The ID Edge team has worked with many schools over the last three decades, to help administrators create the best ID cards for their students. We still remember the days when a student’s information had to be typed out on a paper ID card, then their photo had to be cut out and applied to the paper card, and the entire ensemble would then go through a separate lamination process.
Back in those days, the printing of student ID cards was a time consuming process, and errors were very common. This made it quite difficult for educational institutions to invest the time into customizing the cards – they were already too busy just trying to get a basic card completed for each pupil!
With the amazing strides in ID printing technology over the last 15 years, much has changed. Today, printing student ID cards is incredibly easy, and the whole process can take as little as 60 seconds per card! This means that schools can place a much greater effort on the functionality of these cards, and leveraging a card’s visual aspects to its fullest.
A Student ID Card’s Purpose
One of the best ways to think about a student ID card is to look at what the card is supposed to accomplish.
- Security: First and foremost, a student ID card is about keeping the campus safe for all students. This means that the card must provide for easy student identification, as well as to ensure that a student is authorized to be at school that day (i.e. no suspensions or recent expulsions).
- School Spirit: In addition to campus security, an ID card is meant to boost unity among the students and promote the school spirit.
- Truancy Prevention: Another goal that can be achieved with a student ID card is the prevention of truancy. This is especially important in situations of seniors who sometimes have a free period or the ability to leave the campus for lunch, and staff may not be able to easily tell whether the student is actually authorized to do so.
- Event Admission and Resource Management: A student ID card is also an effective way to keep school events safe and to ensure that a student has paid the necessary fees for admission to various events. It can also function as a tracking method for use of resources like computers and library books.
Designing the Student ID Card
With the above points in mind, we can now take a deeper look at how a student ID card can be designed to meet some of these goals.
- Visual Design: A well-designed card can go a long way in enhancing campus security. Crisp photos of the student’s face and a unique layout of the pertinent information make it easy for staff to match the card to the card holder. This plays a big role in preventing unauthorized access. Additionally, a visually-balanced design with the school mascot and logo can boost student pride in their school.
- Therefore, it’s vital to invest the time into creating the right layout for the card, and using a high quality ID printer with the ability to print in color.
- Additionally, taking good student photos is a must. Every educational institution should invest in a high quality, high resolution camera, lighting, and a solid color backdrop.
- Security Features: There are many ways to add security features to the student ID card, with each feature having its own purpose.
- Information encoding with magnetic stripes or bar codes can make it easy for staff to see if a student is authorized to be on campus. Sure, they may have a student ID card, but what if they’ve been suspended or expelled? A magnetic stripe or a bar code reader can make it easy for staff to quickly assess the student’s record in the main database to see if the individual is allowed to be on campus. Further, the student’s class schedule becomes simple to see and to assess whether the individual is skipping class.
- UV printing ribbons and holographic overlays are another great feature, as they can place special identifying marks on the card, which makes it incredibly hard to forge.
- Lastly, security features, like magnetic stripes, can also function as payment systems. For example, some schools have moved away from using cash on their campuses to avoid theft, and allow students to add money to their cards for later use. This doesn’t just reduce potential theft between students, but also reduces theft from unscrupulous staff members handling cash.
More time for Education
Perhaps one of the least-discussed features of magnetic stripes in student ID cards is that they can add more study time to a student’s day. Even 5-10 years ago, many high schools and middle schools relied on homeroom roll call to assess student attendance.
However, some schools have switched to using magnetic stripe readers at campus entry points to keep track of attendance. This allows teachers to devote more time to education rather than administration.
What’s Your Plan?
Today’s ID printing technology has given an incredible array of options for schools and educators. Here at ID Edge, we are honored to have helped many schools find novel ways of utilizing student ID cards in a way that helps reduce overall costs and gives teachers and administrators more tools to help the young men and women who will one day lead our country.
If you’d like help in finding the best ways to leverage your current ID technology, please get in touch with us. We have extensive experience working with schools and can save you lots of time and frustration in figuring out the best steps. Talking to our expert staff is always free – so give us a call at (800) 798-3343, or send us an email through the Contact Form.