| The ID card market has changed over the past | | | | consider the cost of trying to duplicate an ID card |
| several years as affordable solutions have reached | | | | utilizing this technology, you have to include the cost of |
| the marketplace. Today, someone can purchase an ID | | | | the equipment plus the cost of getting a design |
| card printer for less than $2,000 that provides the | | | | created (if possible, because of the limited companies |
| ability to print plastic photo identification cards. Now | | | | in the market and the registration of the imbedded |
| there are other elements that are required such as | | | | marks) and then the minimum orders required to get |
| software, digital camera and computer, but the | | | | started. Ultimately to produce a good forgery today, |
| solutions have definitely stepped down from being | | | | someone would have to spend approximately $20,000 |
| unreachable as far as price is concerned. There are | | | | or more US dollars to be able to do so. And again, that |
| several solutions that have been introduced to prevent | | | | would be if they knew the right people that could even |
| fraudulent identification cards from being produced and | | | | make something like this happen since there are |
| we want to review a few to help you understand | | | | presently only two organizations that produce ID card |
| them. | | | | secure laminations. |
| One of the earliest forms of counterfeit protection | | | | Now that we've discussed the difficulty in duplicating |
| methods is what is found on almost any form of paper | | | | the laminate and the expense involved, let me explain |
| currency regardless of its country of origin as well as | | | | why the expense and difficulty. State of the art |
| on many of today's government identification cards. It's | | | | technology has been developed and embedded into |
| the line artwork found on the corners and borders and | | | | these laminates including security features such as |
| it's called Guilloche printing. This methodology of | | | | holograms, micro and nano text, laser visible imaging, |
| counterfeit protection was developed when copy | | | | and ultraviolet colors. Each of these items are available, |
| machines were not as sophisticated as they are | | | | each at a cost when it comes to producing your |
| today, during a time when counterfeiting required | | | | secure laminate for your identification card needs. |
| someone copying the details as an artist would copy a | | | | Regardless of the initial cost, once these technologies |
| painting. Today with the advances on imaging and | | | | have been incorporated into your overlaid laminate, you |
| digital duplication, this form of counterfeit protection is | | | | alone have the ability to purchase this exclusive |
| just not sufficient; therefore there have been many | | | | custom secure design. |
| new methods introduced. | | | | There are companies in the marketplace that have the |
| Many of these new types of forgery prevention have | | | | ability to assist in designing your identification cards as |
| had to do with the lamination that can be placed on | | | | well as assisting in the setup of security features such |
| top of an ID card. There are many reasons that this | | | | as RFID and the lamination techniques discussed here. |
| lamination has become one of the fullest proof | | | | One of the companies we should mention is this |
| methods of ensuring identification cards are original and | | | | organization specializes in producing photo identification |
| nearly impossible to duplicate. Before we begin to | | | | cards for companies of all sizes as well as |
| discuss the different types of security placed into the | | | | governments and government agencies. Some of the |
| lamination, it's important to understand that presently | | | | many projects they have underway include national |
| there are only two companies in the global | | | | identification cards for existing and emerging nations. |
| marketplace that produce this secure lamination | | | | At the present time they are unable to disclose many |
| technology. Each of these companies also allows the | | | | of the projects that have begun; however, they are |
| customer to register the lamination produced. This | | | | stepping up as one of the leaders in the industry. |
| alone creates a barrier to duplication simply because | | | | As many of the older technologies utilized to prevent |
| of the limited sources. There are other facets that | | | | fraudulent duplication of identification cards have |
| cause the technologies within lamination to be hard to | | | | become easily imitated, one of the best methodologies |
| duplicate and the cost barrier is one of them. | | | | in today's marketplace to prevent duplication is the use |
| To produce a lamination for a particular purpose, a | | | | of highly sophisticated laminates. There are other |
| design has to be established. Producing this design can | | | | forms of forgery prevention, but not many of them are |
| cost anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 based on the | | | | as affordable on a per card basis as today's laminate |
| technologies embedded into the product. Then after | | | | technologies. Who knows what the future holds, but |
| the design has been created and registered, there are | | | | for now, there are not many better or more affordable |
| minimum orders that must be met. Therefore, if you | | | | solutions. |