Plastic card printers have improved a lot in recent years. The material is more and more compact and designed. Their use has become very simple and intuitive, thanks to the development of powerful software. With the improvement of the technologies, we can also observe a strong decrease of the prices which allows more and more companies and businesses to have access to their own autonomous printing solution.
Elliaden offers you a set of concrete examples of the use of card printers in various fields.
Pierre : manager of a gym
Pierre is the manager of a gym, his business is doing well and he would like to open a second gym in town. He would like to set up a membership card system allowing his clients to have access to both gyms easily.
In addition, he noticed that many clients would like to come in early in the morning or early in the evening after work. So he decided to kill two birds with one stone and add a module to his printer to module to encode RFID access chips.
Thus, members can come to the room outside of opening hours by simply passing their badge on the RFID reader reader at the entrance. This measure allows them to cover a 50% larger time slot at a low cost and without having to hire staff.
A few months later, Pierre discovered that he could install applications on his membership cards by himself, thanks to a very simple software.
Clients can now access their entire sports program directly on their card by scanning it on a screen in the room.
In addition, it collects data on the attendance of its gyms allowing it to optimize the planning of its employees.
RFID chips and data encoding may seem complex and very "high tech" but it is not. Pierre was able to set up his membership card solution from his computer using a compact card printer with very simple personalization software, all for less than 1000 euros.
Example of printers models that Pierre can use:
Jeanne: owner of a clothing store
Jeanne is the owner of a women's clothing store in the city center.
In 2 years, she has built up a small clientele but she would like to better retain her customers and offer them attractive discounts to reward them for their loyalty.
She thinks of two things.
Create loyalty cards
Each customer benefits from a 10% discount on her purchases thanks to her loyalty card.
But she is also thinking of offering her customers more special cards that they can buy or give as gifts.
Gift cards
These gift cards can be offered to friends who can then spend the amount offered in Jeanne's store.
But Jeanne has a question.
Isn't this type of equipment reserved for the big brands?
She discovers that for a very modest budget, she can buy a plastic card printerShe discovered that for a very modest budget, she could buy a plastic card printer, compact (it won't take up much space on the counter of her store), and design.
From now on, she offers each of her customers the store's loyalty card, which she can print on the spot in less than 30 seconds.
It collects the contact information of its customers and can send them text messages during sales and promotions.
In front of her cash register, she also displays a small display of gift cards of 15, 50 and 100€, which she printed herself.
At each checkout, customers have direct visual access to these gift cards.
Since she set up her plastic card printing system, the number of customers in the store has increased, with regular customers coming back more often, and thanks to the gift cards, new customers discovering the store.
Examples of printers models that Jeanne can use:
Marie-Pierre : director of a large school
Marie-Pierre is the director of a large school.
Until now, it ordered large quantities of selfie cards each year through a personalized plastic card printing website. In order to be more autonomous and flexible, she decided to equip herself with a plastic card printer.
She was pleasantly surprised to discover that for cards with a basic magnetic strip, the cost of the printer was actually lower than she had imagined; the same goes for the cost of production per unit. The investment will pay for itself in the third year.
The stand-alone printing solution offers great flexibility (read our article on the advantages of instant plastic card issuance).
When an outside worker comes or a student loses his or her card, she can produce a new one in less than a minute. The software supplied with the printer allows her to personalize the badges in a few clicks with the school's colors.
In addition, the school welcomes students in higher education for professional courses. Its printer also allows it to produce student cards easily without changing anything in its installation.
If the company wishes to increase the functionalities of its printer, it can install additional modules to, for example encode contactless chips and have access to more complex applications.
Example of models that can be used by Marie-Pierre :
Julie : Employee of a large company
Julie works at the reception desk of a large company.
On a daily basis, she prints and distributes dozens of visitor badges and employee access cards using a compact and stylish thermal printer.
This standalone printing solution has greatly simplified the management of people flows within the company.
Each visitor receives a personalized personalized identification badge with different access levels.
Julie can produce these cards in less than a minute using specific software and without any prior training. The badges are personalized with the company's colors and a photographic resolution that gives a good brand image.
The printer easily finds its place on the reception desk with its design and compact dimensions. Another advantage is that it can be easily transported. The company can take it with them when they professional events or trade fairs..
Example of Models used by Julie :
Elsa : Employee of a nuclear power plant
Elsa works in a nuclear power plant, each area is ultra-secure and restricted to certain employees.
Thanks to its access badge which she uses daily, she can go to her office.
Since the information contained in the access badges is sensitive, the central office has equipped itself with an autonomous printing solution.
Thus, the production of the badges is done in-house, in complete security.
Thanks to a high-end card printer, it is possible to quickly and easily produce ultra-secure and fully personalized access badges for each employee or visitor.
This allows the security manager to know at any time who has access to which area, and who is in which area.
The badges are virtually unbreakable thanks to numerous security options such as encryption and host authentication or holographic lamination.
The data is encrypted and the badge can be deactivated in a few moments if it is lost.
Example of Models used by Julie :
There is a badge printer model for every need, from the ultra-secure machine for administrations and large companies to easy-to-access models for small businesses and associations.
Their uses are very varied, but they all offer the advantage of making your life easier, whether for convenience, security or business development.
For more information, you can consult our guide to plastic card printers. Do not hesitate to visit the Elliaden website to discover our wide range of printers and ask our specialists for advice.