Do your employees need rugged ID cards to withstand the elements, intense heat or harmful UV rays, dirt and debris, and other environmental wear and tear? If so, laminating your employee ID cards will extend their lifespan, meaning you spend less time and money reissuing damaged cards over the year. And many ID card printers have lamination module upgrades you can choose, and some even have field upgradable kits that you can install yourself in minutes.
Here's what you need to know.
Post-print laminates vs. overlaminates
You have options for laminating your employee ID cards. You can laminate your cards after you've printed them with adhesive laminates you apply by hand. This option works well for companies with already-printed employee cards that need a little extra protection. So if you have old employee ID cards that you want to protect better, post-printing lamination is a great option compared to re-issuing all cards. Remember, each employee card will need laminated by hand, which is a time-intensive project.
On the other hand, you might upgrade your current ID card printer to add a laminating module. This eliminates the "by hand" aspect of adding lamination post-printing because the printer adheres lamination during the printing process. If you want to laminate your employee ID cards on a go-forward basis, this might be the best option. For example, if you issue hundreds or thousands of ID cards each year, this will save you time, money, and effort as you print cards and going forward.
Add protection and security
Not only does lamination protect your employee ID cards from environmental and other wear and tear, but you can also use it to add security measures to your cards that can't be duplicated or forged.
If visual security is paramount to your company's ID program, you can choose laminates and overlaminates with clear and holographic images easy to spot. Holographic images are impossible to reproduce, are clearly ruined if someone tries to change them, and one of the easiest and quickest visual identification measures for your ID card solution.
You can easily boost the security of your employee ID card program by adding a laminate with a holographic image. This is a simple process added during printing that protects your company and your employees with highly secure identification not easily counterfeited.
Adding a lamination module
Many manufacturers let you upgrade your current employee ID card printer to include lamination. Your best option is to add this module when you choose an ID card printer, but some models let you upgrade your current printer at your location with little effort. Also remember lamination adds to the cost of your ID card printer and your employee card program.
If you issue more than a hundred ID cards each year, laminating your cards during the printing process will pay off in reduced time, effort, and expenses. It's faster and easier, so if you need to produce employee ID cards quickly, a lamination module pays for itself.
Regardless, if you add laminating to your printing process or apply laminates post-print, you'll protect your cards from extreme wear and tear like environmental hazards or swiping/scanning wear and tear. You'll also make it tougher for nefarious individuals to tamper with your employee ID cards.
Evolis, Magicard, Zebra, Fargo, Datacard, and IDP printers all offer lamination modules. If you're unsure if you can upgrade, contact your ID card solution vendor to discuss your options.
Using adhesive laminates
You add adhesive laminates to the front and/or back of your employee ID cards after printing. For example, if only a subsection of all your employee ID cards is subject to harsh environmental factors, applying laminates after printing might make more sense.
It's easy to apply adhesive laminates by hand after you've printed your employee ID cards. You can add them to the back, the front, or both, depending on your needs.
So if you already have quite a few employee ID cards in issue, it makes sense to hand-apply an adhesive laminate to those cards rather than reprint them with a lamination module. Not only will adhesive laminates protect your cards from daily wear and tear, but you'll make cards harder to tamper with without needing to reissue cards, saving time and expenses.
Final thoughts
Confused about whether you need an overlaminate or an adhesive laminate? The Idesco ID Experts are well-versed in all protection options for your ID card program. We'll help you determine if you need to upgrade your current solution or simply purchase an adhesive laminate to coat your current employee ID cards.
Idesco's mission is to help you create the best employee ID card solution for your business, security, and budgetary needs. Contact an ID Expert today at 212-889-2530 who is ready and willing to help you create an ID card solution tailored to your needs.