FAQ
10 things you should know about Integrated Cards:
  1. A true integrated card is die cut from the same material as the card carrier. Both the card and the form are printed at one time - thereby guaranteeing color consistency. There is no need for separate card manufacturing.
  2. There are many different kinds of specialty products available. From magnetic stripe cards to holographic laminates to laser compatible integrated magnets for metal surfaces such as a refrigerator (ideal for all sorts of marketing devices such as home delivery advertisements, sport schedules, or business cards - the possibilities are endless).
  3. Don't forget to place instructions on how to remove and use the card on the carrier, preferably right next to the card. Different varieties of integrated cards require different handling - particularly a "self-laminating" card.
  4. If the card is going to be variable imaged later, find out what kind of printer will be used to image the card. Be sure to get complete printer specifications to insure trouble free runability.
  5. Is the card going to require a signature on the back? If so, be sure to specify a back laminate that is signature compatible.
  6. You can combine many value added features in one document - like an integrated card and an integrated label. By combining various processes on one document, you can increase the positive impact a document will have on your customer's efficiencies - which saves them money.
  7. Laminating the card extends its life - make sure you know what the life expectancy of your card is. While integrated cards have many advantages over plastic affixed cards, they will not last as long as the plastic cards. For longer lasting cards and better image protection, go to a dual lam product.
  8. Know the lingo and get samples - dual lam, butterfly cards - these terms will not mean a thing unless you can see them in action.
  9. As with any product that adds functionality to a document, it also adds value. These added features can actually save the user money or capture more revenue through a greater response rate or better efficiencies.
  10. Integrated cards are ideal for association membership cards, marketing vehicles, ID cards, business cards, gaming pieces, temporary cards, insurance cards, annual licenses, rewards programs, frequent buyer cards - the list is endless.
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E-mail Guidelines:
When emailing files to MAR, you need to include certain information in order for us to be able to use your file:
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FTP - How and why it is used:
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is commonly used throughout the Internet to transfer files from one computer to another. Basically, it allows you to directly transfer files from your computer to a server, then another user can go in at a later time and retrieve that file. The file resides on a secure server that is password protected, and remains there until you delete it. FTP offers many advantages over standard emailing of files, but it is important that you know its limitations.

For instance, the speed of your Internet connection determines how fast you can send a file, regardless of if you are using FTP or email. FTP will not speed up this initial transfer time - a 1 meg file will still take almost 19 minutes over a typical dial up modem. However, since FTP is a direct transfer of the file, you can be assured that your file has been successfully transferred - with email, it may take several hours for an email to actually arrive at its intended destination (though most emails typically take only a few minutes to arrive, but must still be downloaded by the intended recipient). Also, FTP'd files experience fewer problems with in-transfer corruption, and they can be left on the FTP server as long as you want, allowing users to re-download them as many times as they want. Many people also find FTP easier to use because it closely resembles typical file movements they make every day. Transferring a file over FTP is just as easy as transferring it from your hard drive to another disk.

Another distinct advantage of FTP over email is that FTP accounts typically allow for much larger files to be transferred. Email accounts, especially those from common providers such as AOL, have a much smaller capacity for file attachments. The larger graphic files of today's print world can easily max out an email account, whereas FTP accounts can handle files many times larger.

As for FTP programs, your choices are limitless, but there are many free or inexpensive FTP programs out there that work very well. Ipswitch has a $39 version of their WS_FTP program for PC users, and for Mac users, there's Fetch, which is a full featured program for only $25. Of course, you could always just use Netscape or MS Internet Explorer to access our FTP site - just contact us for specific instructions on how to use these free web browsers as an FTP program.
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Graphic Design Guidelines:

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Cross platform issues with Mac versus PC files:
While many file types have no problem going from a PC to a Mac environment, there are a few things you should know about transferring files across platforms.
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Microsoft Publisher users:
Microsoft Publisher has become a very common program for print designers - much to the dismay of many printers who do not like working with the program. While Publisher does have some limitations, it can still be used to create print ready files. Though Publisher does allow for a "Pack and Go" option just for sending your file to a printer, you can also create very good quality EPS files that any printer can readily accept. A few items to remember - you must embed any graphic images as you create your piece, and you must embed the fonts as well. The fonts should automatically embed - just be aware that some fonts cannot be embedded and some font substitutions may occur. Publisher comes with the MS Publisher Imagesetter printer driver that works very well for creating EPS files. Use this driver to create your EPS file - for detailed instructions see our Creating EPS files page.
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