It can be difficult for campus card offices to strike the right balance between card durability and security, but according identification specialist 3iD Management, card offices can kill two birds with one stone.

Adding card lamination to the printing process adds an extra layer of security while also improving the lifespan of a credential. It’s a two-step process that 3iD says can add value to an ID.

Without going into extreme detail, the two-step lamination process is performed by a card printer that features a laminator. First, the card printer either prints onto a retransfer ribbon or directly onto the card itself. Lamination is the second and final step in the process, providing the card with protective film.

Using hot rollers with temperatures in excess of 375°, laminators essentially stick the laminate film material onto the card giving it a protective casing.

As 3iD explains, standard PVC cards will warp under the intense heat of lamination, so composite PVC-PET cards are a necessity.

Laminates can protect all the valuable information on a card from daily wear, fading and dye re-sublimation, preserving bar codes, signatures, logos and cardholder images. 3iD estimates that adding a topcoat laminate can protect a card for two to three years and are recommended for environments requiring medium durability and minimal tamper resistance. Durability isn’t the only advantage to card lamination, as card security stands to benefit from the topcoat film as well.

3iD explains that holographic laminates give an ID card a high level of protection by adding complex visual security elements. The optical images of the ribbons often feature extremely high definition and even 3D-animated images.

The more complex the holographic laminate is, the more effective it will be in deterring counterfeits. 3iD states that it’s not possible to duplicate a hologram with a scanner or color photocopying machine nor is it possible to construct or copy a hologram using standard printing processes.

There are two options when it comes to holographic laminates, standard and custom. Standard holographic laminates are available on the open market and offer a comparably lower level of security than their custom counterparts.

Simply put, one solution for two challenges.