In partnership with SPECSid, ThingMagic and Vanguard ID Systems, Digital Identification Solutions is demonstrating the ability to print and encode GEN2 RF identification cards on demand and in less than one minute using desktop ID card printers at this weeks RFID Journal Live 2008 in Las Vegas, NV.
While GEN2 RFID is commercially proven for inventory/product management and tracking, it is a relatively new method for identifying and/or tracking people. Current “people” applications are limited to border crossing programs, such as the new enhanced drivers license used by or under consideration for use in U.S. States bordering Canada and Mexico.
The solution being shown this week at RFID Journal Live! 2008 (www.rfidjournalevents.com/live) uses ID cards from Vanguard ID Systems (http://http://www.vanguardid.com). These card blanks contain a GEN2 UHF inlay that can be encoded during the card printing process, then read nearly 30 feet away, making them ideal for applications where a card needs to be read well before the cardholder reaches a checkpoint.
The enrollment and card production software is provided by SPECSid (www.specsid.com), a division of the Canadian-based firm SPECS Computer Software Ltd. that specializes in custom solutions for advanced identification needs. The software manages the enrollment of cardholder data, including the capture of a digital photo, and then instructs an EDIsecure® XID580ie ID card printer (www.xid580ie.com) from Digital Identification Solutions to encode a value into the GEN2 inlay of a blank card and personalize it by printing the cardholders personal data and photo onto the card. The encoding and printing process takes about 45 seconds and is initiated via a single print command. The SPECSid software accomplishes the encoding by communicating with a ThingMagic (www.thingmagic.com) M4e or M5e GEN2 encoder that is embedded into the EDIsecure® XID printer.
The EDIsecure® XID580ie printer from Digital Identification Solutions (www.digital-identification.com) utilizes retransfer printing, often referred to as reverse image and high definition printing, to print an image onto one or both sides of an ID card. Retransfer type printing is the preferred method for printing whenever electronics of any type, such as the GEN2 tag/inlay, are embedded into a card. Retransfer type card printing is almost always preferred when the card body is made of materials other than PVC, which is the case with the Vanguard cards. The cards are made with Teslin®, which is an alternative plastic material that offers increased durability and flexibility for many card applications.