Blog
Notes from the service bench.
Tips, explainers, and product news for anyone running a card program.
Every post, newest first
Explainer · 2026
NFC vs RFID: What's the Difference for Cards?
NFC is one kind of RFID. What actually separates the cards you buy: frequency, phones, range, and which chip your system expects.
Read →Explainer · 2026
How Do Hotel Key Cards Work?
What the front desk writes, what the lock checks, RFID versus LoCo stripe keys, and the five reasons a hotel key stops working.
Read →Explainer · 2026
How Do Magnetic Stripe Cards Work?
How a stripe stores data, the three tracks, HiCo versus LoCo, and why a stripe that worked last week stops working.
Read →Buying · 2026
How to Make Student ID Cards
Print in house, add them to picture day, or send the roster to a printing service. What each takes, and how to avoid the fall rush problems.
Read →Buying · 2026
How Much Does an ID Card Printer Cost?
The price bands, and the running cost most buyers forget until it is too late. Why the cheaper printer is often the expensive one.
Read →Buying · 2026
What Does It Cost to Print an ID Card?
Cost per card, worked through properly: ribbon yield, card stock, and the monochrome lever most organizations never pull.
Read →Support · 2026
Is My ID Card Printer Worth Repairing?
Which faults are routine wear, which need a real calculation, and the four situations where we tell people not to bother.
Read →Tips · 2026
Need an ID Card Printed Today?
The realistic options when somebody needs a badge today, including the reserve stock that turns a multi-day problem into a two-minute one.
Read →Tips · 2026
5 Signs It's Time to Replace Your ID Card Printer
Persistent fading, daily jams, dead-end drivers and vanishing consumables. The signals worth acting on, and the one that is not a signal at all.
Read →Explainer · 2026
Prox vs Smart Cards: What's the Difference?
Both open doors and look identical. What actually separates them on security, cost and capability, and how to tell which your readers use.
Read →