The best printer/encoder choice for personalizing contact or contactless cards that incorporate these two- and three-dimensional elements is a unit that employs high definition printing (HDP) retransfer technology. This technology produces crisp, high-definition, continuous-tone images on technology cards made from a variety of materials, including those with embedded electronics. Unlike traditional direct-to-card (DTC) print technology, HDP technology transfers printed images to a special film that is then fused smoothly to the card, sealing the image under the film for increased durability and fraud protection. This printing approach also eliminates risks of misprints from irregularities or abnormalities on or below the card’s surface, and allows images to be printed on one or both sides and over the card edge. HDP retransfer technology yields higher print quality with vibrant colors and sharp text and graphics that replicate the look of preprinted cards and is ideally suited for producing cards carrying a contact chip, or contactless cards with an embedded antenna. 

HDP printing solutions feature encoding capabilities for magnetic stripe and both contact and contactless smart cards. By equipping these printers with smart card encoding modules and utilizing third-party card issuance software, campuses can ask their integrators to develop a variety of contact and contactless EMV smart card encoding solutions with custom features and capabilities. Solutions can be developed for a standard, direct-to-card printer platform, as well as point of sale (POS) terminals and other equipment, enabling financial institutions to produce and encode EMV cards that can be read by a variety of PIN pads, POS terminals and other payment devices featuring compatible encoder and reader solutions. 

In addition to protecting the integrity of credentials and cardholders by using a printer/encoder solution that supports multiple layers of visual and digital security, it is also critical to protect the integrity of the overall issuance system through a multi-layered security approach.

First, limit access to physical components by unauthorized users. Mechanical locks should be used to control access to printers, including the card input and output hoppers as well as the rejected cards. Some printers include a lockable security housing that protects cards in the input, reject and output hoppers, and which can be bolted to a countertop. Physical locks should also be placed on all access points to protect consumables such as ribbon and film. 

The second layer is electronic security. This includes using personal identification numbers (PINs) to control operator access to each printer. It is important to ensure that print job data packets meet or exceed advanced encryption standards. This is necessary to ensure system privacy, integrity and authentication all the way through to the final issuance endpoint. Some printers also include an internal print server for secure network printing.

The third layer is to ensure automatic elimination of personal data on used print ribbon panels. Some card printers increase security by including integrated sensors that only permit the use of custom print ribbons and holographic card overlaminates in authorized printers.

Convenienceand Efficiency

With a solid security foundation in place, campuses should next evaluate available solutions in terms of their convenience and efficiency features. Printers should include a variety of operational convenience features to optimize uptime. To improve efficiency, some solutions include capabilities like cartridge-based card handling for simple reloading or changing of card stock, and the use of high-yield ribbon and film cartridges to enable quick loading while eliminating the waste of torn materials from re-spooling.

These and other features provide campuses with a convenient and efficient solution for issuing EMV cards, raising customer service and loyalty to a new level. 

Optimizing Dis
tributed Issuance

While a centralized card issuance solution offers benefits including low cost per card, better economization of supplies, and simplified operator training and system maintenance, this model does not enable banks to personally hand a card to a customer, or at least get it to the customer within a day or so.  With the latest printers, however, integrators don’t have to sacrifice the benefits of centralized printers in order to adopt a distributed issuance model. Today’s ruggedized desktop printer/encoder units can be pooled to handle large-volume, centralized card runs, and they also can be deployed individually for on-the-spot card issuance at branch campuses. Financial institutions also can deploy a combination of both centralized and distributed printing solutions throughout the branch network, and scale volume capabilities up or down depending on changing demand.

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