In these days of tight budgets, schools are saving money by utilizing the identification card. Not only as an ID, today cards are being used in a multitude of applications. A student id card may be used as visual ID, food service access, computer network login, athletic training facility login and attendance tracking.

IDs for students, faculty, staff and visitors can be produced effectively and quickly using a photo ID card printer system. Printing cards on-site provides for a quicker turn around rather than using an offsite provider.

Safe schools are controlled by knowing who is in the building. Using a photo id card as an access control card into the building or into secure areas of the building will provide an increased level of safety and increased reporting capability as to who is accessing the campus.

School ID cards display the professionalism of the school. Attractive cards will provide a level of pride in the school and an interest in wearing id badges to promote security throughout campus.

Photo ID cards Visually Identify Students and Staff

An id card can easily distinguish whether a card holder is a student faculty, staff member or visitor on campus. By incorporating security measures into your card design, a basic level of security is added with ease. Ways that you can distinguish levels of the card may include colored backgrounds, photographs or other images. A color coded system may also be easy to implement. To implement this system, the card designers would need to incorporate various colors of bars on the card designs. The cardholder would receive a card with the appropriate color on it to authorize that cardholder as a student, faculty or staff member. Visitor badges can be designed with a different look for easy identification.

Additional security measures can be added to the card by using holographic foils and overlaminates. These techniques decrease the likelihood of counterfeiting or tampering with the card. Holograms can be embedded within the card or can be applied on top of the card surface. The overlaminate is available in a number of standard designs and also can be purchased as a custom item for maximum security benefits.

Photo ID cards Benefit the Cafeteria and Media Checkout.

Cafeteria point of sale solutions call for an automated way to provide faster serving capabilities. An identification card with a magnetic strip or bar code is able to connect the student purchase to their account. When food or books are purchased, the student account is able to be quickly accessed and debited with the register software application. School activities, vending and other school payments may be utilized by the swiping of the bar code or mag stripe reader on the card.

Bar codes and magnetic stripes also allow storage of class schedules, medical information and emergency contact information on the card. With the right applications within the school, many functions handled manually are able to be automated making reporting more accurate and less costly.

With the automated tracking capability, it is simple for a media center or cafeteria to compile and retrieve data needed for internal planning purposes or reporting to management or parents. A request for information can often be obtained with the touch of a button.