed between two thin plastic cards. The antenna and chip are used to interface with an access control system to grant access to a specific location.

 

Unlike ID badges with a magnetic stripe or a barcode, proximity cards don’t require contact with a reader device — meaning they don’t need swiping or insertion to work. They can be left in a purse or a wallet and still serve a purpose. If they’re close enough to the electronic reader, they’ll work just fine.

Consider proximity cards if you’re a:

 

  • Government organization
  • School faculty
  • An office

 

PVC Cards

Plastic Polyvinyl Chloride (or PVC) cards are known for their durability, versatility, and flexibility. They come in a variety of forms, and you can customize your PVC cards to the exact solution that your business requires, including the size and the embedded features that your card holds. If your organization is making a conscious effort to go green, you can find PVC cards made of recycled material.

 

To secure a PVC card, they are equipped with magnetic strips or newer, high-tech security features such as smart chips.

 

Examples of when to use PVC cards include:

 

  • Student ID
  • Medical ID (for example, in a hospital or lab)
  •  Workplace employee ID
  • Membership cards

 

Credential Cards

Are you in charge of a crew working on a film set? Or perhaps there’s a big event coming up where you’ll require visual photo ID for thousands of employees. Credential cards are just what you’ll need to ensure that the facility is safe and free from any unwanted guest entering a sensitive location.

 

Credential cards are highly versatile and unique to the user as well as the facility. The card and the user are specific to the facility, so the card can’t be used anywhere else.

 

Avon Security supplies the latest trends in employee ID’s — including credential cards that can be customized for any workplace environment. We also offer comfortable accessories such as lanyards and armbands, so employees can conveniently carry their card on their person at all times.

 

We’re here to deliver the best quality ID cards and ID card printing supplies for any industry. Call our experts today to discuss which type of card is the best choice for your business.

The Benefits of Making Company ID Cards In-House

Whether your company has a staff of 3 or 3000, security should always be the number one priority in the workplace. A comprehensive security plan reduces liability, insurance, compensation, and other social security expenses paid by any company stakeholders. You and your employees will feel safer with an active, practical security plan that’s measurable and efficient.

 

Many organizations are already using employee ID cards as a useful tool to monitor security. ID cards make it possible to simultaneously simplify employee and visitor identification and strengthen a company’s security and integrity. Even during the off-hours, an identification system is a powerful way to ensure that your building remains protected.

 

When it comes to concentrating on a specific location that experiences a large amount of employee traffic, security ID cards bring better protection than any other kind of security system.

 

Companies such as Avon Security Products supply ID card printers to businesses, so you don’t have to worry about dealing with outside vendors. We’re the largest distributor of ID printers in the country, and our products are always in stock.

 

We believe that businesses should have control of how they implement a workplace security plan, including printing ID cards in-house — and here’s why.

 

It’s Convenient

Wouldn’t it be nice to have one team of employees and never have to think about rehiring or making changes to people’s titles? However, employees do come and go, and titles do change. And when staff changes occur, so too does the need for updated security identification.

 

Avon Security’s ID card systems give you the flexibility to make digital changes to existing cards and to welcome new employees with a personal one faster than if you had to order it externally.

 

It Gives You Control

 

Owning your own ID card printing equipment can give you peace of mind. You’re in complete control of all aspects of the card creation and distribution process from beginning to end. You won’t have to worry about third parties touching your data, printing equipment, and card stock.

 

The ease of owning security products for your business and producing ID cards in-house allows you to control day-to-day access throughout your facility in a variety of different ways. You can issue different styles of cards to clearly mark visitors or contractors. You can restrict certain areas of the facility to employees only, which will make it easy to tell if someone is wandering in an area that they shouldn’t be.

 

A printer equipped with an encoding system can program cards immediately. These printers make it physically impossible to enter sensitive areas without swiping a card with the appropriate level of clearance. You can adapt to any security challenge that might arise when you’re able to program or reprogram these cards daily.

 

It Will Save You Money

The true savings come from increased security and reduced legal liability. You’ll feel so much relief knowing that you’re deterring thieves from pretending to be employees — a fact that isn’t easy to put a specific dollar on.

 

Incorporating the task of running the card printer into an existing employee’s duties will save you money because you won’t have to pay someone outside of the company to print them for you. Everything remains in-house.

 

An in-house ID security card printer will save you money as well as anxiety. Contact Avon Security Products to find out how you can optimize your security plan today.

Using Student ID Cards as a Digital Tool

For students and faculty, digitally enhanced student ID cards can contain such an abundance of alternative uses that their main purpose may seem to be merely secondary. Nonetheless, these cards are essential tools for keeping property and personnel safe at all times within the academic setting. Here are a few of the essential ways that your ID cards can be used to the greater benefit of those who belong to academic institutions.

 

Protecting You Behind the Scenes

 

Even when students use security ID cards to access other features, they’re constantly working behind the scenes at all times to keep academic institutions safer. This ability to keep a location so safe that dangers remain out of mind is the ideal of a good security product.

 

Top Grade Technology

 

When you use security products by Avon at your school, you can be sure that you’ll be using the most professional grade of security technology available and also gain access to a wide variety of useful features for your students and faculty to enjoy. That’s because security ID cards have proven effective in a wide variety of contexts over a period of many years.

 

Security Features

 

The security features of your student ID cards allow you to prevent anyone from gaining access to a sensitive locations without presenting a personal ID card that is programmed with the valid authorization credentials. This allows administration to keep better track of everyone that has access to the campus in case of emergency.

 

In a school setting, this feature can be important for keeping those who are not enrolled as students or hired as faculty from entering classrooms, rare book libraries, offices or any other sensitive locations. They also contain high resolution photographs of the card bearer, to ensure that no one is using a card that does not belong to them.

Other Uses for Security Cards at Schools

 

Since security ID cards contain digital information, when you install a complete ID card system at your school, students can also use their cards to gain access to personal data like meal plans and library accounts. Providing students with these extra services helps to ensure that they keep their security cards available at all times and use the system properly.

Buying an ID Card Printer

When you invest in a professional ID card printer for your school, you’ll gain more control over the ways that your students and teachers are able to use their ID cards. You’ll also be able to create new ID cards for new students on the spot. Gaining access to this level of control over a security ID card system is important for any organization that contains as many people as a college or university.

School safety is more important today than it ever has been in the past, so it is vital that the best security technology available is used on campus. Contact Avon Security Products to find out more about how an ID card printing system can benefit your school.

Contactless ID Cards for Cleaner Access

Security ID cards are an essential part of everyday functioning for any business that takes the protection of their assets and personnel seriously. The specific reasons for this may be different in each industry, but the fact that ID cards have been used in so many contexts is testament to their effectiveness and versatility.

The Increased Demand for Hygienic Practices

 

That said, in today’s world more than ever before, people everywhere are more concerned with the most hygienic use of security equipment. It doesn’t do a company much good to protect them against criminal activity alone when there is also a growing concern about the potential spread of germs. The ideal solution is to invest in a security device that is able to protect against both kinds of threats simultaneously.

Using Technology Towards Better Sanitation


Luckily, a technology already exists today that can help any company to
maintain a high level of cleanliness while also preventing unauthorized personnel from gaining access to sensitive locations. As such, the best line of defense that you can bring to your security ID card system is to upgrade to contactless card reading from Canada’s largest photo ID warehouse at your place of business.

Security ID Card Printers

The first step in bringing contactless security clearance to your company is to ensure that your current security card printing system is capable of creating contactless security ID cards. If you don’t already possess this technological capability then you’ll want to upgrade your printer to a system that is compatible with contactless cards and readers.

One of the best parts about investing in a security ID card printer with better technological capabilities is that these machines tend to contain better features as they go up in overall quality. This means that your new printer will likely give you a range of features that vastly improve on your prior model. Some of these might include:

·         Faster Card Printing

·         Better Imaging Options

·         Holographic Printing

·         Digitally Encrypted Data

·         Temporary ID Cards

Given these available options, and the higher level of defense that comes with each, you can be sure that your upgraded system will provide a solid investment.

Custom Accessories

In order to ensure that your contactless ID cards are as sanitary as possible while being used, it is important to supply your employees with custom lanyards and card holders. These accessories will protect the cards and prevent losses, but they also make it easier for employees to use the hands-free system.

If the type of business that you operate necessitates that frequent visitors access your place of work, then you’ll also want to supply temporary ID cards and visitor lanyards to your guests. Temporary cards are useful because they prevent anyone without the proper authorization from entering your office space and they can be programmed to expire after a set period of time.

These days, you can’t be too careful about ensuring that work environments are as hygienic as possible at all times. Upgrade your security ID card system to incorporate contactless card reading so that you don’t take any chances. 

Using ID Cards with Other Security Devices

If you’ve been paying attention to the information on this blog, then you may already be impressed with all of the professional features that a security ID card printing system has to offer. Those who already employ some form or security protection, however, may be asking whether it is a good idea to replace their current system entirely.

 

ID Cards in Cooperation

 

The fact is that, there is absolutely no need to discard any security device that you currently utilize when you invest in better security by buying pvc card printers and accessories. The reason is that your new security ID cards will work in cooperation with any other device that you might already have or be interested in buying in the future.

 

Strategic Lines of Defense

 

In fact, by combining other security devices with your security ID cards and accessories, your protection will only get better. That’s because you’ll be implementing a strategy of many different lines of defense at your company; and, in some cases, different types of defense can actually be beneficial.

 

For example, if you’re looking to buy custom lanyards in Toronto for your local business, then you can speed up the time it takes for your employees to access their workplaces, while also promoting your company.

 

Exemplary Versatility

 

Security ID cards and the various new technologies that makes them such an amazing security devices are used in so many environments. What is less commonly understood is that their versatility also extends to being easily and effectively used in cooperation with other security devices. Let’s look at a few of the most common examples to provide more context:

 

·         Security Cameras: if you are currently running security cameras in and around your office building then they can provide visual evidence of the people that gain access to your office location, but they will do nothing to prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining access to sensitive areas.

 

A security ID card system will only allow those who possess authorization cards to enter your premises and will keep track of the time when each person entered or exited your location. Providing the information gathered from both of these sources to the police, will give them an enormous advantage in apprehending criminals should a breach in security occur.

 

·         Security Fencing: when you install fencing outside of your building, it can help to prevent anyone from accessing areas where security checks do not take place. If you already know how proximity cards work then you can probably imagine how useful they can be for opening gates around a fenced perimeter.

 

·         Security Guards: if you station security guards at the locations where security ID cards are used then it will help to ensure that no one is using a card that does not belong to them to access your building. Security ID cards contain high-resolution photographs of the card owner to allow your guards to double check for accuracy.

 

While you may already own security devices at your place of business to help protect your location, you can easily implement security ID cards and it will only add an extra layer of protection to you company. Get in contact with a security expert here at Avon Security Products to find out more about the best security ID card printing system for your current setup.

The 4 Best Accessories for Your Security ID Card Printer

Security ID cards can bring your company better protection than any other kind of protective system – when it comes to focusing on a location that experiences a large amount of employee traffic. Even during the off-hours, an ID printing system is an excellent way to ensure that your building remains secure and protected.

 

Advanced Security Options

 

That said, maintaining the best security possible doesn’t simply involve a one-time purchase of a security ID card printer. You need to be able to monitor and operate your system in order to ensure the best protection possible.

 

One of the best ways to ensure a high level of protection is to stay in contact with us here at Avon Security Products in order to guarantee that you always own the proper ID card printer with the best features to meet your company’s changing needs. Another way is to enhance the capabilities of your ID card printing system by investing in useful accessories.

 

Getting Started

 

If you’re looking for the most useful accessories for your security ID card printer, our website offers company ID cards, lanyards, and more accessories that can make you system perform even better. Here are four of the most beneficial accessories when it comes to ensuring a high level of efficiency in your system: 

 

1)     Badge Holders

 

One of the most useful accessories that you can provide to your employees is a retractable badge holder in order to allow them to access their security credentials as quickly as possible and prevent loss. Most accessories begin with badge holders because many accessories attach to the badge holder in order to operate properly.

 

2)     Lanyards

 

Lanyards are the durable ribbon that you or your employees can wear around you necks in order to hold your ID card in a more accessible manner. Lanyards attach to the badge holder to help ensure that your cards don’t get lost. You can also order personalized lanyards so that your employees are able to easily promote your business at events and conferences.

 

3)     Arm Bands

 

Some employees prefer to use arm bands rather than lanyards while they are working. The main benefit of using an accessory like an arm band to hold your security ID card is that it keeps your card very secure and close to your person. This provides an important safety feature for those jobs that require an individual to keep their ID card readily accessible at all times, yet not dangling around them where it might get caught in machinery.

 

4)     Badge Reels

 

Using a reel to connect to your badge holder to your body provides quick and easy access to your security credentials without allowing your badge to dangle from your body. Regarding safety, badge reels usually fall in between lanyards and arm bands, depending on the type of work being performed and the danger of the job site your employees are working on.

There may be no better type of security system that you can bring to your company than an ID card printer, but investing in the right accessories will ensure that your system works at it should. Contact Avon Security Products to get advice on the best security badge accessories for your type of business.

The 5 Step Plan to Better Security ID Card Protection

If you want to achieve a high level of security protection at your business, you can’t just throw money at the issue and forget about it. If there’s one sure rule to learn from the history of the security industry, it’s that criminals are always working at newer, more inventive and more aggressive ways to overcome protective technology.

1)     Contact a Security ID Card Printing Solutions Professional

In order to ensure that you’ll always remain one step ahead of any criminals that might try to compromise your business, you need to employ the best technology that’s available at any one time. The best way to do this is to hire a company that offers the latest solutions in security ID card technology and to stay in contact with them about the latest products that come available.

2)     Choosing the Right Security System for Your Company

Despite the need to develop a hands-on approach for better security results, protecting your company does indeed begin with a smart investment in technology that works. If you’re looking for help determining which security ID card system that will work best for you then you can get in contact with out of our experts to assess your company’s printing needs.

3)     Investing in an In-House Security ID Card Printer

Since plastic ID badge printers are the foundation of the entire security system, that’s the first item that you need to invest in to build a better security plan for your company. Acquiring an in-house ID card printer will allow you to create an enormous amount of employee cards at a very quick rate. You can even opt to have temporary guest cards printed that are programmed to expire after use.

4)     The Added Benefit of Proximity ID Cards

To understand why proximity cards can increase the effectiveness of your security system, you need to know a little bit about how proximity cards work and how they are made. Security ID cards are made out of PVC plastic, so they are affordable and can accommodate newer technologies, like proximity reading, very easily.

 

When you use proximity cards at your business, you’ll be giving your employees the fastest access to their work environment in order to ensure that no time is lost due to your system.

 

5)     Investing in Professional Accessories

 

On top of bringing the best security ID card printing solution to your business, you can also push the capabilities of your system even further by investing in accessories designed to maximize your protection and ensure the efficiency of your system. Accessories like custom lanyards and badge holders make you system easier to use, prevent lost cards, and sped up the time it takes to use employee cards.

 

Security ID cards are one of the most effective security technologies available today, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t make it even better. Follow these simple tips to maximize the potential of your security system from Avon Security Products.

Security ID Cards: An Effective and Affordable Solution

While there are many security solutions for businesses on the market today, few can boast as ideal a balance of cost-effectiveness as a security ID card printing system. At Avon Security Products, you can find a wide range of security ID card printing solutions, so that you can accommodate any need.

Purchasing an ID Card Printer

While it is possible to outsource ID card printing for your security system, buying a printer for your company will give you much more control over how your system is used. With your own printer on locations, you can design your company’s cards in a style that you choose in order to better promote company branding.

Getting Up To Speed

Owning a security ID card printer will also allow you to speed up the time that it takes to equip new employees with security cards. When you outsource your security ID card printing needs, it could cause delays in enabling new employees to use the system. This could cause delays in job productivity and even jeopardize your entire security capabilities, should you allow your new employee to access locations without the proper authorization.

Accessorizing for Effectiveness

When you invest in security ID card accessories like plastic name badge holders and lanyards, your system will work even better. That’s because these items help prevent loss or damage of ID cards and allows your employees quicker access to the system. You can also have personalized lanyards custom printed in order to contain your company’s name and logo to help promote branding an events like industry conferences.

 

Better Technology

 

Even more advanced security technology option like proximity cards are affordable in comparison to the high costs required by security options like paid guards. With contactless reading, you employees can access their offices even faster. If you’re interested in learning more about how proximity cards can improve your security then check this blog or get in touch with a representative of Avon Security Products.

Prevention Versus Deterrent

Many of the security options that are available for businesses are meant as prevention tools. Even security cameras, are often more effective as a deterrent than as a tool for managing a premises. That’s because security cameras cannot capture every location at all times. They can also be very expensive to purchase an operate.

Security ID Cards, on the other hand, are not only affordable but they provide a system that works as both a deterrent and a response. If criminals are considering doing harm to your company, then the presence of a system that makes it extremely difficult to gain access to the premises will deter them from acting.

Likewise, should any criminal activity happen to occur, your security ID card system can help police to determine the culprits due to the fact that your computerized system will keep track of every person that accessed the location where the crime occurred.

There’s really no better option in security defense if you’re looking for a reasonable investment that is also a very powerful protective tool.

Understanding the Increased Popularity of Proximity Cards

The manufacturing of proximity cards has increased dramatically in recent years. One of the main reasons for this heightened demand is that security ID cards that incorporate proximity reading technology are used by an enormous variety of industries across the globe. The reason that so many companies employ this technology, however, is due to the fact that PVC security ID cards are versatile, affordable, and provide a high level of security protection.

Increasing Rise in Digitization in the 21st Century

 

Everywhere you look, our daily lives are becoming more and more automated by the conveniences of digital technology. With the rise of smart home devices and the increasing ease of use that such technology affords, digital products are finding more applications within the home and office. Many households now contain lights, thermostats, and locks that can be controlled by voice command.

This means that people everywhere are becoming more accustomed to devices like a proximity card reader – which offers a capability that may have seemed magical only a few years ago. With this increase in familiarity comes an increase in demand as well.

 

Proximity Cards in Commercial and Public Industries

 

The same types of proximity cards that you use with your security ID card printers to access sensitive locations at your company are used by companies all over the world. One of the reasons that most people are so familiar with contactless card readers is that the same technology is used in many everyday items, such as banking cards and public transit passes.

 

Saving Time and Worry with a Reliable Option

 

Running a company successfully involves a thousand things to keep organized that you need to monitor every day in order to promote continual growth. While security should always remain one of the most important concerns for any business manager, this doesn’t mean that you should have to devote all of your time to keeping your company secure and safe.

When you invest in the kind of custom lanyards Toronto employees are often seen wearing, it allows your employees to access their work locations easier and quicker. That is, when employees are able to use lanyards and proximity cards together, it allows your security ID card system to function easier and more effectively.

 

Versatility of PVC Security Cards

 

Not only are polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cards able to accommodate proximity reading technology, but they are able to incorporate a wide variety of digital ID card security technologies, including:

 

·       Magnetic Stripe Reading

·       Holographic Imagine

·       High Resolution Photo Printing

·       Encrypted Data

 

This means that as newer technologies develop, PVC cards will likely be ready to employ them with ease.

 

Convenience of Proximity Reading

 

When you employ proximity card reading capabilities into your security system, the entire process becomes more efficient and less prone to error. Employees appreciate the ease with which the can access sensitive work areas. In turn, they tend to be more respectful of the security system in general and more cautious to use it correctly.

 

If you’re currently using a security ID card printing system at your company, consider getting in touch with us here at Avon Security Products to find out how easy it is to upgrade to proximity card capabilities.

The Key Advantages of In-House ID Card Printing

There’s no doubt about the reliability of security ID cards. As an affordable and durable system that’s trusted by government and private sector industries all over the world, you can rest assured that the safekeeping of your business is in good hands when you use a security ID card system.

 

In fact, if you currently manage a team of employees, the question shouldn’t be whether or not you should get a security ID printing system for your company but which one will best suit your needs.

 

Choosing Your Security ID Printing System

 

If you haven’t considered a security ID card printer for your office before, the first step that you need to take is to consult with us about the best prices on ID card printers and find out which system will work best for your company.

The type of security card printer that you require will depend on factors such as the amount of cards you need to print within one year, the type of security technology you desire to be present in your cards, and the computer system that you currently use. For example, if you operate a growing company that already employs a large number of employees, then you’ll probably need a high level zebra ID card printer that is capable of printing more the 5000 new ID cards in one year.

 

The Risk of Ordering ID Cards

 

While it is possible to order your company’s ID cards to be printed, that option takes much longer than if you are able to do it yourself. In order for your system to work properly, you need to ensure that every one of your new employees is equipped with their own ID card before gaining access to your location. This means that waiting on cards to be printed elsewhere could end up sacrificing precious working hours, or else jeopardize the security of your system.

 

Save Money on Card Replacement

 

Are your employees constantly misplacing the ID cards that they use to access your offices? Security ID cards can become expensive to order if you are constantly in need to replacement cards. Investing in your own security ID card printer is a better option, since you’ll only have to pay one initial cost and every time that a card need to be replaced, it will end up costing very little. You can also help to protect your cards and prevent losses when you provide your employees with name badge holders and lanyards.

 

High Resolution Photography

 

Taking a photo at the DMV might require a long wait, but it will never take long to create new ID cards at your business. That’s because security ID card printers are able to create a large amount of new cards in an extremely short time. All it takes is a quick digital photo that can be added to each employee’s new ID card.

 

The Right Time to Invest in Security

 

If you’re the owner of a new business, you may already be asking the question, “When is the right time for me to bring a professional security solution into play at my company?” In fact, if you’re not asking whether the time is right to buy a new system or upgrade the current security capabilities at your company, then chances are that you’re already at risk.

 

When you’re managing a thriving business you don’t have time to stop to order new ID cards for every new employee that you hire. Contact Avon Security Products to purchase a complete security ID card printing solution.