MyBinding Knowledge Base
What are my options for ID Badge Holders?
A work badge or ID is one of those things that is way too easy to misplace. Losing a work badge can be, at best, embarrassing and frustrating for the employee, and at worst, expensive for a company. But having a selection of badge holders on hand can make it easier for employees to hang on to their cards – and save you money at the same time. Here are several different types of badge holders that are currently available.
Earth-Friendly Holders
If you’re concerned about the planet, check out earth-friendly badge holders. These holders contain no phthalates (toxic chemicals) so they’re great if you need a versatile badge holder that’s good for both you and the environment.
Reflective and Anti-Static Holders
Safety should always come first and with a reflective badge holder, you can be sure your badge will easily be seen, even in low-light conditions. Some badge holders even glow in the dark, so they’d be great at events such as concerts or parties. Meanwhile, anti-static badge holders help prevent the build-up of static electricity, so you don’t zap yourself. (Or somebody else.) You can also get an anti-static card holder that’s ideal for storing cards with a magnetic strip in them.
Shielded Smart Card Holders
This product is a patent pending shielded badge holder that’s made to protect government-issued ID cards from being read by the wrong people. Government-issued smart cards have a chip in them that contains a lot of sensitive information, so it’s important to make sure that the cards can’t be accessed by unauthorized personnel or readers. However, it is also important that users can have their cards read by the right people when necessary. Using one of these shielded card holders all you need to do is squeeze the top of the holder and it will split open so the data can be read by a scanner.
Rigid Plastic Holders
These are good badge holders that are perfect for everyday use. They come in several different styles and colors, and are available in both horizontal and vertical formats. One of these types of holders has an extractor slide that makes it easy to slide a card in and out of the holder, so they’re great for use with magnetic strip and chip cards. There’s also a convertible card holder that can be used either horizontally or vertically, thanks to a clip on the back that swivels. Most rigid plastic badge holders will have a slot and chain holes so that you can use them with lanyards, badge reels or neck chains.
Proximity Badge Holders
This type of holder is ideal for people who use proximity cards at work to open doors, etc. Proximity cards are delicate and expensive, and proximity badge holders can help protect them. The card is even secured in the holder when a strap is laced through the loops in the top of the holder, so the card can’t fall out and get lost. You can also purchase locking card holders that permanently lock a card into place.
Vinyl Holders
Like the rigid plastic holders, vinyl holders come in a variety of styles and are good for a bunch of different needs. Some of these holders have clips on the back so you can attach one to your clothing, while other can be used with lanyards or chains. There are even re-sealable card holders that help keep your card clean, and colored holders for when you want to make a statement. Vinyl badge-holders are often used for name tags at meetings, events, conferences and trade shows.
< Over the years, a number of customers have asked me whether they can use twin loop wire with their plastic comb binding machine. These customers often don’t want to have to buy a brand new machine but like the look and feel of twin loop wire binding. However, the answer to their question isn’t as simple as it seems. You see, they actually do make twin loop wire that is designed to work with the plastic comb binding hole pattern. With that said, if you want to use these wires you are going to need a way to close the wires. What is Spiral-O Wire? Let me explain a little bit more…There is a product that we carry called Spiral-O Wire. This wire has 19 loops and is designed to work with the hole pattern from a plastic comb binding machine. Spiral-O Wire is sometimes called Wire Combs or Ibico Wire and was originally designed for use with some of the older Ibico binding machines. A number of the older Ibico plastic comb binding machines also included a twin loop wire closer on the front of them to allow users to use both plastic combs and wire. This 19 loop wire was designed for this purpose. What Equipment is Needed? As the Ibico brand has been phased out by GBC and all of the older Ibico plastic binding machines have been replaced with new models, they no longer have the twin loop wire closer on the front of them. This presents a problem in trying to use these spiral-o wires since you can’t use the wires without a way to close them. One of the only options left is to purchase a Twin Loop wire closer. However, since twin loop wire closers are not incredibly cheap this option usually only appeals to users who have larger electric plastic comb binding machines. Otherwise, it is often advisable to simply buy a low end 3:1 pitch twin loop wire binding machine (the supplies are cheaper). This being said, if you have one of the older Ibico binding machines that has a wire closer included you are in luck. The Spiral-O binding supplies that we carry will work perfectly with your machine and you will be able to use both plastic combs and wire depending on your needs. These Spiral-O binding supplies are available in Black, Silver, White, Blue and Red and in sizes up to 1″ in diameter. If you aren’t sure what type of wire binding supplies that you need to work with your machine simply give us a call. Our trained sales representatives will be glad to help you find the correct supplies for use with your machine.(Read More)
