All About ID Cards

Mar 1, 2007 12:00 PM

BEYOND PHOTO ID, TECHNOLOGY IS MAKING CARDS MORE FUNCTIONAL IN TODAY'S COMPANIES — OFTEN AT LOWER COST

By STEVE BLAKE

ID cards are powerful tools that provide a growing range of security options. From simple visual identification to complex combinations of physical and logical access control, cards can provide both security and productivity within an enterprise. And with the decreasing cost of higher technology cards, organizations of all sizes are incorporating ID cards into their plans.

At a search-and-rescue operation in Pennsylvania, for example, simple ID cards visually identify people and animals allowed within the search area. According to the head of the rescue, when a person is lost or endangered, seconds can mean the difference between life and death. That's why the use of ID cards is so important for scene safety and identification.

In Los Angeles, ID cards speed the process of delivering food to the hungry. A foodbank representative swipes a recipient's card through a reader, revealing the type of food kit to be delivered, thus eliminating the need to look up records.

Not so long ago, ID cards were used for visual identification only. Even as recently as a few years ago, access control systems used magnetic stripe or bar code technology in the cards. Today, more systems use proximity, contactless/RFID cards to provide an even higher degree of security and ease of use. Unlike ID cards using bar code or magnetic stripe technology that are typically swiped through a reader, proximity or contactless cards, such as HID's iClass, can be read without contact with a reader. This saves time for the cardholder and results in a 100 percent accurate read of the data, which was an issue with magnetic stripe and bar code technology.

Adding multiple technologies

More organizations are upgrading the technology in their cards. The decreasing cost of smart cards has provided the opportunity for small and mid-range organizations to add memory storage and data security capabilities for virtually the same price as their former cards. Therefore, many organizations can move to an upgraded card and use their existing access readers, while installing smart card readers in a new building or addition. The operational and financial benefits have compelled many companies to smart card usage.

The growing role of ID cards in today's security systems has necessitated the ability to embed multiple technologies into one card, thus enabling legacy systems to remain on the card while new systems are added. A card, for example, might contain a bar code or magnetic stripe to enable access to a vending machine or the school cafeteria, while newer security is added to allow access to a building using smart card technology.

ID cards can even link into systems outside an organization. In New York, part-time and substitute teachers at one high school carry smart cards containing a microprocessor chip embedded with their social security number and certain encrypted security codes. The school's smart card program is tied into the criminal justice system, enabling school administrators to receive immediate confirmation of criminal violations as recent as the night before.

Other schools are moving toward a cashless campus, reducing the need for students to carry money and subject themselves to the risk of robbery. At Everglades High School in Miramar, Fla., for example, vending machine vandalism became non-existent following the addition of smart card chips to student ID cards, allowing student debit privileges at vending machines.

Protecting the card

As organizations move to cards with more embedded information, it is important to use a print technology that works well on the uneven surfaces that result. Reverse transfer printing, for example, prints directly on the reverse side of a clear film, which is then applied to the card. Since printing is not directly onto the card surface — unlike traditional dye sublimation printing — the process is forgiving of irregularities on the surface of the card. Technology cards, such as proximity and smart cards — where electronic components are embedded in the card — often have undulations, raised surfaces and bumps. Printing directly on the card can result in damaged smart card chips or poor print quality. As cards increase in sophistication and expense, ensuring each card prints accurately can reduce the expense of mis-printed cards that need to be discarded.

The ability to include multiple technologies on a single ID card has led to the convergence of physical and logical security, especially related to computer networks, databases and protection of intellectual property. Single access control cards can now combine both types of security so that users can carry one card to let them into a building and access their PC, the network or even specific data on the network.

When linking ID card systems and printers to a network, it is important not just to “hang” the printer on a network. If controls are not put into place, illicit use of card printers can occur, resulting in fraudulent cards. Software for secure network control of printers help the IT manager ensure security of the printers on the network. Fargo's Print Security Manager, for example, centralizes the management of users, devices and materials, adding another layer of security to the system.

In addition, there are products to control the issuance of cards, providing around-the-clock notification of unauthorized printing or even automatically disabling a printer that has been stolen or accessed illegitimately. ID cards themselves also have many more visual security options today than ever before, from embedded holograms to covert micro text.

Making the best decision

Knowing how much technology is enough can be a difficult decision, as organizations struggle to balance security, efficiency and cost. Try asking these questions:

• What is the primary security goal?

• Will the card need to serve one function or many?

• Will the card need to interface with existing systems and technology?

• Which is more important, the level of security or the cost?

• Will the card be upgraded with additional applications over time?

• How important is it that the data on the card not be duplicated or counterfeited?

The economies of scale are supporting the move from low- to high-tech ID cards. If, for a comparable price, you can get a card with more memory capacity on it, why not? n

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Steve Blake is vice president of product marketing for Fargo Electronics. Prior to joining Fargo, Blake worked for more than 20 years with Laminex Inc., Identsys Inc., and Datacard Group.

A VARIETY OF CARD PRINTING TECHNIQUES CAN MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE TO DUPLICATE YOUR ORGANIZATION'S ID BADGES

By ROBERT ANDERSON

Before you purchase an ID card printer and set up shop, there are some things you should know. The type of printer you choose will depend largely on the type of card you plan to use, how many cards you plan to print, how often you need to print cards and what printing elements you need to incorporate onto your card. Here are four major factors to consider:

• Card size

  Most driver's licenses and other “hard cards” found in wallets have the same physical dimensions. This is the standard CR-80 card, measuring about 3.375 × 2.125 inches and 30 mils (0.75mm) thick.

• Printing speeds

  Card printers come with a variety of printing speeds. Some simply print faster than others while others. Some print both sides of the card, while others print only one side of a card. In general, the faster the cards are printed, the more expensive the printer. In some situations, cards need to be printed immediately, while in other instances, cards can wait to be printed. This is typically called “on-the-spot” or “on-premise” printing.

• The physical properties of the printer

  If you are working in an office that is short on space, you will want a printer with a small footprint. If other work must be accomplished while the printer is printing, you will also want to make sure you purchase a printer that is on the quiet side. While the size and loudness of a printer may not be a concern in a factory, it is important in an application such as on a cruise ship.

• Ease of use

  A card printer should be easy to use, right out of the box, especially if the people using it are not overly familiar with printers.

What type of printing?

There are three types of printing to consider — thermal, dye sublimation or mass transfer printing.

• Thermal Printing

  Like all other computer-based printers in the office, today's photo ID printers are digital. In the years since the first dot-matrix printers arrived on the scene, we have become used to text and images composed of tiny dots — picture elements or pixels. Early results were not impressive, due to the print head's then-limited resolution, measured in dots per inch (dpi). Today, resolutions of 300 dpi or better are commonplace in office printers, so the problem of jagged edges is largely a thing of the past. Most photo IDs are printed by digital thermal transfer, a process by which color is transferred from a single-use ribbon to various kinds of receptor materials.

  There are two distinctly different thermal transfer technologies: dye sublimation, using the three process colors (yellow/magenta/cyan) for photo-realistic images; and mass transfer, for machine-readable text and bar codes (usually in black). Both technologies use a stationary print head comprising a row of closely spaced resistive elements — tiny heaters, 200 or 300 to the inch, independently energized by the printer controller. Sandwiched by spring pressure between the print head and the receptor is the inking ribbon, which may be either a resin-coated film for mass transfer, or a series of process-color dye panels for dye sublimation. The receptor card is driven through the print station, with the ribbon metered out at the same speed from the supply roll.

• Dye sublimation printing

  The variable size and density of each color dot is the secret to the photo-quality printing possible with dye sublimation — bright colors and no jagged edges.

  Yellow, magenta and cyan dyes penetrate the receptor. Color migrates from the dye ribbon into the surface. The spread of the dye dot (its amount of diffusion) depends on the amount of heat applied by the printhead element. On reaching a dye panel boundary, the printhead is lifted to allow the card to back up. The head then lowers to print the next color.

  Yellow, magenta and cyan are combined in varying proportions to print photo quality images. When “fully saturated,” the three colors together print “process black” text and graphics.

• Mass transfer printing

  With a mass transfer panel, the printer cannot control either the ink dot's size or density. It's either there or it isn't, which is not good for continuous tone images such as photographs. To create the illusion of continuous tone from discrete dots of ink, printers use a process called dithering, exactly the same behind-the-scenes operation your computer performs anytime it sends a picture to the office laser printer. A mass transfer ribbon is a layer of monochrome resin, usually black, on a thin backing film (also called black resin printing). When heated, the resin is stripped from the backing and deposited as a physical layer on the receptor.

Mass transfer delivers sharp text and graphics plus infrared-readable bar codes. Photo reproduction is adequate for many applications calling for a high printing speed and low cost.

How printing can make ID cards more secure

Security comes from a combination of media features, printer capability, database verification and special security — unusual, covert and forensic features.

Media features include surface quality, durability and built-in security elements. Printer capability encompasses high-resolution graphics and reliable bar codes plus covert features printed at the time of issue. Database verification consists of a central archive of cardholder data, including a photo, personal statistics, employee number, date, time and place of issue. Special security features are only shared with customers, in order to protect their covert qualities.

Start with strong cards

First and most important, the card itself has to be tough. Gone are the days when ID cards could be printed on garden-variety PVC stock with a photo that merely resembled the cardholder. In this security-conscious age, government and other large organizations insist on custom-designed card media of ever increasing sophistication. This is for two main reasons: first, multiple security features create greater counterfeiting difficulties; second, guards can quickly and easily validate unique features known only to the organization's security force.

The card media should offer an array of security features, any or all of which may be incorporated into custom designs. Today's cards must be extremely durable. For example, card stock should be ten times (10x) the flex life of regular PVC cards. It should meet or exceed all international standards for resistance to cracking, permanent adhesion of over-laminate and durability of image.

The lanyard slot in a regular PVC card is often fragile. If it tears out, an unauthorized user needs only to change the photo to go past a careless inspector. Therefore, choose cards that do not tear easily.

To increase durability, higher capability printers feature fully integrated hot roll laminating stations that apply 0.6 or 1.0 mil laminate patch materials, with or without holograms. Cards with laminates will provide up to seven years of wear. Such lamination is especially recommended for abrasion-intensive applications such as frequent bar code or magnetic stripe reading. Depending on volume and how quickly one needs to print cards, there are printers that laminate one side at a time or both sides at once.

To prevent counterfeiting, alteration or duplication, there are many techniques that companies can employ with digital printers. First of all, they can deploy multiple security images or holograms. One security image alone increases the difficulty of counterfeiting; two makes it at least twice as hard. The holographic image lamination process also provides a very rich-looking card. Multiple screenings of the same photograph increase integrity. This is almost the norm on driver's licenses. Unique graphic identifiers, such as allowing only the red-bordered cardholders to access an area, help differentiate security levels.

You can also purchase card stock with pre-printed security features, including ultraviolet-visible text and graphics that are available in two colors, green and blue. With micro-printing, text can be added to a user's specifications, with deliberate random font changes and misspellings if desired. Character height is 0.005 in. (0.125mm). Pre-printed serial numbers can also be incorporated into card stock. Laser etching is another option.

Fine-line Guilloche patterns with hidden micro-text are aimed at foiling counterfeiters, and micro-printing of text and miniature graphic elements are also difficult to duplicate. An over-laminate film adds security to the printed ID card. The inner surface of the laminate can be pre-printed with OVI ink or UV-visible ink in one, two or three colors. And last, but not least, today's high-tech printers can also laminate with holographic metallization, including embossed micro-text.

Applications for such security-enhanced cards include drivers licenses; national health, social security and voter registration programs; badging for the armed forces, law enforcement and government agency personnel; and access and identification for educational institutions, industry and transportation.

Keeping track of critical information

It is important to keep track of card transactions in the printer's host computer. For example, Zebra's ID/Log records the applicant's personal data, together with other point-of-issue data. This data set can provide a means for security officers to validate the card by comparing a photo ID card with this centrally located data.

Card serialization adds security. Printers with the magnetic stripe encoder, proximity encoder and smart card contact options can be set up to function only with serial numbered card stock, and also to add serial numbers to the data recorded by ID/Log.

Here's how card serialization works: All cards supplied to an organization using this system are pre-printed on the front or back with a serial number, which is also recorded on the card's credential medium, such as magnetic stripe, proximity chip or smart card IC. The ID card printer is configured to accept only serial numbered cards, and will eject, without printing, any card without the appropriate encoding. If a valid serial number is detected, the card is printed in the usual way.

The serial number read from the credential medium is recorded in the printer's host computer, where it is linked with the license or employee number and other data such as date, time and location. This data set is available for uploading at any time to the organization's central database.

As a result, the security officer can read, on-the-spot, an ID card that is linked in the database to a serial number without any special equipment. When transmitted to the central database, the serial number can, in turn, trigger a download to a local terminal. Now, in addition to the usual comparison of photo and subject, it is easy to check, instantly, the correlation of serial number and credentials.

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Robert Anderson is director of marketing for Zebra Card Printer Solutions.

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© 2012 Penton Media Inc.

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