Schools, colleges, indeed any education establishments, are busy places. They are organisations that require the best security possible to safeguard the safety of staff, visitors and most importantly students. A key pillar to this process is issuing photographic ID. ID cards are fundamental to ensuring educational establishments know who is on site and when. Most schools, colleges and universities have traditionally outsourced their photo ID card printing to a bureau service, but since the pandemic, we’ve seen a trend of those responsible wanting to bring their ID card printing in-house. Why?
Even before the pandemic, the need to issue photo ID cards was growing, with changes to policies and guidelines stating that procedures are in place to keep tabs of who is in an educational establishment. During COVID-19, however, schools quickly had to adapt. In many cases, even visitors now require some form of ID before entering into the school building. It has really gone from a ‘nice-to-have’ to a ‘need-to-have’ and demand among education customers has never been stronger. Lots of administrators find it easier, cheaper and more convenient to print cards themselves. So, as the ID experts, we’ve been advising people as to which are the best ID card printers for a school setting. Say hello to Zebra.
The fast-paced changes of the last year means that there was a gap in the market for a small, fast, low-cost ID card printer that had the security features and functionality fit for like in a school. Whether you’re a primary school that needs to issue ID ad-hoc, or a large further education establishment that needs to print hundreds of cards in a single run, there’ll be a Zebra printer that fits your requirements.
Let’s take a look a the latest ZC350 direct-to-card printer. It’s designed to fit neatly on any desk, and combines a number of new security features thanks to a ‘colour-shifting ribbon’. This enhances security immensely and acts as a watermark that makes cards very difficult to clone. It’s made up of three different components: the printed card, a colour-shifting print and a protective overlay. It combines to give you a professional-looking, long-lasting card that’s perfect for schools; whether for staff, students or visitors.
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What makes this printer and ribbon combo particularly well-suited to any establishment is that the added protection these cards offer means you’ll cut costs in the longer term. It also means the cards are highly resistant to contaminants such as alcohol-based hand sanitiser and cleaning products; a bonus in the post-pandemic educational environment. Few printers increase ROI while producing such great-looking cards.
It’s also designed to fit wherever you need it. Slim in profile and with a minimal footprint, the ZC350 will fit seamlessly into any educational setting – whether it’s on a reception desk or in a classroom. The amount of information you need to print on to an ID card will dictate whether you choose a single-sided or double-sided printer.
Changes brought about by the pandemic means that lots more people are opting for a double-sided printer. It means that you have space to print policies, procedures and even social distancing guidelines on the reverse of the card – perfect for schools post-COVID.
For those that may not have used an ID card printer before, the ZC350 is a perfect fit. It’s marketed as one of the simplest ID card printers on the planet, and we can confirm that as a fact. The ribbon is easy to change, while the new hopper design means that loading and unloading cards has never been easier. Best of all, a user-friendly intuitive interface takes the pain out of printer set-up.
Although we recommend this printer for those wishing to print simple ID, the ZC350 can also be configurated with encoders that allow you to encode access control cards such as MIFARE, Prox and iCLASS.
With the increasingly complex security requirements of educational establishments, the ZC350 is the perfect entry-point for those that have never operated on in-house before. Featuring a simple, plug-and-play design, it brings with it the features and ability to print the ID cards that are necessary for life in the post-pandemic school, college or university. As the UK’s leading supplier of ID cards, printers and access control products, we think it’s among the best out there. We already supply around 50% of the UK’s educational establishments with the products required to keep them safe. Will you be the next one?
For more information please visit: www.digitalid.co.uk
