Star is a proud long time supporter of printing from iOS and Mac OS X environments and is proud to add AirPort Express to our support line up! Follow the link at the end of this post for a step by step illustrated guide to learn how to print to a Star printer which is connected to an Apple Airport Express. Simply connect your Star Micronics Printer to the AirPort Express via USB cable and voila! Secure wireless printing achieved from your tablet, smart phone, or computer – applicable for iOS and Android devices alike.

Get step-by-step directions here.

For any help finding a Star printer for your Apple device, contact us at BarcodesInc.

Citizen & Socket: A Mobility Match

With the growing popularity of Android, iOS, and Blackberry devices there are more and more ways you can put theses devices to use.  One of the most common, is bringing the point of sale outside the 4 walls.  Mobile POS software is available for almost any mobile device but one of the biggest challenges is incorporating barcode scanning and receipt printing. You could always email a receipt or use the camera on your device as a scanner but many customer will want a physical receipt copy and your camera is a poor substitute for a proper scanner.

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Encoding a magnetic stripe on your card is a quick and easy way to increase the security of your card, track individuals entry or exit, or serve as an avenue to track usage of products or services. With the advancement in technology, printing cards with magnetic stripes can be done with the use of the right card printer and magnetic stripe ID cards.

In order to encode the magnetic stripe on the card, your printer has to be equipped with a magnetic stripe encoder. Most card printer models provide the option to purchase the printer with the magnetic stripe encoding enabled. For example, Datacard’s SD260, Fargo’s DTC4000 and Zebra’s ZXP Series 3 printers all come with a variety of part numbers which have the ability to encode the cards. Other factors such as volume and interface would help narrow your options to find the right printer for the job.

Finding a printer with the correct encoding technology is one step, the second is having the proper cards. Blank ID cards with magnetic stripes are very common with all manufacturers. The only variable you will have to determine is whether a high coercivity (HiCo) or low coercivity (LoCo) card is right for the solution.

•  High-coercivity magstripes are harder to erase, and therefore are appropriate for cards that are frequently used or that need to have a long life. High coercivity stripes are typically black and resistant to damage from most magnets likely to be owned by consumers
•  Low-coercivity magstripes require a lower amount of magnetic energy to record. Low coercivity stripes are easily damaged by even a brief contact with a magnetic purse strap or fastener.

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Compared to a laser or inkjet printer, thermal based barcode label printers are a much more economical option to create high quality labels and tags. These printers can create single labels instead of on whole sheets that are not really suitable for on-demand printing . In the long run, thermal barcode printers require less maintenance, have less expensive media, and print faster while maintaining excellent print quality.

Finding the right printer for your needs, however, can be challenge with all the available models and options.

The next 4 questions will help make the decision process easier and get you closer to best printer for your needs.

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Holograms are a great feature to have on an ID card to help prevent fraud and improve the security of your card issuance.  Many times, to incorporate a hologram you would need a laminating printer like the DTC4500 and a special laminate that has embedded holograms.  If you don’t have a laminating printer though, there is still an option to create cards with holograms.

Fargo offers a variety of ID cards that have holograms already embedded in the card itself.  Their VeriMark and Holomark cards come with hologram options in 8 different possible positions on the card.  Using a non-laminating printer like the DTC1000, all you need to do is make sure you print design doesn’t cover  the location of the hologram.

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Having a professional looking identification card with crisp images and no blemishes is must-have in today’s corporate and university environments. Card Printers certainly play a part in the process, but taking care of your blank ID card stock should be a priority. Improperly handling cards before printing can create flaws in your card stock that will be reflected or even magnified in your printed cards. The following are a few tips to consider when handling cards:

• Environment – Cards should be kept in the air-tight, water resistant containers when not in use. Most card stocks from Zebra, Fargo, Datacard, and Evolis come in 5 x 100 card packages. It is best to only open one container at a time. Cards also should be stored in a regulated temperature environment. Extreme heat or extreme cold can make cards brittle and more susceptible to snapping.

• Handling: Oils and fingerprints from your hands can leave a residue on the card that will impact the overall print quality of the card. We recommend only touching the edge of the cards when loading and handling your ID cards. Anti-static gloves can also be worn which will reduce the residue left on cards.

• Inputting: Always inspect the stock to make sure you have received the proper cards and no identifiable blemishes exist with in the cards.

For more information about ID cards and handling, contact us at Barcodes Inc.

There are wide variety of manufacturers and printer options for your ID Card needs. BarcodesInc carries all the top models from Fargo, Datacard, Zebra and a host of others and can help direct you to the ID solution that best fits your needs. When looking for an ID Card Printer, answering the following questions can limit your number of choices

1)      Single vs. Dual Print Side:

• Do you require a printer that will print on one side or two sides?

2)      Volume

• How many cards do you print per day? Larger volumes may warrant a more premium printer

3)      Print Technology

• Does your ID solution require a complete edge to edge print (Reverse Transfer) or can a small border be acceptable (Direct to Card)?

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Making sure you have the right type of ribbon for your Datacard ID Card printer is crucial to getting the most out of it. That said, it is not always very clear what the types of ribbon are for especially when acronyms like YMCKT and YMCKT-KT are used. Having the right type of ribbon for your specific needs will help reduce media costs and increase your printing efficiency.

The first concern when choosing a ribbon is if you are doing monochromatic(single color) or full color printing. Monochromatic printing is easy since the only concern is making sure the ribbon cartridge is matched to your printer model and the color you want.

Most applications, however, need to print full color cards and this is where all the acronyms start coming into play. Most commonly, cards are printed in full color on the front and are either blank on the back or only printed in black. In both of these cases there are different ribbons that should be used to print accurately and efficiently.

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Mobile printers are deployed primarily to improve productivity. By giving users a tool to produce labels and receipts exactly when and where they’re needed, enterprises save the steps required to travel to a stationary or vehicle-mounted printer, pick up the print output, and bring it back to where it is needed. These steps build unnecessary labor cost into printing operations. Therefore, the value a mobile printer provides depends directly on how it supports productivity.

“Productivity enhancement” isn’t a line item on mobile printer spec sheets that organizations can use to easily compare different models. Instead, spec sheets list printer sizes and weights, print widths, media compatibility, wireless connectivity support, I/Os, power sources and other configuration options that add up to thousands of potential choices. Understanding how these features and options relate to mobile printer productivity and reliability is essential for choosing the best printer for your operations.

There are five fundamental tips for finding the mobile printer that provides the best fit:

1. Respect the work environment.
2. Understand user needs.
3. Don’t deviate from enterprise security and integration standards.
4. Match the mobile printer to its computer.
5. Consider operating cost as part of total cost.

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With a free or inexpensive app you can turn the Android or iPhone smartphone in your pocket into a powerful data-collecting barcode scanner for basic inventory management, asset tracking, and ticketing needs.

Most apps you will find in iTunes and Google Play only focus on reading barcodes for checking product prices, but there are also many apps ideal for small business and enterprise users.

We reviewed hundreds of apps to bring you the 10 of the most useful barcode scanner apps.

Read our full review of barcode scanner apps.