Choosing an ID Card Printer – Evolis or Magicard

Both Evolis and Magicard are well known manufacturers of ID card printers, but let’s take a more in depth at two of their models to compare what you get from a Evolis Pebble compared to a Magicard Pronto.



*Only with Professional Software

On First glance you may think the features of the Evolis Pebble 4 Colour ID Printer far outweigh the features of the Magicard Pronto but although these two card printers are close in the features they offer their speed and their connections. It is important to consider the difference in cost between the two printers.

The two printers both offer single side printing can be used to encode magnetic strips and smart cards with the right encoders. Print using Colour dye sublimation and monochrome thermal transfer. Produce Cards at a fairly high speed for a printer, allow for cards to be designed using free software.
The two card printers do have some differences. The Magicard Pronto is not quite as fast as the Evolis Pebble and doesn’t have the memory and feeder and hopper devices. It does offer Holokote Security Watermarking and allow for rewritable cards to be used.

If it comes down to cost then you do need to consider that the Magicard Pronto card printers are £995 each, but you will need to buy the professional software if you want to make cards with magnetic strips and smart cards you will need the extra software for £299, making a total of £1294

The Evolis Pebble is £1658.33 which is more expensive but all the software is included, the badges print in high definition at 300dpi, it’s faster and does have more add-ons to the actual machine.

It is always worth considering what you want out of an ID Card printer and making your selection based on what suits your organisation.

Uses of ID Card Printers

Getting an ID card printer could be one of the best decisions you make today. ID card printers
If you work in a secure environment or simply want an easy way to comply with health and safety legislation then buying an ID card printer could be the easy way to comply with these regulations. With a high number of staff, keeping track of staff for fire regulations can be a challenge. If you buy an ID card printer that produces a metal strip that stores information like the top of the range Evolis ID Card Printers. You can use the ID cards to track entry and exit from the office a way of adhering to fire safety regulations and keeping an eye on staff working hours.

If you have a badge that displays the information then staff can know each other’s names without having to ask, beneficial in a large organisation where everybody doesn’t necessary know each other.

In a large organisation you can restrict access using ID cards to only part of a building or only certain facilities, for example restrict access to photocopiers and printers.
As well as staff you can also produce ID cards for visitors, this once again complies with security and fire procedures and can be especially handy in meetings so you know all your visitors names with a clear easy to read printed badge rather than a someone’s handwritten badge.
There are a number of Evolis ID card printers in their range, offering a range of options from 3 colour options, the printer comes with free software to design your badge and they print at a high speed to produce a high quality encoded card within seconds. The Evolis 4 colour pebble ID card printer offers a similar product but with the option to print in 4 colours with an exchangeable machine cover making it an attractive office machine that will blend in with any enviroment. Both these machines have a detatchable 100 card feeder to save you having to put the cards into the machine manually.
If you want a simpler ID card printer then why not consider less colours and a card printer that allows you to print on a smaller scale like the Evolis Tattoo 2 colour printer, a perfect choice if you want to use barcodes on your id cards and have no need for magnetic strip encoding.
For an environment where you may be worried about people forging an id card, it may be worth considering Magicard Pronto Card Printers , this printer uses a sublimation process that allows a holographic film to be put on top of the card to discourage anyone from trying to create a forgery of the cards, the cards are also rewritable so can be used more than once

Whichever ID card printer is suitable for your company, make sure you come to Continua for all your Office Supplies.

Continua partners with iMM

Continua have recently announced a new partnership with DocumentX, the UK distributor for International Mailroom Machines (iMM), a new UK manufacturer of poly wrapping solutions.

As the UK's number one provider of multi-vendor maintenance for print-to-post production equipment, Continua will incorporate the new range of iMM poly wrapping solutions to its maintenance services as well as enable both Continua and DocumentX to provide their combined customer base with flexible, user friendly and productive poly wrapping solutions.

Commenting on the print production market and Continua's growth plans for the next 12-18 months, Mark Cannons, Managing Director at Continua said: "The recession has had an impact on all businesses and this has meant tighter budgets and a strong demand for efficient and flexible solutions."

iMM offer a range of poly wrapping equipment, i6-series, which includes the Compact, Flexi and Maxi. The iMM i6-series has been designed by flexible, east to operate and productive. This combined with a small foot print and a relatively low price makes it an ideal choice for start-up mailers investing in their first poly wrapping solution.

With a top operating speed of 7,000 packs per hour, the iMM i6-series is the perfect polywrap solution for all mailers that wish to increase profits through easy and quick change over between different jobs. The flexible solution handles pack sizes up to A3 in size and 50mm in thickness.

Automatic settings for the wrapping unit are displayed on the large colour touch screen. Whilst print registration reading for printed film is a standard feature on all iMM poly wrappers, the i6-series also has a "learn" function where by the operator puts a set on the track and the solution measures the pack and saves the job.

The series uses servo motion technology and state of the art electronics and are all supplied with a built-in vacuum shuttle main feeders. All other feeders on the system are stand alone which can be connected to the poly wrapper when required. We offer a choice of two different vacuum rotary feeders and two different friction feeders. The solution can also be fitted with a variety of feeders including pick-and-place feeders, gimmick feeders, autoloaders etc. Making the iMM i6 series one of the most flexible poly wrapping solutions in the market.

Xerox Premium Carbonless Paper has been specifically developed for laser printers and copiers

Carbonless forms, NCR paper, Carbon copy paper, NCR forms, NCR sets, Carbonless paper... Whatever you call it, Continua have a solution!

Advantages for printer

• Enables quick turnaround times.
• Delivers superb runnability on short or long run printing.
• Eliminates the need to outsource.
• Non-contaminating chemistry improves productivity.
• Features crisp, durable imaging.
• Print on demand - eliminating obsolete forms and reducing storage costs.
• Makes sequential numbering fast and easy.
• Satisfaction guaranteed!

Advantages for people who use forms

• Features dark and crisp imaging.
• Personalises forms with variable data.
• Speeds data collection through bar coding.
• Reduces inventory and storage costs by printing on demand.
• Improves accuracy because key areas can be colour-highlighted.
• Enhances brand value through use of colour.
• Satisfaction guaranteed!

Continua stock a wide range of Xerox Premium Carbonless Paper - all competitively prices per box.

Our friendly Office Supplies team are available to help on the phone: 01582 578999, via email: info@continua.ltd.uk, or even in person at our offices in Luton, Bedfordshire.

Xerox Nuvera 120 EA Classic Mono Printer

Buying a printer can be a tough task, especially for people who do not know what brand to buy. There are many competing brands in the market right now and one of the main problems a consumer finds is to be able to figure out what brand will provide excellent value for money. Here at Continua we have plenty of printers to choose from and most of them can do all of the same things, however we have some printer that stand out from the rest. One of the best printers that people can buy right now is the Xerox Nuvera. This printer produces top of the line image quality and when the result is compared to other printers, you can really see the difference.

The Xerox mono printer does not only print but also does photocopying and scanning and many other functions. It is a great buy for people who are always using printers, scanners and photocopying machines to be able to get an all-in-one device that will really last. Big companies who do a lot of paperwork can benefit from this product because of what it can do. It can easily replace all the other printers and photocopying machines they have. This printer can also be used all day long to satisfy all the printing needs and there will be no problems because this product is already tried and tested.

The printer can print on 120 papers per minute which is one of the fastest speed that people can find. Most printers do not even come close to what this printer can do. People might be wondering why the printer is so big and one reason for that is there is a huge space for all the paper that is needed. Thousands of pieces of paper can be fed so that the need to refill the printer with paper will be less. The sizes of the image can also be adjusted easily so that there is no need to use a computer anymore for minor adjustments of images.

The Xerox Nuvera 120 EA Classic Mono Printer is the ultimate printer when image quality is your concern and having it do what all the other printers can do makes it the best choice among all printers that people can choose from. The images are very accurate and consistent which means that every print will be a satisfaction.

Continua's Sitma Polywrap Machine

For printing, over-wrapping and laminating needs the Continua Sitma Polywrap Machines are the most reliable and efficient equipment. There are different types of polywrap machines to choose from according to its speed and productivity. These machines may have the following features like an optional shrink wrapping processor for cards and calendars, unlimited feeder options for magazines, examination papers, newspapers and books, enable a quick setup from one job to another, horizontal manual insertion, efficient speed controls and less machine maintenance.

The Continua Sitma Polywrap machines are popular among the commercial printers, packaging and mailing houses in the UK. They are used to keep and protect items like magazines, books and other materials during shipment, provide authentication seal and instructions. The polywrap also provides graphics for advertising, address label, warnings and bar codes while the shrink wrap is used to laminate the cover of a magazine, a book or photos.

Here at Continua, refurbished Sitma Polywrap Machines are available and spare parts can also be ordered. Replacement of parts, part exchange deals, trade-in deals, and maintenance services are done to suit the customer’s needs and requirements. We sell used office equipment at a much more affordable price. All equipment and items purchased from Continua can be returned with no liability because we ensure all of our customers are in safe hands.

Why not have some fun with Xerox FunFlip™?

.... It’s something your customers will never forget.

Do you remember when you were a kid in the play ground and you played a game called Fortune Teller with folded paper that had numbers and colours, well the Xerox FunFlip is exactly like it and works in the same way, it is an interactive four-sided dimensional application, the perfect alternative to a traditional 4” x 6” photo. You can print whatever you want on it.

Photo consumers will love it, it’s perfect for party invites, or for groups of friends, teams etc. Businesses will embrace it for product promotions. It is the perfect way to get your message across in a Fun way – it’s the origami of media applications!

It’s available from Continua at a great price, along with the rest of the Xerox Special Media Photo range.

Here’s some more details;-

Features
• 216mm x 279mm carrier sheet
• 200gsm Matt uncoated stock
• Pre-die cut with release liner on back
• Produces a 3” x 3” (76mm x 76mm) square with 4 views

Uses
• Invitations
• Product Promotions
• Menus
• Business cards
• Company Presentations
• Party Gifts
• Holiday Cards
How to use in your Printer
• Unload output tray every 10-20 sheets (Perfect for a Xerox Phaser 7760 Colour Printer)
• Keep sheets in original packaging when storing or not in use
• Carefully fan all sheets before loading into the paper tray
• Do not fill the tray beyond the Fill Line

Part Number: 003R96904
Format: 216 x 279 mm
Weight: 200g/m²
Sheets / Box: 100

Go ahead and try it now!

Introducing the revolutionary Xerox EverFlat Paper™

Here at Continua we now stock Xerox EverFlat paper. Ideal for digitally printed books and currently on offer, this high quality paper is not to be missed!

You can now produce distinctive books with pages that lay and stay flat.

You can design your books with expanded layout options for text, graphics and photos including full crossovers without image loss.

Everflat is so easy to use so you can produce your books without any fuss in no time at all it’s simple and user friendly.

It’s Easy to hold and Easy to read, the pages lie flat and won’t flip over on their own. Xerox EverFlat Paper is truly the new solution for applications such as:
• Photo books
• Cook books
• Music books
• Computer/Technical manuals
• Text books

Everflat paper is made from 220 g/m² Xerox Colotech+ Silk Coated paper and with Xerox paper you are guaranteed the very best print quality for your books.

Take a closer look at our great Landscape Silk EverFlat, in size 320mm x 330mm. Complete with competitive pricing from Continua.

When it comes to printing using the EverFlat it could not be simpler the unique hinge won’t add any complexity to your printing process. EverFlat paper runs just like regular paper. The only exception is loading the paper with the hinge in the proper orientation for your printer. This is detailed on the instruction sheet found inside each box.

As shown below, when printing a crossover image it can spread over the two to achieved panoramic images, without image loss in the centre.

This product is the perfect complement to our Unibind Photobook range – where you are able to bind Xerox EverFlat pages into a book.

For more information, please have a look at our website with all 3 sizes of Xerox EverFlat on; or contact our friendly Continua Supplies Team on 01582 578999.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all of our customers!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your custom in 2010.

We hope to continue the success of our website throughout 2011 with all your support and help.
As you all are aware the VAT rate has now changed to 20% on all products and this has been reflected in the checkout portion of the website when ordering goods.

Coming soon to the website we will be adding hundreds more products over the next few months and a feedback section to help us improve our customer relations as well as give us an insight into your preferred way of ordering goods, so please feel free to pass on your comments.

We look forward to hearing from you all again very soon!

For all your office equipment supplies then go to Continua.

Premium Nevertear

I would like to introduce everyone to Xerox’s range of Premium Nevertear. This is the perfect solution for frequently handled documents and outdoor applications. Premium Nevertear is a new essential of the office paper range that consists of a matt white film made of polyester that can be printed using both mono and colour printers enabling a vibrant image that enhances any application from price lists and menus to clothing tags, signs and posters. It is durable, tear resistant and water resistant with a superb print quality.

The range comes in a variety of different thicknesses 95 micron, 120 micron, 145 micron, 195 micron, 270 micron and 350 micron, all available in A4, A3, SRA3 and iGen3.

Premium Nevertear is a strong and durable creative paper eliminating the need for lamination saving you both money and time. Duplex printing can be used in conjunction with an appropriate printer and all thicknesses are suitable for offset printing with no set up, costs or proofing needed.

From first hand experience I can see the benefits of Premium Nevertear, the 95 micron paper has a smooth, soft feel and is perfect for internal department and phone number lists, directions or notifications to customers and clients and announcements. The 270 micron paper has the same smooth feel but with outstanding rigidity which is perfect for menu’s, placemats, hotel door hangers and tourist guides.

For all your office equipment supplies then go to Continua.

Evolis Pebble 4 Colour ID Card Printer

Evolis Pebble 4 Colour ID Card Printer

I think every office needs a card printer, specifically the Evolis Pebble 4 Colour ID Card Printer. It is an innovative and dynamic idea, designed to cater for all your office solution needs. For example, the card printer can produce one off personalisation of plastic cards, single and double sided printing of badges, student ID’s, access badges, loyalty cards, business cards, payment cards and much more.

With an advanced printing engine, the Pebble 4 delivers high-definition solutions within seconds. The printer benefits from the latest encoding technologies of ISO or JIS2 magnetic tracks and a smart card with both contact and contactless (RFID). These encoding options can be combined to personalise multi featured cards.

The printer comes with a 100 card feeder but can also be used as an over the counter display with a manual feeding option for instant delivery to the customer. The compactness of the printer allows it to be integrated into any office.

The printer is very versatile, with colours to suit your environment; you have the choice of three covers – Fire Red, Jungle Green and Ocean Blue. (Ocean Blue cover is standard, with Fire Red and Jungle Green with a 5 -7 day lead time).
Evolis is a trusted name and all Pebble 4 printers come with a three year warranty as well as 12 months onsite cover. Print jobs are never lost and the recovery system automatically resends pending jobs.

The printer produces 150 cards an hour in colour and 1000 cards an hour in monochrome. It is also easy to replace the ribbons, a clamshell opening ensures that it is easy to change ribbons, clean the printer and adjust card thickness. The printer comes standard with a Windows driver, which monitors the function of the printer, this informs the user via their computer that they need to replace the ribbon or that the card feeder is empty etc.

For all our range of card printers go to Printers/Machines>>Card Printers.

For all your office equipment supplies then go to Continua.

Xerox DigiBoard Range

Xerox DigiBoard Range is a new range of pre-creased, partially cut and perforated SRA3 210GSM packaging boards from Xerox. The creases and perforation are designed so that the surface remains flat, maintaining the print quality. Once your design is printed, simply guillotine the ‘Trim and Tape’ range or remove the perforations on the ‘Perf and Tabbed’ range, then fold your sheet into the final product. Both ranges have many solutions:

Trim and Tape:
Make your own CD Wallet, A4 Folder, Tent Card, A5 Folder, Pillow Pack, Mug Box, Wine Sleeve, Business Card Box, Tent Card Tall and A4 Show Card.

Perf and Tabbed:
Make your own Tent Card, Mug Box, Wine Sleeve, Tent Card Tall, CD Wrap, Door Hanger, Golf Ball Box, Desk Tidy, Gift Box.

As you can see some of the solutions are available in both ranges of DigiBoard.
You can download the template from our website for either solution as well as a PDF with the guidelines on printing the solution and either guillotining or perforating the product. These products are perfect for marketing your brand or company.

CD Wallet’s can be sent to customers and peers to provide information on up-to-date services or send your customer a company brochure on a CD, Tent Card’s can be set up in receptions or board rooms to promote up coming events and Wine Sleeves can be given to employees for achievements, just to say Merry Christmas! Or to celebrate a employees special occasion for example their wedding day, a christening etc.

For all your office equipment supplies then go to Continua.

Xerox Create Range

Xerox Create Range is a new range of customisable products for digital printing that have come on the market this year. The range aims to help promote and market your company through these products, adding the personal touch all customers appreciate.
The Create range has been designed to accommodate full colour printed insert sheets, these are available from our website in a PDF format, across a wide range of promotional solutions including ring binders, presentation boxes, displays, and more.

The Create range is perfect for personalisation, you can add your logo, message or brand to the products, promotional events where products such as the boutique bag can advertise your company, and all of the products in the range are reusable made from recycled material.
In our office we currently ran a promotion using the Mouse Mat, inserting a World Cup 2010 Wall Chart and sending it out to many of our customers. We received very positive feedback with requests for more mats. The Mouse Mat can be used repeatedly if not sealed at the open end where different pictures can be inserted.

Included with every product are templates of 160GSM Colour Impressions Paper, ready to be printed on and then inserted into the various polypropylene bodies. The Create product range can add value to your range of services and can help you stand out from the crowds.

For all your office equipment supplies then go to Continua.

Synthetic Media - Premium Nevertear

I would like to introduce everyone to Xerox’s range of Premium Nevertear. This is the perfect solution for frequently handled documents and outdoor applications. Premium Nevertear is a new essential of the office paper range that consists of a matt white film made of polyester that can be printed using both mono and colour printers enabling a vibrant image that enhances any application from price lists and menus to clothing tags, signs and posters. It is durable, tear resistant and water resistant with a superb print quality.

The range comes in a variety of different thicknesses 95 micron, 120 micron, 145 micron, 195 micron, 270 micron and 350 micron, all available in A4, A3, SRA3 and iGen3.
Premium Nevertear is a strong and durable creative paper eliminating the need for lamination saving you both money and time. Duplex printing can be used in conjunction with an appropriate printer and all thicknesses are suitable for offset printing with no set up, costs or proofing needed.

From first hand experience I can see the benefits of Premium Nevertear, the 95 micron paper has a smooth, soft feel and is perfect for internal department and phone number lists, directions or notifications to customers and clients and announcements. The 270 micron paper has the same smooth feel but with outstanding rigidity which is perfect for menu’s, placemats, hotel door hangers and tourist guides.

For all your office equipment supplies then go to Continua.

Xerox Alternative Cartridges for Hewlett Packard

I would like to introduce you to the range of Xerox Alternative Cartridges for Hewlett Packard printers which are a replacement for HP original cartridges. Some of you may already be familiar with these products and know of the numerous benefits when using these replacement cartridges, both environmentally and financially.

This range of Xerox Alternative Cartridges for HP printers are up to 20% below HP original cartridge prices. The Xerox Alternative Cartridges meet and exceed the performance of the original HP cartridges with the yield equal to or better than the OEM cartridges, most importantly the use of these compatible cartridges will not invalidate any HP warranty or maintenance that currently exists with your HP printer. This compatible range also covers 96% of HP mono cartridges and 93% of HP colour laser printer models.

Xerox’s rigorous testing and manufacturing process ensures you get first-class replacement cartridges, backed by multiple guarantees. Xerox will offer you a one year warranty (from the date of the purchase), as well as a 100% risk free guarantee and 100% performance guarantee. Xerox Environment Health and Safety (EH&S) have also conducted a comprehensive analysis to ensure that all Xerox Alternative Cartridges do not contain hazardous materials that could prove harmful to people or to the environment. EH&S also ensures that all legal statutes are met.

Unibind

I would like to introduce everyone to a new and perhaps revolutionary form of book binding. I saw these products for the first time in June 2009 and could immediately see how they could be used for every kind of application at home and in the office.

There are many features and benefits of the Unibind binding machines throughout their products range. With an extensive range of finishes and colours to choose from, you are able to customise the products to your specific needs. The beauty of Unibind is that there is so much choice; the photobooks for example are perfect for personal photo albums, school yearbooks and portfolios.

The Photobooks are available in both landscape and portrait, with a choice of window as well as the option of A3, A4 and A5. Other applications that these books are perfect for are school ofsted reports, school leaver’s books, dissertations, sports day’s photos, scripts and plays, short stories, autograph books and much, much more!

The Steelbook is an essential product for usage as corporate diaries, reports, company presentations and handbooks. Other useful products are the Steelcrystal and Steelmat books, these have transparent front and back covers that are bound together and could hold a range of documents from reports to price lists.

You can also add a customised cover by using an offset printing service, transfer printing, a hotfoil option enabling you to add a company logo, a silkscreen printing service, the aforementioned windows, gold and silver corners to add that extra touch and on request special cover sizes and materials.

The technology of Unibind is amazingly user friendly. With affordable Resin Binding machines that can bind four documents at once, an affordable Wirebinder Machine for the Punch Steelbinding products and an affordable and easy to use Stapler for the Staple Steelbinding products, you can sit in the comfort of your own home or office and make professional looking documents in a matter of minutes.

The Resin Steelbinding machines are small and compact so that they can be easily stored away, the heating compartment will only warm up once a product is placed on it, giving you piece of mind that safety will not be compromised. By reheating your document you can also edit and add pages. The possibilities are endless!

Go to Continua for all of your print equipment and office supplies.

Keeping The Workplace Clean

The global pandemic of Swine Flu has affected most people. With 300,000 cases confirmed around the world this has drawn attention to cleanliness in everyday life, especially in the workplace.

It is important to sanitise the surfaces that you touch on a regular basis for example, your keyboard, telephone and mouse with the NHS advice indicating that the most effective way to slow down the spread of a pandemic flu is by stopping the spread of germs. There are many ways in which to do this, such as washing your hands regularly and using tissues to cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough.

To aid us in keeping our workplace clean AF have designed office cleaning products to specifically cleanse and sanitise your computers, keyboards, printers, telephones, screens, laptops and other office equipment and office supplies.

Some of the office cleaning products I have come across and recommend to keep your work area clean are the AF Interactive White Board Wipes for effective removal of dry ink residue and grease. This product is important for clear presentation and cleanliness during important tasks such as management meetings or presentations.

There is also the AF Mouse and Keyboard Cleaning Kit, currently one of our special offers and essential for anyone who works at a desk all day. The foam buds and mouseclene spray clean the contacts inside the mouse ball housing, helping to keep controlled cursor movement as well as being able to get in between the keys on your keyboard for a thorough clean.

Another handy product is the Foamclene. This anti-static foaming cleaner is for removing ingrained grease, dust and dirt and can be used on plastic casings, office furniture and walls, while its anti-static properties reduce the build up of dust.

The most versatile product from the AF range is the Screen Wipes. The wet/dry sachet duo is suitable for cleaning all computer and laptop screens as well as touch pad and plasma technologies, phone screens and iPod screens. The wet wipe removes dirt, dust, grease and grime from your screen and the dry wipe dries and buffers for a clean finish minus streaks and smears.

These are just a few of the products that can be found in the AF cleaning range, there are a whole host of other products from phone cleaning wipes to lens cleaning CD Roms to cleaning cloths to Sprayduster’s which are perfect for cleaning hard to reach places such as the inside of a printer.

For all of your office equipment supplies then go to Continua