Id Centre

IDCentre Bronze, Silver, and Gold
Online Reference Library

This file contains information about Datacard® IDCentre™
identification software version 6.5 or higher. Some information
included here may not apply to your environment.
Please choose a title below to view the document, or click on the

titles to the left of this page.
Operator’s Guide for IDCentre Version 6
Administrator’s Guide for IDCentre Version 6
Datacard® CP Series Printer and Magnetic Stripe

Plug-ins
Datacard® Smart Driver™ and ImageCard® Printer and

Magnetic Stripe Plug-ins
Datacard® 150i and 275/280P/295 Card

Personalization Systems: Guide for Use with IDCentre
Software
Legal Notices
Conventions Used in this Library

Comments? Suggestions?
IDCentre Version 6 Online Reference Library

Legal Notices
© 1999–2007 DataCard Corporation. All rights reserved.
U.S. Patent No. 6,632,250.
This publication and the accompanying software are proprietary to

DataCard Corporation and are protected under U.S. patent and
copyright laws as well as various international laws and treaties.
This publication may not be copied, translated, sold, or otherwise
transferred to a third party, in whole or in part, without the
express written permission of DataCard Corporation.
Information in this publication is subject to change without notice.

DataCard Corporation assumes no responsibility for any errors
that may appear in this publication.
Names and logos in sample projects are fictitious. Any similarity to

actual names, trademarks, or trade names is coincidental.
Adobe and Photoshop are registered trademarks and Type

Manager is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Microsoft, Vista, and Windows are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Pentium is a registered
trademark of Intel Corporation.
All other product names are trademarks of their respective

owners.
Portions of this product were created using LEADTOOLS © 1991-

2005 LEAD Technologies, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Portions
of this product are licensed under US patent 5,327,254 and foreign
counterparts.
Portions of the bar code technology of this product are copyrighted

by StrandWare, Inc.

Gold Edition: Binary PDF417 barcode technology provided in this product is
copyrighted by TAL Technologies, Inc.
Conventions Used in this Library
Notes remind or inform you of something you should know

before proceeding.
Names of menus, dialog box options, and buttons appear in bold
type.
File names also appear in bold type, and the variable part of the file
name is in bold italics (for example, project name.iwx indicates
that you supply the project name while iwx remains constant).
Names of keyboard keys appear in large and small capital letters

(for example, ENTER).
Information you enter appears in regular italic type (for example,

you may be instructed to type Admin to log in to an IDCentre
application).
Parts of dialog box names that change depending on a name you

supplied appear in brackets [ ].
Gold Edition: Information that applies only to certain IDCentre editions is
identified by a phrase similar to this one in the left margin.
Blue text indicates a jump (link) to the referenced topic for online
reading.

Comments? Suggestions?
Please send comments, suggestions, or corrections to:
IDCentre Information Development
Mail Stop 210
Datacard Group
11111 Bren Road West
Minnetonka, MN 55343-9015 USA
Or send an e-mail message to:

[email protected]

Operator’s Guide for
IDCentre Version 6
Contents
About the Operator’s Guide _________________________________________________ iv
Chapter 1: System Overview _________________________________________ 1
Introducing the IDCentre “Project” ___________________________________________ 1
Getting Started______________________________________________________________ 3
Log In to an IDCentre Application ________________________________________ 3
Changing Your User Password ____________________________________________ 4
Using the Welcome Dialog Box ___________________________________________ 5
Using IDCentre Applications______________________________________________ 5
Opening a Project __________________________________________________________ 7
Chapter 2: Using the IDCentre Production Application _________________ 9
Using an IDCentre Project ___________________________________________________ 9
Entering Information in Text Fields ________________________________________ 10
Entering Information in Date Fields _______________________________________ 12
Selecting Information in List Fields________________________________________ 13
Using Photo Fields ______________________________________________________ 14
Photo from File______________________________________________________ 15
TWAIN ______________________________________________________________ 16
TWAIN (Fast) ________________________________________________________ 17
Video for Windows __________________________________________________ 17
Video for Windows (Fast) ____________________________________________ 18
Optional Cameras _________________________________________________ 18
Selecting a Different Photo Source __________________________________ 19
Cropping and Adjusting Photos______________________________________ 19
Exporting Images ___________________________________________________ 22
Importing Images ___________________________________________________ 22
Adjusting Photo Backdrop Removal Parameters ______________________ 23
Using Signature Fields ___________________________________________________ 27
Signature from File __________________________________________________ 28
Optional Capture Devices __________________________________________ 28
Using Check Box Fields__________________________________________________ 29
Using Binary Fields ______________________________________________________ 30
Data from File ______________________________________________________ 31
Optional Capture Devices __________________________________________ 32
Verifying Identity ____________________________________________________ 32
ii IDCentre Version 6 Online Reference Library

Contents
Mandatory Fields________________________________________________________ 32
Read-only Fields_________________________________________________________ 32
Previewing Cards _______________________________________________________ 33
Printing Cards ___________________________________________________________ 34
Using a Project that is Connected to a Database _____________________________ 36
Changing Information in a Database_____________________________________ 37
Entering a New Database Record________________________________________ 40
Deleting a Database Record ____________________________________________ 41
Using a Project that is Connected to a Directory Service ______________________ 42
Changing Information in a Directory Service ______________________________ 43
Creating a New Directory Service Entry ___________________________________ 45
Chapter 3: Using the IDCentre Reporting Application __________________ 47
Reporting Procedure Overview ______________________________________________ 47
Selecting a Report ______________________________________________________ 48
Selecting Records _______________________________________________________ 48
Printing Reports _________________________________________________________ 48
Chapter 4: Searching the Database __________________________________ 51
Performing a Quick Search __________________________________________________ 52
Refining the Quick Search _______________________________________________ 53
Viewing Search Results __________________________________________________ 54
Navigating Search Results _______________________________________________ 57
Clearing a Record Set ___________________________________________________ 58
Running a Stored Advanced Search _________________________________________ 58
Creating an Advanced Search ______________________________________________ 59
Index_______________________________________________________________ 61
IDCentre Version 6 Operator’s Guide iii

About the Operator’s Guide
This document, part of the Online Reference Library, guides users of
the Production and Reporting applications through the tasks they
perform.
Other sources of information about IDCentre applications are:
• The CD insert tells how to install IDCentre software.
• The online help system tells you how to perform IDCentre tasks.
You can access the online help system from the Help menu in each
IDCentre application or by pressing the F1 key.
• The Administrator’s Guide, also part of the Online Reference

Library, explains why you might want to use the various features
available in the IDCentre applications. It also suggests the order in
which tasks should be performed.
iv IDCentre Version 6 Online Reference Library

Chapter 1: System
Overview
Datacard® IDCentre™ identification software includes five

applications:
IDCentre Designer lets a System Administrator create projects that

meet your organization’s specific needs for card designs, report
designs, data entry, and database access.
IDCentre Production lets you use the projects you create in the
Designer application to gather information, access your database, and
print identification cards.
IDCentre Reporting lets you generate and print image-rich reports

from your database.
IDCentre Administrator contains tools to manage user accounts,

monitor security, and configure your IDCentre software.
IDCentre View lets a receptionist or guard verify that a person

attempting to enter the facility should be allowed access.
Introducing the IDCentre “Project”

An IDCentre project is similar to a folder or directory on a computer: it
is the container that holds information about an identification
implementation.
IDCentre Version 6 Operator’s Guide 1

System Overview
A project contains a Production Form and one or more card designs.

Optionally, your project can contain one or more report designs and
one or more stored searches.
Bronze Edition: Bronze Edition projects can contain only one card design.
By using field connections, information entered in a Production Form

can be saved in a database, printed on a card, used in a report, or all of
the above. The Production Form can also be used to query an existing
database so that you can add or change information in the database or
print cards and reports using information in the database.
2 IDCentre Version 6 Online Reference Library

System Overview
Getting Started
The rest of this chapter explains the steps you take to begin using your
IDCentre identification software.
Log In to an IDCentre Application

To begin using IDCentre software, on the taskbar, click Start, and then
click Programs, Datacard, IDCentre, and then IDCentre Production
or IDCentre Reporting.
In the User Login dialog box, type the User Name and User Password
given to you by your System Administrator, and then click the Log in
button.
When you are logged in to an IDCentre application, you do not need

to supply your user name and password again to start another
IDCentre application.
Your System Administrator may have configured your
computer to require logging in again if you have not used the
Production application after a certain period of time. If that
happens, you will see a dialog box similar to the following.

System Overview
Changing Your User Password

Each time you log in to an IDCentre application you have the
opportunity to change your user password. To change your password,
click the Change Password button any time before completing the
login.
Passwords can be 1 to 32 characters long and can include any

character you can type from the keyboard.
Gold Edition: Your System Administrator may have configured additional password
requirements.

System Overview
Using the Welcome Dialog Box

After you have changed your password or entered it and clicked Log
in, the Welcome dialog box appears.
From this dialog box you can open an existing project. If the project
you want to open is not listed, click More projects to display the Open
Project dialog box, which lists all IDCentre projects available to you.
You can also choose not to have the Welcome dialog box display by
clearing the check mark next to Show this window at startup. If you
hide the Welcome dialog box and later want to show it again, from the
menu bar, select View and then Show Welcome on startup.
Using IDCentre Applications

IDCentre applications let you perform most actions several ways: by
selecting menu commands using the mouse or the keyboard, by
clicking a toolbar button, or by clicking the right mouse button and
selecting from the pop-up menu. Key commands or shortcuts for
actions common to many applications—such as print and save—
follow Microsoft Office conventions; you do not have to relearn your
favorite shortcuts.

System Overview
Most IDCentre applications have several toolbars, and you can display
or hide toolbars to match the way you prefer to work. When you rest
the mouse pointer on a toolbar button, the name and function of the
button appears.
A status bar at the bottom of the window provides additional

information about the application. As with toolbars, you can choose to
view or hide the status bar.
Menu bar
Toolbars
Status bar

System Overview
Opening a Project
To open a project, from the menu bar select File and then Open
Project (either with the mouse or with the keyboard).
The Open Project dialog box opens. Select a project from the list of
projects that are available to you and then click the Open button.

System Overview

Chapter 2: Using the
IDCentre Production
Application
This chapter uses the sample projects that came with your IDCentre
software to explain your tasks. The projects you will use will be
created to meet your specific needs, but they will probably follow the
same general principles.
This chapter gives you background information about using the

IDCentre Production application. While you are using the software
you can get step-by-step instructions on the task you are doing by
pressing the F1 key or by selecting Help Topics from the Help menu.
Using an IDCentre Project

How your project opens depends on what privileges you have. If you
are allowed to enter new records, the pointer will be in the field that
the designer of the project designated as the starting field. (This is
usually the field in the upper left corner of the window.) If your
project is connected to a database, the New button on the toolbar will
be “pushed in” and there will be a check mark next to the New
command on the Record menu.
You can start entering information immediately. Most fields will have
a prompt that indicates the kind of information you are to enter in the
field. You can move between fields by tabbing or by clicking with the
mouse.

Using the IDCentre Production Application
The following sections discuss how to enter information into each type
of field you may find in your project.
If you need to start over with the record and your project is
connected to a database, from the menu bar select Record and
then Refresh. All fields will return to the way they were when
you selected the record from the database.
Entering Information in Text Fields
Text fields

Most fields will be text fields. There will be a maximum number of

characters you can enter in a text field. If a text field stops accepting
characters, it may be that you have reached the maximum field length.
If you enter more characters than the text field entry box can display,
the text might scroll. You can see all the text using the HOME, END, left
arrow, and right arrow keys. You can also ask the project designer to
make the text field wide enough to display all the text.
Some text fields may appear with characters already entered for you.
For example, an identification number might appear with hyphens
separating groups of digits. These fields have a “mask” applied to
them to make your job easier. As you type data into these fields, the
pointer will skip over the characters that are already there. Some other
ways masked text fields might behave are:
• Converting characters. For example, lowercase characters you type
might automatically be changed into uppercase characters.
• Requiring that you enter something in a field. If you try to print a
card or save a record without entering a value in such a text field,
you will see the message, “Mandatory character not present.”
When you click OK to clear the message, the pointer will appear in
the field you need to complete.
• Requiring a certain kind of character. If you type a letter into a

phone number field that is masked to accept only numeric
characters, the letter will not be accepted and the computer bell
will sound.
Other text fields may be completely filled in for you. Sometimes such
text is supplied as a convenience to you but you can change it. Other
times the field is read-only and you cannot change the contents.
Normally, read-only fields are indicated by gray text or some other
visual cue.

Entering Information in Date Fields
Date field
Date fields have separator characters (often slashes or hyphens) in

them. You must enter numbers for the day, month, and year in the
order that was specified when your project was created. If the prompt
for the date field does not tell you whether to enter the month first or
second and you enter it in the wrong position, an error message will
appear when you try to print a card or save the record. You can easily
change the order.
Some date fields also require that you enter a time. The time part of the
date field will appear to the right of the date. You must enter numbers

for the hour, minute, and second part of the time. If your project uses
the 12-hour time format, you will also need to enter AM or PM.
If you make a mistake while entering a date, move the pointer
to the right of the incorrect character, press the BACKSPACE
key, and then type the correct number.
Selecting Information in List Fields
List field
List fields have an arrow at the right side of the field. Instead of typing
information in them, you make a selection from the items in the list. To
see all the choices, click and hold on the arrow. See the online help
topic “Select an item in a list field” for ways to use the keyboard to
make list field selections.

Using Photo Fields
Photo field
What happens when you enter a photo field depends on how your
project was set up, whether your system has a camera, and, if so, what
kind of camera it is. The most common behavior is for a photo capture
to begin as soon as you enter the photo field. If no dialog box opens,
you must start the capture operation. From the menu bar, select
Capture and then Capture.
The dialog box for the default photo source opens. If an “Unable to
capture photo . . .” message appears, you must select a source for the
photo. From the menu bar, select Capture and then Select Capture
Source. See the online help topic “Select a photo source” for step-by-
step instructions.

If you need to select a source, check with your System

Administrator. They may have forgotten to assign a source.
The following paragraphs show the dialog boxes that open for the
photo sources that are available on all IDCentre computers.
Photo from File
If the photo source selected is Photo from File, the Open dialog box
opens. You use standard Windows navigation techniques to find the
drive, folder, and file that contains the photograph that should be
used. Your supervisor or IDCentre System Administrator will supply
you with the file location and file naming scheme to use. When you
select a file, a “thumbnail” of the file displays so you can verify that
you have the correct file.
When you have found the file you want, click Open. The Photo Crop
and Adjust dialog box opens, where you can center the subject or crop
out (eliminate) unnecessary background. See Cropping and Adjusting
Photos on page 19.

TWAIN
If the photo source selected is TWAIN, the TWAIN Interface dialog

box opens. (The TWAIN standard specifies how an application, such
as IDCentre Production, can activate a scanner, digital camera, or other
image-capturing device.)
When you click the Select Source button, the Select Source dialog box
opens. It lists all the TWAIN devices installed on your computer.
Select the device you want to use and click the Select button. The
Select Source dialog box closes. In the TWAIN Interface dialog box,
click the Acquire Photo button. The software application that is
associated with the device you selected opens.
Because there are many different TWAIN devices made by many

different manufacturers, this document cannot supply explicit
instructions for using your TWAIN device. See the documentation that
came with your device, or ask your supervisor or IDCentre System
Administrator for step-by-step instructions.

TWAIN (Fast)
If the photo source selected is TWAIN (Fast), the last TWAIN device
used is automatically selected. See the documentation that came with
your device or ask your System Administrator for step-by-step
instructions.
Video for Windows
If the photo source selected is Video for Windows, the Video for
Windows Interface dialog box opens.
When you click the Select Source button, the Select Source dialog box
opens. It lists all the Video for Windows devices installed on your
computer.
Select the device you want to use and click the OK button. The Select
Source dialog box closes.
If the Source list shows a Video for Windows source (possibly
designated VFW) and a Windows Driver Model (WDM)
source for your camera, selecting the Windows Driver Model
entry usually gives better results.

In the Video for Windows Interface dialog box, click the Acquire
Photo button. The Video for Windows Camera dialog box opens.
When your subject is ready, click Take Photo. The camera captures the
image and the label on the button changes to Retry. If the photo is
unacceptable (for example, if the subject’s eyes are closed), click Retry.
If the photo is acceptable, click OK. The Photo Crop and Adjust dialog
box opens. See Cropping and Adjusting Photos on page 19.
Video for Windows (Fast)
If the photo source selected is Video for Windows (Fast), the Video for
Windows Camera dialog box opens immediately. You do not have to
select a source.
Optional Cameras
In addition to the photo sources already described, your IDCentre

system may include an optional capture device, such as Datacard®
Photo Pointe™ software. These optional devices have special software
that makes them especially easy to use with your IDCentre system.
Optional cameras are explained in their own online documents, which
you access through the Windows Start menu.

Selecting a Different Photo Source
If you have the necessary privilege, you can use a photo source other
than the one specified when your project was created. See the online
help topic “Select a photo source” for step-by-step instructions.
Cropping and Adjusting Photos
If your IDCentre project allows you to crop photos, the Photo Crop
and Adjust dialog box will open as soon as you have selected your
photo. Your photo will appear in the image area with four squares,
called sizing handles, around the outside.

To zoom in on the subject (eliminate unnecessary background), click

and drag any sizing handle, then release the mouse button. The crop
box proportions, set by the project designer, remain constant.
After you have zoomed in, your subject may no longer be centered in
the crop box. To adjust the position of the crop box, move the mouse
until the pointer is inside the crop box. The pointer changes to a four-
way arrow. Click and drag the crop box to the position you want, and
then release the mouse button.
When the photo is as you want it, click the OK button. The Photo Crop
and Adjust dialog box closes, and the photo appears in the photo field.
Most of the time, cropping and adjusting is all you need to do to a

photo. But the Photo Crop and Adjust dialog box also offers the
following advanced capabilities.
Rotating Photos
Some previously taken photos may have an orientation different from

the one you need. You can compensate for this by rotating the photo as
necessary. Each time you click the Rotate button, the photo rotates
one-quarter turn clockwise.
Any cropping or adjusting you did is lost when you rotate a
photo. If you need to rotate the photo, do that first, and then
crop and adjust.
Selecting an Exposure
If the subject of the photo has a very light or very dark complexion,
you can improve the quality of the photo to some degree by clicking
the Photo Selection button.

An array of nine different brightnesses appears, with the original

exposure in the center. Select a photo by clicking it with the mouse or
by using the arrow keys to move the selection box.To adjust the
contrast of the photo, select the More button. You can also select from
nine choices for saturation. At any time you can start over or select OK
or press ENTER to accept the currently-selected photo. Your selection
appears in the image area of the Photo Crop and Adjust dialog box.
Remember, the final quality of the image is also affected by the
printer you are using to print your ID cards. Changing
lighting and camera settings should always be the first steps
you take to improve the photo. This selection option will not
make up for poor data.

Starting Over
You can undo all your changes (cropping, exposure selection, rotation)
by clicking the Restore Original button.
Cropping and Adjusting Existing Photos
If you have the necessary privilege, you can crop or adjust photos that
have been captured previously. First, locate the database record that
contains the photo you need to change. See chapter 4, Searching the
Database, or go to the online help topic “Find a record with Quick
Search” or “Find a record with Advanced Search”. Select the photo
field and, if necessary, cancel the dialog box that automatically opens.
From the menu bar, select Capture and then Crop and Adjust Photo.
The Photo Crop and Adjust dialog box opens.
Exporting Images
You can save an image you see in the Production window for use in
other applications using the Capture menu command, Export.
Gold Edition: You can export the images from all of the selected records at one time
using the Capture menu command, Export Images. This command
starts the Export wizard where you can select the location to save the
files, the Production Form field (text, list, or composite) used to name
each exported file, the file type, and an overwrite choice if you happen
to use duplicate file names. See the online help topic “About the Batch
Image Export Wizard” for step-by-step instructions.
Importing Images
You can import an image into the Production application using the
Capture menu command, Import.
Gold Edition: You can import images to all of the selected records at one time using
the Capture menu command, Import Images. This command starts the
Import wizard where you first select all of the photo and signature

fields into which you want to import an image. You will then select the
following information for each of the fields you selected; the source
directory, the Production Form field (text, list, or composite) used to
match each import file to each record, import file type, and an
overwrite choice for records where the image already exists. See the
online help topic “About the Batch Image Import Wizard” for step-by-
step instructions.
Adjusting Photo Backdrop Removal Parameters
Your IDCentre project may be set to remove the backdrop color from
photos of cardholders. This is often done so the card background
shows all around the person. The backdrop color is removed from the
photo as a card is printed. Photos are stored with the backdrop color in
place, and the success of the backdrop color removal depends on how
uniform the backdrop color is on the photo.
If your project uses backdrop color removal, you can use the Card
Preview to verify that all the backdrop color has been removed. (See
Previewing Cards on page 33.) If some of the backdrop color remains
and if you have the necessary privilege, you can use the Capture menu
command, Adjust Backdrop Removal Parameters, to improve the
image on the card.

In the Removal Method area, select Remove color from entire photo if
backdrop color is surrounded by another color (for example, if you can
see through the subject’s hair style, as in this photo). Be aware,
however, that if any part of the subject’s face or clothing is the same
color as the backdrop, that feature will also be removed. For example,
if the subject is wearing a shirt that has checks the same color as the
backdrop color, the checks in the shirt will be removed. If this occurs,
use the Advanced Controls and select the Remove color from around
the person option.
In the Removal Sensitivity area, select if some of the backdrop is

visible in the Card Preview. Select if some of the subject has been
removed.

After you have made changes to the settings, the results appear in the
large Backdrop Removed area. The original image is shown in the
smaller area next to the Help button.
If you are satisfied with the adjusted image, click OK. The Adjust
Photo Backdrop Removal Parameters - Basic dialog box closes and the
results of your adjustment are shown in the Card Preview. The
adjusted settings are used until you move off the current record. If you
click Cancel, the dialog box closes and your adjustments are
discarded. For additional capabilities, click Advanced Controls.
Advanced Controls
In the Removal Method area, if you select Remove color from around
the person, you can select from Low, Medium, or High edge detection
sensitivity.

In the Removal Sensitivity area, you increase or decrease the spectrum

of colors that are considered to be backdrop. Three attributes
determine what we think of as a color.
• Hue is described with the words we normally think of as

describing a color (red, yellow, etc.).
• Saturation might be described with words like vivid or pale. It
talks about the dominance of the hue.
• Value deals with lightness or darkness—how much black is in the
color.
You increase or decrease the range for the attribute by clicking the up
or down arrow. When you increase the range, more of the backdrop
color is removed.
You can control the ranges individually or you can select Move all
ranges together to control them as a group. You can also return to the
factory default settings or to the settings you last saved by clicking the
appropriate button.
When adjustments are complete, you can choose to use the current
settings for the current image only, for all images in the current
database search results, or for all photos from now on. If you select Use
for all photos, these settings become the ones you would return to if
you clicked the Saved Settings button at some future time.

Using Signature Fields

Bronze Edition: Signature fields are not available in IDCentre Bronze Edition. The next
relevant section for Bronze Edition users is Mandatory Fields on
page 32.
Signature field
What happens when you enter a signature field depends on how your
project was set up, whether your system has a signature pad, and, if
so, what kind of signature pad it is. The most common behavior is for a
signature capture dialog box to open as soon as you enter the
signature field. If no dialog box opens, you must start the capture
operation. From the menu bar, select Capture and then Capture.

The dialog box for the default signature source opens. If an “Unable to
capture signature . . .” message appears, you must select a source for
the signature. From the menu bar, select Capture and then Select
Capture Source.
Signature from File
If the signature source selected is Signature from File, the Open File
dialog box opens. You use standard Windows navigation techniques
to find the drive, folder, and file that should be used. Your supervisor
or IDCentre System Administrator will supply you with the file
location and file naming scheme to use.
Optional Capture Devices
In addition to Signature from File, your IDCentre system may include

an optional signature capture device, such as the Datacard Signature
Pointe™ solution. These optional devices have special software that
makes them especially easy to use with your IDCentre system.
Optional devices are explained in their own documents, which you
access through the Windows Start menu.

Using Check Box Fields

Bronze Edition: Check Box fields are not available in IDCentre Bronze Edition. The
next relevant section for Bronze Edition users is Mandatory Fields on
page 32.
IDCentre Silver Edition and Gold Edition allow a check box field to be
added to a Production Form. If your Production Form contains a check
box field that is not read-only, you can select the field using one of the
following methods:
• Click directly over the check box.
• With the check box field active (for example, you have tabbed to
the field), press the keyboard space bar.

Using Binary Fields

Gold Edition: Binary fields are available only in IDCentre Gold Edition software. The
next relevant section for Bronze Edition and Silver Edition users is
Mandatory Fields on page 32.
Binary field—data has been collected

Binary field—data needs to be collected
Binary fields give you a way to collect and use data that cannot be
displayed as characters or that should not be interpreted by the
IDCentre Gold Edition software. The two main uses for binary fields
are to load a smart card application on a smart card chip and to collect
or verify (or both) biometric data such as fingerprints.
What happens when you enter a binary field depends on how your
project was set up, how the field is used in your project, whether data

has been collected for the field or not, and whether your system has a
biometric capture device. The most common behavior is for a capture
dialog box to open as soon as you enter the binary field. If no dialog
box opens, you must start the capture operation. From the menu bar,
select Capture and then Capture.
If an “Unable to capture” message appears, you must select a source

for the binary field. From the menu bar, select Capture and then Select
Capture Source.
Data from File
If the source selected is Data from File, the Open File dialog box
opens. You use standard Windows navigation techniques to find the
drive, folder, and file that should be used. Your supervisor or
IDCentre System Administrator will supply you with the file location
and file naming scheme to use.

In addition to Data from File, your IDCentre system may include an

optional biometric capture device, such as the Datacard® Finger
Pointe™ solution. These optional devices have special software that
makes them especially easy to use with your IDCentre system.
Optional devices are explained in their own documents, which you
access through the Windows Start menu.
Verifying Identity
If your project is connected to a biometric device and the binary field

has data, you will probably be asked to verify a cardholder against the
stored biometric data. See the documentation that came with your
biometric device for verification procedures. If you need to recapture
biometric data, with the binary field selected, from the menu bar select
Capture and then Capture.
Mandatory Fields
There may be some fields on your Production Form that require you to
supply information. If you try to print a card or save the record
without completing a mandatory field, a message box appears. When
you click OK to clear the message, the pointer appears in the
mandatory field so you can complete it.
Read-only Fields
There may be some fields on your Production Form that contain
information you cannot change, such as a person’s birth date or the
number of times a card has been printed for that person. Those fields
are there for your information only. The pointer will not move to them
when you tab through the form and you cannot click in them to place
the pointer there.

Previewing Cards
To see a preview of the card that will be printed, from the menu bar
select View and then Card preview – front or Card preview – back. A
Card Preview opens. (You can see previews of both sides of the card
by selecting both card preview menu commands.)
You can move the Card Preview to a different location by clicking on

its title bar and dragging it to the new location. You can change the
size of the Card Preview by moving the mouse to an edge of the Card
Preview until the pointer turns into a two-way arrow, and then
clicking and dragging the edge of the Card Preview until it is the size
you want.
If your card design includes a bar code and if you enter too much data,
the bar code in the Preview will change to diagonal lines. If you enter
the wrong kind of data in the Production Form field associated with
the bar code (for example, a letter if the bar code type accepts only
numbers), the bar code in the Preview will change to a crosshatch
pattern. Cards with too much or unsupported bar code data will not
print.
Too much bar code data
Unsupported bar code data
If your card design includes a field that is printed with the topcoat
panel of the printing ribbon, that field will be displayed as white text

or shape. If the field is a graphic or photo, as in the following

illustration, it will appear as a black-and-white image.
Printing Cards
You can print each card as you gather the information or you can
collect information on a group of cardholders (saving it in the project
database) and then print the cards in a batch.
You may be able to print cards, print multiple copies of a card, reprint
cards, or some combination. Your IDCentre System Administrator
determines your card printing privileges.
If your IDCentre project is not connected to a database, you must print

each card as you gather the information.
If your project is connected to a database, you can print each card as

you gather the information or you can collect information on a group
of cardholders (saving it in a database) and then print the cards in a
batch. Working with projects that are connected to a database is
explained in the next section of this chapter.
You can print cards from either the Production Form view or the Table
view. (See the online help topics “Select Production Form View” and
“Select Table View”.) In table view, you can select a subset of records
returned from a search and print cards for only the selected records.
See chapter 4, Searching the Database, starting on page 51, for more
information.

Card printing works the same whether you print cards singly or in
batches:
1. Gather the cardholder information or select the record(s) to print.
2. To print a single card, from the menu bar select File and then Print
Card or click the Print button on the toolbar.
To print cards for all the records you selected, from the
menu bar select File and then Print All or click the Print all
button on the toolbar.
The Print Card(s) dialog box opens.
3. If necessary, select your card printer from the list.
4. If you want to print more than one copy of the card(s), enter the
number of copies you want.
5. If your printer has a magnetic stripe or smart card encoder, you

can choose to print the card, encode the card, or both by selecting
the appropriate check boxes.
6. Click OK. If you chose to print cards for multiple records, the
Batch Print Status dialog box opens.

Clicking the Cancel button stops processing cards.

However, cards that have already been processed will still
be sent to the printer and cards that have been sent cannot
be retrieved.
If you print cards in batches and if your IDCentre project was set up to
allow it, you can track the progress of your print request after it has
been sent to the printer:
1. From the Windows Start button, select Settings and then Printers
or Printers and Faxes. The appropriate dialog box opens.
2. Double-click on your card printer. A window with the name of
your printer opens. For each card in the print queue, the Document
Name column shows the contents of the field that was designated
for print tracking (for example, the Name field).
3. To update the list, from the menu bar of the printer window, select
View and then Refresh.
You can use a Windows printer capability to cancel a print job
that is in the printer’s queue. See Windows help for printers
for more information.
Using a Project that is Connected to a

Database
Many IDCentre projects are connected to a database. That is, the
information you gather is saved for future use not only by you but also
by other departments in your organization. In other cases, much of the
information was entered into the database by someone else, and you
retrieve it, add to it (perhaps the photograph), and save changes to the
database record.
Gold Edition: IDCentre Gold Edition allows projects to use a directory service
instead of a database. Using a project that is connected to a directory
service is explained on page 42.

If your IDCentre project is connected to a database, your menu bar will

have a Record menu and your toolbar will include additional buttons
and a list box.
Record menu appears when the

project is connected to a database
Additional buttons and list box

appear when the project
is connected to a database
Databases store information in tables. Each row of the table is called a

record, and that is why the new menu on the menu bar is named
Record—it deals with database records. Each column of the table is
known as a field. A column contains a category of information, such as
a name, a telephone number, or a photograph of the person described
in the record. The information you enter in fields in the IDCentre
Production Form can be stored in and retrieved from columns in a
database table. Searching the database to retrieve information is
explained in Searching the Database on page 51.
Changing Information in a Database

If you have permission to make changes to information in the
database, a Save button will appear on your toolbar and the Record
menu will have a Save command.

To change information in a database:
1. Locate the record you need to change. See Searching the Database
on page 51, or go to the online help topic “Find a record with Quick
Search” or “Find a record with Advanced Search”.
2. Click in or tab to the field that needs to be changed and correct the
information.
If you need to reverse all the changes you made to the record,
from the menu bar, select Record and then Refresh. The
information returns to the way the record is stored in the
database.
3. When all changes have been made, from the menu bar, select
Record and then Save (or click the button on the toolbar that looks
like a diskette). The changed information is saved in the database.
To make the same change to multiple database records:

1. Create a search request that finds all the records you want to
change (and only the records you want to change). See chapter 4,
Searching the Database, or go to the online help topic “Find a
record with Quick Search” or “Find a record with Advanced
Search”.
2. Change one or more fields in the first record.

3. From the menu bar, select Record and Update All. A confirmation
message appears.
4. Click Yes to change all records in the current group of records.

If you change a photo, signature, or binary field, a message
will appear saying that the field will be changed on the current
entry but not any other entries in the group. You will have the
opportunity to cancel the update operation or proceed.
You are not allowed to change a photo, signature, or binary

field for multiple records using the Update All command.

Entering a New Database Record

If you have permission to create records in the database, a New button
will appear on your toolbar and the Record menu will have a New
command.
To add a new record to a database:
Save time and effort when entering many new records. From
the Record menu, select Auto New Record on Save. A new
record will be started as soon as you save the current new
record.
1. From the menu bar, select Record and then New (or click the
button on the toolbar that has a yellow starburst). All fields are
cleared or set to their default value.
2. Enter data into the fields. See the online help topics “Enter data
into a text field” and related topics, as well as “Take a photo” for
step-by-step instructions.
3. When all information has been entered, from the menu bar, select
Record and then Save (or click the button on the toolbar that looks
like a diskette). The new record is saved in the database.
An IDCentre project can be set up so that a record is

automatically saved to the database each time a card is
printed. Ask your IDCentre System Administrator if your
project has been set up this way. If so, you do not have to
remember to save each record.

Deleting a Database Record

If you have permission to delete database records, a Delete button will
appear on your toolbar and the Record menu will have a Delete
command.
To delete a record from a database:
1. Locate the record you need to delete (see Searching the Database
on page 51, or go to the online help topic “Find a record”).
2. From the menu bar, select Record and then Delete (or click the
button on the toolbar that has an X). A confirmation message
appears.
3. Click Yes to delete the record. The record is deleted from the
database.
To delete multiple records, repeat the procedure above or use your

database program directly. Another way to delete multiple records is
to create a search request that finds all the records you want to delete
(and only the records you want to delete). See Searching the Database
on page 51, or go to the online help topic “Find a record” for more
information. Then, from the menu bar, select Record and Delete All (if
Delete All is available).

Using a Project that is Connected to a

Directory Service
Gold Edition: Some IDCentre Gold Edition projects are connected to a directory
service for data storage. If your IDCentre project is connected to a
directory service, your menu bar will have a Record menu and the
Quick Search button will be available on your Database Toolbar (if
you have it selected in the View menu).
Record menu appears when the project

is connected to a directory service
Search button is available when the project

is connected to a directory service
Directory services store information in objects. There can be many

entries in an object. Each entry is composed of attributes that have one
or more values. For example, an employee entry could have a “last
name” attribute. The information you enter in fields in the IDCentre
Production window can be stored as attribute values. Searching the
directory service to retrieve information is explained in Searching the
Database on page 51.

Changing Information in a Directory Service

If you have permission to make changes to information in the
directory service, a Save button will appear on your Database Toolbar
and the Record menu will have a Save command.
1. Locate the entry you need to change. See chapter 4, Searching the
Database, or go to the online help topic “Find a record with Quick
Search”.
2. Click in or tab to the field that needs to be changed and correct the
information.
If you need to reverse all the changes you made to the entry,
from the menu bar, select Record and then Refresh. The
information returns to the way the entry is stored in the
directory service.
3. When all changes have been made, from the menu bar, select
Record and then Save. The changed information is saved in the
directory service.

To make the same change to multiple directory service entries:
1. Create a search request that finds all the records you want to
change (and only the records you want to change). See chapter 4,
Searching the Database, or go to the online help topic “Find a
record with Quick Search” for more information.
2. Change one or more fields in the first entry.
3. From the menu bar, select Record and Update All. A confirmation
message appears.
4. Click Yes to change all entries in the current group.

If you change a photo, signature, or binary field, a message
will appear saying that the field will be changed on the current
entry but not any other entries in the group. You will have the
opportunity to cancel the update operation or proceed.

Creating a New Directory Service Entry

If you have permission to create entries in the directory service, a New
button will appear on your Database Toolbar and the Record menu
will have a New command.
To add an entry to a directory service:

Save time and effort when creating many new entries. From
the Record menu, select Auto New Record on Save. A new
entry will be started as soon as you save the current new
entry.
1. From the menu bar, select Record and then New. All fields are
cleared or set to their default value.
2. Enter data into the fields. See the online help topics “Enter data
into a text field” and related topics, as well as “Take a photo”, for

3. When all information has been entered, from the menu bar, select
Record and then Save. The new entry is saved in the directory
service.
An IDCentre project can be set up so that an entry is
automatically saved to the directory service each time a card is
printed. Ask your IDCentre System Administrator if your
project has been set up this way. If so, you do not have to
remember to save each entry.

Chapter 3: Using the
IDCentre Reporting
Application
This chapter uses the sample projects that came with your IDCentre
software to explain tasks you will perform in the IDCentre Reporting
application. The projects you use will be created to meet your specific
needs, but they will probably follow the same general principles.
This chapter gives you background information about using the

IDCentre Reporting application. While you are using the software you
can get step-by-step instructions on the task you are doing by pressing
the F1 key or by selecting Help Topics from the Help menu.
To use IDCentre Reporting, your project must be connected to
a database. If the project you select is not connected to a
database, IDCentre Reporting presents a message and closes
the project.
Reporting Procedure Overview

There are four steps for using the IDCentre Reporting application:
1. Open a project. (See Opening a Project on page 7.)
2. Select a report.
3. Select information to fill the report.
4. View or print the report.

Using the IDCentre Reporting Application
Selecting a Report
Reports for IDCentre projects are created in the Designer application.
You select a report to view or print from the menu bar or from the
toolbar. See the online help topic “Select a report” for step-by-step
instructions.
Select a report from this list
Selecting Records
The Reporting application lets you retrieve information stored in a
database table and view or print it on a report. Searching the database
to retrieve information is explained in chapter 4, Searching the
Database, starting on page 51.
Gold Edition: IDCentre Gold Edition allows projects to use a directory service
instead of a database. Except for searching, the kind of data source
used in your IDCentre project does not affect how you use the
Reporting application. Searching is explained in chapter 4, Searching
the Database, starting on page 51.
Printing Reports
You can print paper copies of your reports from the Production Form
view or from the Table view. See the online help topic “Print a report”
for step-by-step instructions. Report printing uses standard Windows
Print dialogs.
You can also see a preview of your printed report. While in the print
preview window you can page through the pages of a multi-page

report, view two pages side by side, enlarge the report content (Zoom
In) or reduce it (Zoom Out), print the report, or close the print
preview. Printing the report or closing the print preview returns you
to the view you were using previously.
You can change the Page Setup for a report. Page Setup includes
settings for paper size, orientation, and margins (top, bottom, left, and
right). See the online help topic “Change the page setup for a report”
for step-by-step instructions.

If you change Page Setup properties, the Reporting application will

ask if you want the new properties applied to all reports in the project.
Any changes you make to Page Setup properties are used until you
make other changes or until you close the project. When the project is
opened again, the default page setup (specified by the person who
designed the project) is used.
When you print a report, the IDCentre Reporting application puts as

many records on a page as possible. If you change the paper size or
margins significantly, fewer (or more) records may fit on a page.

Chapter 4: Searching
the Database
Most IDCentre projects are connected to a database.

Gold Edition: IDCentre Gold Edition projects can, instead, use a directory service for
data storage. Because searching a directory service is similar to
searching a database, this chapter will use “database” to apply to both
types of data source. Differences for directory services are marked
with the words at the left of this paragraph.
You get information out of a database by searching it. There are two
methods for searching the database: Quick Search, for simple or one-
time searches, and Advanced Search, for more complicated searches or
those you will perform repeatedly. This chapter explains how to run a
stored advanced search. Creating and saving (storing) advanced
searches is described in chapter 5 of the Administrator’s Guide.

Searching the Database
Performing a Quick Search
To perform a simple or one-time search of the database, click the

button on the toolbar that has a magnifying glass on it (the Quick
Search button), or from the menu bar, select Record and then Quick
Search. The Quick Search dialog box opens.
If the Quick Search button and menu command do not appear

on your IDCentre window, you do not have permission to
search the database or you are restricted to running stored
searches. Contact your IDCentre System Administrator to gain
permission to search the database.
Scroll bars
The Quick Search dialog box contains a field for each searchable field
in your Production Form.
You will never see a photo, signature, check box, or binary

field in a Quick Search dialog box. Use the advanced search
dialog to search these field types. In addition, the project
designer may have excluded some Production Form fields
from the Quick Search dialog box.
The kind and amount of information you enter in the Quick Search
dialog box determines how many records the database system finds

for you. If you click the Search button without entering anything in
any of the fields, the database system shows you all the records in the
database. For example, if a database for a project has 15 records,
clicking the Search button without making any entries in the dialog
box results in 15 records.
Refining the Quick Search

You can reduce the number of records displayed by entering more
specific information in one or more search fields and by using
wildcard characters. For example, in the project Sample Loyalty, the
following Quick Search dialog box returns 2 records—all the records
of people in the database whose last names start with R.
This search uses the % (percent) wildcard character. It stands for any
number of characters after the R. You can also use the _ (underscore)
wildcard character to substitute for a single character. For example,
entering Jo_n would find John and Joan but not Johann.
Gold Edition: Only one wildcard character works when searching IDCentre Gold
Edition projects connected to a directory service. The asterisk (*)
represents zero or more characters at that position in the string of
characters you typed.

• Wildcard characters do not work in date fields or in fields

attached to number fields in the database. You must enter
exact values in these types of fields.
• If your database is case sensitive, your searches will be, too.
You must use capital letters as appropriate.
• If you enter data into more than one search field, the
database system looks for records that match all fields.
Viewing Search Results

You can view the results of your database searches in two ways.
Production Form view presents the information one record at a time in
a graphical presentation. While in Production Form view you navigate
the search results as described in Navigating Search Results on
page 57.

Table view presents a screenload of records at a time in the form of a

table or chart. Table view may be useful if your search results in more
than one or two records. (See the online help topic “Select Table
View”.)
Only the columns selected in the project designer will display
in Table view.
Table view displays a thumbnail view of any photo that has its
“Display in Table View” field option selected. Place the mouse cursor
over the photo to see a larger image.

To change the width of a column,

place the pointer between
columns and drag the column
boundary.
Use scroll bars to see additional

information.
While in Table view you navigate the search results using the same
techniques you use navigating Windows Explorer. You can also select
records in Table view the way you select files in Windows Explorer. If
you select a single record and then switch to Production Form view
(see the online help topic “Select Production Form view”), the record
you selected appears in the Production Form view. If you select more
than one record and then switch to Production Form view, the last
record you selected appears in the Production Form view.
In the Production application, if you select only some records while in

the Table view and then from the File menu choose Print Selected
Cards, only the records you selected are printed.
In the Reporting application, if you select only some records while in

the Table view and then choose the Selection option in the Print dialog
box, only the records you selected are printed on your report.

Navigating Search Results
When a database search finds multiple records, the title bar of the
IDCentre application window changes to describe which record is
currently visible and the total number of records that met the
specifications of the search. Also, the Next and Last buttons on the
toolbar become available for use (as well as the Next and Last
commands on the Record menu). If you click the Next button, the title
bar changes to “Record 2 of ...” and the First and Previous buttons on
the toolbar (as well as the First and Previous commands on the Record
menu) also become available for use. You can also use the PAGE DOWN
and PAGE UP keys to move through records.

Clearing a Record Set

Silver Edition and Gold Edition: When you are done with your current record set in the
Production application, you can remove the data from the screen by
selecting the Clear command on the Record menu.
Running a Stored Advanced Search

Gold Edition: Stored and advanced searches are not available in IDCentre projects
connected to directory services.
Stored searches are useful if you perform the same search repeatedly.
Instead of typing the search information in the Quick Search dialog
box every time, you simply select the name of the stored search from a
list. Because stored searches are created using the Advanced Search
feature, you can search for additional kinds of records, such as records
that still need a photo. See Using Advanced Search on page 113 of the
Administrator’s Guide.
To run a stored search:
1. Select Record and then Run Stored Search. A menu listing the
available stored searches appears to the right of the Record menu.
2. Select the stored search to run. The search results appear in the
project window, and the name of the stored search appears in the
title bar of the window.
To repeat a stored search, simply click the Run Stored Search button
on the toolbar.

Creating an Advanced Search

You can create an advanced search and, depending on your privileges,
you may be able to save it as a stored search. See online help or chapter
5 of the Administrator’s Guide for complete information.


Index
Symbols for all records 52

% wildcard character 53 viewing records 57
_ wildcard character 53 date field
entering information in Production
A application 12
Administrator application Designer application definition 1
definition 1 directory service 42, 48
Advanced Search adding a record 45
running 58 changing information in 43
wildcard characters 53
B
bar code field K
errors 33 keyboard shortcuts 5
binary field 30
biometrics 30 L
list field, selecting from 13
C log in 3
capture device
biometric 32 M
camera 18 mandatory field on Production Form 32
signature 28 mask, text field 11
card
previewing 33 O
cards opening a project 7
printing 34
check box field 29 P
page setup for reports 49
D password
data from file (binary field) 31 changing 4
database 36 photo
and Reporting application 47 adjusting 19
changing information in 37 capturing with TWAIN device 16
deleting a record 41 capturing with Video for Windows
searching device 17
advanced search 58 cropping 19
quick search 52 cropping (existing) 22
wildcard characters 53 exporting 22
database, using importing 22
searching removing backdrop 23

Index
rotating 20 right-click menu 5

selecting 20
source, selecting in Production S
application 19 searching database
photo field quick search 52
using in Production application 14 stored search 58
photo from file 15 wildcard character 53
pop-up menu 5 signature
previewing cards 33 capturing 27
previewing reports 48 from file 28
print preview 48 signature field
printing using in Production application 27
reports 48 stored search
printing cards 34 running 58
tracking print requests 36
Production application T
definition 1 Table view 55
entering information 11 text field
taking photos 14, 27 entering information in Production
using 9 application 11
using a database 36 mask 11
Production Form view 54 toolbars 6
Production window topcoat 33
moving around in 9 TWAIN
project device, using in Production
definition 1 application 16
opening 7 interface standard 16
using in Production application 9
V
Q Video for Windows
Quick Search 52 device, using in Production
application 17
R standard interface 17
read-only field on Production Form 32 View application
records, selecting 48 definition 1
report
page setup 49 W
selecting 48 Welcome dialog box 5
Reporting application wildcard characters 53
definition 1 directory service 53
reports wildcard characters in database
printing 48 searches 53

Administrator’s Guide for
IDCentre Version 6
Contents
About the Administrator’s Guide _____________________________________________ ix
Chapter 1: System Overview __________________________________________ 1
Introducing the IDCentre Project ______________________________________________ 1
Supporting IDCentre Features _________________________________________________ 3
Modular Design __________________________________________________________ 3
Security __________________________________________________________________ 3
Getting Started ______________________________________________________________ 4
Logging In to an IDCentre Application ____________________________________ 4
Changing Your User Password_____________________________________________ 5
Using the Welcome Dialog Box____________________________________________ 5
Using IDCentre Applications ______________________________________________ 6
Working with Fields _______________________________________________________ 7
Inserting Fields ________________________________________________________ 7
Selecting Fields _______________________________________________________ 8
Changing Field Properties _____________________________________________ 9
Fonts ________________________________________________________________ 11
Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Fields __________________________________ 13
Arranging Fields _____________________________________________________ 15
Developing a Project ____________________________________________________ 15
Create the IDCentre Project__________________________________________ 16
Create the Card Design _____________________________________________ 17
Create the Production Form__________________________________________ 17
Create the Report Design ____________________________________________ 17
Specify a Database _________________________________________________ 17
Tie It All Together ____________________________________________________ 18
Try It Out ____________________________________________________________ 18
Implement Card Production__________________________________________ 18
Chapter 2: Plan and Create a Card Design ___________________________ 19
What Is a Card Design? _____________________________________________________ 19
Exporting and Importing Card Designs____________________________________ 20
Card Window ___________________________________________________________ 20
Orientation _____________________________________________________________ 21
Zoom ___________________________________________________________________ 22
IDCentre Version 6 Administrator’s Guide ii

Contents
Size _____________________________________________________________________ 22
Background ____________________________________________________________ 23
Topcoat ________________________________________________________________ 23
Lamination______________________________________________________________ 24
Types of Card Fields_________________________________________________________ 25
Text Field________________________________________________________________ 26
Photo Field______________________________________________________________ 27
Date Field ______________________________________________________________ 28
Signature Field __________________________________________________________ 28
Bar Code Field __________________________________________________________ 29
Magnetic Stripe Field ____________________________________________________ 32
Smart Card Field ________________________________________________________ 34
Variable Graphic Field___________________________________________________ 35
Static Text Field__________________________________________________________ 36
Static Graphic Field _____________________________________________________ 37
Non-Printable Area ______________________________________________________ 38
Line ____________________________________________________________________ 39
Rectangle ______________________________________________________________ 39
Ellipse___________________________________________________________________ 40
Printing Sample Cards ___________________________________________________ 40
Printing Cards in the Production Application ______________________________ 41
Chapter 3: Plan and Create a Production Form _______________________ 43
What Is a Production Form?__________________________________________________ 43
Production Form Window ________________________________________________ 43
Background ____________________________________________________________ 44
Size _____________________________________________________________________ 45
Types of Production Form Fields ______________________________________________ 45
Text Field________________________________________________________________ 47
Text Field Masks______________________________________________________ 48
Photo Field______________________________________________________________ 55
Date Field ______________________________________________________________ 57
Signature Field __________________________________________________________ 59
List Field_________________________________________________________________ 60
Composite Field_________________________________________________________ 62
Print Count Field_________________________________________________________ 64
Auto Sequence Field ____________________________________________________ 66
IDCentre Version 6 Administrator’s Guide iii

Contents
Check Box Field ________________________________________________________ 67

Binary Field_____________________________________________________________ 68
Event Button ___________________________________________________________ 69
Static Text Field_________________________________________________________ 70
Static Graphic Field ____________________________________________________ 71
Production Form Field Options ______________________________________________ 72
Changing the Tab Order of Fields _______________________________________ 74
Creating a Production Form from a Card Design _____________________________ 74
Adding Fields to a Production Form Created from a Card Design _________ 76
About the Created Production Form ____________________________________ 76
Chapter 4: Plan and Create a Report Design __________________________ 79
What Is a Report Design? ___________________________________________________ 79
Exporting and Importing Report Designs _________________________________ 79
Report Window_________________________________________________________ 80
Zoom __________________________________________________________________ 81
Report Properties _______________________________________________________ 81
Report Block Layout_________________________________________________ 82
Header and Footer _________________________________________________ 82
Page Setup ____________________________________________________________ 83
Types of Report Fields ______________________________________________________ 83
Text Field_______________________________________________________________ 84
Photo Field _____________________________________________________________ 85
Date Field______________________________________________________________ 85
Signature Field _________________________________________________________ 86
Bar Code Field _________________________________________________________ 86
Variable Graphic Field __________________________________________________ 89
Static Text Field_________________________________________________________ 90
Static Graphic Field ____________________________________________________ 91
Previewing and Printing Sample Reports _________________________________ 92
Chapter 5: Using Databases with IDCentre Projects ____________________ 93
Supported Databases ______________________________________________________ 93
Connecting to Multiple Tables in a Database ____________________________ 95
Table Types ____________________________________________________________ 96
Database Login ________________________________________________________ 96
Using Schema/Owner Name to Identify Tables in Production______________ 97

Contents
Data Types _____________________________________________________________ 98

Text Fields ___________________________________________________________ 98
Binary, Photo, and Signature Fields____________________________________ 99
Date Fields __________________________________________________________ 99
List Fields __________________________________________________________ 100
Print Count Fields __________________________________________________ 100
Auto Sequence Fields______________________________________________ 100
Check Box Fields___________________________________________________ 101
Controlling Database Activities ____________________________________________ 102
Database Design Considerations __________________________________________ 103
Understanding Database Errors ________________________________________ 103
BLOB-related Considerations ___________________________________________ 103
File Name Considerations ______________________________________________ 104
Creating a Database from an IDCentre Designer ___________________________ 106
Adding Fields to a Database Created from IDCentre Designer___________ 108
About the Created Database _________________________________________ 109
Importing Data from a Text File to an Access Database _____________________ 112
Exporting Data from an Access Database to a Text File______________________ 113
Using Advanced Search___________________________________________________ 113
Filter Tab ______________________________________________________________ 115
Using the Multi-value Constraint List _________________________________ 116
Adding and Clearing Constraints ___________________________________ 117
Modifying a Constraint _____________________________________________ 117
Sort Order Tab ________________________________________________________ 118
Manage Tab __________________________________________________________ 119
Changing a Stored Search ____________________________________________ 120
Deleting a Stored Search ______________________________________________ 120
Search Rules______________________________________________________________ 121
Text Fields _____________________________________________________________ 121
= Constraint Rule __________________________________________________ 122
IN Constraint Rule__________________________________________________ 123
IS NULL Constraint Rule _____________________________________________ 125
IS NOT NULL Constraint Rule ________________________________________ 125
Numeric Fields ________________________________________________________ 126
= Constraint Rule __________________________________________________ 126
> Constraint Rule __________________________________________________ 127
IDCentre Version 6 Administrator’s Guide v

Contents
< Constraint Rule___________________________________________________ 128

BETWEEN Constraint Rule ___________________________________________ 128
IN Constraint Rule __________________________________________________ 129
Date Fields ____________________________________________________________ 131
EXACT DATE Constraint Rule ________________________________________ 132
TODAY Constraint Rule _____________________________________________ 133
THIS WEEK Constraint Rule __________________________________________ 133
SINCE Constraint Rule ______________________________________________ 133
BEFORE Constraint Rule_____________________________________________ 134
BETWEEN Constraint Rule ___________________________________________ 135
PREVIOUS _ DAYS Constraint Rule ___________________________________ 136
PREVIOUS _ MONTHS Constraint Rule ________________________________ 136
Image Fields __________________________________________________________ 138
All selected fields have data Constraint Rule ________________________ 139
At least one selected field has data Constraint Rule _________________ 139
At least one selected field is empty Constraint Rule __________________ 139
All selected fields are empty Constraint Rule ________________________ 140
Check Box Field _______________________________________________________ 140
Cleared Constraint Rule ____________________________________________ 140
Selected Constraint Rule ___________________________________________ 140
Chapter 6: Using a Directory Service with IDCentre Projects __________ 143
Supported Directory Services ______________________________________________ 143
Directory Service Login ____________________________________________________ 144
Data Types _______________________________________________________________ 145
Project Design Considerations _____________________________________________ 146
Using the Field Connector Window _________________________________________ 147
Chapter 7: Connecting Fields ______________________________________ 149
What Is the Field Connector? ______________________________________________ 149
Field Connector Window __________________________________________________ 150
Data Source Area _____________________________________________________ 151
vi IDCentre Version 6 Online Reference Library

Contents
Production Form Area _________________________________________________ 152

Production Output Area _______________________________________________ 152
Connect and Disconnect Buttons ______________________________________ 152
Restrictions on Connections to Database Columns __________________________ 153
Restrictions on Connections to Card Design Fields __________________________ 154
Restrictions on Connections to Report Block Fields __________________________ 155
Chapter 8: Working with Capture Options____________________________ 157
Capturing Photos _________________________________________________________ 157
Photo from File ________________________________________________________ 159
TWAIN Interface _______________________________________________________ 161
Video for Windows Interface ___________________________________________ 162
Capturing Signatures ______________________________________________________ 163
Signature from File_____________________________________________________ 163
Capturing Binary Data_____________________________________________________ 164
Optional Capture Devices _________________________________________________ 166
Configuring Optional Capture Devices _________________________________ 166
Configuring Biometric Devices _________________________________________ 168
Chapter 9: Working with Printer Options _____________________________ 171
Introducing Printer Plug-ins ________________________________________________ 171
Specifying Plug-ins ________________________________________________________ 172
Printing Multiple Copies of Cards___________________________________________ 172
Printing Graphics with the Card Printer’s K-panel ____________________________ 173
Field Properties Print Options ___________________________________________ 173
Override Field-level Settings ____________________________________________ 175
Printing Order _________________________________________________________ 176
Specifying the Print Queue Path____________________________________________ 176
Chapter 10: Implement Card Production ____________________________ 179
Physical Components _____________________________________________________ 179
Network Access __________________________________________________________ 180
Locate the Users File on a File Server____________________________________ 181
Database Considerations _________________________________________________ 181
Distributing IDCentre Projects ______________________________________________ 182
Exporting IDCentre Projects ____________________________________________ 182
Importing IDCentre Projects ____________________________________________ 183
IDCentre Version 6 Administrator’s Guide vii

Contents
Chapter 11: Projects with Multiple Cards ____________________________ 185

Chapter 12: System Security _______________________________________ 187
IDCentre Security Features_________________________________________________ 187
Managing Users _______________________________________________________ 188
Changing the Admin User Name Password __________________________ 188
User Privileges _____________________________________________________ 189
Locating the Users File______________________________________________ 190
Requiring Login after Inactivity______________________________________ 190
Additional Password Options _______________________________________ 192
Tracking Activity with the Audit Log_____________________________________ 193
Viewing the Audit Log______________________________________________ 196
Exporting the Audit Log ____________________________________________ 197
Windows Security Features_________________________________________________ 197
Installing and Uninstalling IDCentre Software __________________________ 197
Locating Project Files __________________________________________________ 198
Protecting Project Files from Modification _______________________________ 198
Index_____________________________________________________________ 199
viii IDCentre Version 6 Online Reference Library

About the Administrator’s Guide
This Administrator’s Guide, part of the Online Reference Library,
explains why you might want to use the various features available in
the IDCentre applications. It also suggests the order in which tasks
should be performed.
Other sources of information about IDCentre applications are:
• The CD insert tells how to install IDCentre software.
• The online help system tells you how to perform IDCentre tasks.
You can access the online help system from the Help menu in each
IDCentre application or by pressing the F1 key.
• The Operator’s Guide, also part of the Online Reference Library,

guides users of the Production and Reporting applications through
the tasks they perform.
• The Online Reference Library also contains documents about

printer plug-ins available for use with IDCentre software.
IDCentre Version 6 Administrator’s Guide ix

x IDCentre Version 6 Online Reference Library
Chapter 1: System
Overview
Datacard® IDCentre™ identification software includes five

applications:
• IDCentre Designer lets you create projects that meet your

organization’s specific needs for card designs, report designs, data
entry, and database access.
• IDCentre Production lets a Production application operator use

the projects you create in the Designer application to gather
information, access your database, and print identification cards.
• IDCentre Reporting lets a Reporting application operator generate

and print image-rich reports from your database.
• IDCentre Administrator contains tools to manage user accounts,

monitor security, and configure your IDCentre software.
• IDCentre View lets a receptionist or guard verify that a person

attempting to enter the facility should be allowed access.
Introducing the IDCentre Project

An IDCentre project is similar to a folder or directory on a computer: it
is the container that holds information about an identification
implementation. In fact, when you create an IDCentre project, the
software creates a folder on your hard drive with the name you give
IDCentre Version 6 Administrator’s Guide 1

System Overview
the project. And, just as you can have many folders on your computer,
you can have many IDCentre projects.
A project contains a Production Form and one or more card designs.

Optionally, your project can contain one or more report designs and
one or more stored searches.
Bronze Edition: Bronze Edition projects can contain only one card design.
By using field connections, information entered in a Production Form

can be saved in a database, printed on a card, used in a report, or all of
the above. The Production Form can also be used to query an existing
database so that you can add or change information in the database or
print cards and reports using information in the database.

System Overview
Supporting IDCentre Features

So far, this chapter has described how IDCentre software lets you
create and use identification projects in the way that is best for your
organization. A number of peripheral features that support this
flexibility deserve mention.
Modular Design
IDCentre identification software was designed to be modular, so you
need purchase only the truly necessary components for each of your
locations. For example, a corporation with a headquarters and five
manufacturing plants might choose to have all IDCentre projects
designed at headquarters, and then export the projects to the
manufacturing plants, where IDCentre Production and Reporting
applications are used. The process for implementing IDCentre projects
on production-only systems is explained in chapter 10, Implement
Card Production.
Another aspect of modular design is the ability to add image capture

options and printer options through the use of plug-ins. Using plug-
ins means the latest card printing technology can be supported by
IDCentre software quickly. In addition, some capture options can be
configured specifically for your environment. Capture and printing
options are described in chapter 8, Working with Capture Options and
chapter 9, Working with Printer Options respectively.
Security
An identification program is not secure if the computer system that
gathers information and produces the ID cards is not secure. IDCentre
identification software gives you a number of ways to ensure the
security of your identification program.

System Overview
Using the IDCentre Administrator application, you authenticate users

with individual, password-protected accounts. User account privileges
can be tailored to allow access to specific applications, activities, and
projects. Significant user actions, such as logging in, opening projects,
and printing cards, create entries in an audit log. You can review and
print the audit log using the IDCentre Administrator application.
You can track changes IDCentre Production application users make to

your database. In IDCentre Designer you specify whether changing
the value of a Production Form field is to be recorded in the audit log.
See chapter 12, System Security for complete information.
Getting Started
The rest of this chapter explains the steps you take to begin using your
IDCentre identification software.
Logging In to an IDCentre Application

To begin using IDCentre software, on the taskbar, click Start, and then
click Programs, Datacard, IDCentre, and then IDCentre Designer.
In the User Login dialog box, type your User Name and User
Password, and then click the Log in button.
The default User Name and User Password are Admin and
Admin. If you have not already done so, change the password
for the default user account and create a user account with
System Administrator privileges for yourself. See Changing
the Admin User Name Password on page 188 for more
information.
When you are logged in to an IDCentre application, you do not need to

supply your user name and password again to start another IDCentre
application.

System Overview
Changing Your User Password

Each time you log in to an IDCentre application you have the
opportunity to change your user password. To change your password,
click the Change Password button any time before completing the
login.
Passwords can be up to 32 characters long.
Gold Edition: Refer to chapter 12, System Security for additional requirements that
can be imposed when changing your password.
Using the Welcome Dialog Box

After you have changed your password or entered it and clicked Log
in, the Welcome dialog box appears.
From this dialog box you can start a new project (see Create the
IDCentre Project on page 16) or open an existing project. If the project
you want to open is not listed, click More projects to display the Open
Project dialog box, which lists all active IDCentre projects.

System Overview
You can also choose not to have the Welcome dialog box display by
clearing the check mark next to Show this window at startup. If you
hide the Welcome dialog box and later want to show it again, from the
application menu bar, select View and then Show Welcome on
startup. The selection you make applies only to the Windows user
name you used to log in and only to the current application. Other
IDCentre applications have separate settings for showing the Welcome
window.
Using IDCentre Applications

IDCentre applications let you perform most actions several ways: by
selecting menu commands using the mouse or the keyboard, by
clicking a toolbar button, or by clicking the right mouse button and
selecting from the pop-up menu. Key commands or shortcuts for
actions common to many applications—such as print and save—
follow Microsoft Office conventions; you do not have to relearn your
favorite shortcuts.
Most IDCentre applications have several toolbars, and you can display
or hide toolbars to match the way you prefer to work. When you rest
the mouse pointer on a toolbar button, the name and function of the
button appears.
A status bar at the bottom of the window provides additional

information about the application. As with toolbars, you can choose to
view or hide the status bar.

System Overview
Status bar These fields

show
sample data.
Working with Fields

Every element on a Production Form, card design, or report block is
considered a field.
Inserting Fields
To insert a field, from the menu bar, select Insert and then the type of
field you want to add to your Production Form, card, or report block.

System Overview
The types of fields you can insert depend on whether the Production
Form, card design, or report block is active. Some field types, such as a
magnetic stripe field, apply only to a card design. Others, such as list
fields, can be inserted only in a Production Form.
Selecting Fields
Text fields have six Graphics fields have

sizing handles. eight sizing handles.
When a field is inserted, it is automatically selected, meaning that you

can make changes to it. A field that is selected has a border of diagonal
lines and six or eight squares (called sizing handles) around the
border, depending on the type of field. In addition, when a single field

System Overview
is selected, the status bar reports the field name, field type, component
name, and component type (card, Production Form, etc.).
To select a field that was previously inserted, position your mouse

pointer over the field you want to select and click.
You can also select two or more fields at a time. Position your mouse
pointer over one of the fields you want to select and click. Hold down
the SHIFT or CTRL key while clicking on the additional fields.
When multiple fields are selected, you can move them as a group,
align them, space them apart an equal amount, or make them the same
size. You can also change field display properties for all the selected
fields at one time.
Changing Field Properties
Many field types have common characteristics, or properties. You can

change a field’s properties in the Edit Field Properties dialog box. To
access the Edit Field Properties dialog box, with the field selected,
from the menu bar select Edit and then Field Properties.
An easy way to access a field’s properties is to double-click on

it.

System Overview
The Edit Field Properties dialog box changes depending on the type of
field you have selected. The illustration above shows the Edit Field
Properties dialog box for a text field on a Production Form. Chapters 2
(for card design fields), 3 (for Production Form fields), and 4 (for
report block fields) describe the properties of each field in detail.
You can format the text properties of multiple text-based fields at one
time. See the online help topic “Format text properties for multiple
fields” for step-by-step instructions.
Most fields have the following properties.
Name
Every field has a name. The Designer application names fields as you
insert them, but you can change the system-supplied name (Text Field
1, for example) to a more descriptive name (such as FirstName).
Giving fields descriptive names will help you when you are using the
field connector to associate Production Form fields with card or report
block fields and database table columns.
Using the View menu, you can choose to have the fields in your
Production Form, card design, and report block show either field
names or sample data (which you provide) as you work in the
IDCentre Designer application. When you use the Field Connector
(described in chapter 7, Connecting Fields) field names are always
shown for easier identification of fields.
Sample Data
Variable fields that can contain characters let you supply sample data
for use when viewing the project in Sample Data view or printing a
sample card or sample report. You type information that might appear
in the field. Variable fields that can contain an image use a sample
image that is appropriate for the field type.

System Overview
Alignment/Rotation
Most fields have an alignment property. The choices available depend

on whether the field contains characters or graphical information. In
addition, many fields can be rotated in 90-degree increments.
Position/Size
All fields have position and size properties. You can change these
properties by typing new values in the Edit Field Properties dialog box
or by using the mouse to drag the field to a new position or drag a
sizing handle until the field is the size you want. You can also change
the height of graphic-oriented fields by dragging a sizing handle.
Graphic-oriented fields include photos, graphics, and shapes. See the
IDCentre Designer online help topic “Size a field proportionately” for
information on avoiding distortion of graphics.
To change the height of a text-oriented field, change the size of the

font. Text-oriented fields are text, static text, date, list, composite, print
count, and auto sequence fields.
For some complicated card designs that have mandated sizes and
positions for fields, you can prevent inadvertent changes to fields by
selecting Disable direct field movement or sizing for this card design
on the Edit Card Design Properties dialog box. See the online help
topics “Prevent changing a card field with the mouse”, “Move a field”,
and “Change a field’s size” for step-by-step instructions.
See Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Fields on page 13 for more

information.
Fonts
You can select from many fonts for the fields on your cards,
Production Forms, and reports. IDCentre Designer uses Arial, an
OpenType font that is supplied with Windows operating systems, as
the default font. OpenType fonts are preceded by an “O” in fonts lists.

System Overview
Because the OpenType format is an extension of TrueType,

characteristics of TrueType fonts also apply to OpenType
fonts.
Because TrueType fonts always produce the same results no matter
what printer the card is printed on, it is strongly recommended that
you use only these fonts in your card designs. The results of using non-
TrueType fonts with more than one card printer are unpredictable. In
addition, TrueType fonts can always be rotated.
Fonts are often installed by applications. Before using a font,

make sure it is available on each IDCentre computer in your
organization.
If the printer you will use to print cards has printer fonts installed and
you want to use them, you must select Display Printer Fonts and a
printer for the project on the Printer Fonts tab of the Edit Project
Properties dialog box. See the online help topic “Use printer fonts” for
step-by-step instructions. Printer fonts appear in the fonts list for card
fields preceded by a printer icon. They never appear in the fonts list for
Production Form fields or report block fields.
You can use Type 1 fonts if you also have Adobe® Type Manager™
software installed on each computer in your system.
Variable fields on card designs and report blocks that contain

characters let you specify that the font size should automatically
shrink to accommodate a large amount of text. The font size shrinks to
a minimum of 6 points. If at 6-point type the text still does not fit,
characters are dropped from the end.
Text Field Colors
You can select both a foreground and background color for your text
fields. The foreground color refers to the color of the text in the field.

System Overview
If you select pure black for the foreground color of a text, static text, or
date field, you can choose to have the text printed using the black
panel (K-panel) of the printer ribbon if the card printer is using a
ribbon with a black panel. The black panel produces a truer black and
sharper characters than printing using a combination of the cyan,
magenta, and yellow panels. You can either specify that the
background be transparent (the default) or that it be a solid color.
Printers do not print white. If you define the field to print in white text,
the printer will “knock out” the characters, allowing the surface of the
card or paper (usually white) to show through. For card fields, the Use
topcoat panel check box also becomes available when white is the
selected color. See Topcoat on page 23 for more information.
Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Fields
You can use standard Windows operations to delete a selected field

from your Production Form, card design, or report block, or copy and
paste a selected field on your Production Form, card design, or report
block.

System Overview
You can copy and paste fields within a project component and
between a card and report block. You cannot paste fields
between the Production Form and a card or report block. You
can, however, create Production Form fields from card fields.
See the online help topic “Add fields to a Production Form
from a card design”.
When you cut a field, it is placed on the clipboard. It stays on
the clipboard until it is replaced by a different field or you
close the project.
Save time by copying and pasting formatted fields rather than always
inserting a new, default field. For example, in the sample card above
the “DOB” field was created and formatted. Then it was copied and
pasted for the “Blood Type” field (see the online help topic “Cut, copy
and paste fields” for step-by-step instructions) and the Field Name and
Display Text were changed on the General tab of the Edit Field
Properties [Static Text] dialog box. The designer did not have to
change the font characteristics for the copied field.
Alternatively, you can format the text properties of multiple text-based

fields at one time. See the online help topic, “Format text properties for
multiple fields” for step-by-step instructions.

System Overview
Arranging Fields
When you insert a field, the Designer application places it near the
upper left corner of the Production Form, card design, or report block.
To move a selected field, place the mouse pointer over the field. The
pointer changes to a four-way arrow. Hold down the left mouse
button while you move the field to its new location and then release
the mouse button.
As mentioned, you can select multiple fields and then move or align
them. For example, to make your Production Form look consistent,
select all the fields in the first row and then (using the Format or right
mouse click menu) align the fields using the Bottom selection. Repeat
with each row. Then select the left-most field in each row, and align
them using the Left selection. See the IDCentre Designer online help
topic “Align fields” for additional options.
If fields overlap, you may need to arrange them by using the stacking
order. To understand the stacking order, imagine that each field you
place on the Production Form, card design, or report block is on a
separate sheet of clear plastic. The first field you place is on a plastic
sheet next to the object’s background; the second field is on a sheet in
front of the first sheet, and so on. When you select a field, you can
bring that field all the way to the front of the stacking order, bring it
one position toward the front, send it all the way to the back of the
stacking order, or send it one position toward the back. Commands to
change the stacking order of fields are available on the Format menu
of the menu bar.
Developing a Project
An IDCentre project involves a Production Form, one or more card
designs1, connections between the Production Form and card design,
and, optionally, reports and connections to your database. It does not
1. IDCentre Bronze Edition projects can have only one card design.

System Overview
matter which part of the project you start with. This document
describes card designs first because many people find it easiest to
think about a card—something you can hold in your hand. If your
main interest is in how your identification system uses your existing
database, you might want to start your design with database
considerations.
Furthermore, IDCentre applications support an iterative design

process. You can start with a card design, move to the Production
Form, use the field connector to associate Production Form fields with
card fields and database table columns, and then go back and refine
your card design or make changes to the Production Form.
Create the IDCentre Project
You create a new project in the IDCentre Designer application. You

can either create a project from scratch or start with a project you
already have.
To create a new project from scratch, either select Create a new project
on the Welcome dialog box when you log in or select File and then
New Project from the Designer menu bar. See the online help topic
“Create a new project” for step-by-step instructions.
If you use one of the sample projects that includes a database as a

starting point, follow the step-by-step instructions in the online help
topic “Modifying a sample project” to ensure that your database will
not be overwritten if you need to reinstall your IDCentre software.
Each project has a set of properties that applies to the project as a

whole. You can specify which database (if any) your project will
connect to, and whether your project will use fonts installed in the
printer in addition to fonts available with Windows. In IDCentre Silver
Edition and IDCentre Gold Edition you can set whether your project
will have more than one card design. Projects with multiple card
designs are explained in chapter 11, Projects with Multiple Cards.

System Overview
Using databases with IDCentre projects is explained in the Operator’s

Guide.
Create the Card Design
See chapter 2, Plan and Create a Card Design for complete

information.
Create the Production Form
See chapter 3, Plan and Create a Production Form for complete

information.
Create the Report Design
See chapter 4, Plan and Create a Report Design for complete

information.
Specify a Database
Chapter 5, Using Databases with IDCentre Projects on page 93

explains database considerations.
If you do not have a database of cardholder information, you

can create one using the IDCentre Designer application. See
Creating a Database from an IDCentre Designer on page 106.
Gold Edition: Alternatively, Gold Edition users can store data in a directory service,
as explained in chapter 6, Using a Directory Service with IDCentre
Projects.
Consider developing stored database searches for queries that your

Production application users will perform repeatedly. Stored searches
are created using the Advanced Search editor in the IDCentre
Production application and become part of the project, just like a card
design.

System Overview
Tie It All Together
Chapter 7: Connecting Fields explains what you need to do to retrieve

information from your database, save information to your database,
and print information on cards and reports.
Try It Out
Run the project in the Production and Reporting applications to make

sure it behaves as expected and produces error-free results:
• Are text fields wide enough for all the characters that need to be
entered in them?
• Are any composite fields on the Production Form configured

correctly, and coordinated with the corresponding card or report
block field?
• Can you save records to the database—and retrieve them?
Also consider having your Production application users test the

project and make suggestions for improvement.
Implement Card Production
When you are satisfied that your project meets your needs, you can
start collecting data and printing ID cards.
If you are designing a project that will be used in a number of facilities,

see chapter 10, Implement Card Production. It explains how to set up
computers that have only the IDCentre Production application.

Chapter 2: Plan and
Create a Card Design
What Is a Card Design?

A card design defines how a plastic identification card or other printed
output will look when printed: what information will be the same on
each card (such as a logo or enterprise name) and what information
will vary from card to card (the cardholder’s name or photo). The card
design also specifies whether information will appear on one or both
sides of the card and whether the card will have a magnetic stripe or
other non-printable area, such as a signature panel.
In this chapter, the term “card” is used to mean any printed

output, including prescription labels, wrist bands, and other
kinds of output in addition to plastic cards. Each card is
considered a new document. You cannot print multiple cards
to a page; use the IDCentre Reporting application for this
purpose.
Bronze Edition: An IDCentre Bronze Edition project can contain only one card design.
You can use a variable graphic field to make minor changes to a card
design, but if you require significantly different cards, you must create
additional IDCentre projects. See Variable Graphic Field on page 35.
Silver Edition and Gold Edition: IDCentre Silver Edition and Gold Edition projects can
contain multiple card designs. Those designs can be similar or
completely different. For example, an employer can use a basic card
design for most employees’ identification badges but add “Trained in

Plan and Create a Card Design
First Aid” to badges of employees who have successfully completed a

recognized course. That same employer could have a completely
different design for a card to be displayed inside employees’ cars to
verify parking privileges. See chapter 11, Projects with Multiple Cards.
Exporting and Importing Card Designs

Silver Edition and Gold Edition: You can export and import card templates within the
Designer application for use in other projects. A template is a single
file containing one card design and all of the graphics referenced by
that card design. See the online help topic “Export a card template”
and “Import a card template” for step-by-step instructions.
Card Window
You use the Card window in the IDCentre Designer application to
create the design for your cards. It contains the following parts.
Title bar
Rulers
Design
area
Title bar—The title bar shows the name of the card you are editing
(Family Pass Card in the example above). If you are viewing the back
side of the card, that is noted in the title bar. The title bar changes color
when that card side is active.
Rulers—The rulers help you locate and size card fields. You turn the
rulers on and off by using the View menu. You specify the unit of

measure to display in the computer’s Control Panel, Regional Settings

property sheet, Number tab, Measurement system setting.
Close your project before changing the unit of measure to

display.
Design area—This area represents the card and shows how the card
will look when printed. You place all card fields in this area.
Scroll bars appear if the size of the Card window is smaller than the
size of the card. Use the Maximize button (on the title bar) to make the
Card window as large as possible.
You can create a two-sided card design by simply viewing the back of
the card and placing fields on it. See the online help topic “Create a
two-sided card” for step-by-step instructions.
Orientation
When you start a new IDCentre project, you have the opportunity to
decide whether you want your card to be in portrait or landscape
orientation. You can change the card orientation during the design
process, but if you do, you will probably have to move some fields to
keep them visible on the card.
Portrait orientation
Landscape
orientation

The front of the card can have a different orientation from the back.
If the cards you will use have a magnetic stripe, it is typical to

designate the side with the magnetic stripe as the back of the card and
select landscape orientation for it. Printers differ in how cards must be
placed in the input hopper for the magnetic stripe to be encoded. They
also differ in how information is printed on the back of the card,
compared to the front. If a test card does not print the way you want,
you can rotate the print orientation 180 degrees without changing how
the card displays in the Card window. See the online help topic “Set
card printing options” for step-by-step instructions.
Zoom
When a card window is active you can zoom in on the card by either
using the Zoom Card option on the View menu or by selecting a zoom
value from the zoom toolbar, if it is active. You have a choice of three
zoom levels:
• 100% (original size)

• 150%
• 200%
The selected percent is designated by a bullet character. See the online

help topic “Zoom in or out” for step-by-step instructions.
Size
When you start a new project, the card design is the industry-standard
CR80 card size. You can change the card size to CR50 (another
industry-standard size) or you can define a custom card size. You can
change the card size during the design process, but if you do, you will
probably have to move some fields to keep them visible on the card.
See the online help topic “Change card size” for step-by-step
instructions.

Because of the system resources needed to print large cards,

Datacard recommends using the Reporting application for
sizes larger than 4 x 6 inches (10 x 15 centimeters).
Background
You can specify that your card background be printed with a color,
with a graphic, or with both. You can use graphics that are stored in a
variety of formats. However, for the best printed card quality the
following formats are recommended by Datacard:
Format Type of File
BMP Windows Bitmap
TIF Tagged Image File Format (single image per file,

uncompressed only)
See the online help topic “Add a graphic or color to a card

background” for step-by-step instructions.
You can specify that your background graphic be converted to

grayscale and, optionally, printed with the K-panel of the printer
ribbon. See Printing Graphics with the Card Printer’s K-panel on
page 173 for complete information.
Topcoat
A topcoat is a layer of material applied to the top of a card that
protects the image beneath from chemicals and abrasion and adds a
level of protection against card tampering.
If your Datacard card printer supports topcoat, you can specify that
the entire surface of the card have a topcoat or that only the rectangles

for certain fields have a topcoat applied. The following table describes
how these two levels of topcoat interact.
Full Card Topcoat

Field Topcoat
ON OFF
ON Topcoat over this field Topcoat applied only

and parts of card without to this field area
fields
OFF Topcoat over parts of the No topcoat

card without fields but no
topcoat on this field
Alternatively, you can specify that the content of a field be printed

using the topcoat print panel. For example, you could place a static
text field on the card and set the display text for the field to the name of
your organization. On the Appearance tab of the field’s properties
dialog box, set the Foreground Color to white and specify that the
topcoat panel be used. When the card is printed, your organization’s
name will be printed using the topcoat panel. If the topcoat panel uses
ultraviolet material, the text will be visible only under ultraviolet light.
Note that only certain printers support this feature.
A topcoat would interfere with the operation of some fields, such as a

magnetic stripe field. For this reason, you cannot specify a topcoat for
certain fields.
Lamination
Silver Edition and Gold Edition: Lamination is a layer of material applied to the entire
surface of a card. It is more durable than topcoat and it can have a
holograph for security.
Only certain printers support this feature.

If your Datacard card printer supports lamination, you can specify

which cards in a project are laminated. Lamination can be put on the
front a card, the back of a card, or both. It can be applied to a card side
in multiple layers if desired. You specify how lamination is configured
on the Lamination tab of the Edit Card Design Properties dialog box.
See the online help topic “Set lamination options” for step-by-step
instructions.
Types of Card Fields

Card fields are the building blocks of all card designs. You must create
a card field for each item you want to print or encode on the card. You
define each card field by type. The type determines the field’s
contents.
The types of card fields available to you varies with the IDCentre
edition you purchased:
Field Type Bronze Edition Silver Edition Gold Edition
Text X X X
Photo X X X
Date X X X
Signature X X
Barcode X X X
Magnetic Stripe X X X
Smart Card X X
Variable Graphic X X X
Static Text X X X

Static Graphic X X X
Non-printable Area X X X
Shape (Line, X X X
Rectangle, Ellipse)
Text Field
Text field
Text fields print information that changes from one card to the next,
such as cardholder name. The data originates from the Production
Form, where it might be retrieved from a database, entered by a
Production application user, or derived from other data. You can
specify the font and color attributes of a text field, as well as rotate it.
See Fonts on page 11.
See the online help topic “Add a text field to a card” for step-by-step
instructions.

Photo Field
Photo field
Ghosted
photo field
Photo fields contain the cardholder’s captured image. You can move
and size photo fields, as well as rotate and add a border to them. You
can specify that the backdrop be removed from the image at card
production time. For complete information, see Adjusting Photo
Backdrop Removal Parameters on page 23 in the Operator’s Guide.
You can also specify that a photo field appear “ghosted” or semi-
transparent. If you apply the ghosting option, you can specify the
degree of opacity for the photo.
Ghosted photos, photos with borders, and photos that use

background removal will not print correctly if they are on a
card side configured to print using only the K-panel.
Alternatively, you can specify that the photo be converted to grayscale
and, optionally, printed with the K-panel of the printer ribbon. See
Printing Graphics with the Card Printer’s K-panel on page 173 for
complete information.
See the online help topic “Add a photo field to a card” for step-by-step
instructions.
Some photo field options are not compatible with others. If

you select an option that is not compatible with an option you
previously selected, IDCentre Designer will present a message
alerting you to the conflict.

Date Field
Date field
Date fields contain a date and, optionally, time, in the format you
specify on the Production Form. You can specify the font and color
attributes of a date field, as well as rotate it. See Fonts on page 11. See
the online help topic “Add a date field to a card” for step-by-step
instructions.
Signature Field
Bronze Edition: Signature fields are not available in Bronze Edition projects.
Signature field
Signature fields print the signature of the card holder, which can be
captured with a signature pad or scanned or photographed. The
signature originates in the database or directly from the Production
Form, where the operator captures it. You can specify the size and
rotation of the field. See the online help topic “Add a signature field to
a card” for step-by-step instructions.

Bar Code Field
Bar code
field
You create bar code fields to print bar codes on your cards. With some
types of bar codes, you can specify density, error checking, and
whether the bar code field uses a checksum algorithm. The kind of bar
code you use in your card design is determined by the bar code
reading equipment you use and the characters you need to encode. See
the documentation for your bar code reader to determine what bar
code type to select. That documentation will also explain the rules for
determining valid information for the bar code type you will use.
You select the bar code type on the Advanced tab of the Edit Field
Properties [Bar Code] dialog box. The following table lists the bar code
types IDCentre software supports, as well as the options available
with each bar code type.
Bar Code Type Options Available
Codabar Checksum: none, Mod 16, Mod 10,

Mod10Lib, Mod10Lun
Density: High, Medium, Low
Code 128 Auto Density: High, Medium, Low
Code 128 A Density: High, Medium, Low
Code 128 B Density: High, Medium, Low

Code 128 C Density: High, Medium, Low
Code 39 Checksum: none, Mod 43, Mod10Lib,

Mod10Lun
Code 39 Extended Checksum: none, Mod 43

Code 93 Checksum: none, 2 Mod 47s

Code 93 Extended Checksum: none, 2 Mod 47s

EAN/JAN-13 Supplemental Digits: 0, 2, 5


HIBC Checksum: none, Mod 43

Interleaved 2 of 5 Checksum: none, Mod 10, Mod10Lib,

Mod10Lun
MSI Plessey Checksum: none, Mod 10, Mod 11

PDF417 (text only; Error Correction: none, Level 1 through

binary data not Level 8 (maximum)
supported) Density: High, Medium, Low

PDF417 (Binary)* Error Correction: none, Level 1 through

Level 8 (maximum), Auto
Postnet Zip + 4 (no options available)
UCC128 Checksum: none, Mod 10

UPCA Supplemental Digits: 0, 2, 5

UPCE – 0 System 6 Digit Supplemental Digits: 0, 2, 5

UPCE – 1 System 6 Digit Supplemental Digits: 0, 2, 5

UPCE 11 digit Supplemental Digits: 0, 2, 5

* Available only in IDCentre Gold Edition. Sample data is limited to ASCII

characters.
The Background Color Options area of the Advanced tab lets you
choose a background color for the bar code field. The default
background color is white. If you have specified a color for the card
background, the Use Card Background Color setting becomes
available.
If you use a color other than white for the bar code
background, print a sample card and test it in your bar code
reading equipment to make sure the colors and size you chose
can be read reliably.
The Interpretation Text Options area of the Advanced tab lets you
choose to have the contents of the bar code displayed in regular text.

When Interpretation Text On is selected you can also specify the font
characteristics of the text and the location of the text relative to the bar
code.
You must provide sample bar code data to display and print on the
sample card. You do this on the General tab of the Edit Field
Properties [Bar Code] dialog box. If you enter too much sample data,
the field is filled with diagonal lines. If the bar code type does not
support the data you entered, the field is filled with a crosshatch
pattern.
Too much bar code data
Unsupported bar code data
You must inform your Production application operators about

the amount and kind of data that can be entered in bar code
fields. Or, use a text field mask or a composite field on the
Production Form to ensure that acceptable data is entered. See
Text Field Masks on page 48 or Composite Field on page 62 for
additional information.
See the online help topic “Add a bar code field to a card” for step-by-
step instructions.
Magnetic Stripe Field
Magnetic stripe
field

You create magnetic stripe fields to encode information in the

magnetic stripe area of your cards. The IDCentre Designer application
places the magnetic stripe field in the correct location for a three-track
magnetic stripe on the most common card stock. If you are using cards
with a different number of tracks, you can change the height of the
field. You can also move the field up or down on the landscape-
oriented card. You cannot change the width of the magnetic stripe
field or move it left or right.
You must specify the encoding device, as well as the configuration of

the device, to be used for the magnetic stripe. You do this on the
Encoding tab of the Edit Field Properties [Magnetic Stripe] dialog box.
You can also change an existing configuration or create a new
configuration on this tab by clicking the Edit Configurations button.
See the documentation for your specific magnetic stripe encoder for
information on editing a configuration.
See the online help topic “Add a magnetic stripe field to a card” for

Smart Card Field

Bronze Edition: Smart card fields are not available in IDCentre Bronze Edition projects.
Smart card
field
You create a smart card field to block out the area of your card that is
used by the smart card chip. Seeing the field will help you remember
not to place any other field on top of a smart card chip that requires
contact. IDCentre Designer places the smart card field to comply with
ISO 7816-2, the ISO/ANSI financial community standard. If the cards
you use follow a different standard, you must move and size the smart
card field to correspond with the position and size of the chip in your
cards.
You can specify that your card stock contains contactless smart card
chips. If you specify contactless smart card chips, the appearance of the
field changes and you can print and apply topcoat over the field.
You can specify the encoding device, as well as the configuration of the
device, to be used for the smart card. You do this on the Encoding tab
of the Edit Field Properties [Smart Card] dialog box.
See the online help topic “Add a smart card field to a card” for step-by-
step instructions.
Programming of the smart card chip is done outside of the

IDCentre software, by another application.

Variable Graphic Field
Variable graphic
field
A variable graphic field lets you specify which graphic is printed on a

card based on the value of an associated Production Form field
(usually a list field or check box field). You can also specify that no
graphic be printed for some values.
For example, an employer might want to identify what department

employees work in. The card design for that employer’s identification
badges could have a variable graphic field that prints a money bag for
Accounting department employees, a T-square for Design department
employees, and a drill for Manufacturing department employees.
You can use graphics that are stored in a variety of formats. However,
using a bitmap will provide the highest quality graphic.
You can select one color in the graphic to be rendered as transparent,

allowing a card background color to show through.
You can specify that the graphic appear “ghosted” or semi-

degree of opacity for the graphic.
Alternatively, you can specify that the graphic be converted to


See the online help topic “Add a variable graphic field to a card” for
More complex differences in card design, such as changing between

portrait and landscape orientation, require separate IDCentre projects
in Bronze Edition or separate card designs in Silver Edition and Gold
Edition. Separate card designs are discussed in chapter 11, Projects
with Multiple Cards.
Some variable graphic field options are not compatible with

others. If you select an option that is not compatible with an
option you previously selected, IDCentre Designer will
present a message alerting you to the conflict.
Static Text Field
Static text field—

Word Wrap
selected
A static text field prints the same text on each card. You enter the text
that appears in the static text field when the project is designed and at
that time you also specify the font and color attributes of the static text
field. All text in a static text field displays with the same font and color
attributes. You can rotate a static text field. See the online help topic
“Add a static text field to a card” for step-by-step instructions.

Static Graphic Field
Static graphic field
You define a static graphic field to print a graphic, such as your

organization’s logo, on each card. While it is possible to use any of the
formats listed under Background on page 23, using a bitmap will
provide the highest quality graphic on the printed card. You can size
and rotate static graphic fields.
You can also specify that the graphic appear “ghosted” or semi-
degree of opacity for the graphic.
You can select one color in the graphic to be rendered as transparent,

allowing a card background color to show through.
Static graphics that use ghosting or transparency will not print

correctly if they are on a card side configured to print using
only the K-panel.
Alternatively, you can specify that the graphic be converted to
See the online help topic “Add a static graphic field to a card” for step-
by-step instructions.

Some static graphic field options are not compatible with

others. If you select an option that is not compatible with an
option you previously selected, IDCentre Designer will
present a message alerting you to the conflict.
Non-Printable Area
Non-printable
area field
You create a non-printable area to ensure that an area of a card is not

printed over, topcoated, or used for another purpose. You can define
the size and position of the non-printable area. See the online help
topic “Add a non-printable area to a card” for step-by-step
instructions.

Line
Line field
You can add horizontal and vertical lines to your card design. You can
choose from 10 line weights with square or rounded ends. You can
size and rotate the line in 90-degree increments. You can also select
any color available on your computer for your lines.
See the online help topic, “Add a line to a card” for step-by-step
instructions.
Rectangle
Rectangle field
You can add rectangles to your card design. You can choose from 10
line weights for the outside line of the rectangle, and you can choose to
have round or square corners. You can specify that the rectangle be
filled or empty, and you can specify the color of fill and of the outside
line of the rectangle.

See the online help topic, “Add a rectangle to a card” for step-by-step
instructions.
Ellipse
Ellipse field
You can add ellipses to your card design. You can choose from 10 line
weights for the outside line of the ellipse and whether the ellipse is
filled or empty. You can specify the color of fill and of the outside line.
See the online help topic, “Add an ellipse to a card” for step-by-step
instructions.
Printing Sample Cards

Before fine-tuning the card layout, print a sample card. This
allows the software to determine printer characteristics and
size fields more accurately.
While you are designing your card, you can print sample cards by
selecting Print Sample Card from the File menu on the menu bar or
from the right mouse button menu or by clicking the Print Sample
Card button on the toolbar. For best results, use the same card stock
and printing supplies your Production application users will use.

Sample cards are always printed with the sample data you
supplied for the card fields.
Sample cards are not encoded. To check that magnetic stripes
are encoded correctly, start the IDCentre Production
application and print a card.
Printing Cards in the Production Application

You can set up your IDCentre project to help Production application
users track the progress of print requests. On the Printing tab of the
Card Design Properties dialog box, select a field to identify print jobs.
At print time, the contents of this field will be displayed in the
printer’s print queue.


Chapter 3: Plan and
Create a Production
Form
What Is a Production Form?

The Production Form is used by the Production application user to
gather cardholder information and print cards and reports. Through
the Production Form you can also allow the user to search a database,
add or update information in the database, or delete database records.
The user can gather and save text (such as the cardholder’s name) or
images (such as a photograph of the cardholder).
You can create a Production Form from start to finish, modify the form
in one of the sample projects provided with the IDCentre software, or
use the Create Production Form from Card and Add Card Fields to
Production Form commands on the Tools menu to create the
Production Form and add card fields to it.
Production Form Window

You use the Production Form window to design the form for your
project. It contains the following parts:

Plan and Create a Production Form
Title bar Design area
Title bar—The title bar changes color when the Production Form
window is active.
Design area—This area represents the window the Production

operator will use. You place all form fields in this area.
Background
You can specify that the background of your Production Form has a
color, a graphic, or both.
All fields are placed on top of the background. If you do not specify a
background, the form background will be the color specified by the
operating system display properties.
See the online help topic “Add a background color or graphic to a

Production Form” for step-by-step instructions.

Size
You can specify that your Production Form be limited to one of five
fixed sizes or that its size adjust automatically to accommodate the
fields you add. Adjusting automatically is the default for a new
Production Form.
Specifying a fixed size may be important if you want to make sure

Production operators with small monitors will be able to enter data in
all fields without scrolling.
If you specify a fixed size for your Production Form, IDCentre

Designer checks each current field and reports any that lie outside the
right or bottom boundary of the Production Form. In addition, the
software prevents you from dragging fields off the Production Form.
See the online help topic “Set Production Form size” for step-by-step
instructions.
Types of Production Form Fields

Fields are the building blocks of your Production Form. You must
create a field for each item you want to appear on the form, each piece
of variable data you want to appear on your cards or reports, and each
field you want to connect to a database.
The types of Production Form fields available to you varies with the
IDCentre edition you purchased:
Text X X X
Photo X X X
Date X X X

Signature X X
List X X X
Composite X X X
Print Count X X X
Auto-sequence X X X
Static Text X X X
Binary X
Check Box X X

Text Field
Text fields
Text fields allow the Production application user to gather
alphanumeric data. The data can then be printed on a card or report,
saved in a database, or both. You can specify a prompt that reminds
the Production application user what data to enter in the field. You can
also specify the font and color attributes of the operator prompt and
the text the Production application user will enter.
If the data will be saved to a database, you may want to specify the
number of characters that will be accepted in the text field, so the field
length is correct for the associated database field. You can also let the
IDCentre program set the field length for you when you use the field
connector. If the text field uses a mask, you should specify a number of
characters large enough to display any literal mask characters as well
as the data value. See Text Field Masks on page 48 for more
information.

You can also specify that a text field be filled with the IDCentre user
name of the Production operator when a record is created, when a
changed record is explicitly saved, or both. Alternatively, you can
specify that the sample data you supply be used as the default value
for Production operators.
The default value option requires that the Production Form
field is connected to a database field.
See the online help topic “Add a text field to a Production Form” for
Text Field Masks
You can use a mask on a text field to format data and provide some
control over what values can be entered. With a text field mask you
can place literal characters (such as spaces, dashes, and parentheses) in
the display of the entered data, convert characters to a set format (such
as uppercase text), or restrict entered characters (for example, to
numeric characters). Text field masks are helpful when storing
numeric data (for example, telephone numbers) in text database
columns. When stored as a text string, numeric values can be searched
using wildcard characters.
You establish a mask on the Mask tab of the Edit Field Properties
[Text] dialog box. (See the online help topic “Add a mask to a
Production Form text field” for step-by-step instructions.) The Mask
tab displays a preview of what the field will look like to the Production
operator as well as the minimum field length required to enter data
using the mask. You must set the Input Length on the General tab to a
value equal to or larger than the field length required. Note that the
minimum field length required to display the mask is not the size of
the database column required to hold the entered data. The required
database column size may be smaller because literals added by the
mask are not stored in the database.
Masked fields are limited to 100 characters.

Available mask characters and their behavior in the Production

application are described in the following tables.
Numeric Mask Characters:
Character Description
0 Placeholder for one digit (0 through 9)

Entry is required and the Mandatory field
property is selected automatically.
9 Placeholder for one digit (0 through 9), or space

Entry not required. Unentered data become
spaces when the data is saved, displayed in the
card or report preview, or printed on a card.
# Placeholder for one digit (0 through 9), plus sign,

minus sign, or space
Entry not required. Unentered data is removed
when the data is saved or displayed in the card
or report preview. Spaces are removed when
the data is saved, displayed in the card or
report preview, or printed on a card or report.

Alphabetic Mask Characters:
L Placeholder for one alphabetic character (A

through Z or a through z)
? Placeholder for one alphabetic character (A

through Z or a through z), hyphen, single quote,
period, or space
card or report preview, or printed on a card or
report.
B Placeholder for one uppercase alphabetic

character (A through Z)
property is selected automatically. Lowercase
characters are converted to uppercase upon
entry.
> Placeholder for one uppercase alphabetic

character (A through Z), hyphen, single quote,
period, or space
report. Lowercase characters are converted to
uppercase upon entry.

e Placeholder for one lowercase alphabetic

character (a through z)
property is selected automatically. Uppercase
characters are converted to lowercase upon
entry.
< Placeholder for one lowercase alphabetic

character (a through z), hyphen, single quote,
period, or space
report. Uppercase characters are converted to
lowercase upon entry.

Alphanumeric Mask Characters:
A Placeholder for one alphabetic character (A

through Z or a through z) or digit (0 through 9)
property is selected automatically. Equivalent
to 0 mask + L mask characters.
a Placeholder for one alphabetic character (A

through Z or a through z), digit (0 through 9),
hyphen, single quote, period, or space
report. Equivalent to 9 mask + ? mask
characters.
General Mask Characters:
& Placeholder for any one character except

underscore and space
C Placeholder for any one character except

underscore
card preview, or printed on a card.

Literals:
(Note that the Production operator is not allowed to enter a value into
a position occupied by a literal.)
. Decimal symbol “smart” literal

(period) The actual character displayed in the
Production application is the character
specified for the decimal symbol in the Number
page of the Control Panel Regional Settings
Properties dialog box. If the decimal symbol
specified is multiple characters, the left-most
character is used. Unlike other literals, the
decimal symbol is saved with the data value.
, Digit-grouping symbol “smart” literal

(comma) The actual character displayed in the
specified for the digit-grouping symbol in the
Number page of the Control Panel Regional
Settings Properties dialog box. If the digit-
grouping symbol specified is multiple
characters, the left-most character is used. The
digit-grouping symbol is not saved with the data
value but is reapplied when data is retrieved.
$ Currency symbol “smart” literal

The actual character displayed in the
specified for the currency symbol in the Number
page of the Control Panel Regional Settings
Properties dialog box. If the currency symbol
specified is multiple characters, the left-most
character is used. The currency symbol is not
saved with the data value but is reapplied
when data is retrieved.

Any other Any character not listed in the Mask Character

character column of this table appears as is in the text
entry field. The character is not saved with the
data value but is reapplied when data is
retrieved.
\ Escape character for a mask character.

Precede the mask character with a backslash
to have it appear as a literal. For example, to
display an A in the text field, enter \A in the
Mask box. The character is not saved with the
data value but is reapplied when data is
retrieved.
Text field masks are fully functional in the Quick Search dialog box in
the Production and Reporting applications. For example, if the text
field mask requires a number, the Production operator must enter
nothing, a number, or a partial number plus wildcard characters in the
Quick Search dialog box.
If the text data saved contains leading spaces, the search string must be
left empty or use a % character as the first character of the string.
Consider using a mask character that requires input as the first
character in the field, so Production operators do not have to
start searches with a % character. Also consider giving
Production operators information about how best to search in
masked text fields or create stored searches for them so they
can easily retrieve the correct information. The Advanced
Search dialog box does not use the mask.
Some sample text field masks are:
• US/Canadian telephone number with optional area code: (999)000-

0000
• Gender: B

Photo Field
Photo field
Photo fields provide a way to capture the cardholder’s image or access
a previously-captured image. You can specify how large the photo
field appears on the Production Form, whether there is a prompt for
the operator, and the font and color attributes of the prompt. You can
also specify the image capture method (taking a photo with a specific
camera, using an image in an existing file, etc.) and the image
manipulation options the Production application user will have.
Consider making the photo field on the Production Form the same
shape as the photo field on the card. For example, if the photo area on
the card is square, make the photo field on the Production Form
square by entering the same number for Height as for Width on the
General tab of the Edit Field Properties [Photo] dialog box. On the
Advanced tab of the dialog box, select Crop Box With Shape of This
Field. This determines the shape of the photo crop box that usually
appears when a photo file is captured.

Also consider selecting Automatically When Field Selected in the

Capture Initiation area of the Advanced tab. If this option is selected,
the image capture method you specified will automatically launch
when the Production operator enters the photo field. If this option is
not selected, the Production operator must make a menu selection or
double-click after entering the field.
You can specify where to store a photo, in the database or as a file

outside of the database, on the Storage tab of the Edit Field Properties
[Photo] dialog box. See File Name Considerations on page 104. You
can also specify the format in which the photo is stored. Formats
available are:
Format File Extension
Adobe Photoshop 3.0 psd
JPEG File Interchange Format jpg
JPEG 2000 File Format j2k
Portable Network Graphics png
Tagged Image File Format tif
TARGA® Image File Format tga
Windows Bitmap bmp
If you choose JPEG File Interchange Format or JPEG 2000 File Format,
you can also specify a compression factor or that the file be
compressed to a target file size.
When you select to use a compression factor, a slider appears, letting

you select the compression factor to use. Minimum compression
results in the highest quality but largest file size; maximum
compression results in the lowest quality but smallest file size.

When you specify to use a target file size, a box appears that lets you
select a target file size.
• Compressing each photo to a set file size will result in

photos that vary in quality.
• If the uncompressed file size is smaller than the target file
size, nothing will be done to increase the file size. Such files
could be substantially smaller than the target size.
• Selecting a target file size of 65,000 bytes or greater will
create files that cannot be stored in an Oracle database as
BLOBs.
See the online help topic “Add a photo field to a Production Form” for
step-by-step instructions. Also see Working with Capture Options on
page 157, for more information.
Date Field
Date field

Date fields allow you to collect and save date and time information in
database date-type format using the mask, or pattern, you specify.
Date masks available are MM/DD/YYYY, DD/MM/YYYY, and
YYYY/MM/DD. Time masks are None - Date Only, 12 hour format,
and 24 hour format.
The date can be entered by the Production operator or automatically

captured using the system date. You can specify that the system date
and time be captured and saved to the database when a new record is
created, when a changed record is explicitly saved, or both. If the date
will be entered by the operator, you can specify a prompt for the field.
Consider including the date mask you selected in the prompt, as in the
example.
You can also specify the font and color attributes of the operator
prompt and the text the Production operator will enter. See the online
help topic “Add a date field to a Production Form” for step-by-step
instructions.

Signature Field
Bronze Edition: Signature fields are not available in IDCentre Bronze Edition. The next
relevant section for Bronze Edition users is List Field on page 60.
Signature field
Signature fields provide a way to capture the cardholder’s signature or

access a previously-captured signature. You can specify how large the
signature field appears on the production form, whether there is a
prompt for the operator, and the font and color attributes of the
prompt. You can also specify the signature capture source (capture
with the signature pad or using a signature stored in a file).
You can specify where to store a signature, in the database or as a file

outside of the database, on the Storage tab of the Edit Field Properties
[Signature] dialog box. See File Name Considerations on page 104.

See the online help topic “Add a signature field to a Production Form”
List Field
List field
When used in the IDCentre Production application, a list field

produces a list box rather than a text box. The values you specify
appear in the list. The data-driven card production feature in IDCentre
Silver Edition and Gold Edition can use list fields to provide a
mechanism for switching between card designs. (See chapter 11,
Projects with Multiple Cards, for more information.) You can have as
many list fields as necessary on a Production Form, but only one can
be used to select the card design in data-driven card production. The
variable graphic card field is also best used with a list field.
List fields help reduce data input errors and variations. For example,
assume you need to capture the work site for your employees, that
your organization has six sites, and that sometimes site names are
abbreviated and other times they are spelled out. To complicate

matters, assume one of the sites has a name that is often misspelled.
You can establish a list field that contains the official abbreviations for
your sites. Your Production application users simply select the
appropriate site from the list, saving time and eliminating spelling
errors.
You can specify a prompt for the field and how the field will look on
the form—the font and color attributes of the operator prompt and the
values in the list. You can enter list field values in the Designer
application or import them from a file that you know is correct. You
can change the order of items in the list after you have entered them.
You can also specify the default value for the list field, that is, the value
that will be displayed if the Production application user clears the
form or starts a new record. The default value is usually the value that
is selected most often. For example, if the list contains office locations,
the office with the most employees would be designated the default
selection. If you do not specify a default value, the software uses the
first value you entered as the default. To force the Production
application user to make a selection, you can add a blank entry. A
blank entry is always the default value for a list field.
See the online help topic “Add a list field to a Production Form” for

Composite Field
Composite field
You create a composite field to print two or more fields of cardholder

data in a single card field. Composite fields are also used to create data
for magnetic stripe encoding and to ensure that the right amount and
kind of data is rendered in bar codes. You must create a Production
Form field for each item of data that you want to combine in the
composite field. These subfields can be text, date, list, auto sequence,
or print count fields. Note that photo fields, signature fields (not
available in IDCentre Bronze Edition), and binary fields (available only
in IDCentre Gold Edition) cannot be used as a subfield in a composite
field.
You define the composite field in the Format Field dialog box accessed
through the Advanced tab of the Edit Field Properties [Composite]
dialog box.

The Bronze Edition and Silver Edition give you two field format
options. You select a subfield that you want to format and then click
the Format Field... button.
For each subfield you can specify that trailing spaces or other
characters (such as hyphens in an identification number) be removed.
Or you can specify that the subfield be filled with a character you
choose, and you specify whether the fill characters appear before or
after the significant characters. You also specify any spaces or other
constant characters you want to appear between the subfields. To
specify a non-printing constant character, use the \b escape sequence
followed by three numeric digits representing the decimal value for
the ASCII character. For example, to insert a carriage return and line
feed in a constant field, type \b013\b010. The ASCII null character is
not allowed.
The Gold Edition gives you four field format options; the same two
options available in the Bronze Edition and Silver Edition plus two
additional options:
• To keep characters in specific positions in the selected subfield

value at production time
• To enter a string to substitute for the selected subfield value at

production time
After you have added subfields to the composite, you can move them
left or right.
For example, you may have captured and saved the cardholder’s first
name and last name separately (to store them in separate database
fields) but want to print them in a single card field. You would create a
composite field that specifies the cardholder’s first name as the first
subfield, adds a space in a constant string, and specifies the
cardholder’s last name as the last subfield.
Because Production operators do not enter data directly into a

composite field, you do not need to supply a prompt. Also, you can

specify that the composite field be hidden from the Production

operator, to keep the Production Form easy to use. See Production
Form Field Options on page 72.
You cannot connect the composite field to a database field (instead,

you connect the Production Form fields you used to build the
composite field), but you do connect the composite field to one or
more card or report fields.
See the online help topic “Add a composite field to a Production

Form” for step-by-step instructions.
Print Count Field
Print count field
If your IDCentre project is connected to a database, you can use a print

count field to indicate how many times a card has been printed for a
user record.

An IDCentre Production Form can have only one print count

field.
You can specify the input length of the print count field. If the input
length is 1, the maximum print count value is 9; if the input length is 2,
the maximum print count value is 99. When the maximum value is
exceeded, the value rolls over to 0.
Print count fields are always Read Only. The Production application
increments the value in the print count field as cards are printed. The
print count field also increments if a card is encoded without printing.
If the Production application user prints multiple copies of a card in

one print job, the print count value is incremented by the number of
copies printed and each copy of the card has the same print count
value printed on it (if there is a connection between the Production
Form print count field and a text field on the card design). The same
holds true if the print count field is connected to an encodable field,
such as a magnetic stripe field.
The Production application increments the print count field

value when a print job is submitted. If the card fails to print or
encode, the field value cannot be decremented through
IDCentre applications. You can, however, use your database
application to correct the record.
See the online help topic “Add a print count field to a Production

Auto Sequence Field

If your IDCentre project is connected to a database, you can use an
auto sequence field to create a unique database value when a record is
inserted in the database. You can specify the length of the field, the
minimum value that will be used for the sequence, a prompt for the
field, and how the field will look on the form—the font and color
attributes of the operator prompt and the value. You can also specify
that the database value be modified when the record is updated.
Auto sequence fields are always Read Only.
A Production Form can have only one auto sequence field.
When a Production operator saves a record from a Production Form

that has an auto sequence field, the IDCentre software queries the
database to determine the current maximum value and uses it to create
a new unique value. The same process is used when a database record
is updated if you have specified that the database table column
associated with the auto sequence field be modified when the record is
updated.
Because the auto sequence field requires a database query before each
record is inserted, inserting records will be slower. In addition, if
multiple users attempt to insert records simultaneously, there is a
chance that a duplicate value will be used and will result in a
“duplicate key” error for all but the first user. If your database can
generate an auto sequence number, allowing the database server to
control the assignment of the value will reduce contention and
improve performance. Such a database field should be connected to a
Production Form text field.
Conversely, you should use the Production Form auto sequence field if
you want to use the value for naming an image file, either by itself or
as part of a composite field. A database-generated number cannot be

used because the number is not available when the file name is
created.
See the online help topic “Add an auto sequence field to a Production
Check Box Field

Silver Edition and Gold Edition: Check box fields are available only in IDCentre Silver
Edition and Gold Edition. The next relevant section for Bronze Edition
users is Static Text Field on page 70.
Check Box field
The Production Form check box field provides a means for the
Production application user to view, modify, and save the state of a
database column value by selecting (checking) or clearing
(unchecking) a check box control.

The Production Form check box field can be used to switch between
card designs for data driven production or graphics files for variable
graphics.
Binary Field
Gold Edition: Binary fields are available only in IDCentre Gold Edition. For Silver
Edition users, the next relevant section is Event Button on page 69.
Binary fields
Binary fields provide a way to collect and store data that cannot be
displayed, such as smart card application code or biometric templates.
Binary fields usually require that you write one or more

additional programs using the Software Development Kit to
capture and use binary data.
You can specify a prompt for the field and the appearance of the field
when it is empty and when it has data in it.

You also specify the source of the data for the field. Data can come
from an existing file or from a biometric device supported by the
Datacard Biometric Server. You can specify where to store binary data,
in the database or as a file outside of the database, on the Storage tab
of the Edit Field Properties [Binary] dialog box. See File Name
Considerations on page 104.
As with photo and signature fields, you can specify that the capture
source of the data be started automatically when the Production
application user enters the field by selecting Automatically When
Field Selected in the Capture Initiation area of the Advanced tab. If
this option is selected, the capture source you specified will
automatically launch when the Production operator enters the binary
field. If this option is not selected, the Production operator must make
a menu selection or double-click after entering the field.
See the online help topic “Add a binary field to a Production Form” for
Event Button
Silver Edition and Gold Edition: Event buttons are available only in IDCentre Silver
Edition and Gold Edition. The next relevant section for Bronze Edition
users is Static Text Field on page 70.
The Software Development Kit lets programmers develop event

handler programs that extend the capabilities of the IDCentre
Production application. In most cases, an event handler program is
associated with an existing Production Form field or application
command. Sometimes, however, no existing control is appropriate. In
that case, you can add a button to the Production Form that the
Production operator will click to start the event handler program.
You can specify the text that appears on the button as well as the font
and size of the text. See the online help topic “Add an event button to a

You must train Production operators on the use of any event

buttons you add to your Production Form. Because event
buttons are seldom used, chapter 2, Using the IDCentre
Production Application in the Operator’s Guide does not
explain them.
Static Text Field
Static text field
You can use a static text field to add instructions to the Production
application user or to divide the Production Form into categories of
information. You can specify the font and color attributes of a static
text field and you can rotate the field. See the online help topic “Add a
static text field to a Production Form” for step-by-step instructions.


A static graphic field displays a graphic, such as your organization’s
logo, on the Production Form.
You can select one color in the graphic to be rendered as transparent.

For example, the static graphics in the example above have white
selected to be rendered as transparent, allowing the yellow
background of the Production Form to show through. You can also
size and rotate static graphic fields. See the online help topic “Add a
static graphic field to a Production Form” for step-by-step instructions.

Production Form Field Options

In addition to the common properties described in Changing Field
Properties on page 9, Production Form fields have field options. The
options available depend on the type of field. Production Form field
options are:
• Hidden
If selected, the field is not visible to the Production operator

and does not appear on the Quick Search window but is
available for advanced searches. For example, you may
need to retrieve sensitive information from a database to
encode on a magnetic stripe. Composite fields are often
hidden to avoid operator confusion.
• Mandatory
If selected, the Production operator will not be allowed to
save the database record or print the card until this field is
completed. Consider indicating which fields are mandatory
by using bold type for the operator prompt or including an
asterisk in the prompt. Creating a text field mask that
requires entry automatically selects this option.
• Read Only
If selected, the Production operator can see the information
in this field but cannot change it in the database or on the
form.
Typically fields that are read-only have gray text on a light

gray background. You can set the read-only foreground
and background colors by going to the Appearance tab in
the Edit Field Properties [Text] dialog and selecting a
foreground and background color.
Select the option to use these colors as the read-only field

color.

• Write to Log
If selected, an entry will be made to the audit log when the

operator saves records to the database or deletes records
from the database in the Production application.
• Searchable
If selected, the field will appear in the Quick Search dialog

box in the Production application. This option has no effect
on the Advanced Search dialog box; all fields connected to
a database are searchable with Advanced Search.
• Display in Table View
If selected for any of the Production Form fields that appear

in the table view (Text, List, Date, Photo, Print Count, Auto
Sequence, and Check Box) the Production application user
can see that field in the table view. If not selected, the
project designer can hide the fields and allow more space to
view critical information on the screen without scrolling.

Changing the Tab Order of Fields
You can determine the tab order of the fields so the fields are entered
in a logical progression, without regard to the order in which you
created them. Hidden and read-only fields, such as the composite field
in the illustration above, are not part of the tab order. See the online
help topic “Change the field tab order” for step-by-step instructions.
Creating a Production Form from a

Card Design
If your IDCentre project does not have a Production Form, you can use
Create Production Form from Card on the Designer application Tools
menu to create a basic Production Form. See the online help topic
“Create a Production Form from a card design” for step-by-step
instructions. (If Create Production Form from Card is not available,
the Production Form already exists. Use the Add Fields to Production

Form command instead. See Adding Fields to a Database Created

from IDCentre Designer on page 108.)
Smart card and magnetic stripe fields, as well as static text and
static graphic fields, are omitted from the list. (See About the
Created Production Form on page 76 for a list of card field
types and the Production Form field types created from them.)
When you have made selections in each field, the OK button becomes
available. When you click OK, Create Production Form from Card
creates a Production Form with the fields you selected. If your project
is not connected to a database, you are asked if you want to create a
database from the Production Form. Selecting Yes is the same as
selecting Create Database from Production Form from the Tools
menu. See Creating a Database from an IDCentre Designer on
page 106.
After the Production Form is created, you can add static text, static
graphics, or a background color or graphic; rearrange the fields; edit
fields; or add new fields. In other words, you can change the
Production Form as though you created it “from scratch”.

Adding Fields to a Production Form Created from a

Card Design
Developing an IDCentre project often involves several iterations. You
may decide to add a field to the card design after you create the
Production Form. If your project includes multiple card designs, you
may have additional fields, on additional card designs, that you want
to include on your Production Form. The Add Fields to Production
Form command on the Tools menu lets you add card fields to an
existing Production Form quickly and easily. See the online help topic
“Add fields to a Production Form from a card design” for step-by-step
instructions.
Deleting a field on the card does not delete the corresponding

Production Form field.
About the Created Production Form

Create Production Form from Card and Add Fields to Production
Form create field types as follows:
Card Field Type Production Form Field Type
Text Text
Photo Photo
Date Date
Signature Signature
Barcode Text
Variable Graphic List
The field name assigned to each Production Form field matches the
card field name used to create it. The operator prompt for each field is

the field name. If Create Production Form from Card created a list
field on the Production Form because you selected a variable graphic
field in a card design, it also inserted list values for the list field. In
other words, values you specified on the Advanced tab of the Edit
Field Properties [Variable Graphic] dialog box are copied into the list
field on the Production Form. See the online help topic “Define list
field contents” for step-by-step instructions. Matching Production
Form and card fields are automatically connected. (See Connecting
Fields on page 149.)


Chapter 4: Plan and
Create a Report Design
What Is a Report Design?

A report design defines how a paper report will look when printed:
what information will be the same for each record in the report (such
as a logo or enterprise name), what information will vary from record
to record (the subject’s name or photo), how the elements will be
arranged within each report block, and what information will appear
at the top and bottom of each page of the report.
Information for reports comes from the database the IDCentre project
is connected to. You can only use IDCentre projects that are connected
to a database for creating reports.
The report block is the basis of the report design. You define the size of
the report block, what fields it contains, whether it has a border, and
what the border looks like. Depending on how you specify the report
block, a printed report might have a single report block per printed
page, or it could have many report blocks per page as in the Student
Class Report in the Sample Loyalty project.
Exporting and Importing Report Designs

Silver Edition and Gold Edition: You can export and import report templates within the
Designer application for use in other projects. A template is a single
file containing one report design and all of the graphics referenced by

Plan and Create a Report Design
that design. See the online help topic “Export a report template” and
“Import a report template” for step-by-step instructions.
Report Window
You use the Report window in IDCentre Designer to create the report
block. It contains the following parts.
Title bar
Rulers
Design
area
Title bar—The title bar shows the name of the report you are editing
(Student Class Report in the example above). The title bar changes
color when the window is active.
Rulers—The rulers help you locate and size report fields. You turn the
rulers on and off by using the View menu. You specify the unit of
measure to display in the computer’s Control Panel Regional Settings
Properties dialog box, Number tab, Measurement system setting.
Close your project before changing the unit of measure to
display.

Design area—This area represents the report block and shows how a
single record will look when printed. You place all report fields in this
area.
Scroll bars appear if the size of the Report window is smaller than the
size of the report. Use the Maximize button (on the title bar) to make
the Report window as large as possible.
You can work in the report window in Field Names view or in Sample
Data view. The illustration above uses Sample Data view.
To open a report window, either create a new report or open a report

that already exists in your project. See the online help topics “Create a
report design” and “Open an existing report design”.
Zoom
When the report block design window is active you can zoom in on
the report by either using the Zoom Report option on the View menu
or by selecting a zoom value from the zoom toolbar, if it is active. You
have a choice of four zoom levels:
• 50%
• 100% (original size)
• 150%
• 200%
The selected percent is designated by a bullet character. See the online

help topic “Zoom in or out” for step-by-step instructions.
Report Properties
You use the Edit Report Design Properties dialog to name your report,
specify the layout of the report block, and define the header and footer

for the report. See the online help topic “Access the Edit Report Design
Properties dialog box”.
Report Block Layout
When you insert a new report, the report block measures 6.5 inches
wide by 2.25 inches high (16.5 cm wide by 5.7 cm high). You can
change the size of the report block on the Block Layout tab of the Edit
Report Design Properties dialog. You can also specify whether the
report block has a border, how thick the border is, and what color it is.
See the online help topic “Change the block layout for a report design”
for step-by-step instructions. When you print a report, the IDCentre
Reporting application will place as many report blocks as possible on
the page.
Header and Footer
You can specify a header to print at the top of each page of your report,
a footer to print at the bottom of each page, or both. Headers and
footers can contain one line of text, one graphic, or both. Text can be
information that you type as well as information the system
determines: page number, the total number of pages in the report, the
date and time the report was printed, the name of the stored search
used to create the report, and the IDCentre user name of the person
who printed the report. You can also specify the alignment for the
header or footer information and the type font, style, size, and color
used. The graphic can be above or below the line of text and aligned as
you specify.
Specifications for the header are completely independent from

specifications for the footer. See the online help topic “Format the
header or footer” for step-by-step instructions.

Page Setup
IDCentre reports have page setup specifications, as many programs
that print to paper printers do. Using the Page Setup dialog box you
can specify the size of paper the report will be printed on, the source of
the paper, the orientation of the report (portrait or landscape), and the
margins on all four sides of the paper.
Your computer must be attached to a paper printer to change
Page Setup specifications.
Types of Report Fields

Report fields are the building blocks of report blocks. You must create
a report field for each item of information you want to print in the
report block. Each report field has a type that specifies the field’s
contents.The types of report fields available to you varies with the
IDCentre edition you purchased:
Text X X X
Photo X X X
Date X X X
Signature X X
Bar code X X X
Variable Graphic X X X
Static Text X X X

Text Field
Text field
Text fields print information that changes from one record to the next,
such as a person’s name. You can specify the font and color attributes
of a text field as well as rotate it. See Fonts on page 11.
You can also specify that the size of the text will automatically shrink if
necessary to fit a large amount of text in the field. The font size shrinks
to a minimum of 6 points. If at 6-point type the text still does not fit,
characters are dropped from the end.
See the online help topic “Add a text field to a report” for step-by-step
instructions.

Photo Field
Photo field
Photo fields contain a captured image of the subject. You can move,
size, and rotate photo fields, as well as add a border to them. See the
online help topic “Add a photo field to a report” for step-by-step
instructions.
Date Field
Date field
Date fields contain a date and, optionally, time, in the format you
specify on the Production Form. You can specify the font and color
attributes of a date field, as well as rotate it. See Fonts on page 11. See

the online help topic “Add a date field to a report” for step-by-step
instructions.
Signature Field
Bronze Edition: Signature fields are not available in IDCentre Bronze Edition.
Signature fields print a captured signature from the subject. You can
specify the size and rotation of the field. See the online help topic “Add
a signature field to a report design” for step-by-step instructions.
Bar Code Field
Bar code
field
The kind of bar code you use in your report block is determined by the
bar code reading equipment you use. See the documentation for your
bar code reader to determine what bar code type to select. That
documentation will also explain the rules for determining valid
information for the bar code type you will use.
You select the bar code type on the Advanced tab of the Edit Field
Properties [Bar Code] dialog box. The following table lists the bar code

types IDCentre software supports, as well as the options available

with each bar code type.
Codabar Checksum: none, Mod 16, Mod 10, Mod10Lib,

Mod10Lun
Code 128 Auto Density: High, Medium, Low
Code 128 A Density: High, Medium, Low
Code 128 B Density: High, Medium, Low
Code 128 C Density: High, Medium, Low
Code 39 Checksum: none, Mod 43, Mod10Lib, Mod10Lun

Code 39 Checksum: none, Mod 43

Extended Density: High, Medium, Low


Extended Density: High, Medium, Low


HIBC Checksum: none, Mod 43


Interleaved 2 Checksum: none, Mod 10, Mod10Lib, Mod10Lun

of 5 Density: High, Medium, Low
MSI Plessey Checksum: none, Mod 10, Mod 11

PDF417 (text Error Correction: none, Level 1 through Level 8

only; binary (maximum)
data not Density: High, Medium, Low
supported)
Postnet Zip + 4 (no options available)
UCC128 Checksum: none, Mod 10

UPCA Supplemental Digits: 0, 2, 5

UPCE – 0 Supplemental Digits: 0, 2, 5

System 6 Digit Density: High, Medium, Low
UPCE – 1 Supplemental Digits: 0, 2, 5

System 6 Digit Density: High, Medium, Low
UPCE 11 digit Supplemental Digits: 0, 2, 5

The Interpretation Text Options area of the Advanced tab lets you
choose to have the contents of the bar code displayed in regular text.
When Interpretation Text On is selected, you can also specify the font
characteristics of the text and the location of the text relative to the bar
code.
You can provide sample bar code data to display on the report block
and print on the sample report. You do this on the General tab of the

Edit Field Properties [Barcode] dialog box. If you enter too much
sample data, the field is filled with diagonal lines. If the bar code type
does not support the data you entered, the field is filled with a
crosshatch pattern.
Too much bar

code data
Unsupported bar
code data
See the online help topic “Add a bar code field to a report” for step-by-
step instructions.
Variable Graphic Field

A variable graphic field lets you specify which graphic is printed in a
report block based on the value of an associated Production Form field
(usually a list field). You can also specify that no graphic be printed for
some values. While it is possible to select from a variety of graphics
formats, using a bitmap will provide the highest quality graphic.
See the online help topic “Add a variable graphic field to a report
block” for step-by-step instructions.

Static Text Field
Static text
fields—one for
each
combination of
font and color
attributes.
Word Wrap
selected.
A static text field prints the same text in each report block. You must
specify the text to appear in the static text field at the time you design
the report. You can specify the font and color attributes of a static text
field. All text in a static text field displays with the same font and color
attributes. You can rotate a static text field. The static text field
supports multiple lines of text. The height of the field increases as
necessary if you select the Word Wrap check box on the Edit Field
Properties [Static Text] dialog box and if you type enough text in the
Edit Display Text dialog box to require a second line. You can force a
new line by pressing CTRL + ENTER in the Edit Display Text dialog box.
See the online help topic “Add a static text field to a report block” for

You define a static graphic field to print a graphic, such as your

organization’s logo, in each report block. While it is possible to use a
variety of graphics formats, using a bitmap will provide the highest
quality graphic.
You can size and rotate static graphic fields. See the online help topic
“Add a static graphic field to a report block” for step-by-step
instructions.

Previewing and Printing Sample Reports

While you are designing your report, you can see an on-screen
preview of the report or print a sample report. See the online help
topics “Preview a sample report” and “Print a sample report” for step-
by-step instructions.
• Your computer must have a paper printer installed to
preview or print sample reports.
• Sample reports are always printed with the sample data
you supplied for the report fields.

Chapter 5: Using
Databases with
IDCentre Projects
If you want to save information entered in the Production Form for

future use or if you want to use existing information to print cards or
reports, you will do it by connecting fields in your Production Form to
columns in a database.
Gold Edition: IDCentre Gold Edition also offers the option of using a Directory
Service for data storage. See chapter 6, Using a Directory Service with
IDCentre Projects, for complete information.
This chapter assumes you have an understanding of database concepts

in general as well as your database system in particular. You do not
need to be the database administrator to use this chapter, but you may
need to consult with that person as you make decisions.
If you do not currently have a database, see Creating a Database from

an IDCentre Designer on page 106.
Supported Databases
IDCentre software connects to a variety of databases using Microsoft
OLE DB and ODBC technologies. For more detail about which
databases are supported, review the Read Me File for the IDCentre
software you have installed.

Using Databases with IDCentre Projects
IDCentre Bronze
Edition
IDCentre Silver
Edition and Gold
Edition

You select the OLE DB provider and data source for your project by
clicking the Select button on the Data Source tab of the Edit Project
Properties dialog box. (To access the Edit Project Properties dialog box,
from the menu bar, select File and then Project Properties.) Clicking
the Select button launches the Microsoft Data Link application, a
wizard-like program that changes depending on the choices you
make. Online help is available for the Data Link application.
If your database requires an ODBC provider, you must first use the
ODBC Data Source Administrator to create an identically-named data
source on each computer on which your IDCentre project will be used.
(A System DSN is recommended.) You access the ODBC Data Source
Administrator through your computer’s Control Panel. After creating
the data source, you can assign it to your IDCentre project.
Connecting to Multiple Tables in a Database

IDCentre software supports multiple related tables. Multiple tables
have some advantages over a view, the most important being that
updates are less restrictive. The IDCentre software derives
relationships between tables by detecting foreign keys if they are
available or by matching column names if there are no foreign keys
detected. A project can be connected to up to ten tables.
Always connect Production Form fields to the database parent table

columns first. Connect child table columns after all the parent table
columns are connected. Child table key columns used to relate records
to the parent table do not require a connection. They will be
automatically synchronized with the parent table by the IDCentre
software.
Table rows must be related in a one-to-one relationship if inserts or

deletes are allowed for the project. Updating will work with a one-to-
many relationship if updates are restricted to data in the child tables.
Selection supports a one-to-many relationship.

The Delete All command is not selectable in the Production

application if the project is connected to multiple database tables.
Table Types
Database table and column names should follow the
restrictions listed in the table on page 109. There may be
exceptions to this list for your database. If you use characters
on the restricted list, try the project using the IDCentre
Production software to make sure you can connect to the
database as well as search for and store data correctly.
The Show Table Types area of the Edit Project Properties Data Source
tab lets you limit the kinds of tables you will see while working in the
IDCentre field connector. Filtering out unneeded information will
simplify the task of connecting Production Form fields to their
corresponding database fields. The particular database you use may
not support all the table types listed.
Database Login
You access the database when you use the Field Connector window in
the IDCentre Designer application. In IDCentre Production, Reporting,
and View, you access the database when you open a project that has
connections to a database.
If the database you will connect to requires a user name and password
for access, the Project Properties dialog box, Data Source tab, Database
Login area gives you three choices for setting up your project:
Use database login settings—IDCentre users must supply a separate

database user name and password to access the database. If you enter
a user name and password in the Connection tab of the Data Link
Properties dialog box, the user name may be displayed as a default
name in the database login prompt.

Use IDCentre user name and password—The IDCentre application

passes your IDCentre user name and password to the database server
whenever you access the database. If you choose this option, you must
assign the same user names and passwords for IDCentre access that
the database administrator assigns for database access. In addition,
you should warn IDCentre users not to change their IDCentre
passwords. If an IDCentre password were changed and then passed to
the database server, the database security software would detect a
wrong password. Depending on the database used, the user might be
asked to reenter the database password or the user might be denied
access. If you choose the Use IDCentre user name and password
option, do not enter any user name or password information in the
Connection tab of the Data Link Properties dialog box.
Use this user name and password—The IDCentre application passes

the user name and password you supply for the project to the database
engine whenever you access the database. Because the user name and
password are not displayed, users cannot use them to gain access to
the database outside of an IDCentre application. This offers a higher
level of security.
Using Schema/Owner Name to Identify Tables in

Production
Some databases require the owner name as part of the table or view
name to guarantee that the correct object is being referenced. For most
databases you should select Use schema/owner name to identify
tables in Production on the Data Source tab. This option places the
schema name in front of every table name when SQL strings are
created in the IDCentre Production and Reporting applications.
If you are using public synonyms, you should not select the
Use schema/owner name to identify tables in Production
option.

Data Types
Bronze Edition: Because IDCentre Bronze Edition works only with Microsoft Access
databases, Bronze Edition users need to read only the first row of the
following tables.
Datacard has tested the databases listed in the following tables.

Corresponding data types for ODBC databases depend on the
database product vendor. Refer to the IDCentre Read Me file for a
complete list of databases tested with your version.
Text Fields
IDCentre text fields map to:
Access data types Text(255)*, Number(Integer)†,

Number(Long Integer)†,
AutoNumber(Long Integer)†,
Number(Single)†, Number(Double)†
DB2 data types Varchar(255)*, Integer†, Smallint†,

Decimal†, Double‡, Real‡
Oracle data types VarChar2(255)*, Number(x,y)†
SQL Server data types Varchar(255)*, Integer†, Smallint†,

Decimal†, Numeric†, Float‡, Real‡
* Maximum length.
† Production operators will not be able to use wildcard characters in the Quick
Search dialog box for fields connected to a database column of this type.
The Advanced Search dialog box can be used to search for a range of
numeric values.
‡ Production operators will not be able to search fields connected to a
database column of this type using the Quick Search dialog box. Consider
clearing the Searchable field option for Production Form fields connected to
database columns of this type. See Production Form Field Options on
page 72.

Binary, Photo, and Signature Fields
IDCentre binary1, photo, or signature fields map to:
Access data types BLOB: OLE Object

File: Text(255)
DB2 data types BLOB: Blob

File: Varchar(255)
Oracle data types BLOB: BLOB*, Long Raw

File: Varchar2(255)
SQL Server data types BLOB: Image

File: Varchar(255)
* BLOB has fewer restrictions and is preferred to Long Raw.
Date Fields
IDCentre date fields map to:
Access data type Date/Time
DB2 data types Date*, Timestamp
Oracle data type Date
SQL Server data types Datetime, Small Datetime
* The DB2 Date data type does not support time.
When a date is specified in a search, IDCentre software searches for

times between 00:00:00 and 23:59:59 on that date unless the field is
connected to a DB2 date data type.
1. Binary fields are only available in IDCentre Gold Edition.

List Fields
IDCentre list fields map to:
Access data types Text(100)*, Number(Integer), Number(Long

Integer), Number(Single), Number(Double)
DB2 data types Varchar(100)*, Integer, Smallint, Decimal
Oracle data types VarChar2(100)*, Varchar (if fixed length),

Number(x,y)
SQL Server data types Varchar(100)*, Char (if fixed length),

Integer, Smallint, Bit, Decimal
* Maximum length.
Print Count Fields
IDCentre print count fields map to:
Access data types Number(Integer), Number(Long Integer)
DB2 data types Integer, Smallint
Oracle data type Number(x,0)
SQL Server data types Integer, Smallint
Auto Sequence Fields
IDCentre auto sequence fields map to:
Access data types Number(Integer), Number(Long Integer)

SQL Server data types Integer, Smallint
To prevent duplicate values, the column connected to the auto

sequence field should be restricted to unique values using an index or
constraint.
Check Box Fields

Silver Edition and Gold Edition: Check box fields are available only in IDCentre Silver
Edition and Gold Edition.
IDCentre check box fields map to:
Access data types Yes/No, Number(Integer), Number(Long

Integer)
SQL Server data types Bit, Integer, Smallint, Tinyint

Controlling Database Activities

Depending on the type of database used, there are two or three levels
of database access control in an IDCentre project. The database
administrator is the only person who can grant privileges, and
granting privileges happens outside of the IDCentre software.
The best place to restrict Production application users’ database access

is on the Database tab of the Edit Production Form Properties dialog
box. There you can prevent operators from creating new database
records, saving changes to records, deleting records, or searching the
database. Note that these restrictions are applied to all IDCentre users
of the project, regardless of the user privileges individual user
accounts were granted when the accounts were set up. The print count
field is not affected by these settings and will still be updated to
increment the database table column associated with the print count
field.
You can also use the Edit Production Form Properties dialog box to
make sure that a database record is saved whenever a card is printed
for that record by selecting the Save On Print option in the Automatic
Actions area. Using this feature also eliminates the need for an explicit
“save” operation for each card printed.

You can restrict individual users’ database access through the Manage
User Accounts utility in the IDCentre Administrator application. Each
user’s privilege to search, add or change records, and delete records
can be enabled or disabled. See User Privileges on page 189.
Database Design Considerations

Because IDCentre applications are often only a part of an
organization’s overall security and identification system, it is not
possible to cover in this document all the ways IDCentre software
might interact with your organization’s database.
Understanding Database Errors

If database errors occur when using the Production application, the
error messages will come directly from the database program.
IDCentre software does not filter or change the messages in any way.
You may want to provide your Production application users with
documentation for your database product or develop your own error
recovery document.
BLOB-related Considerations
When using an OLE DB provider, the combined size of all binary large
object (BLOB) fields on a record cannot exceed 1 megabyte. The
maximum size of an individual BLOB field is determined by dividing
1 megabyte by the number of BLOB fields in the record. For example,
if the record has four BLOB fields, each will have a maximum of 250
kilobytes. An average head-and-shoulders photo saved by the
IDCentre Production application using the default JPEG storage
settings is about 20 kilobytes. If you decide to use another file format
to store photos, be sure to test the project using actual images.
If a BLOB exceeds the maximum size, the Production application user

will receive a warning message, the BLOB will be truncated to the

maximum length allowed, and the record will be saved with the
truncated BLOB.
File Name Considerations

Photo images, signature images,1 and binary data2 can be stored in the
database or they can be stored as files outside of the database. If they
are stored as files, two storage options are available:
• Use IDCentre Path — Only the file name is saved in the database.
The current setting for the photo, signature, or binary path is used
as the path to store the file when the record is inserted into the
database and as the path to find the file when the record is read
from the database. This option is useful when you want to move
the files to different locations over time. You can use the IDCentre
Administrator application to specify where photo image, signature
image, and binary files should be stored. See the Administrator
help topic “Set the system paths” for step-by-step instructions.
• Select Path — The entire path is saved in the database. If your
IDCentre project will be used on more than one computer and you
select the path for image files, you can use universal naming
(starting with \\) for the path specification. Using universal
naming means you do not have to ensure that all computers in
your system map drives the same way.
Use caution when changing between Use IDCentre Path and
Select Path or using the System Paths utility in IDCentre
Administrator to change the IDCentre path after you have
begun capturing images. Changing any of these settings may
cause the software to not find previously-captured images.
You can also specify a Production Form field to use as the

file name. Specifying a Production Form field may help you
1. Signature fields are not available in IDCentre Bronze Edition.

2. Binary fields are available only in IDCentre Gold Edition.

find files when using another application. For example, if

you specify that the Employee Number field be used as the
file name for a photo, the image for the person whose
employee number is 12345 would have the file name
12345.jpg. If you have multiple photo fields on the
Production Form, you can use a composite field to
differentiate the photos. For example, you could create a
composite field that combines the employee number field
with the constant string “left” and specify that composite
field as the Field to Use as File Name for the left profile
photo. See Composite Field on page 62. and the online help
topic “Add a composite field to a Production Form” for
more information.
If you do not specify a Production Form field to use as the

file name or if you specify a field that does not yield a
unique file name, the software will construct a unique file
name.
If the field used to name the file is empty, the file name will be
created as if no field name was selected. To prevent this, mark
fields used to name photos as Mandatory and do not use
fields connected to AutoNumber database columns. See
Production Form Field Options on page 72 and the online help
topic “Set field options” for more information. To use a unique
number for the file name, consider using the IDCentre auto
sequence field instead of a database-generated value. See Auto
Sequence Fields on page 100.

Creating a Database from an IDCentre

Designer
If you do not currently maintain a database for cardholder
information, you can use the IDCentre Designer application to create a
Microsoft Access database for your IDCentre project. The Create
Database from Production Form command on the Tools menu is
available if the current project is not attached to a database. See the
online help topic “Create a database” for step-by-step instructions.
Create Database from Production Form lets you select the location
and name of the database. See About the Created Database on
page 109 for a list of characters that are not allowed in the database
name. To have the same folder offered as the location for future
databases you might create with this command, select Use this path as
default database folder.
Alternatively, you can select Keep with project to keep the database
that is created for a project in the project directory with other project
files. This has the following advantages.
• It allows a project to function without alteration after it is copied or

imported to a different path.
• If the project is exported, the database is included in the export file.

This eliminates the extra step of copying the database if you move
the project to another computer.
The Keep with project option requires that all photos,
signatures, or binary data be stored as BLOB fields in the
database.

Create Database from Production Form presents a list of Production

Form fields that can be included in the database table. You select
which fields to add to the table.
Only simple variable Production Form fields are available to
add to the database table. Static text, static graphic, and
composite fields are omitted from the list.
You must also select a Primary Key field from the set of text fields you
specified to be included in the database table. The Primary Key field
must contain information that is unique to a given record, such as an
employee number.
You can specify that the Primary Key field you selected should be
automatically incremented for each record added to the database. If
you select Make Primary Key an AutoNumber field, the Production
Form field you selected as the Primary Key field will be Read Only.

The first record saved to the database will have a value of 1 for this
field; the second record saved will have a value of 2, and so on.
If you select an auto sequence field as the primary key, Make
Primary Key an AutoNumber Field will be unavailable.
When you have made selections in each field, the OK button becomes
available. When you click OK, a Summary dialog box opens that
allows you to review your selections and either back up to change
them or finish the database creation task.
When you choose Finish, Create Database from Production Form

creates the database and the table, adds the specified fields to the table,
adds the database to the project properties, opens a connection to the
new table, and connects each Production Form field to its
corresponding database field. If you selected Make Primary Key an
AutoNumber field and if the Production Form field designated as the
Primary Key field was not designated as Read Only, Create Database
from Production Form selects the Read Only option for that field.
Adding Fields to a Database Created from IDCentre

Designer
Developing an IDCentre project often involves several iterations. You
may decide to add a field to the Production Form or to add
information to the database that you first thought you did not need to
save. The Add Production Form Fields to Database command on the
Tools menu becomes available after you have created a database for
your project using the Create Database from Production Form menu
command. See the online help topic “Add fields to a database” for
You must close the IDCentre project in the Production or

Reporting application before adding fields to the database.

Deleting a field on the Production Form does not delete the

corresponding database field. IDCentre Designer does not
provide a way to delete database fields.
About the Created Database

IDCentre Production Form field names can contain characters that are
not allowed in database field names. Database field names must start
with a letter and cannot contain any of the following:
space (leading, trailing, and control characters (ASCII

embedded) values 0 through 31)
. period , comma
! exclamation point ; semi-colon
‘ accent grave : colon
[ ] brackets = equal sign
“ quotation marks > greater than
/ slash mark < less than
\ backslash ? question mark
- hyphen @ at sign
% percent ^ accent circumflex (caret)
& ampersand ~ tilde
( ) parentheses { } braces
* asterisk | vertical bar
+ plus # number sign (hash)

When Create Database from Production Form creates a database

table, it names the database the same as the IDCentre project except
that it removes the characters listed above. For example, if your
IDCentre project is named My Project, Create Database from
Production Form would create a database table named MyProject
(without the space).
When creating database field names, Create Database from

Production Form and Add Production Form Fields to Database start
with the Production Form field name, remove any characters that are
not allowed, and add “IDC” to the start of the name. Adding this
prefix prevents the inadvertent creation of a database field name that is
a reserved word. If removing characters from Production Form field
names results in duplicate database field names, the software tells you
to change a Production Form field name. For example, Production
Form fields named “First Name” and “FirstName” would both result
in the database field name “IDCFirstName” and you would receive an
error message.
Database field names are limited to 64 characters. If the field name is

longer than 64 characters after the characters that are not allowed are
removed, only the first 64 characters are used.

The Access field types created are:
Production Form Field Type Database Field Type
Text or List Text
Date Date/Time
Photo BLOB: OLE Object

Photo, Signature*, or Binary† File: Text
Print Count Number(LongInteger)
Auto Sequence Number(LongInteger)
Check Box‡ Yes/No
* Signature fields are not available in IDCentre Bronze Edition.

† Binary fields are only available in IDCentre Gold Edition.
‡ Check box fields are not available in IDCentre Bronze Edition.
Database text fields created for IDCentre text or list fields are set to 255
characters, which is the maximum length for IDCentre text fields. This
ensures that all data entered in a Production Form text field will be
saved in the database. Database text fields created for IDCentre photo,
signature, or binary fields stored as files are set to 255 characters.

Importing Data from a Text File to an

Access Database
You can use a utility in the IDCentre Administrator application to
create a Microsoft Access database that contains information from
your text file, to add records to an existing Access database, or to
replace the existing database records with information from your text
file. The Import Data from Text File command on the Tools menu
starts a four-step wizard that requests the information necessary to
complete the import operation. Online help is available for each step
by selecting the Help button on each page of the wizard.
You must have the operating system permission necessary to
read files in the folder containing the import text file.
Otherwise, the import will fail.
Information you will need includes:

• The name and location of the text file, the character that is used as
the field separator, the character (if any) that starts and ends text
fields, and whether the first row of the file contains field names.
Valid field separator characters are comma (,), tab, semicolon (;),
and space. Text field delimiter character choices are double quote
(“) and none.
• The name and location of the database to create or the existing

database to use and the names of the database table and columns
that are to be created or changed.
• The text file field you want to be the primary key field.
Alternatively, you can have an AutoNumber column created in the
database table. If you select to have an AutoNumber column
created, duplicate records in your text file will result in duplicate
database information. If you specify one of the text file fields to be
used as the primary key, any duplicate records will be identified
and, depending on the option you select, the second occurrence

will either not be placed in the database or will overwrite the data
in the database.
Exporting Data from an Access Database

to a Text File
You can use a utility in the IDCentre Administrator application to
create a text file that contains information from a Microsoft Access
database. The Export Data to Text File command on the Tools menu
starts a four-step wizard that requests the information necessary to
complete the export operation. Online help is available for each step
by selecting the Help button on each page of the wizard.
create files in the folder you specify for the exported text file.
Otherwise, the export will fail.
Information you will need includes:
• The name and location of the database, the table name if the
database contains more than one table, and the columns to export.
• The name and location of the text file, the character to use to
separate fields, the character to use to delimit text fields, whether
to export column names as the first line of the file, and whether to
overwrite the file if it already exists. Valid field separator
characters are comma (,), tab, semicolon (;), and space. Text field
delimiter character choices are double quote (“) and none.
Optionally, search criteria can be created to select specific records from

the table for export.
Using Advanced Search

The Production application includes facilities for Quick Search and
Advanced Search. Quick Search is useful for simple or one-time

searches. Advanced Search can perform complicated database queries,

and those queries can be stored to be run repeatedly by Production
application users. Quick Search and running stored searches are
described in chapter 4 of the User’s Guide. Because creating stored
searches requires Advanced Search and is a system administrator’s
function, it is described in the following sections. However, all
Production application users with permission to search the database
can use Advanced Search.
To create a stored search, start the Production application and click the
button on the toolbar that has a magnifying glass over a form (the
Advanced Search button) or, from the menu bar, select Record and
then Advanced Search. The Advanced Search dialog box opens. It has
three tabbed pages and a common area at the bottom that contains a
display of the SQL search string in its current state, a Search button for
executing the search, and Close and Cancel buttons.
Pressing ENTER on your keyboard while in the Advanced
Search dialog box is the same as clicking the Search button:
the dialog box closes and the search results appear in the
application window. If you reenter the Advanced Search
dialog box, it appears as it was when you executed the search.
The IDCentre software continues to “remember” your last
search until you close the project.

Filter Tab
On the Filter tab, Production Form field name lists all fields on the
current project’s Production Form that are directly connected to a
database table column. When you select a field from the list in
Production Form field name, the prompt for that field appears in
Production Form prompt and possible selections become available in
Constraint rule. When you select a constraint rule, appropriate Field
Constraint and Constraint Detail selections become available for the
current rule. Constraint rules available for each Production Form field
type, constraint values required for those rules, and other details are
given in Search Rules on page 121.

Definitions of potential selections in the Field Constraint area are:
Include NULL values — If selected, records with null values in the

field (no information in the database column) will be included in the
search results.
Match text case-insensitive — If selected, case will be ignored. For

example, if you enter Smith for the Constraint value, records
containing “Smith”, “smith”, and “SMITH” (as well as other
uppercase and lowercase combinations of these letters) will be
included in the search results. Use this option when the database you
are connected to is case sensitive and capitalization in the database
may be inconsistent. This selection has no effect if the database is not
case sensitive.
Exclude constraint detail — If selected, all records that do not match

the Constraint value will be included in the search results. Use this
option when it is easier to define records that should not be included.
In the Constraint Detail area, you may be required to enter information

in Constraint value only, in Constraint value and Ending constraint
value, or in the Multi-value Constraint List area. If the Production
Form field you selected is connected to a date type database column,
the Constraint value and Ending constraint value have an arrow at
the right side of the field. You can click the arrow to select a date from
a calendar or type a date in the field.
Using the Multi-value Constraint List
To select records that match any of a number of criteria (for example,

to select records for employees living in New York, London, or
Amsterdam), select the IN constraint rule. The Insert button in the
Multi-value Constraint List area becomes available. When you click
Insert, the Constraint List dialog box opens. Here you enter constraint
criteria (for example, Amsterdam to select employees living in
Amsterdam). When you click OK, the Constraint List dialog box closes
and the constraint you entered appears in the list of constraints. You

can insert as many constraints as necessary. You can change or delete

constraints in the list by selecting them and then clicking Edit or
Delete.
Wildcard characters may not be supported by your database
for entries in the Multi-value Constraint List. Consult your
database documentation for more information.
Adding and Clearing Constraints
When you have entered the required constraint detail for the
Production Form field and constraint rule you selected, the Add
Constraint button becomes available. When you click Add Constraint,
the constraint is added to the search string displayed at the bottom of
the dialog box, becoming part of your search when executed.
Clear Constraint and Clear All Constraints are always available.

Clear Constraint removes from the search string the constraint
information for the Production Form field currently selected; Clear All
Constraints removes all constraint information from the search string.
Modifying a Constraint
If you need to change a constraint, select the field you want to change.
The Constraint rule and Constraint values display the current settings
for that field. After making your changes, click Add Constraint. The
constraint is updated in the search string displayed at the bottom of
the dialog box.

Sort Order Tab
The Sort Order tab lets you control the order in which records are
presented. For example, you might want records shown in
alphabetical order by last name. Specifying a sort order is optional. If
you do not select a sort order, search results will be presented in an
order determined by the database system.
In the Primary Sort area on the Sort Order tab, Production Form field
name lists all the text, list, date, auto sequence, and print count fields
on the current project’s Production Form. When you select a field, the
prompt for that field appears in Production Form prompt and the
buttons for selecting ascending or descending order become available.
The Secondary Sort area also becomes available, with the remaining
Production Form fields eligible for sorting listed in Production Form
field name.

When you have selected a field name in the Primary Sort area, the Add
Sorting button becomes available. When you click Add Sorting, the
sort order you specified is added to the search string displayed at the
bottom of the dialog box. Clicking Clear Sorting removes all sort order
information from the search string.
Manage Tab
The Manage tab lets you save your searches by name. It also lists any
existing stored searches for the current project and gives you a way to
change them.
If you entered search criteria on the other tabs of the dialog box before
clicking the Manage tab, “New Search” appears in the Manage
Opened Search area, as in the previous example. When you click Save
or Save As, the Store Advanced Search dialog box opens, where you

type the name you want to use for the stored search. After an
advanced search is named, clicking Save saves any changes you made
under that name.
• Stored search names can be up to 25 characters long. They
can include spaces but they cannot contain any of the
following characters: \ / : * ? “ < > |
• Stored search names are case-insensitive and must be
unique within the project. That is, if your project has a
search named Needs Photo, you cannot name a new search
NEEDS PHOTO.
The current search criteria will remain active until you open another
search or close the project. To prevent accidentally losing your
changes, you can choose to have your search permanently saved in its
current form each time you select Search by selecting Automatically
save changes on Search.
If you click New, any search criteria you entered is cleared and you
can start over with a new search.
Changing a Stored Search

To change a stored search, select the search from Stored searches for
this project and then click Open. The name of the search you selected
appears in the Manage Opened Search area. Make the necessary
changes on the Filter and Sort Order tabs and then return to the
Manage tab of the dialog box. Click Save to save your changes
permanently or click Save As to choose a different name and keep the
original search.
Deleting a Stored Search

To delete a stored search, select the search from the Stored searches
for this project list and then click Open. The name of the search you

selected appears in the Manage Opened Search area. Click Delete and
then click Yes to permanently delete the search.
Search Rules
The rest of this chapter lists the constraint rules available for each type
of Production Form field, gives the required Constraint Detail for each
field type-constraint rule combination, and explains how the Field
Constraint options affect the constraint. Use this information for
reference if your searches do not return the results you expect.
Text Fields
Bronze Edition Only: Possible constraints for Production Form text fields or list fields
connected to a text database column are:
Supported Options
Constraint Rule Required Detail
Exclude Case Insensitive NULL
= A value Yes N/A Yes
IN Multi-value Yes* N/A Yes

Constraint List
IS NULL None No N/A No
IS NOT NULL None No N/A No
* Excludes entire list.

Silver Edition and Gold Edition: Possible constraints for Production Form text fields or
list fields connected to a text database column are:
Supported Options
= A value Yes Yes Yes
IN Multi-value Yes* Yes† Yes

Constraint List
IS NULL None No No No
IS NOT NULL None No No No

† Applies to entire list.
= Constraint Rule
Use the = rule to create a single-value text match. It supports using the
SQL wildcard characters % and _. If you do not choose any of the
options described below, the = rule is equivalent to the support offered
in the Quick Search dialog box. If you use a wildcard character, the
actual query will contain a LIKE operator.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.LASTNAME LIKE ‘Jon%’
If you do not use a wildcard character, the query will contain an =

operator.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.LASTNAME = ‘Jones’
Exclude Option
If you select Exclude constraint detail, the search will return all the
values that do not match the constraint detail.

Example: where EMPLOYEE.LASTNAME <> ‘Jones’
Case Insensitive Option

You can use the exclude and case-insensitive options together
to exclude a value regardless of whether it is uppercase or
lowercase.
The Match text case-insensitive option provides a way to find

matches without worrying about whether each character is uppercase
or lowercase. It converts the constraint detail text to uppercase and
uses the SQL UPPER function on the column.
Example: where UPPER(EMPLOYEE.LASTNAME) = ‘JONES’
Some databases, such as Access, provide this option natively. For

those databases, this option has no effect.
NULL Option
The Include NULL values option provides a way to include records

when the field has no entry in addition to the other values you are
searching for.
Example: where ((EMPLOYEE.LASTNAME = ‘Jones’) OR

(EMPLOYEE.LASTNAME IS NULL))
You can use the Include NULL values option with either or both of the
other options.
IN Constraint Rule
Use the IN rule when you need to match several distinct values.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.LASTNAME IN (Jones, Li, Garcia)

Exclude Option
values that do not appear anywhere on the list. It applies an SQL NOT
to the constraint.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.DEPARTMENT NOT IN (‘Engineering’,

‘Marketing’, ‘Sales’)
Case Insensitive Option

You can use the exclude and case-insensitive options together
to exclude a value regardless of whether it is uppercase or
lowercase.
The Match text case-insensitive option provides a way to find

matches without worrying about whether each character is uppercase
or lowercase. It converts the constraint detail text to uppercase and
uses the SQL UPPER function on the column.
Example: where UPPER EMPLOYEE.DEPARTMENT IN

(‘ENGINEERING’, ‘MARKETING’, ‘SALES’)
Some databases, such as Access, provide this option natively. For those
databases, this option has no effect.
NULL Option

searching for.
Example: where (EMPLOYEE.DEPARTMENT IN (‘Engineering’,

‘Marketing’, ‘Sales’)) OR (EMPLOYEE.DEPARTMENT IS NULL)
You can use the Include NULL values option with either or both of the
other options.

IS NULL Constraint Rule
Use the IS NULL rule to find records when the field has no entry.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.LASTNAME IS NULL
No options are available with the IS NULL constraint rule.
IS NOT NULL Constraint Rule
Use the IS NOT NULL rule to match everything but NULL values for
this field.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.LASTNAME IS NOT NULL
No options are available with the IS NOT NULL constraint rule.

Numeric Fields
Possible constraints for Production Form auto sequence fields, print
count fields, list fields, and text fields connected to a numeric database
column are:
Supported Options
= A value Yes No Yes
> A value Yes No Yes
< A value Yes No Yes
BETWEEN Two values Yes No Yes
IN Multi-value Yes* No Yes

Constraint List
= Constraint Rule
Use the = rule to match an exact value.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.DNMBR = 716
Exclude Option
If you select Exclude constraint detail, the search will return all
records with values that do not match the value you entered.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.DNMBR <> 716

NULL Option
If you select Include NULL values, the search will return all records
with NULL values in addition to records that contain the value you
entered.
Example: where ((CARD.PRINTCOUNT = 0) OR

(CARD.PRINTCOUNT IS NULL))
You can use the Include NULL values option with the Exclude
constraint detail option.
> Constraint Rule
Use the > rule to find records with values greater than the value
entered (that is, more positive).
Example: where EMPLOYEE.AGE > 65
Exclude Option
records with values less than or equal to the value you entered.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.AGE <= 65
NULL Option
with NULL values in addition to records that contain values greater
than the value you entered.
Example: where ((EMPLOYEE.AGE > 65) OR (EMPLOYEE.AGE IS

NULL))

< Constraint Rule
Use the < rule to find records with values less than the value entered
(less positive).
Example: where EMPLOYEE.AGE < 18
Exclude Option
records with values greater than or equal to the value you entered.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.AGE >= 18
NULL Option
with NULL values in addition to records that contain values less than
the value you entered.
Example: where ((EMPLOYEE.AGE < 18) OR (EMPLOYEE.AGE IS

NULL))
BETWEEN Constraint Rule
Use the BETWEEN rule to find records with values between two
bounding values (and including the bounding values).
Example: where EMPLOYEE.AGE BETWEEN 18 AND 65
Exclude Option
records with values outside the bounding values you entered. It
applies an SQL NOT to the constraint.

Example: where EMPLOYEE.AGE NOT BETWEEN 18 AND 65
NULL Option
with NULL values in addition to records that contain values between
the values you entered.
Example: where ((EMPLOYEE.AGE BETWEEN 18 AND 65) OR

(EMPLOYEE.AGE IS NULL))
IN Constraint Rule
Use the IN rule to match multiple values.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.DNMBR IN (716, 729, 766)
Exclude Option
records with values that do not appear anywhere on the list. It applies
an SQL NOT to the constraint.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.DNMBR NOT IN (716, 729, 766)
NULL Option
with NULL values in addition to records that contain values you
entered.
Example: where ((EMPLOYEE.DNMBR IN (716, 729, 766)) OR

(EMPLOYEE.DNMBR IS NULL))

Example: where CARD.PRINTCOUNT IS NULL
this field.
Example: where CARD.PRINTCOUNT IS NOT NULL

Date Fields
The display and entry format for stored search dates is controlled by
the Short date style setting in the Regional Settings Properties dialog
box of the Control Panel. Setting the Short date style to use a two-digit
year may result in a year with a century that is not what the user
expected. To avoid this possibility, select a Short date style setting that
uses a four-digit year.
Possible constraints for Production Form date fields are:
Supported Options
EXACT DATE A date Yes No Yes
TODAY None Yes No Yes
THIS WEEK First day of week Yes No Yes
SINCE A date Yes No Yes
BEFORE A date Yes No Yes
BETWEEN Two dates Yes No Yes
PREVIOUS _ An integer (1 - 31) No No No

DAYS
PREVIOUS _ An integer (1 - 12) No No No

MONTHS

EXACT DATE Constraint Rule
Use the EXACT DATE rule to match an exact date value. Because time
may not be specified for the field but may be stored in the database,
this constraint is turned into a BETWEEN constraint for the entered
date between 00:00:00 and 23:59:59.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.HIREDATE BETWEEN 2000-11-16

00:00:00 AND 2000-11-16 23:59:59
Exclude Option
If you select Exclude constraint detail, the search will match any date
other than the one you entered. It applies an SQL NOT to the
constraint.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.HIREDATE NOT BETWEEN 2000-11-16

00:00:00 AND 2000-11-16 23:59:59
NULL Option
with NULL values in addition to records that contain the date you
entered.
Example: where ((EMPLOYEE.HIREDATE BETWEEN

2000-11-16 00:00:00 AND 2000-11-16 23:59:59) OR
(EMPLOYEE.HIREDATE IS NULL))

TODAY Constraint Rule

Silver Edition and Gold Edition: This constraint offers a relative date. When you open
the search, the starting date is calculated as today’s date. Because time
may not be specified for the field but may be stored in the database,
this rule expands to use a between clause with time set to 00:00:00 and
23:59:59.

00:00:00 AND 2006-09-26 23:59:59
THIS WEEK Constraint Rule

Silver Edition and Gold Edition: This constraint offers a relative date. Because time may
not be specified for the field but may be stored in the database, this
rule expands to use a between clause with time set to 00:00:00 on the
first day and 23:59:59 on the last day. When you open the search, the
starting date is calculated as the day of the week that you select. The
program calculates the week’s end date.
Example: (search run on September 26, 2006, with Sunday selected as

first day of the week) where EMPLOYEE.HIREDATE BETWEEN 2006-
09-24 00:00:00 AND 2006-09-30 23:59:59
SINCE Constraint Rule
Use the SINCE rule to match any date greater than the entered date
(that is, going forward in time). Because time may not be specified for
the field but may be stored in the database, the time 23:59:59 is added
to the date.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.HIREDATE > 2000-11-16 23:59:59
Exclude Option
less than or equal to the one you entered.

Example: where EMPLOYEE.HIREDATE <= 2000-11-16 23:59:59
NULL Option
with NULL values in addition to records that contain dates greater
than the date you entered.
Example: where ((EMPLOYEE.HIREDATE > 2000-11-16 23:59:59) OR

BEFORE Constraint Rule
Use the BEFORE rule to match any date less than the entered date (that
is, going backward in time). Because time may not be specified for the
field but may be stored in the database, the time 00:00:00 is added to
the date.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.HIREDATE < 2000-11-16 00:00:00
Exclude Option
greater than or equal to the one you entered.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.HIREDATE >= 2000-11-16 00:00:00
NULL Option
with NULL values in addition to records that contain dates less than
the date you entered.
Example: where ((EMPLOYEE.HIREDATE < 2000-11-16 00:00:00) OR


BETWEEN Constraint Rule
Use the BETWEEN rule to find records with dates between two
bounding dates (and including the bounding dates). The Constraint
value must have a date earlier than Ending constraint value. To
search for dates in the future, set the Ending constraint value first and
then the Constraint value. By default, the time 00:00:00 is added to the
date you enter in Constraint value and 23:59:59 is added to the date
you enter in Ending constraint value. You can change these times. If
the database column does not support a timestamp, the times are
stripped from the query before execution.

00:00:00 AND 1995-12-31 23:59:59
Exclude Option
records with dates outside the bounding dates you entered. It applies
an SQL NOT to the constraint.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.HIREDATE NOT BETWEEN 1995-11-11

00:00:00 AND 1995-12-31 23:59:59
NULL Option
with NULL values in addition to records that contain dates between
the dates you entered.
Example: where ((EMPLOYEE.HIREDATE BETWEEN 1995-11-11

00:00:00 AND 1995-12-31 23:59:59) OR (EMPLOYEE.HIREDATE IS
NULL))

PREVIOUS _ DAYS Constraint Rule
This constraint offers a relative date. When you open the search, the
starting date is calculated as Current Date - x Days where x is the
Constraint value you entered (from 1 to 31). Because time may not be
specified for the field but may be stored in the database, this rule
expands to use a >= clause with time set to 00:00:00.
Example: (query opened on March 17, 2000, with Constraint value set
to 1) where CARD.ISSUEDATE >= 2000-03-16 00:00:00
No options are available with the PREVIOUS _ DAYS constraint rule.
PREVIOUS _ MONTHS Constraint Rule
This constraint offers a relative date. When you open the search, the
starting date is calculated as the same day x months ago where x is the
Constraint value you entered (from 1 to 12). If the current day does
not exist in the starting month, the highest valid date for the month is
used. Because time may not be specified for the field but may be stored
in the database, this rule expands to use a >= clause with time set to
00:00:00.
Example: (query opened on September 29,2006, with Constraint value

set to 1) where CARD.ISSUEDATE >= 2006-08-29 00:00:00
This behavior matches the operation of the Windows Explorer
Find File function.
No options are available with the PREVIOUS _ MONTHS constraint

rule.

Use the IS NULL rule to find records when the field has no
entry.Example: where EMPLOYEE.HIREDATE IS NULL
Use the IS NOT NULL rule to match every record without NULL
values for this field. Example: where MEMBER.TERMDATE IS NOT
NULL

Image Fields
Image field constraints are more complicated than other field types
because you can specify how an image field is treated as part of a
collection of image fields.
Possible constraints for Production Form photo fields (Bronze Edition)

and Production Form photo, signature, or binary fields (Silver Edition
and Gold Edition) are:
Supported Options
All selected fields None No No No

have data
At least one None No No No

selected field has
data
At least one None No No No

selected field is
empty
All selected fields None No No No

are empty
If there is only one image field in your project—or if you need to query
only one of the image fields in your project—selecting either All
selected fields have data or At least one selected field has data gives
the same result. Similarly, selecting either At least one selected field is
empty or All selected fields are empty gives the same result.

If your project has more than one image field and you need to examine
more than one of them for a search, the image fields that share the
same rule are grouped.
If images are stored as files, the existence constraint rules
check for a path in the database, not the actual file. If a file is
moved, renamed, or deleted, you will receive a “file not
found” message when you attempt to view the record.
No options are available with any of the image field constraint rules.
All selected fields have data Constraint Rule
Use this rule to find records where an image exists for all image fields
that share this rule.
Example: where (EMPLOYEE.FRONT IS NOT NULL AND

EMPLOYEE.RIGHT IS NOT NULL)
At least one selected field has data Constraint Rule
Use this rule to find records where at least one of the specified images
exists.
Example: where (EMPLOYEE.FRONT IS NOT NULL OR

EMPLOYEE.RIGHT IS NOT NULL)
At least one selected field is empty Constraint Rule
Use this rule to find records where at least one of the specified images
does not exist.
Example: where (EMPLOYEE.FRONT IS NULL OR

EMPLOYEE.RIGHT IS NULL)

All selected fields are empty Constraint Rule
Use this rule to find records where none of the specified images exists.
Example: where (EMPLOYEE.FRONT IS NULL AND

EMPLOYEE.RIGHT IS NULL)
Check Box Field

Possible constraints for Production Form check box fields are:
Supported Options
Cleared None No No Yes
Selected None No No Yes
Cleared Constraint Rule
Use the Cleared rule to create a match for values defined as cleared
(unchecked) in the field properties.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.EMTCERTIFIED < =0
Selected Constraint Rule
Use the Selected rule to create a match for values defined as selected
(checked) in the field properties.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.EMTCERTIFIED > 0

Example: where EMPLOYEE.EMTCERTIFIED IS NULL
No options are available with the IS NULL constraint rule. This rule
will find records that had data before the check box field was used to
set the value in the database.
this field.
Example: where EMPLOYEE.EMTCERTIFIED IS NOT NULL.
NULL Option

searching for.
Example: where ((EMPLOYEE.EMTCERTIFIED >=0) OR

(EMPLOYEE.EMTCERTIFIED IS NULL))


Chapter 6: Using a
Directory Service with
IDCentre Projects
Gold Edition: IDCentre Gold Edition offers the option of using a directory service for
data storage.
This chapter assumes you have an understanding of directory service

concepts in general as well as your directory service in particular. You
do not need to be the directory service administrator to use this
chapter, but you may need to consult with that person as you make
decisions.
Supported Directory Services

IDCentre Gold Edition works with directory services that comply with
the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) version 3.0.

Using a Directory Service with IDCentre Projects
You select the directory service for your project by completing the
Directory Service tab of the Edit Project Properties dialog box. (To
access the Edit Project Properties dialog box, from the menu bar, select
File and then Project Properties.) See the online help topic “Connect to
a directory service” for step-by-step instructions.
Directory Service Login

Connections to the directory service require a login to authenticate the
user. You connect to the directory service when you use the Field
Connections window or the Directory Service tab of the Edit Project
Properties dialog box in IDCentre Designer. In IDCentre Production
and Reporting, you connect to the directory service when you open a
project that has connections to a directory service. In IDCentre View,
you connect to the directory service when you open a project that has
connections to a directory service.

If you select Save Login Settings in Project, you can store a complete
username and password with the IDCentre project to relieve the
Production application user of the need to log in to the directory
service as a separate step. If you also select Always Prompt for Login,
you can supply partial login information that is completed by the
Production application user. Login information you store with the
IDCentre project is not encrypted.
Data Types
IDCentre supports directory service text and binary data types.
You can connect Production Form text-based fields to directory service

text attributes. Production Form text-based fields are text and list
fields as well as photo, signature, or binary fields using a path storage
option.
You can connect Production Form photo, signature, or binary fields

using the database storage option to directory service binary
attributes.

Project Design Considerations

Consider the following limitations when designing a project connected
to a directory service:
• Production Form Auto Sequence and Print Count fields cannot be

used.
• Production Form Date fields can be used but cannot be connected

to the directory service. In other words, information in Date fields
cannot be stored or retrieved.
• If Production application users are to add entries to the directory

service, you must include a Production Form field that is
connected to the cn attribute.
• Consider selecting the Mandatory check box for any Production

Form field that will be connected to a “must” attribute in the
directory service.
• IDCentre Gold Edition supports a single value per attribute. Do

not connect a Production Form field to a multi-valued directory
service attribute.
• A project cannot be connected to multiple directory service objects.
In addition, you should be aware of the following limitations in the

Production, Reporting, and View applications:
• Advanced search and stored search are not available.
• Only the first value is returned for multi-value attributes.
• Referrals are not supported for searches. Values that return a

referral will be shown as blank.
• Some directory services compare only the first value of multi-value

attributes when being searched.

• In the Production and Reporting applications, the Print All

command will print the first attribute value for each entry that has
multi-value attributes.
• In the Production application, directory service entries cannot be

deleted. New entries can, however, be inserted.
• In the Production application, deleting a value in a Production
Form field sets the directory service entry attribute value to a
string with no length.
Using the Field Connector Window

When a project uses a directory service for data storage, the Data
Source area of the Field Connector window is as shown below.
The Object Type list will contain all the object type names found on the
specified host. You must select the object type to use for your project.
The Attribute list displays all the attributes for all object types on the
host, not just the one you selected.

The Production Form and Production Output areas appear and the
Connect and Disconnect buttons behave as described in chapter 7,
Connecting Fields.

Chapter 7: Connecting
Fields
Chapters 2 and 4 described the types of fields you can place on card
designs and reports, chapter 3 explained the types of fields available
on a Production Form, and chapters 5 and 6 described the types of
database fields and directory services IDCentre software supports.
This chapter explains how to make connections between the
following:
• Production Form fields and database table fields or directory

service attributes, so the Production application user can retrieve,
update, create, and delete database records or retrieve, update, and
create directory service entries
• Production Form fields and card fields, so information on the form

can be printed or encoded on a card
• Production Form fields and report fields, so information on the

form can be printed on a report
What Is the Field Connector?

The IDCentre field connector lets you establish connections between
and among fields on the various parts of your IDCentre project. You
can connect a Production Form field in three ways:
• Connect to both the database and the card or report design. In this
case, data entered in the Production Form is printed on the card or
report and saved in the database. If data is already in the database,

Connecting Fields
the Production Form is the conduit for printing that information on

the card or report.
• Connect to the card design only. You may want to print something
on the card that does not need to be saved to the database. For
example, you might give cardholders the option of having a
shortened form of their name on their cards, but it is not likely that
you will need to store that information in your database.
• Connect to the database only. If you use the IDCentre Production

Form as a data entry vehicle, you can collect and store information
in your database without using it on a card or report. A home
address is an example of information you might collect and save in
the database but not print on a card or report.
When making connections, select the Production Form field first and
then the database table column field or card or report design field.
Field Connector Window

You use the Field Connector window to establish connections between
fields. From the menu bar, select View and then Field Connector. The
Field Connector window contains three areas: Data Source, Production
Form, and Production Output.
When you open the Field Connector window, the Production Form,
card design, and report block windows change to viewing field names
(if you had been viewing sample data). This helps you associate field
names in the Field Connector window with fields on your Production
Form and output designs.
Gold Edition Only: IDCentre Gold Edition allows using a directory service for data
storage. This option results in some differences in the Field
Connections window. See Using the Field Connector Window on

Connecting Fields
Production Production
Data Source Form Output
Data Source Area

The Table field shows the names of database tables, Views, or other
database objects you selected in the Data Source tab of the Edit Project
Properties dialog box or, if the data source you specified has more
than one table, it lists the names of the available tables in alphabetical
order. You use this list to select the table you want to connect to.
In the Column field you will see the names of the columns in the table
specified in the Table field. If you click on a column name that is
connected to a Production Form field, a line appears showing the
connection.
When you connect to multiple tables, make connections to the parent

table first. When you connect a Production Form field to a column in a
child table, IDCentre Designer adds that table’s primary key columns
and any columns related to the parent table via foreign keys or
common column names. IDCentre Production will insert or update

Connecting Fields
information in these related columns automatically when a record is

saved. See Connecting to Multiple Tables in a Database on page 95.
Production Form Area

The names of the data input fields in your Production Form are listed
in alphabetical order. If you click on a Production Form field that is
connected to a Data Source column and/or a Card field, a line appears
showing the connection.
Production Output Area

Choices for production output are Card and Report. If you select Card,
the Design field shows the names of the available card designs. You
use this list to select the card design to which you want to connect
Production Form fields. In the Field area, the names of card fields that
will change from card to card appear. If you click on a card field that is
connected to a Production Form field, a line appears showing the
connection.
If you select Report, the Design list contains the names of the report
designs created for the project. You use this list to select the report
design to which you want to connect Production Form fields. The Field
area lists the report fields that will change from record to record. If you
click on a report field that is connected to a Production Form field, a
line appears showing the connection.
Static text, static graphic, and non-printable area fields on a

card or report block are not listed because they cannot be
connected to a field on the Production Form.
Connect and Disconnect Buttons

Two sets of buttons let you connect and disconnect fields. The buttons
between the Data Source area and the Production Form area are for
connections between fields in those two parts of the IDCentre project,

Connecting Fields
and the buttons between the Production Form area and the Production
Output area are for connections between fields in those two parts of
the project.
Restrictions on Connections to
Database Columns
A Production Form field can be connected to one and only one
database table column, and a database table column can be connected
to one and only one Production Form field.
You can connect Production Form fields only to compatible database

table columns. For example, if you try to connect a text field on your
Production Form to a database table column with a type of date, the
IDCentre software will display an error message. See Data Types on
page 98 for compatible field and database types.
Composite fields cannot be connected to a database column. Instead,

connect the fields from which the composite is made.
To ensure that all the data you collect using the Production Form is
saved in the database and, conversely, to ensure that all the data in the
database can be displayed on your Production Form, the length of text
fields on your Production Form should match the length of the
database table column to which they will be connected. If you connect
text fields of unequal length, the IDCentre software will offer to
change the length of the Production Form text field to match the length
of the database table column.
If you change the data type, length, or name of a database column after
you have connected it to a Production Form field, you must disconnect
and reconnect the fields or errors may occur when the project is used.
‘

Connecting Fields
Restrictions on Connections to Card Design

Fields
You can connect a Production Form field to as many card design fields
(on as many card designs) as necessary, provided the field types are
compatible. For example, if a card design includes a photo and ghosted
photo, a single photo field on the Production Form can be connected to
both card design photo fields. The following table lists compatible
field types.
Production Form Field Compatible Card Design Fields
Text Barcode, Magnetic Stripe, Smart Card, Variable Graphic,

Text
Photo Photo, Smart Card
Date Date
Signature* Signature, Smart Card
Check Box† Variable Graphic
List Barcode, Magnetic Stripe, Smart Card, Variable Graphic,

Text
Composite Barcode, Magnetic Stripe, Smart Card, Text
Print Count Barcode, Magnetic Stripe, Smart Card, Text
Auto Sequence Barcode, Magnetic Stripe, Smart Card, Text
Binary‡ PDF417 (Binary) Barcode, Magnetic Stripe, Smart Card

† Check Box fields are not available in IDCentre Bronze Edition.
‡ Binary fields are available only in IDCentre Gold Edition.

Connecting Fields
Each card design field can have only one connection. To combine
information from two or more Production Form fields in a card design
field, create a composite field on the Production Form and then
connect the composite field to the card design field.
Restrictions on Connections to
Report Block Fields
You can connect a Production Form field to as many report block
fields (on as many report designs) as necessary, provided the field
types are compatible. The following table lists compatible field types.
Production Form Field Compatible Report Block Fields
Text Barcode, Variable Graphic, Text
Photo Photo
Date Date
Signature* Signature
Check Box† Variable Graphic
List Barcode, Variable Graphic, Text
Composite Barcode, Text
Print Count Barcode, Text
Auto Sequence Barcode, Text
Binary not applicable

† Check Box fields are not available in IDCentre Bronze Edition.

Connecting Fields
Each report block field can have only one connection. To combine
information from two or more Production Form fields in a report block
field, create a composite field on the Production Form and then
connect the composite field to the report block field.

Chapter 8: Working
with Capture Options
In addition to using a computer keyboard to gather character-based

information, IDCentre identification software lets you capture photo
images, signatures, and biometric templates.
Capturing Photos
The IDCentre Production application includes four ways of capturing
photo images:
• Using images stored as files on your system or network.
• Using any capture device (camera, scanner) that complies with the
TWAIN interface standard.
• Using any camera that complies with the Microsoft Video for
Windows or Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) interface
standard.
• Using an integrated photo capture solution, such as Datacard®

Photo Pointe™ software.

Working with Capture Options
Using the IDCentre Designer application, you select the default

capture device on the Source tab of the Edit Field Properties [Photo]
dialog box. The Default Photo Source list has the following choices:
• No Capture
Use if images are already stored in your database and the

Production application user normally will not take new
photos. The operator will be able to select a capture device
in exception cases.
• Photo from File

Use if previously-captured images are stored on your
system or network as files. See Photo from File on page 159.
• TWAIN
Lets the Production application user select the TWAIN

device to use to take the photo. See TWAIN Interface on
page 161.
• TWAIN (Fast)
Use if only one TWAIN device is loaded on the computer or
if one TWAIN device will be used most often. Selects the
last TWAIN device used. See TWAIN Interface on
page 161.
• Video for Windows
Lets the Production application user select the Video for

Windows device to use to take the photo. See Video for
Windows Interface on page 162.
• Video for Windows (Fast)
Use if only one Video for Windows device is loaded on the

computer or if one Video for Windows device will be used
most often. Selects the last Video for Windows device used.
See Video for Windows Interface on page 162.

In addition, the Default Photo Source list includes any optional

Datacard photo capture devices present on your computer.
Production application users should be given the privilege to

select a capture device if they will need to change the photo
source.
Photo from File

If you specify Photo from File on the Source tab of the Edit Field
Properties [Photo] dialog box (and if you selected Automatically
When Field Selected in the Capture Initiation area of the Advanced
tab), Production application users will see the Open dialog box when
they enter the photo field on the Production Form. The operator can
navigate to the proper file using standard Windows navigation
techniques.

IDCentre software can open photos saved in the following formats:
BMP* Windows Bitmap
EPS Encapsulated PostScript
JPG* Joint Photographic Experts Group File Interchange Format

(single image per file)
J2K* JPEG 2000 File Format
PCT Macintosh PICT Drawing
PCX PC Paintbrush
PNG* Portable Network Graphics
PSD Adobe Photoshop® (3.0)
TGA TARGA® Image File Format
TIF* Tagged Image File Format (single image per file,

uncompressed only)
WMF Windows Metafile
* Recommended

TWAIN Interface
If you specify TWAIN on the Source tab of the Edit Field Properties
[Photo] dialog box, Production application users will see the TWAIN
Interface dialog box when they enter the photo field on the Production
Form.
The user must select a device (by clicking the Select Source button and
selecting from available sources listed in the Select Source dialog box)
and then activate the device by clicking the Acquire Photo button.
When the user clicks the Acquire Photo button, IDCentre Production
launches the software application provided by the manufacturer of the
TWAIN device.
If you specify TWAIN (Fast) on the Source tab of the Edit Field
Properties [Photo] dialog box, the IDCentre Production application
launches the software application provided by the manufacturer of the
TWAIN device that was used most recently. Specifying TWAIN (Fast)
can save your Production application users up to four mouse clicks for
each photo they take.
Because you can use any TWAIN-compliant device from any

manufacturer, IDCentre documentation cannot provide step-by-step
procedures for Production application users to follow. You must
develop those procedures for your users.

Video for Windows Interface

If you specify Video for Windows on the Source tab of the Edit Field
Properties [Photo] dialog box, Production application users will see
the Video for Windows Interface dialog box when they enter the photo
field on the Production Form.
The user must select a device (by clicking the Select Source button and
selecting from available sources listed in the Select Source dialog box)
and then activate the device by clicking the Acquire Photo button.
When the user clicks the Acquire Photo button, the Video for
Windows Camera dialog box opens.
If you specify Video for Windows (Fast) on the Source tab of the Edit
Field Properties [Photo] dialog box, the IDCentre Production
application launches the software application provided by the
manufacturer of the Video for Windows device that was used most
recently. Specifying Video for Windows (Fast) can save your
Production application users up to four mouse clicks for each photo
they take.

Capturing Signatures
Bronze Edition: Signatures are not available in IDCentre Bronze Edition. The next
relevant topic for Bronze Edition users is Optional Capture Devices on
page 166.
The IDCentre Production application includes a way to use signatures

stored as files on your system or network. In addition, your system
may include an optional capture device, such as the Datacard
Signature Pointe Solution.
You select the default capture device on the Source tab of the Edit
Field Properties [Signature] dialog box. The Default Signature Source
list has the following choices:
• No Capture
Use if signatures are already stored in your database and

the Production application user will not take new
signatures. The user will be able to select a capture device
in exception cases.
• Signature from File
Use if previously-captured signatures are stored on your

system or network as files.
In addition, the Default Signature Source list includes any optional

Datacard signature capture devices present on your computer.
Signature from File

If you specify Signature from File on the Source tab of the Edit Field
Properties [Signature] dialog box (and if you selected Automatically
When Field Selected in the Capture Initiation area of the Advanced
tab), Production operators will see the Open dialog box when they
enter the signature field on the Production Form. The operator can

navigate to the proper file using standard Windows navigation

techniques.
IDCentre software supports signatures stored as Windows bitmap

(.bmp) or Windows metafile (.wmf) format.
Capturing Binary Data

Gold Edition: Binary fields are available only in IDCentre Gold Edition. The next
relevant topic for Bronze Edition and Silver Edition users is Optional
Capture Devices on page 166.
The IDCentre Gold Edition Production application includes Data from

File as a way of using binary fields stored as files on your system or
network. In addition, your system may include an optional Datacard
biometric capture device, such as the Datacard® Finger Pointe™
solution.
You select the default capture device on the Source tab of the Edit
Field Properties [Binary] dialog box.

If you select Data from File as the Source Type, the binary data source
list becomes available and has the following choices:
• No Capture
Use if binary data or biometric templates are already stored

in your database and the Production operator usually will
not acquire new data. The operator will be able to select a
capture device in exception cases.
• Data from File
Use if previously-captured data is stored on your system or

network as files. If you selected Automatically When Field
Selected in the Capture Initiation area of the Advanced tab,
Production operators will see the Open dialog box when
they enter the binary field on the Production Form. The
operator can navigate to the proper file using standard
Windows navigation techniques.
If a Datacard Biometric capture solution is installed on your computer,

you can select Biometric device as the Source Type. The Device list
contains all biometric devices installed on your computer; the
Configuration list shows the configurations available for the selected
device.


Datacard offers a number of optional capture devices for use with
IDCentre systems. These capture devices are explained in separate
online documents that are loaded on your system with the capture
device software.
Configuring Optional Capture Devices

Some optional capture devices allow you to create a configuration—a
group of settings tailored to the way you use the device. You use the
IDCentre Administrator application to specify a configuration. Follow
these steps:
1. Start the Administrator application by clicking the Windows Start

button and selecting Programs, Datacard, IDCentre, and then
IDCentre Administrator.
2. From the menu bar select Capture and then Configure Capture
Devices. The Configure Capture Devices dialog box opens.
3. From the list, select the capture device you want to configure and
click Configure. The configuration dialog box for the device you
selected opens.
If no device names appear in the list, none of the capture
devices installed on your system can be configured.
If you selected Video for Windows as the device to

configure, the Video for Windows Interface dialog box
opens.

A. If you have more than one Video for Windows device

loaded on the computer, click Select Source and choose
the camera you want to configure from the Select
Source dialog box.
B. Click Configure. The Configure Capture Device dialog

box opens.
C. Click the button for the configuration option you want

to change. The device’s configuration dialog box opens.
If a button is unavailable, that option cannot be configured for
your device.

4. See documentation for the capture device for information about

making selections and saving the configuration. When you close
the configuration dialog box, you return to the Configure Capture
Devices dialog box.
5. Click Close.
Configuring Biometric Devices

Gold Edition: Biometric devices have a dual purpose. They not only capture
templates, they also verify that information from a live person matches
the previously-stored template. As with the capture-only devices, you
use the IDCentre Administrator application to specify a configuration.
Follow these steps:
1. Log in to the Administrator application by clicking the Windows

Start button and selecting Programs, Datacard, IDCentre, and
then IDCentre Administrator.
2. From the menu bar select Capture and then Configure Biometric
Devices. The Datacard Biometric Server dialog box opens.
3. Select the device you want to configure from the Devices list.

4. Click Add. The configuration dialog box for the device you
selected opens.
5. See documentation for the capture device for information about

making selections and saving the configuration. When you close
the configuration dialog box, you return to the Datacard Biometric
Server dialog box.
6. Click Close.
The Datacard Biometric Server also lets you manage existing

configurations and distribute configurations to other locations. See the
IDCentre Administrator online help system for step-by-step
instructions.


Chapter 9: Working
with Printer Options
You print reports using the same kind of paper printer you would use
to print a word processing document or spreadsheet. The IDCentre
Reporting application uses standard Windows Print dialogs; no
additional software is necessary to print IDCentre reports.
Printing ID cards is more complex because card printers offer features,

such as topcoating and encoding, that are not available on paper
printers. In addition, each card printer has a different set of available
features.
Introducing Printer Plug-ins

IDCentre applications rely on software modules called plug-ins to
provide the interfaces between the main IDCentre applications and the
various card printers and encoders for magnetic stripes. This design
allows support of a wide variety of printers without changing the
IDCentre software.
The printer plug-in simply “plugs in” to the IDCentre application.
IDCentre Printer Encoder

Application Plug-in Plug-in

Working with Printer Options
Similarly, a magnetic stripe encoder plug-in plugs in to the printer

plug-in, extending the capability of the printer.
Specifying Plug-ins
If the driver for your Datacard card printer is installed on your
computer when you install the IDCentre software, the IDCentre
installation program automatically associates the correct printer plug-
in with your card printer. If you add a card printer to your system after
installing IDCentre software, you must specify the association by
using the Assign Printer Plug-ins utility in the IDCentre
Administrator application. See the IDCentre Administrator online help
topic “Assign printer plug-ins” for step-by-step instructions. Printer
plug-ins must be assigned on each computer that prints cards with
your IDCentre project.
You specify the magnetic stripe encoder plug-in to use by selecting a

device on the Encoding tab of the magnetic stripe field properties
dialog. See Magnetic Stripe Field on page 32.
Printing Multiple Copies of Cards

When a Production application user specifies that two or more copies
of a card be printed, the exact method of fulfilling the request depends
on the printer plug-in specified.
If the generic printer plug-in is selected, the plug-in will send the
number of copies specified to the printer driver and will create a single
print job.
The behavior of other printer plug-ins is described in specific plug-in

documents contained at the end of this Online Reference Library.

Printing Graphics with the Card Printer’s

K-panel
You have two ways of controlling whether and how the black panel of
the card printer ribbon (the K-panel) is used to print graphics. You can
specify K-panel printing on a field-by-field basis with the field
property sheet or you can specify that all graphics on a card side be
printed with the K-panel using a utility in the IDCentre Administrator
application.
Field Properties Print Options

Text, static text, date, line, rectangle, and ellipse fields let you select the
K-panel whenever you select black as the color.
Card photo, static graphic, and variable graphic fields and the
graphics used for card backgrounds all have Print Options that let you
control use of the printer’s K-panel.
If you select Color, the image will be printed with the yellow,
magenta, and cyan panels, and may use the black printer ribbon panel
(if the printer ribbon being used has a black panel). If you also select

Print black using YMC panels, black pixels in the image will always
be printed by using the yellow, magenta, and cyan ribbon panels. This
gives a more natural appearance to the image.
Your card printer’s driver may automatically print black using the
YMC panels for photos and graphics. In that case there is no need to
use this option. Check your printer documentation to determine your
printer driver settings.
If you select Grayscale, the IDCentre software will convert the colored
pixels in your image to shades of gray. You must specify grayscale
conversion if your card printer uses ribbons that have only one color
panel—typically a K-panel—but you can use this feature with color
ribbons as well. Converting photos to grayscale results in an image
similar to a black-and-white photograph printed in a paper document.
The quality of the image depends on whether you also selected Use K-
panel (dithered), as shown here:
Grayscale selected Grayscale and Use K-

panel (dithered)
A photo, static graphic, or variable graphic field that has Grayscale

and Use K-panel (dithered) selected will display on the screen with its
background color (usually white for graphics) blocking the fields
behind it. When printed, the background will be transparent.

You can use the Configure K-Panel Printing utility in the IDCentre
Administrator application to adjust the contrast of grayscale images
printed with the K-panel. Contrast refers to the degree of difference
between the lightest and darkest areas of the graphic.
First select the printer you will use. Then move the slider and click
OK. Because contrast conversions are done at print time, the Designer
card design and Production Card preview windows cannot show the
results of changing the contrast setting. Print a test card and adjust
your settings if necessary. See the online help topic “Configure K-
panel printing” for step-by-step instructions. You must make this
contrast adjustment on each IDCentre computer and for each printer
used by the computer. The contrast setting will be used for all
grayscale images in all projects for the selected printer.
Override Field-level Settings

You can have IDCentre software ignore the Print Options settings for
photo, static graphic, and variable graphic fields and instead convert
them to grayscale for printing with the K-panel (black) of your card
printer ribbon. You do this with the Configure K-Panel Printing utility
in the IDCentre Administrator application. You specify K-panel
printing for the front of the card, the back of the card, or both.

Because card side K-panel conversions are done at print time, the
Designer card design and Production Card preview windows always
display graphics in color. You must print a card to see the results of the
settings.
You must set up K-panel configurations on each IDCentre computer

and for each printer used by the computer.
See the Administrator online help topic “Configure K-panel printing”

Printing Order
Selecting Grayscale and Use K-panel (dithered) does not change the
stacking order of fields in the Designer application but it does have
that effect when printing. (See Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Fields on
page 13 for more information about the stacking order.) For example,
assume a card design has a photo field with Grayscale and Use K-
panel (dithered) selected and a text field that specifies blue text in
front of the photo field. When the card is printed, the photo field is
printed last—on top of the blue text field—because the black panel of
the printer ribbon is the last panel in the YMCK ribbon panel sequence.
The IDCentre software has no way of knowing whether the printer has
a K-panel. If there is no K-panel in the printer ribbon, fields that have
Grayscale and Use K-panel (dithered) selected will print using the
yellow, magenta, and cyan panels at the same time as non-black fields
print.
Specifying the Print Queue Path

When a Production application user issues a Print or Print All
command, the IDCentre software creates a complete image of each
card side to be printed and places the image in a print queue on the
IDCentre computer. Because card printing is not as fast as generating
the card images, a backlog of images to be printed can develop. And

because that backlog can require a large amount of disk space

(especially if the card design is complex), you may want to specify a
location for the print queue that you are sure will have sufficient room.
See the Administrator online help topic “Set the system paths” for
All accounts using the IDCentre software must have the
operating system permission necessary to create, read, write,
and delete files in the print queue folder. Otherwise, printing
will fail.


Chapter 10: Implement
Card Production
Bronze Edition: This chapter does not usually apply to IDCentre Bronze Edition users.
Bronze Edition is available only as the full suite of applications. Bronze
Edition users can, however, share projects by exporting and importing
them. See Distributing IDCentre Projects on page 182.
IDCentre software was designed to be modular, so you need to

purchase only the truly necessary applications for each of your
locations. For example, a corporation with a headquarters and five
manufacturing plants might choose to have all identification cards and
IDCentre projects designed at headquarters on a system with the full
IDCentre application suite, then export the projects to the
manufacturing plants, where the IDCentre Production application is
used to produce cards.
This chapter is written for the IDCentre System Administrator. It pulls

together all the information you need to consider when you distribute
IDCentre projects to Production-only systems.
Physical Components
Your overall system will work most consistently if all the IDCentre
stations in it have the same image capture devices and printer models.
Having identical components will allow you to set default values that
save your Production application operators time and effort. For
example, assume all your IDCentre systems have Datacard® Photo

Pointe™ software as the image capture device. When you add a photo
field to the Production Form for your project, you can specify the
Photo Pointe camera as the Default Photo Source on the Source tab of
the Edit Field Properties [Photo] dialog box and you can specify that
the camera initiate capture as soon as the Production operator enters
the field (by selecting Automatically When Field Selected on the
Advanced tab of the dialog box). When used by the IDCentre
Production application, a project with the settings described above will
save the Production operator two steps (selecting the photo source and
starting the capture process).
Individual computers in your system can have different processing

capabilities without significantly affecting how projects are used, but
different monitor capabilities may affect how the Production window
appears. If you develop and test your project on a large format, high
resolution monitor but the Production operators will be using smaller
monitors with lower screen resolution, there may be a difference in
what the operators see. Consider developing and testing your projects
with a display that matches the lowest common denominator display
in your overall system.
You must make some configuration settings, such as the one for
converting graphics to grayscale for printing with one-color ribbons,
on each computer in your system.
Network Access
Will all your users have access to the same network? If they will, you
can use capabilities of the network to simplify the maintenance of your
IDCentre identification system.
For example, placing your IDCentre project files on a file server

simplifies the process of updating projects because you have to change
the project in only one place, instead of sending updated project files to

each location and coordinating the change-over to the new project. See
Locating Project Files on page 198 for additional information.
Locate the Users File on a File Server

Placing the users file (the file that contains user account information)
on a file server will prevent accidental deletion of the users files from
individual computers. A single, server-based users file also reduces
the time you spend on maintaining user account information (you
only have to maintain one file) and ensures that users will have access
to the IDCentre software no matter which computer they use. If you
place the users file on a file server, for each computer in your system
you must install IDCentre software using the Custom Install option
and specify the users file location.
Database Considerations
Will your Production operators access a central database on the
network? The settings you must make depend on the database
product used:
• Access — Use the full path name (not a mapped drive) to specify
the database connection on the Data Source tab of the Edit Project
Properties dialog box. Using the full path name means you do not
have to ensure that all the computers in your system map drives
the same way. See chapter 5, Using Databases with IDCentre
Projects, for more information.
• Oracle — Each client must have a matching service name.
• SQL Server — Each client must have access to the server and
database named in the project.
• OLE DB provider for ODBC drivers — You must create an

identically-named ODBC data source on each computer on which
you install IDCentre software. (A System DSN is recommended.)

You access the ODBC Data Source Administrator through your

computer’s Control Panel.
Consider developing stored database searches for queries that your

Production application users will perform repeatedly. Stored searches
are created using the Advanced Search editor in the IDCentre
Production application and become part of the project, just like a card
design.
Distributing IDCentre Projects

The final steps in setting up Production-only IDCentre systems involve
exporting the IDCentre project from the computer on which it was
designed and importing it on the Production-only computers or
server. You use the IDCentre Administrator application for both of
these steps.
Exporting IDCentre Projects

When you export an IDCentre project, you make a Project Export File
containing the information necessary for the project. See the
Administrator online help topic “Export a project” for step-by-step
instructions.
create files in the folder selected for the export file. Otherwise,
the export will fail.
Configurations for magnetic stripe encoders are shared between all the
projects on a computer . You have the option to export the magnetic
stripe configurations with each project. At import time, you can choose
to overwrite the current configuration files with the files in the project
export file.

Gold Edition: Configurations for biometric devices must be exported separately. See
the Administrator online help topic “Export a biometric device
configuration”.
Configurations for a camera or a signature pad cannot be exported and

must be configured separately for each computer using these devices.
Importing IDCentre Projects

When you import an IDCentre project that was previously exported,
you return the project files to a form that can be used by IDCentre
applications. The import utility creates a directory and places the
restored files in the location specified for project files. See the IDCentre
Administrator online help topic “Import a project” for step-by-step
instructions.
create folders and files in the location specified for the projects
folder. The default location offered by the IDCentre
installation is configured to provide these permissions.
Magnetic stripe configurations are not stored with IDCentre projects.

If you exported magnetic stripe configurations when you exported the
IDCentre projects, you can choose to overwrite the current
configuration files with the files in the project export file.
If you have used the Software Development Kit (SDK) to create event
handlers or plug-ins, you must distribute that software separately. See
the Software Development Kit Programmer’s Reference Guide for
complete information.
Gold Edition: Configurations for biometric devices must be imported separately. See
the Administrator online help topic “Import a biometric device
configuration”.
Configurations for a camera or a signature pad cannot be imported

and must be configured separately for each computer using these
devices.


Chapter 11: Projects
with Multiple Cards
Bronze Edition: This chapter does not apply to IDCentre Bronze Edition users because
IDCentre Bronze Edition projects can have only one card design.
You can use one or more variable graphic fields to make minor
changes to a card design, but if you require significantly different
cards (for example, changing between portrait and landscape
orientation), you must create additional card designs.
You can have as many different card designs as you need in your
IDCentre project. There are, however, practical considerations. When
an IDCentre project is opened in the Designer application, every card
design in the project is loaded into memory. A large number of card
designs may reduce your system’s performance.
Which of the card designs in the project will be printed is determined

by a field in the Production Form. The field may or may not be
connected to and stored in a column in a database table. For example,
a school district might want one style of ID cards for faculty and a
different design for non-teaching staff. The database column in the
school district’s employee database that specifies the type of employee
can be connected to a Production Form list field that determines which
card design is printed.
On the other hand, an employer can use one card design for
employees’ identification badges and a completely different design for
a card to be displayed inside employees’ cars to verify parking
privileges. Many, if not most, employees would be issued both kinds

of cards. In this case, the decision as to which card to print would be
made by the Production operator and not stored in a database at all.
You can combine data-driven card production with variable graphic

fields in the card designs for even more flexibility. In the example of a
parking card, you could add a graphic that indicates which parking lot
an employee is allowed to use.
Follow these steps to create a project with multiple card designs:
1. Enable data-driven card production. See the Designer online help

topic “Allow more than one card design” for step-by-step
instructions.
2. Create and name your card designs. See chapter 2, Plan and Create
a Card Design.
3. As you create your Production Form, include a list field or a check

box field that has an option for each card design in your project.
See chapter 3, Plan and Create a Production Form. Also see the
online help topics “Add a list field to a Production Form” and
“Add a check box field to a Production Form” for step-by-step
instructions.
4. Optional: Select a Data Source to be associated with your project.

See chapter 5, Using Databases with IDCentre Projects or chapter 6,
Using a Directory Service with IDCentre Projects.
5. Connect Production Form fields to card design and (optionally)

database table columns. See chapter 7, Connecting Fields.
6. Connect list field values to card designs. See the Designer online
help topic “Connect list field selections to card designs”.
You can use a check box field, instead of a list field, to
determine which card design is used, but in that case you are
limited to two card designs.

Chapter 12: System
Security
An identification program is not secure if the computer system that

gathers the data and produces the ID cards is not secure. This chapter
is written for the IDCentre System Administrator, the person
responsible for ensuring the security of an organization’s IDCentre
systems. It assumes a basic understanding of operating system and
network security concepts and that you have Administrator privileges
on the computer’s operating system and local network.
IDCentre identification software offers two levels of security features:

those provided as part of the IDCentre software and those available
through the Windows operating system.
IDCentre Security Features

Security features built into the IDCentre software include:
• User name and password required for access to all IDCentre

applications.
• The Production application can be configured to log users out after

a specified period of inactivity.
• Users can change their passwords quickly and easily, encouraging

frequent changes.

System Security
• System Administrators have full flexibility in granting or

restricting each user’s access to IDCentre applications, features
within applications, and projects accessed by applications.
• Audit log tracks activity on each computer on which IDCentre

software is installed.
• System Administrator/project designer can specify additional
actions to track in the audit log.
• Project designer can further restrict database access for all users of
an IDCentre project. (See Controlling Database Activities on
page 102.)
Managing Users
The IDCentre System Administrator should create a separate user
account for each person who will use IDCentre software. The user
account contains a user name (or login name), an optional description
(perhaps the user’s full name), the user password, and user privileges.
A default user account is created when IDCentre software is installed.

The user name for the default account is Admin, and the password is
also Admin.
If you have not already done so, log in to the IDCentre Administrator
application using the Admin user name and change the password.
Changing the Admin User Name Password

1. From the Windows Start button select Programs, Datacard,
IDCentre, and then IDCentre Administrator. The User Login
dialog box opens.
2. Click the Change Password button. The Log in and Change

Password dialog box opens.

System Security
3. Type Admin in the User Name and User Password fields. (Press
TAB to move through the fields or click in the next field with the
mouse.)
Passwords can be 1 to 32 characters long and can include any
character you can type from the keyboard.
4. In the New Password and Verify New Password fields, type the
password of your choice.
5. Click the Log in button. A message confirms that the password

was changed.
User Privileges
As a System Administrator, you determine what actions a user can

perform when you add a new user. You can also change an existing
user’s privileges.
You can base privileges on an existing user. For example, you can
create a generic Production operator user, ProOp, that has the
privileges you want all your Production operators to have. Then,
when you need to authorize a new Production operator, you can copy
privileges from the ProOp user, adding and deleting privileges as
necessary for the new Production operator.
You can restrict users to certain projects. For example, a school might
hire temporary workers to help with enrollment at the start of the
term. If you restrict those workers to the IDCentre project for enrolling
students, they will not be able to access other IDCentre projects, such
as the one for making faculty IDs.
There can be more than one user with System Administrator

privileges, and there must be at least one user with System
Administrator privileges at all times. To ensure that you do not delete
the last System Administrator, you cannot delete your own user
account.

System Security
Locating the Users File

Bronze Edition: IDCentre Bronze Edition does not have a Custom Install option. The
users file is always located in the Security folder located where the
application configuration files were installed.
If all your IDCentre Production operators have access to a network and

if you choose the Custom Install option when installing your IDCentre
software, you can install the users file (the file that contains user
account information) on a server. Placing the users file on a server will
prevent accidental deletion of the users files from individual
computers. A single, server-based users file also reduces the time you
must spend on maintaining user account information (you only have
to maintain one file) and ensures that users will have access to the
IDCentre software no matter which computer they use.
The IDCentre users file is protected by setting the security permissions

on the folder where the file is located. You should deny Delete and
Delete Subfolders and Files permissions for the folder. These
permission settings allow users access to the file for logging in and
changing their password, but do not allow access to the folder so that
the users file could be deleted or overwritten.
During installation is the only time you can select the location
of the users file. You cannot move it after installation.
Requiring Login after Inactivity
Because the Production application is used to modify a database and

print cards, you may want to require that the user log in again after a
period of inactivity. This would help prevent unauthorized users from
printing cards or starting another IDCentre application when a
Production operator forgets to log out before leaving the workstation
unattended.
You can set the length of the inactivity period from 5 to 30 minutes in
5-minute increments. See the Administrator online help topic,

System Security
“Configure Automatic Production Log Off” for step-by-step

instructions.
Silver Edition and Gold Edition: When you set the option requiring a login to resume
activity, you can also set an option for the Production application to
automatically close the project before the program locks itself. This
releases any locks on the database record so that other clients or
processes can access the information.
When the specified amount of time has elapsed without Production

application activity, the Production application is hidden, and in its
place a dialog box similar to the following appears.
When the user clicks Unlock, the User Login dialog box appears for
the user to enter a user name and password.

System Security
Additional Password Options

Gold Edition: The Gold Edition has additional options for creating a password.
• You can require that a password have a minimum password length

of 6 to 12 characters.
If you select this option, use the increase/decrease arrows
to set the number to between 6 and 12. You cannot directly
enter a value.
You can also force the use of at least one alphabetic and one
numeric character in the password by selecting Require
that the password contain both letters and numbers.
• Prevent the user from using his/her last five passwords as the new
password.
• Set a password expiration time frame from 5 to 60 days in 5 day

increments.
In addition, you can force the program to check the case of the user’s
password and make sure it matches the original password.

System Security
For example, if the user originally entered Abc123deF, the password

abc123def would not be accepted because the a and f are lower case,
not upper case as in the original entry.
Tracking Activity with the Audit Log

IDCentre software maintains a separate record on each computer of
the following activities.
• Administrator application
Change the number of audit log entries
• Designer application
Open a project
Save a project
Save a project under a different name
Create a database for a project
Add columns (fields) to a database

Delete a card
Delete the Production Form
Delete a project
Print a sample card
• Import/Export
Import a project
Export a project
• Production application
Open a project

System Security
Total cards printed per project
Save a stored search

Save a stored search with a different name
Delete a stored search
Delete all selected records
Update all selected records
• Reporting application
Open a project
Total reports printed per project

Delete a stored search

• Security
Delete a user account
Log in to an IDCentre application (when no other

IDCentre application was running)
Log out of the last IDCentre application running
Unsuccessful login attempt
• View Application
Open a project
Total reports printed per project

System Security
In addition to these system activities, the designer of an IDCentre

project can specify that an entry be written to the audit log every time
a Production operator saves changes to the content of a certain field to
the database. You do this by selecting the Write to Log Field Option on
the General tab of the Edit Field Properties dialog box. For example, to
log that a record was added to the database, select Write to Log for the
Employee Number field in the Production Form.
If Write to Log is selected for any field in the Production Form,

printing a card is also recorded in the audit log. Note, however, that if
the card fails to print or encode, the audit log entry is not removed.
Similarly, if Write to Log is selected for any field in the Production

Form, deleting a record from the database is recorded in the audit log.
If more than one field has Write to Log selected, an audit log entry is
created for each field having the Write to Log property set. If Delete
All is used to delete records, a summary audit log entry will be written
in addition to each field-level entry. The summary entry will appear
after the individual log entries.
If Delete All is used to delete records or if Update All is used to

update records but no Production Form field has Write to Log
selected, only a summary audit log entry will be written.
Text fields, date fields, list fields, check box fields, print count fields,
and auto sequence fields can be logged.

System Security
Viewing the Audit Log
Because the audit log is an encrypted file, the only way to view it is by
using the IDCentre Administrator application. If your IDCentre user
name has audit log viewing privileges, you can examine and print the
audit log. From the IDCentre Administrator application menu bar
select Security and then View Audit Log. The Audit Log Viewer
dialog box opens.
You can choose to display audit log entries for all users or for a single
user by making a selection from the User(s) list in the Display area of
the Audit Log Viewer dialog box. Similarly, you can limit the sources
for the entries displayed to a single source by selecting from the
Source(s) list. Changing the selection in the User(s) and Source(s) lists
does not remove log entries; you can see all entries again by returning
the User(s) and Source(s) list selections to <All>.
You can select the maximum number of entries in the audit log by
entering a number between 24 and 10000 in the Maximum Number of
Entries field. The number of entries currently in the audit log appears
in the Number Displayed field. When the maximum number of entries
has been reached, the oldest entry drops off.
You can sort the entries in the audit log on any column by clicking the
column heading. Click the column heading again to reverse the sort
order.

System Security
To print the audit log, click the Print button on the Audit Log Viewer
dialog box. The Audit Log Report dialog box lets you specify the
information that will appear on each page of the report as well as the
appearance of the information on the page.
Exporting the Audit Log
You can export audit log entries for archiving or for detailed analysis
in another program, such as Microsoft Excel. When you click the
Export button, the audit log entries matching the current display filter
are saved in a tab-delimited text file. For example, if Production is
selected for Sources in the Display area of the Audit Log Viewer dialog
box, only events from the Production application will be displayed
and exported. The Export log to file dialog box lets you select the
location and file name for the exported file. See the online help topic
“Export the audit log” for step-by-step instructions.
Windows Security Features

IDCentre software uses features of the Windows 2000 Professional,
Windows XP, or Windows Vista operating system to enhance the
security of your identification system.
Each user of a Windows workstation or network must have a

Windows user account. You can use the privileges associated with
those accounts to restrict users to read-only access to IDCentre project
files. Configuration files are stored in hidden folders so they are not
seen when browsing the folders.
Installing and Uninstalling IDCentre Software

You must be logged in to the Windows operating system using a user
name with System Administrator privileges to install or uninstall
IDCentre software. This helps prevent accidental deletion of the
software.

System Security
Locating Project Files

By default, IDCentre project files are located in the “shared
documents”1\Datacard\ID Software\Projects directory, although you
can select a different location for the Projects directory during
installation. You can move project files after installation, perhaps
placing them on a server, where they can be accessed by as many
IDCentre computers as you have in your system. Placing project files
on a server simplifies the process of updating projects that are used on
multiple computers.
You use the Set System Paths utility in the IDCentre Administrator
application to change the location of project files after installation. See
the online help topic “Set the system paths” for step-by-step
instructions.
The Set System Paths utility only changes the location of

projects you create after using the utility; it does not move
previously created projects. You can move previously created
projects using Windows Explorer or by importing them to the
new location using the Export and Import tools in the
IDCentre Administrator application. See the online help topics
“Export a project” and “Import a project” for step-by-step
instructions.
Protecting Project Files from Modification

Whether you locate your project files on a server or on a local hard
drive, you can protect them from modification by setting the “Read-
only” attribute in the file’s Properties dialog box or you can allow
read-only access to users through their Windows user accounts.
1 Default locations for “shared documents” are:

Windows 2000 systems – Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents
Windows XP systems – Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents
Windows Vista systems – Public\Public Documents

Index
Symbols sorting entries 196

< constraint rule, numeric database field 128 specifying entry on Production Form 73
= constraint rule specifying events to log 195
numeric database field 126 viewing 196
text field 122 auto sequence field 66
> constraint rule, numeric database field 127 connections between Production Form and
card 154
A connections between Production Form and
Access database in production-only report design 155
systems 181 database column types 100
add fields to Production Form from card automatic Production log off 190
design 76
Administrator application B
Assign Printer Plug-ins 172 background
audit log utility 196 card design 23
configure capture devices 166 card design Print options 173
definition 1 Production Form 44
exporting projects 182 background color
importing projects 183 card fields 12
locating project files 198 bar code field
manage user accounts 188 card 29
Advanced Search composite field for 62
constraints, adding and clearing 117 report 86
constraints, modifying 117 BEFORE constraint rule 134
Filter tab 115 BETWEEN constraint rule
Manage tab 119 date field 135
Multi-value Constraint List 116 numeric database field 128
search rules 121 binary data
Sort Order tab 118 capturing 164
All selected fields are empty constraint rule 140 from file 165
All selected fields have data constraint rule 139 storing as file 104
alphabetic mask characters 50 binary field 68
alphanumeric mask characters 52 connections between Production Form and
At least one selected field has data constraint card 154
rule 139 database column types 99
At least one selected field is empty constraint biometric device, configuring 168
rule 139
audit log 4 C
definition 193 camera configuration
export 197 exporting 183
limiting entries in view 196 camera, configuring 166
maximum number of entries 196 capture device 179
printing 197 in multi-station systems 179

Index
optional 166 database 153

card design between Production Form and report
background 23 design 155
definition 19 constraints
export 20 applying and clearing 117
import 20 modifying 117
multiple cards in a project 185 multi-value constraint list 116
orientation 21 CR50 22
size 22 CR80 22
card field create Production Form from card design 74
aligning 15
bar code 29 D
date 28 data source
ellipse 40 selecting 95
K-panel printing 173 database
line 39 accessing 96
magnetic stripe 33 adding fields (table columns) 108
non-printable area 38 connections to Production Form 153
photo 27 create from Designer application 106
rectangle 39 data types 98
signature 28 export to text file 113
smart card 34 schema/owner name to identify table 97
static graphic 37 selecting 95
static text 36 using with production-only systems 181
text 26 database setup
variable graphic 35 automatically saving records 102
Card window 20 binary large object (BLOB) 103
cards column valid name 109
printing in Production application 41 connecting to a project 93
check box field 67 design considerations 103
Cleared constraint rule 140 error messages 103
database column types 101 import from text file 112
IS NOT NULL constraint rule 141 login 96
IS NULL constraint rule 141 multiple-table 95
search constraints 140 restricting privileges 102
Selected constraint rule 140 table types 96
Cleared constraint rule 140 table valid name 109
composite field 62 valid name 109
connections between Production Form and date field
card 154 BEFORE constraint rule 134
connections between Production Form and BETWEEN constraint rule 135
report design 155 card 28
configure capture devices 166, 168 connections between Production Form and
connections 149 card 154
between Production Form and card 154 connections between Production Form and
between Production Form and

Index
report design 155 alignment property 11

database column types 99 changing properties 9
EXACT DATE constraint rule 132 changing size 11
IS NOT NULL constraint rule 137 copying 13
IS NULL constraint rule 137 cutting, copying, pasting 13
K-panel printing 173 definition 7
PREVIOUS _ DAYS constraint rule 136 inserting 7
PREVIOUS _ MONTHS constraint moving 15
rule 136 name property 10
Production Form 58 pasting 13
report 85 position property 11
search constraints 131 rotation property 11
SINCE constraint rule 133 sample data property 10
THIS WEEK constraint rule 133 selecting 7
TODAY constraint rule 133 size property 11
default User Name 4 stacking order 15
Designer application field color 12
connecting fields 149 field connector 149
creating cards 20 definition 149
creating reports 80 directory service 147
creating the Production Form 43 Field Connector window 150
definition 1 field name view 10
directory service filename, see valid name
data types supported 145 filter for Advanced Search 115
login 144 florescent printing 24
project design limitations 146 font
setup 143 card field 11
display in table view (attribute of Production size 12
Form field) 73 footer, report block 82
dithered 174 foreground color
dithering 173 card fields 12
foreign keys 95
E format, graphics 160
ellipse field
K-panel printing 173 G
ellipse field on card 40 general mask characters 52
EXACT DATE constraint rule 132 ghosted graphic field 35
export card design 20 ghosted photo field 27
export projects 182 graphic
export report design 79 Production Form background 44
exporting projects 182 static, on card 37
static, on Production Form 71
F static, on report 91
field variable, on card 35
aligning 15 variable, on report 89

Index
graphics format 160 K

grayscale printing 174 keyboard shortcuts 6
keys, foreign 95
H K-panel printing 173
halftone 173
header, report block 82 L
hidden field on Production Form 72 lamination 24
horizontal card orientation 21 landscape card orientation 21
layout, report block 82
I limiting audit log entries in view 196
IDCentre path 104 line field
image K-panel printing 173
capturing 157 line field on card 39
storing as file 104 list field 60
image field connections between Production Form and
All selected fields are empty constraint card 154
rule 140 connections between Production Form and
All selected fields have data constraint report design 155
rule 139 database column types 100
At least one selected field has data in multiple-card project 185
constraint rule 139 literal mask characters 53
At least one selected field is empty log in 4
constraint rule 139 default user name 188
search constraints 138 login after inactivity 190
See also photo field
See also photo field, signature field M
import card design 20 magnetic stripe
import projects 183 card orientation for 22
import report design 79 composite field for 62
importing projects 183 encoder configurations 183
IN constraint rule magnetic stripe field 33
numeric database field 129 manage Advanced Search 119
text field 123 mandatory field on Production Form 72
installing IDCentre software 197 mask characters
IS NOT NULL constraint rule alphabetic 50
check box field 141 alphanumeric 52
date field 137 general 52
numeric database field 130 literals 53
text field 125 numeric 49
IS NULL constraint rule mask, text field 48
check box field 141 maximum number of audit log entries 196
date field 137 measurement system 21, 80
numeric database field 130 modular design 3
text field 125 multiple-table databases 95
Multi-value Constraint List 116

Index
N definition 171
name, see valid name printer, assigning 172
non-printable area 38 specifying 172
non-printable area field 38 plug-ins 171
numeric database field pop-up menu 6
< constraint rule 128 portrait card orientation 21
= constraint rule 126 PREVIOUS _ DAYS constraint rule 136
> constraint rule 127 PREVIOUS _ MONTHS constraint rule 136
BETWEEN constraint rule 128 print count field 64
IN constraint rule 129 connections between Production Form and
IS NOT NULL constraint rule 130 card 154
IS NULL constraint rule 130 connections between Production Form and
search constraints 126 report design 155
numeric mask character 49 database column types 100
Print Queue Path 176
O printer 171, 179
ODBC in multi-station systems 179
data source 181 plug-in 171
driver 95 printer plug-in, assigning 172
one-color printing 174 printing
Oracle in production-only systems 181 audit log 197
orientation of card 21 printing cards
multiple copies 172
sample card in Designer application 40
P
with K-panel 173
page setup
printing reports
report design 83
sample report in Designer application 92
password
Production application
changing 5
definition 1
requirements 189, 192
Production Form
photo
add fields from card design 76
capturing 157
background 44
from file 159
connections to database 153
photo field
create from card design 74
card 27
definition 43
card Printing options 173
size 45
connections between Production Form and
window 43
card 154
Production Form field
connections between Production Form and
aligning 15
report design 155
auto sequence 66
database column types 99
binary 68
Production Form 55
check box 67
report 85
composite 62
See also image field
date 58
storing as file 104
display in table view 73
plug-in 3
hidden field 72

Index
list 60 Report window 80

mandatory 72 Reporting application
photo 55 definition 1
print count 64 right-click menu 6
read-only 72 ruler 21, 80
searchable 73
signature 59 S
static graphic 71 sample card, printing 40
static text 70 sample data view 10
tab order 74 sample report, printing 92
text 47 search constraints
write to log 73 check box field 140
production-only system 179 date field 131
project image field 138
creating 16 numeric database field 126
definition 2 text field 121, 122
developing 15 search rules 121
project files searchable field on Production Form 73
locating 180, 198 security 3
protecting from change 198 security features
project properties 16 in IDCentre software 187
in Windows operating systems 197
R Selected constraint rule 140
read-only field on Production Form 72 signature
rectangle field capturing 163
K-panel printing 173 from file 163
rectangle field on card 39 signature field
report block card 28
definition 79 connections between Production Form and
zoom 81 card 154
report block fields connections between Production Form and
aligning 15 report design 155
report design database column types 99
definition 79 Production Form 59
importing and exporting 79 report 86
properties 81 See also image field
report field storing as file 104
bar code 86 signature pad configuration
date 85 exporting 183
photo 85 signature pad, configuring 166
signature 86 SINCE constraint rule 133
static graphic 91 size
static text 90 card design 22
text 84 report block 82
variable graphic 89 smart card field 34

Index
sort order for Advanced Search 118 topcoat 23

sorting audit log entries 196 TWAIN
SQL Server in production-only systems 181 interface 161
stacking order 15
static graphic field U
card 37 ultraviolet printing 24
card Printing options 173 uninstalling IDCentre software 197
Production Form 71 user account 188
report 91 default account 188
static text field privileges 189
card 36 user name
K-panel printing 173 automatic insertion 48
Production Form 70 User Name, default 4
report 90 user password
stored search changing 188
changing 120 users file, locating on file server 181, 190
creating 114 UV 24
deleting 120
managing 119 V
valid name 120 valid name
system path 104, 176 database table or column 109
stored search 120
T variable graphic field
table view, display attribute on Production card 35
Form 73 card Printing options 173
text field report 89
= constraint rule 122 vertical card orientation 21
card 26 Video for Windows 162
connections between Production Form and view
card 154 field name 10
connections between Production Form and sample data 10
report design 155 View application
database column types 98 definition 1
IN constraint rule 123
IS NOT NULL constraint rule 125 W
IS NULL constraint rule 125 Welcome dialog box 5
K-panel printing 173 write to log field on Production Form 73, 195
mask 48
Production Form 47
Z
report 84
zoom
THIS WEEK constraint rule 133
card design 22
TODAY constraint rule 133
report block 81
toolbars 6

Index

Datacard® CP Series Printer and
Magnetic Stripe Plug-ins
Contents
Introduction to this Guide ____________________________________________________ 1
What is a Plug-in? ___________________________________________________________ 1
Assigning Printer Plug-ins ____________________________________________________ 1
Printing Multiple Copies of Cards _____________________________________________ 2
Designing an IDCentre Project to Encode Magnetic Stripes ____________________ 2
Creating a New Encoder Configuration_______________________________________ 4
Changing an Encoder Configuration _________________________________________ 6
Deleting an Encoder Configuration___________________________________________ 7
Distributing Encoder Configurations __________________________________________ 9
ii IDCentre Version 6 Online Reference Library

Introduction to this Guide
This document explains how to use the Datacard® CP Series
Printer and Magnetic Stripe Plug-ins with Datacard® IDCentre™
identification software. These plug-ins are recommended for use
with the Datacard CP Plus Series and CP Series card printers.
What is a Plug-in?
A plug-in is a software module that provides an interface between
the main IDCentre applications and a peripheral device (such as a
card printer) or between the peripheral device and a component
within the device (such as an encoder for magnetic stripes).

The printer plug-in connects to the IDCentre application and the

magnetic stripe plug-in connects to the printer plug-in.
You can create and save multiple configurations for the printer. A
configuration is a group of settings tailored to the way you use the
device. For each configuration, you can specify certain options to
suit your needs.
Assigning Printer Plug-ins

You specify associations between available printer plug-ins and
installed printers by using the Assign Printer Plug-in utility in the
IDCentre Administrator application. See the online help topic
“Assign printer plug-ins” for step-by-step instructions.
If the printer driver was installed on the computer before the

IDCentre software was installed, the assignment is made
Datacard CP Series Printer and Magnetic Stripe Plug-ins 1

automatically. Printer plug-ins must be assigned on each computer
that prints cards with your IDCentre project.

When a Production operator specifies that two or more copies of a
card be printed, the exact method of fulfilling the request depends
on the features included on the card.
If the card requires neither smart card encoding nor card

completion status (a Software Development Kit feature), the plug-
in will send the number of copies specified to the printer driver
and will create a single print job.
If the card has a smart card chip, the IDCentre software will create
one print job for each copy of each card.
If the request includes card completion status, the plug-in will

display an error message and stop the print job. To print multiple
copies of a card with card completion status, submit multiple
requests, each with a card quantity of 1.
Designing an IDCentre Project to

Encode Magnetic Stripes
Follow these steps to design an IDCentre project that includes
magnetic stripe encoding:
1. On your Production Form, insert a field for each magnetic

stripe track you want to encode. To combine information from
two or more fields on a track, create a composite field. See the
online help topic “Add a composite field to a Production

2. In your Card design, insert a magnetic stripe field. See the
online help topic “Add a magnetic stripe field to a card” for
3. Double-click on the magnetic stripe field. The Edit Field

Properties [Magnetic Stripe] dialog box opens.
4. On the Encoding tab, select Datacard CP Series Magstripe
Plug-in in the Device list.
5. Also on the Encoding tab, select an encoder Configuration. See
Creating a New Encoder Configuration on page 4 or Changing
an Encoder Configuration on page 6.
6. Click OK. The Edit Field Properties [Magnetic Stripe] dialog

box closes.
7. Using the Field Connector, connect Production Form fields to

the appropriate tracks in the Process Output area. See the
online help topic “Connect fields” for step-by-step instructions.
8. Print a test card for your project using the IDCentre Production
application.

Test cards printed in the IDCentre Designer application are
not encoded.
Creating a New Encoder Configuration

To create a new configuration by copying an existing
configuration, see Changing an Encoder Configuration on
page 6.
Follow these steps to create a new encoder configuration:
1. Open or create an IDCentre project that has a Card design with

a magnetic stripe field.
2. Select the magnetic stripe field and open the Edit Field
Properties [Magnetic Stripe] dialog box. See the online help
topic “Add a magnetic stripe field to a card” for step-by-step
instructions.
3. On the Encoding tab of the Edit Field Properties [Magnetic

Stripe] dialog box, select Datacard CP Series Magstripe Plug-
in in the Device list.
4. Click the Edit Configurations button. The Datacard CP Series

Magnetic Stripe Configurations dialog box opens.
5. Click the New button. The New Magnetic Stripe Configuration

dialog box opens.

6. Type a name and click OK. The Datacard CP Series Magnetic
Stripe Configuration : [name] dialog box opens.
It may be helpful to give the configuration the same name as

the IDCentre project that will use it.
7. (Optional) In the Designer Field Names area, change the track

names from the default values (Track 1, Track 2, Track 3) to the
names of the Production Form fields that will supply data for
the tracks.
8. If data for any of the tracks will be received in ASCII
hexadecimal format, select the check box below that track.
9. In the Module area, select the type of encoding required by the

equipment that will read the cards.
10. If necessary, select the Coercivity setting appropriate for the

card stock that will be used.
If you select a specific coercivity, this setting will override the

coercivity setting in the printer driver.

11. Click Save. The Datacard CP Series Magnetic Stripe
Configuration : [name] dialog box closes. Click Exit. The
Datacard CP Series Magnetic Stripe Configurations dialog box
closes.
Changing an Encoder Configuration

Follow these steps to change an encoder configuration:

instructions.


5. Select the Configuration you want to change and click Edit.

The Datacard CP Series Magnetic Stripe Configuration : [name]
dialog box opens.
6. Make the necessary changes.

7. Click Save to save your changes with the current configuration
name. The Datacard CP Series Magnetic Stripe Configuration :
[name] dialog box closes.
– or –
8. Click Save As to save your changes under a new configuration

name without changing the original configuration. The Save
Configuration as dialog box opens. Type a configuration name
and click OK.
9. Click Exit to close the Datacard CP Series Magnetic Stripe

Configurations dialog box. Click OK to close the Edit Field
Properties [Magnetic Stripe] dialog box.
Deleting an Encoder Configuration

Follow these steps to delete an encoder configuration:
1. Open an IDCentre project that has a Card design with a
magnetic stripe field.
instructions.



5. Select the Configuration you want to delete and click Remove.
A confirmation dialog box opens.
6. Click Yes to remove the configuration. Click Exit to close the

Datacard CP Series Magnetic Stripe Configurations dialog box
and then click OK to close the Edit Field Properties [Magnetic
Stripe] dialog box.

Distributing Encoder Configurations
If you will distribute your IDCentre project to other computers in
your system, you must ensure that the encoder configurations are
available on those computers. There are two ways to accomplish
this:
• Select Include magnetic stripe configurations on the Export

Projects dialog box when you export the project. See the
IDCentre Administrator application online help topic “Export
a project” for a step-by-step procedure.
• Recreate the encoder configurations on each computer in your

system (requires a copy of IDCentre Designer on each
computer).

Datacard® Smart Driver™
and ImageCard®
Printer and Magnetic Stripe Plug-ins
Contents
What is a Plug-in? ___________________________________________________________ 1
Designing an IDCentre Project to Encode Magnetic Stripes ____________________ 2
Creating a New Encoder Configuration_______________________________________ 4
Changing an Encoder Configuration _________________________________________ 6
Deleting an Encoder Configuration___________________________________________ 7
Distributing Encoder Configurations __________________________________________ 8
Project Design Considerations _______________________________________________ 8
ii Datacard Smart Driver and ImageCard Printer and Magnetic Stripe Plug-ins
This document explains how to use the Datacard® Smart Driver
Printer and Magnetic Stripe Plug-ins with Datacard® IDCentre™
identification software. These plug-ins are recommended for use
with the Datacard SP Plus Series, SP Series, Select™ Platinum™,
Magna™ Platinum™, and ImageCard® IV card printers.
What is a Plug-in?
within the device (such as an encoder for magnetic stripes).

The printer plug-in connects to the IDCentre application and the

magnetic stripe plug-in connects to the printer plug-in.
You can create and save multiple configurations for the magnetic
stripe plug-in. A configuration is a group of settings tailored to the
way you use the device. For each configuration, you can specify
certain options to suit your needs.

Datacard Smart Driver and ImageCard Printer and Magnetic Stripe Plug-ins 1

card be printed, the exact method of fulfilling the request depends
on the features included on the card.
If the card requires neither smart card encoding nor card

completion status (a Software Development Kit feature), the plug-
in will send the number of copies specified to the printer driver
and will create a single print job.
If the card has a smart card chip, the IDCentre software will create
one print job for each copy of each card.
If the request includes card completion status, the plug-in will

display an error message and stop the print job. To print multiple
copies of a card with card completion status, submit multiple
requests, each with a card quantity of 1.

online help topic “Add a composite field to a Production

2. In your Card design, insert a magnetic stripe field. See the

4. On the Encoding tab, select Datacard Smart Driver Magnetic
Stripe Plug-in in the Device list.
5. Also on the Encoding tab, select an encoder Configuration. See
Creating a New Encoder Configuration on page 4 or Changing
an Encoder Configuration on page 6.

box closes.

the appropriate tracks in the Production Output area. See the
online help topic “Connect fields” for step-by-step instructions.
8. Encode a test card for your project using the IDCentre
Production application.
Test cards printed in the IDCentre Designer application are
not encoded.
Creating a New Encoder Configuration

configuration, see Changing an Encoder Configuration on
page 6.

instructions.

Stripe] dialog box, select Datacard Smart Driver Magnetic
4. Click the Edit Configurations button. The Datacard Smart

Driver Magnetic Stripe Configurations dialog box opens.
5. Click the New button. The New Magnetic Stripe Configuration

dialog box opens.

6. Type a name and click OK. The Datacard Smart Driver
Magnetic Stripe Configuration: [name] dialog box opens.
It may be helpful to give the configuration the same name

as the IDCentre project that will use it.
the tracks.
8. If data for any of the tracks will be received in ASCII

hexadecimal format, select the check box below that track.
9. In the Module area, select the type of encoding required by the

equipment that will read the cards.
10. If necessary, select the Coercivity setting appropriate for the

card stock that will be used.
If you select a specific coercivity, this setting will override
the coercivity setting in the printer driver.
11. Click Save. The Datacard Smart Driver Magnetic Stripe

Configuration: [name] dialog box closes. Click Exit. The
Datacard Smart Driver Magnetic Stripe Configurations dialog
box closes.
Changing an Encoder Configuration


instructions.


5. Select the Configuration you want to change and click Edit.

The Datacard Smart Driver Magnetic Stripe Configuration:
[name] dialog box opens.

name. The Datacard Smart Driver Magnetic Stripe
Configuration: [name] dialog box closes.

– or –
Click Save As to save your changes under a new

configuration name without changing the original
configuration. The Save Configuration as dialog box
opens. Type a configuration name and click OK.
8. Click Exit to close the Datacard Smart Driver Magnetic Stripe
Configurations dialog box. Click OK to close the Edit Field
Properties [Magnetic Stripe] dialog box.
Deleting an Encoder Configuration


instructions.


5. Select the Configuration you want to delete and click Remove.

Datacard Smart Driver Magnetic Stripe Configurations dialog
box and then click OK to close the Edit Field Properties
[Magnetic Stripe] dialog box.

this:


computer).

Only the Smart Driver printer plug-in supports the following:
• Printing with the topcoat panel (see Topcoat on page 23 of the

Administrator’s Guide)
• Lamination control

Datacard® 150i and 275/280P/295
Card Personalization Systems:
Guide for Use with IDCentre Software
Contents
What is a Plug-in? ___________________________________________________________ 1
Project Design Considerations _______________________________________________ 3
Project Properties________________________________________________________ 4
Card Design Properties __________________________________________________ 5
Card Size ____________________________________________________________ 5
Card Background ___________________________________________________ 5
Field to Identify Print Jobs_____________________________________________ 6
Topcoat _____________________________________________________________ 6
Edge To Edge Printing ________________________________________________ 7
Rotate Print Orientation 180 Degrees__________________________________ 7
Portrait Orientation___________________________________________________ 7
Back Side of Card ___________________________________________________ 7
Card Fields ______________________________________________________________ 8
Text and Date Fields _________________________________________________ 8
Static Text Fields ____________________________________________________ 10
Barcode, Signature, Static Graphic, and Variable Graphic Fields ______ 11
Photo Fields ________________________________________________________ 12
Magnetic Stripe Fields _______________________________________________ 12
Smart Card Fields ___________________________________________________ 13
Embossing/Indent Limitation ____________________________________________ 13
Graphic Size Limitation__________________________________________________ 13
Using the Datacard 150i or 275/280P/295 Magstripe Plug-in___________________ 14
Designing an IDCentre Project to Encode Magnetic Stripes _______________ 14
Creating a New Magnetic Stripe Encoder Configuration__________________ 16
Changing a Magnetic Stripe Encoder Configuration _____________________ 17
Deleting a Magnetic Stripe Encoder Configuration _______________________ 19
Distributing Encoder Configurations _________________________________________ 19
Job Tracking _______________________________________________________________ 20
Troubleshooting ____________________________________________________________ 20
Embossing/Indent/Magnetic Stripe Fonts Do Not Appear in the List of Fonts
Available for Text Fields _______________________________________________ 21
Datacard 150i and 275/280P/295 Card Personalization Systems

Guide for use with IDCentre Software ii
Contents
Users Cannot Print to the 150i or 275/280P/295 System ____________________ 21

I Get “Limits Exceeded” Errors Printing Cards in IDCentre Production _______ 25
Datacard 150i and 275/280P/295 Card Personalization Systems

Guide for use with IDCentre Software iii
Contents

This document explains how to use the Datacard® 150i or 275/
280P/295 Card Personalization System with Datacard®
IDCentre™ identification software. It explains two sets of plug-ins:
• The Datacard 150i Plug-in and the Datacard 150i Magstripe

Plug-in, for use with the Datacard 150i Card Personalization
System
• The Datacard 275/280P/295 Plug-in and the Datacard 275/
280P/295 Magstripe Plug-in for use with the Datacard 2xx
Card Personalization Systems
This document gives background information about how IDCentre

applications use plug-ins to translate card designs into language
the Card Personalization System can understand and use. It also
explains how IDCentre features relate to features in your Card
Personalization System, as well as which IDCentre features cannot
be used with your System. Finally, this document lists the steps
you must take to ensure that the IDCentre applications produce
the correct results on the System.
What is a Plug-in?
within the device (such as an encoder for magnetic stripes). The
Datacard 150i or 275/280P/295 Plug-in connects to the IDCentre
application, and the Datacard 150i or 275/280P/295 Magstripe
Plug-in connects to the printer plug-in.
Datacard 150i and 275/280P/295 Card Personalization Systems: 1

IDCentre
Application
Datacard Datacard
150i or 275/280P/ 150i or 275/280P/295
295 Plug-in Magstripe Plug-in
You can create and save multiple configurations for the Card
Personalization System. A configuration is a group of settings
tailored to the way you use the device. For each configuration, you
can specify certain options to suit your needs.
In addition to using the 150i or 275/280P/295 plug-ins, you can

use the generic printer plug-in with your Card Personalization
System. The 150i and 275/280P/295 plug-ins, however, provide
the following advantages:
• The IDCentre magnetic stripe field is supported; there is no

need for magnetic stripe fonts.
• Topping for embossed text can be controlled by the IDCentre

card design.
• Card completion status is available for Software Development

Kit users.
• The ability to do smart card personalization.

2 Datacard 150i and 275/280P/295 Card Personalization Systems:


card be printed, the 150i or 275/280P/295 plug-in creates a
separate print job for each copy. If the multiple copy request
includes using card completion status (a Software Development
Kit feature), the plug-in will display an error message and stop the
print job. To print multiple copies of a card with card completion
status, submit multiple requests, each with a card quantity of 1.

Print sample cards from the Designer application to your 150i or
275/280P/295 System to ensure that your card design will work
in IDCentre Production.
IDCentre Designer includes features that cannot be used with the

Card Personalization System. The Designer application does not
know what kind of output device you will use, so it cannot give
feedback at design time to tell you that you are using a feature that
your System does not support. Furthermore, the options installed
in your Card Personalization System also affect which IDCentre
features you can use. This section explains which IDCentre
features you should avoid in your card designs.
Conversely, the Card Personalization System has features that

other card printers do not, and those features unique to the Card
Personalization System require special procedures in IDCentre
Designer. This section also explains how to implement special
Card Personalization System features in your IDCentre projects.

Project Properties
You must specify that you want to use embossing, indent, or
magnetic stripe fonts resident in the Card Personalization System.
Follow these steps:
1. Open the Edit Project Properties dialog box. (See the Designer
online help topic, “Access the Edit Project Properties dialog
box”.)
2. On the Printer Fonts tab, select Display Printer Fonts and then
select your Card Personalization System as the Card Printer.
3. Click OK. The Edit Project Properties dialog box closes.

Card Design Properties
You change properties of the overall card design using the Edit
Card Design Properties dialog box. (See the Designer online help
topic, “Access the Edit Card Design Properties dialog box”.)
Card Size
CR80 is the only card size supported by the Datacard 150i and 275/
280P/295 Plug-ins.
To use CR50 or custom card sizes with the Datacard 275/280P/295

System, use the generic printer plug-in and printer fonts for
magnetic stripe encoding. Smart card encoding is not available
when using the generic printer plug-in. (See the Designer online
help topic, “Change card size”.)
Card Background
Because the 150i System does not support graphics, any

background specified in your card design will be ignored.
For the 275/280P/295 System, do not use a colored card

background. You can use single-color graphics if the UltraGrafix®
module is part of your System.

Field to Identify Print Jobs
Because the Datacard 150i and 275/280P/295 plug-ins bypass the

Windows® print spooler, any field selected to identify print jobs is
ignored.
See Job Tracking on page 20 for more information.
Topcoat
When used with a Card Personalization System, the Topcoat

setting on the Printing tab of the Edit Card Design Properties
dialog box indicates that all embossed text will have topping foil
applied if your System includes the topper module. Topping
makes embossed text easier to read.
Because embossed text must be on the front side of the card, the
Topcoat setting for the back side of the card is ignored.

Edge To Edge Printing
Because the 150i System does not support graphics, Edge To Edge
Printing, if selected, will be ignored.
Do not attempt to use edge-to-edge printing on a 275/280P/295

System, either by supplying a background graphic that covers the
entire card or by placing fields closer than 0.1 inch (2.5 mm) from
any edge of the card.
Rotate Print Orientation 180 Degrees
Because the emboss and indent fonts can operate in only one
orientation, this selection is not supported. If your 275/280P/295
System includes the UltraGrafix option, you can rotate graphics
fields and text fields that use TrueType or OpenType fonts on a
field-by-field basis.
Portrait Orientation
Because the emboss and indent fonts can operate only in landscape
orientation, this selection is not supported. If your 275/280P/295
System includes the UltraGrafix option, you can rotate graphics
fields and text fields that use TrueType or OpenType fonts on a
field-by-field basis to achieve a portrait effect.
Back Side of Card
See the Designer online help topic, “Create a two-sided card”. The
only types of fields that are allowed on the back side of a card are:
• Magnetic Stripe — used with the Datacard 150i or 275/280P/

295 Magstripe Plug-in to encode magnetic stripes. The Card
Personalization System does not need to have magnetic stripe
fonts installed. If your card design includes a magnetic stripe
field, it cannot use magnetic stripe fonts.

• Text that specifies an indent font installed in the System.
For convenience in positioning a text field using an indent
font, you can place a Non-Printable Area on the back side
of a card and then position the text field on top of the non-
printable area.
• Text — up to three fields that specify a magnetic stripe font

installed in the System. If your card design includes text fields
that specify a magnetic stripe font, it cannot use an IDCentre
magnetic stripe field. The IDCentre magnetic stripe field is the
recommended method for encoding magnetic stripes.
Card Fields
You change properties of the individual fields on the card design
using the Edit Field Properties dialog box. (See the Designer online
help topic, “Access the Edit Field Properties dialog box”.)
Text and Date Fields
If your 275/280P/295 System includes the UltraGrafix option, you

can specify TrueType or OpenType fonts for text and date fields.
They will behave as described in the IDCentre Administrator’s Guide
with the following exceptions:
• The Topcoat setting is ignored. See Topcoat on page 6.
• Datacard recommends using the default values for Foreground

Color and Background Color.
• The Use K-Panel if available setting is ignored.

If your System includes embossing fonts, you can use them for text
and date fields with the following limitations:
• Embossing fonts can be used only on the front side of the card.
• On the 150i System, if topping foil is to be applied to the

embossed text, the field must be located in the lower half of the
card. In addition:
The Left position of the field must be 0.238 inch (6

mm) or greater.
The sum of the Left and Width values must be 3.137

inches (79 mm) or less.
For a 7 cpi font, the Top position must be between

1.188 and 1.859 inches (30 and 47 mm).
1.188 and 1.922 inches (30 and 49 mm).
• The Alignment setting is ignored. All text is left-justified.
• The Rotation, Topcoat, Automatically Adjust Font Size, and

foreground and background color settings are ignored.
If your System includes indent fonts, you can use them for text and
date fields with the following limitations:
• On the 275/280P/295 Systems, indent fonts can be used only
on the back side of the card.


Static Text Fields
If your 275/280P/295 System includes the UltraGrafix option, you

can specify TrueType or OpenType fonts for static text fields. They
will behave as described in the IDCentre Administrator’s Guide with
the following exceptions:
• Datacard recommends using the default values for Foreground

Color and Background Color.
• The Use K-Panel if available setting is ignored.
If your System includes embossing fonts, you can

use them for static text fields with the following
limitations:
• Embossing fonts can be used only on the front side of the card.
• On the 150i System, if topping foil is to be applied to the

embossed text, the field must be located in the lower half of the
card. In addition:
The Left position of the field must be 0.238 inch (6

mm) or greater.
The sum of the Left and Width values must be 3.137

inches (79 mm) or less.

1.188 and 1.859 inches (30 and 47 mm).

1.188 and 1.922 inches (30 and 49 mm).
• Word Wrap is ignored. A static text field that uses embossing

fonts can be only one line. Use multiple static text fields for
multiple lines of text.

If your System includes indent fonts, you can use them for static
text fields with the following limitations:
• On the 275/280P/295 Systems, indent fonts can be used on

only the back side of the card.
• Word Wrap is ignored. A static text field that uses indent fonts
can be only one line. Use multiple static text fields for multiple
lines of text.

Barcode, Signature, Static Graphic, and Variable Graphic Fields
Because the 150i System does not support graphics, these fields
will be ignored.
If your 275/280P/295 System includes the UltraGrafix option,

these fields will behave as described in the IDCentre Administrator’s
Guide with the following exceptions:
• The field must be on the front side of the card design.

• Background Color for a barcode field is not supported.
• If you use Interpretation Text options for a barcode field, you

must select an OpenType or TrueType font for the text.

Photo Fields
Because the 150i System does not support graphics, photo fields
will be ignored.
If your 275/280P/295 System includes the UltraGrafix option,

photo fields will behave as described in the IDCentre Administrator’s
Guide with the following exceptions:

• Datacard recommends that any border used be black.
• Ghosted photos are not supported.
• Datacard recommends that the Configure K-Panel Printing

utility in the IDCentre Administrator application not be used
with the Card Personalization System. The Datacard 275/
280P/295 Plug-in automatically optimizes graphics for
printing with a one-color ribbon.
Magnetic Stripe Fields
If your 275/280P/295 System includes a magnetic stripe option (all

150i Systems have magnetic stripe capability), IDCentre magnetic
stripe fields will behave as described in the IDCentre Administrator’s
Guide with the following exception:
• The field should be on the back side of the card design.
See Designing an IDCentre Project to Encode Magnetic Stripes on


Smart Card Fields
If your Card Personalization System includes a smart card module

and a smart card encoder plug-in is installed on your computer,
smart card fields will behave as described in the IDCentre
Administrator’s Guide with the following exception:
See the documentation for the installed encoder plug-in for more
information.
Embossing/Indent Limitation
On 275/280P/295 Systems, you can use up to 11 fields that,
combined, use embossing fonts and indent fonts.
Graphic Size Limitation

When the Datacard 275/280P/295 Plug-in prepares data for a 275/
280P/295 System with the UltraGrafix option, it combines all the
information that will be printed with the UltraGrafix option into a
composite graphics file. This includes background graphics, static
graphics, variable graphics, barcodes, signatures, photos, and text
and date fields that use TrueType or OpenType fonts.
The 275/280P/295 System can accept a graphics file of 60 KB or

less. Graphics files that are too large produce an error at print time.
The only way to tell whether the composite graphics file will be
under the size limit is to print sample cards from the Designer
application. See the Designer online help topic, “Print a sample
card”.
If your card design contains variable graphics or a photo field,

print samples from the Production application using a variety of
photos and all possible graphic elements. If any of your sample

cards produces an error message, consider simplifying your card
design.
Using the Datacard 150i or 275/280P/295

Magstripe Plug-in
This section gives step-by-step instructions for using the Datacard
150i or 275/280P/295 Magstripe Plug-in to encode magnetic
stripes on plastic cards.
It is possible to encode magnetic stripes without a Datacard
Magstripe Plug-in by using magnetic stripe fonts, but
Datacard recommends using the plug-in that was developed
for your Card Personalization System. If you will encode
smart card chips using a smart card plug-in and encode a
magnetic stripe on the same card, you must use the
appropriate Datacard Magstripe Plug-in.

Designer online help topic “Add a composite field to a
The Datacard Magstripe Plug-ins add the necessary start
sentinels before sending data to the encoding module.
Consider using masks on the text fields connected to

magnetic stripe tracks to ensure that only valid

characters will be entered. See “Text Field Masks” in
chapter 3 of the IDCentre Administrator’s Guide.
2. In your Card design, insert a magnetic stripe field on the back

side of your card. See the Designer online help topic “Add a
magnetic stripe field to a card” for step-by-step instructions.

4. On the Encoding tab, select Datacard 150i Magstripe Plug-in

or Datacard 275/280P/295 Magstripe Plug-in in the Device list.
5. Also on the Encoding tab, select an encoder configuration. See
Creating a New Magnetic Stripe Encoder Configuration on
page 16 or Changing a Magnetic Stripe Encoder Configuration
on page 17.
box closes.
the appropriate tracks in the Production Output area. See the
Designer online help topic “Connect fields” for step-by-step
instructions.
8. Print and encode a test card for your project using the IDCentre
Production application.
Sample cards printed in the IDCentre Designer application
are not encoded.
9. Verify that the card can be read in a magnetic stripe reader.

Creating a New Magnetic Stripe Encoder
Configuration
configuration, see Changing a Magnetic Stripe Encoder
Configuration on page 17.

Properties [Magnetic Stripe] dialog box. See the Designer
Stripe] dialog box, select Datacard 150i Magstripe Plug-in or
Datacard 275/280P/295 Magstripe Plug-in in the Device list.
4. Click the Edit Configurations button. The MagStripe

Configurations dialog box opens.
5. Click the New button. The New MagStripe Configuration

dialog box opens.

6. Type a name and click OK. The MagStripe Configuration :
[name] dialog box opens.
It may be helpful to give the configuration the same name

as the IDCentre project that will use it.
the tracks.
In the Module area, the only type of encoding available is
IAT.
8. Click Save. The MagStripe Configuration : [name] dialog box

closes. Click Exit. The MagStripe Configurations dialog box
closes.
9. Click OK to close the Edit Field Properties [Magnetic Stripe]

dialog box.
Changing a Magnetic Stripe Encoder

Configuration



5. Select the configuration you want to change and click Edit. The
MagStripe Configuration : [name] dialog box opens.

name. The MagStripe Configuration : [name] dialog box closes.
– or –
Click Save As to save your changes under a new

configuration name without changing the original
configuration. The Save Configuration as dialog box
opens. Type a configuration name and click OK.
8. Click Exit to close the MagStripe Configurations dialog box.
9. Click OK to close the Edit Field Properties [Magnetic Stripe]

dialog box.

Deleting a Magnetic Stripe Encoder Configuration


5. Select the configuration you want to delete and click Remove.

MagStripe Configurations dialog box and then click OK to
close the Edit Field Properties [Magnetic Stripe] dialog box.


this:


computer).
Job Tracking
Because the Datacard 150i and 275/280P/295 Magstripe Plug-ins
bypass the Windows print spooler, the method described in the
Production help topic, “Track card printing jobs” does not apply.
The IDCentre Print Job Monitor, automatically loaded with your
IDCentre software product, provides an alternate way of tracking
jobs through the Card Personalization System.
To begin using the IDCentre Print Job Monitor, from the Windows
Start button select Programs, Datacard, IDCentre, Tools, and then
Print Monitor.
Click Help to see descriptions of the information provided by the

Job Monitor and procedures for using it.
Troubleshooting
The interplay among the Windows operating system, the IDCentre
software (including the Datacard plug-ins), the 150i or 275/280P/
295 driver, and the physical 150i or 275/280P/295 System is
complex. An incorrect setting in any component can result in

unexpected results. This section lists some common symptoms and
the steps you should take to remedy them.
Embossing/Indent/Magnetic Stripe Fonts Do Not

Appear in the List of Fonts Available for Text Fields
First make sure you have specified that printer fonts are used in
the project. See Project Properties on page 4. Note that performing
the last step of the procedure (clicking OK) is required. Closing the
Edit Project Properties dialog box in any other way is not
adequate, even if the Printer Fonts tab appears to have the correct
settings when you enter it.
If the fonts still are not available, check that the fonts have been
selected in the driver. See the Installation and Technical Reference Manual
for your printer driver for information on selecting fonts in the
printer driver.
Users Cannot Print to the 150i or 275/280P/295

System
Under the Windows 2000 operating system, a Datacard Card
Personalization System cannot switch back and forth between
printing from IDCentre identification software applications and
from non-IDCentre applications.
The serial communication port to which the Card Personalization

System is attached is locked by the operating system when the
printer driver is installed. Only the printer driver has access to the
port. Because the IDCentre software cannot use the driver, it is
prevented from communicating with the System. The printer
driver can be redirected from the serial communication port that
the Card Personalization System is attached to, allowing the
IDCentre software to access the serial port and communicate with
the System. However, this redirection prevents sending

information to the System from any other application. If you need
to access the System from the IDCentre software and from other
applications, you will need to take the following steps before you
change applications.
Preliminary Steps:
The following steps are needed to support using the Card

Personalization System from IDCentre applications.
1. Install and test the Card Personalization System and printer

driver. (The steps needed to accomplish this are documented in
the Printer Driver for the Datacard 150i, 28x, and 450 Series
Printers on Windows NT and 2000 Installation and Technical
Reference Manual which came with your Card Personalization
System.)
2. Install IDCentre software and Datacard plug-ins.

3. Assign the appropriate plug-in to the System using the
IDCentre Administrator Assign Printer Plug-ins utility. See the
Administrator online help topic, “Assign printer plug-ins”.
4. Set the IDCentre project properties to use printer fonts from the
installed Card Personalization System. See Project Properties
on page 4.
5. Attach the System to serial communication port 1.
Freeing the Serial Communication Port for IDCentre Printing:
The following steps remove the lock from the serial port, allowing
IDCentre applications to communicate with the System.
1. Open the Printers folder by clicking Start, then Settings, and

then Printers.
2. Right-click the Card Personalization System in the list and

select Properties from the menu. The screen will look
something like the following:

3. On the Ports tab of the Properties dialog box, select FILE. You
will see something similar to the following dialog box:
4. Click OK. The Properties dialog box closes.
5. Close the Printers folder.
The serial port is now free for use with IDCentre applications.

Reassigning the Serial Communication Port to the Printer
Driver:
Before using a non-IDCentre application with the Card

Personalization System, redirect the printer driver to serial
communication port 1. Refer to the instructions above for
information on accessing the printer Properties dialog box.

I Get “Limits Exceeded” Errors Printing Cards in
IDCentre Production
This error indicates that a text or graphics field extends too far to
the right. Adjust your card design so that:
• The maximum number of characters in the text field does not
extend too far to the right.
• (275/280P/295 System with UltraGrafix option only) All

graphics (static graphics, variable graphics, and photos) are at
least 0.1 inch (2.5 mm) from the right edge of the card.
Alternatively, ask your Datacard Service Representative to change

the configuration of your 275/280P/295 System so that Check
Card Limits Error is OFF. If you disable card limits checking,
Datacard recommends that you use text field masking to ensure
that instances of too much data are caught during input.


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What is the IDCentre software?

What is the IDCentre software?

What are some conventions used in the library?

What are some conventions used in the library?

IDCentre Bronze, Silver, and Gold

Online Reference Library

Please choose a title below to view the document, or click on the

Operator’s Guide for IDCentre Version 6

Administrator’s Guide for IDCentre Version 6

Datacard® CP Series Printer and Magnetic Stripe

Datacard® Smart Driver™ and ImageCard® Printer and

Datacard® 150i and 275/280P/295 Card

Conventions Used in this Library

IDCentre Version 6 Online Reference Library

U.S. Patent No. 6,632,250.

This publication and the accompanying software are proprietary to

Information in this publication is subject to change without notice.

Names and logos in sample projects are fictitious. Any similarity to

Adobe and Photoshop are registered trademarks and Type

All other product names are trademarks of their respective

Portions of this product were created using LEADTOOLS © 1991-

Portions of the bar code technology of this product are copyrighted

IDCentre Version 6 Online Reference Library

Conventions Used in this Library

Notes remind or inform you of something you should know

Names of keyboard keys appear in large and small capital letters

Information you enter appears in regular italic type (for example,

Parts of dialog box names that change depending on a name you

IDCentre Version 6 Online Reference Library

Or send an e-mail message to:

IDCentre Version 6 Online Reference Library

ii IDCentre Version 6 Online Reference Library

IDCentre Version 6 Operator’s Guide iii

Other sources of information about IDCentre applications are:

• The CD insert tells how to install IDCentre software.

• The Administrator’s Guide, also part of the Online Reference

iv IDCentre Version 6 Online Reference Library

Datacard® IDCentre™ identification software includes five

IDCentre Designer lets a System Administrator create projects that

IDCentre Reporting lets you generate and print image-rich reports

IDCentre Administrator contains tools to manage user accounts,

IDCentre View lets a receptionist or guard verify that a person

Introducing the IDCentre “Project”

IDCentre Version 6 Operator’s Guide 1

A project contains a Production Form and one or more card designs.

By using field connections, information entered in a Production Form

2 IDCentre Version 6 Online Reference Library

Log In to an IDCentre Application

When you are logged in to an IDCentre application, you do not need

IDCentre Version 6 Operator’s Guide 3

Changing Your User Password

Passwords can be 1 to 32 characters long and can include any

4 IDCentre Version 6 Online Reference Library

Using the Welcome Dialog Box

Using IDCentre Applications

IDCentre Version 6 Operator’s Guide 5

A status bar at the bottom of the window provides additional

6 IDCentre Version 6 Online Reference Library

IDCentre Version 6 Operator’s Guide 7

In the Removal Sensitivity area, select if some of the backdrop is