Zebra introduces dual-sided plastic card printer/encoder
16 August, 2006
category: Education
Zebra Technologies has launched a new plastic card printer/encoder with dual-sized flexibility that allows ID cards to contain more printed information and larger photographs for easier visual identification, the company says.
CAMARILLO, Calif.- Zebra Technologies, a worldwide leader in card printing and barcode labeling solutions, has introduced the Zebra P430i desktop plastic card printer/encoder, a dual-sided addition to the company’s Performance line of card printers. The full-color P430i is feature-rich and meets the needs of a wide variety of mission-critical applications in corporations, government agencies, educational institutions and retail environments.
“The P430i takes all of the advantages of Zebra’s most popular card printer, the P330i, then adds the benefit of dual-sided printing,” explained Bob Anderson, director of worldwide marketing for Zebra Card Printer Solutions. “The advantages of printing on both sides of the card are tremendous, and the P430i is the most reliable, powerful and expandable card printer you can use to make great dual-sided ID cards.”
Printing on both sides of the card offers many options for designing more functional and more attractive personalized identification, security, gift and loyalty cards. More printed information can be added and larger photographs can be used for easier visual identification. Reduced crowding of information provides better readability.
For example, the front of an identity/access control card could feature an employee’s photo and name, the organization’s logo and a color code for level of access, while the back could include a barcode, plus text of employee information such as height & weight, department, supervisor and level of clearance. Membership, loyalty and gift cards can easily be personalized with a photograph and the bearer’s name on one side, with details about store locations, maps, or even special promotions on the back.
Innovative Design Provides Options
The Zebra P430i uses the same wide range of options as Zebra’s industry-leading P330i single-sided printer. A patented card feeder system provides reliability via simplicity, using the weight of the card stack itself to ensure consistent feeding. The P430i supports the range of card thickness used worldwide, printing on cards as thin as 10-mil or as thick as 60-mil.
The design allows the card feeder capacity to be increased from 100 cards to 220 cards (30-mil) with the simple addition of an input feeder extension. This option increases user efficiency, reducing the need for user interaction. Users can load the ribbon and up to 200 cards at a time without having to stop the printing process. The P430i also identifies cards that fail to encode correctly which are automatically sent to a reject bin before printing. This saves the operator money by not wasting print ribbon on non-functional cards.
Contact smart card encoding and magnetic stripe encoding are available with the P430i. With these options, users can encode magnetic stripes and encode/read ISO 7816 contact smart chips (the most common contact smart card standard).
In addition to the USB interface included in all configurations of the P430i, Zebra also offers built-in Ethernet connectivity as a factory-installed or field upgradeable option, allowing remote printing and remote encoding. Based on a next-generation 10/100 Mbps design, the printer can be administered remotely from any location using ZebraNet(R) Bridge Print Server utility software.
User convenience and productivity features of the P430i include an LCD display, translucent covers for print viewing and a patented cleaning cartridge. Advanced RFID technology makes P430i printer configuration quick and easy, with automatic ribbon type detection and correct setup for quality card printing. The integrated card output hopper slides back into the enclosure when not in use to avoid being lost or damaged.
For easy setup, Zebra i Series Windows drivers are certified to work with Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP to provide plug-and-play operation. As with all i Series printers, the P430i utilizes Zebra TrueColours ribbons. Zebra’s color formulation produces superior print quality and a more accurate range of color reproduction.
The new P430i printer also meets the European Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) standards which restrict the use of lead, mercury, cadmium, and other hazardous substances in the manufacture of various types of electronic and electrical equipment.
About Zebra Card Printer Solutions
A world leader in desktop card printers, Zebra Card Printer Solutions is a division of Zebra Technologies Corporation, which delivers innovative and reliable on-demand printing solutions to businesses and governments in 100 countries around the world. A broad range of applications benefit from Zebra brand thermal barcode label and receipt printers and plastic card printers (formerly branded Eltron(R)), resulting in enhanced security, increased productivity, improved quality, lower costs and better customer service. For further information, go to www.zebra.com or www.zebracard.com.
