Student ID Cards: All student life, in a card
Student ID Cards: All student life, in a card
In addition to its main functions, which are identification and security, it can also be transformed into a multi-use card, providing access to a host of services.
The “credit card” format: an essential feature of the student card or school card
The CR80 plastic card is the size of a credit card, which is particularly suitable for printing student or school cards. The first reason for this is that its relatively small standard format allows students to always have it to hand. In addition, it is self-sufficient: there is no need for a Wi-Fi connection or power supply to ensure that it functions correctly.
Finally, due to the numerous customization options on offer (design, encoding , security, etc.), it can meet a very wide range of needs. You can adapt it to make it the perfect tool for you.
So small and yet so powerful: opt for a multi-service student badge!
Student cards offer a multitude of possible uses: paying for meals (cafeteria, coffee machine, snacks, etc.), accessing the copying service, equipment lending, book borrowing, accessing the educational system (schedule, notes, etc.), etc.
It allows you to offer a lot of services: your own services, as well as those of your service providers and partners. Students can make use of their student badge both inside and outside the school, particularly for specific additional offers (transport network, payment in local shops, etc.).
There are so many ways to use your school badge to make your students’ daily lives easier.
People’s security comes first, but how can we prevent forgeries?
Student identification is an essential means of ensuring the security of all those present at your institution. It proves the identity of the student and his/her enrollment in the school, therefore allowing him/her to enter the buildings, parking lots and rooms of the institution.
It is often easy to make a fake student card. It is up to you to do whatever is necessary in order to make your school’s badge secure and limit the risk of forgery. For this purpose, there are different levels of card customization:
- 1st level: customization of personal data (surname, first name, etc.)
- 2nd level: graphical customization (ID photo, specific card design, etc.)
- 3rd level: encoding (contact or contactless chip), barcode, QR Code
- 4th level: higher-level security elements (micro-text, holograms, lamination, etc.)
How can you produce a student card at a lower cost?
You can print all your student cards yourself using card printers. This is what is known as a decentralized, on-demand method of issuing
cards. It has a real cost advantage: investing in one or more printers for your institution will soon pay off.
And with good reason: you don’t have to factor in logistics costs and you can know exactly how much each card costs you (because cards and printing ribbons have a fixed cost).
Some institutions may even request that the students make a contribution to the cost of their card, for example, in the event that they lose it.
Control the time frame for printing your student cards
Flexibility and speed of printing are absolutely necessary in order to have your student cards ready on time, at all stages of the card’s life:
- When it is created: you can print the student card as soon as the enrollment file is complete, or you can choose to print them in batches, depending on your needs and the degree of urgency. You can also print single cards, for example, if a new student joins during the course of the year.
- Replacement: if a student loses their card or it is stolen, you need to be able to give them a new card quickly, for security purposes, and to allow them to continue benefiting from all the associated services.
If you have one or more printers in your institution, you can print all your cards on demand without being dependent on minimum orders or manufacturing and delivery time frames.
Save time by issuing student cards at self-service terminals
There are several ways to provide students with their cards. The most common method is for them to be retrieved from the reception of the institution. This method allows you to hand people their student card directly, make initial contact and communicate other information or give them documents. But this requires time and internal resources.
There is another, independent way to issue cards: the self-service terminal. What’s the benefit? More freedom for students and significant time savings for your teams.
Keep your data safe: the best way to improve data security
You are responsible for guaranteeing the security of the personal data provided by the students in their enrollment files. One of the main levers for limiting the risk of data breaches is to avoid communicating this data externally.
By internalizing the printing and customization of cards, you can ensure data security, as it will not need to leave your computer system. This will kee p all information confidential and limit the risk of hacking.
A card that is made to last … And that can be reused ?
Student cards are handled on a daily basis. They are constantly subject to friction that can damage them. They must therefore be sufficiently resistant to remain in perfect condition for at
least one school year. This is the advantage of the PVC card, which has a useful life of approximately 3 years.
You can also opt for an even more sustainable solution by using rewritable PVC cards. The monochrome printed data on these cards is erasable, allowing new, customizable data to be printed in its place. Student cards no longer need to be discarded from one year to the next, you can just update them. This allows you to make savings.
What if student cards could also contribute to your brand image?
The image of your school is very important. It often plays an essential role in terms of the criteria that students consider when choosing their future school.
Your image is built around various elements, and student cards can be a part of this. Your ability to deliver them easily, the services you offer through them, their aesthetic quality, degree of customization, level of security, etc. are all parameters that can be important and that can influence your image.
Furthermore, student cards are the physical medium that represents enrollment and, as such, they represent the link that has been established between the school and the student. Take this opportunity to make a good first impression.
Making a student card: get started easily!
It couldn’t be simpler to print student cards directly within your institution. All you need is a card printer that is suited to your needs, some cards and printing ribbon, and you’re ready to get started! The card printer is installed in the same way as a classic office printer.
The cardPresso customization software, which is included with all our printers, allows you to create and print your student cards intuitively and quickly. Its features include graphic customization, database management, encoding and much more.
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