Can I print on Clamshell Employee Badges?
Clamshell proximity cards are extremely popular with access control systems for smart employee badges, making it easy to enter into buildings with a simple wave of a card. But the cards overall look plain white. Many companies would prefer to have their branding on these cards. Can you print on them to add cardholder information or your business’s branding?
Short Answer – No.
When you order the cards you have the option to have the manufacturer custom print them, so the cards arrive already printed and branded.
But because of the thickness of the card construction, you cannot use an ID card printer to print on clamshell cards.
But you can work around that by printing on thin adhesive-backed CR-80 cards. These cards are only 10mil thick, so they may not be compatible with every ID card printer – make sure to check your printer’s technical specifications.
Size of Employee Badges
As mentioned before, the size of the id badges needs to be considered as the the casings for the id cards are quite different. Clamshell employee id cards are significantly thicker, stiffer, and much more difficult to carry in a holder or your wallet. Printable surface proximity cards are the same size and thickness of a standard credit card, allowing them to fit better for your employee to keep in their wallet or holder.
Disadvantages to using Clamshell Employee ID Cards
While the clamshell employee cards are able to house one technology (e.g., proximity OR iClass technology), the printable surface cards bring a greater flexibility with the ability to house multiple technologies on one card. The most common example which many companies are using is having proximity and magnetic stripe on the same card cutting down on waste and saving on the environment. This allows companies to use one card for multiple requirements throughout the building.
If you need to speak to someone about your employee id badge solution, give us a call and we’ll be more than happy to help you with any questions you may have. You can reach us at 01 460 2200 or visit dbcidentity.ie