If you own a store or shop that takes passport pictures for customers, you probably want to make a good impression. Few things will turn off a customer more than a pinned up bedsheet as a backdrop. In order to produce professional passport photos, you need to use a passport backdrop. We offer a few options that should keep your customers happy.

The Federal Government states that passport pictures should be taken in front of a backdrop. They specifically state, “…the background should be plain white or off-white.”

You can read more about passport picture requirements and specifications straight from the U.S. Government here.

At ABC Office we offer a few backdrops that are perfect for taking passport pictures. We offer a few professional cloth options and a few retractable backdrops.

Multi-Color Cloth Backdrop – This kit comes with a variety of different backdrops. Some can be used for passports where others are ideal for photo identification badges.

WC-33 Ceiling / Wall Mounted Backdrop – This backdrop can be attached to a ceiling or a wall and is retractable. This is convenient and especially nice for saving space.

TB-33 Freestanding Retractable Backdrop – This retractable backdrop is ideal for mobility and saving space. It compacts down into a portable format and can easily be moved from one area to another.

Once you’re passport pictures have been taken, you will need to cut them down to a 2″ x 2″ size. Rather than using scissors that can leave crooked edges, consider using a passport photo ID die cutter.

Once the picture has been cut out, you will probably want to place the pictures is a passport holder / folder. Passport folders look professional, protect the pictures and are far more professional than placing the photos in an envelope or bag.

So there you have it! Some great tips on creating a professional passport photo. If you still have questions, feel free to speak with one of our passport specialists at 1-800-658-8788.

If you have been shopping around for an ID card printer, you have probably run across the term dye sublimation several times. So what makes dye sublimation superior for printing ID cards? I’ll explain some of its benefits.

To begin with, ID card printers that use dye sublimation printing usually utilize some sort of a printer ribbon. The ribbon itself looks like a thin strip of plastic, usually consisting CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) colored panels. Ribbons that feature CMYKO have an overlay panel (O) for added scratch protection.

ID printers have a special thermal print head that heats up these panels and burns them onto a blank PVC card. The panel transitions from a solid to a gaseous state in the process, hence the term sublimation. For those of you who are not chemistry buffs, sublimation occurs when a solid transitions to a gaseous state without ever becoming a liquid.

Dye sublimation ID card printing produces some of the clearest and most professional-looking images available. Because the images are fused onto the PVC card using heat and multiple colored panels, the image has an extremely long lifespan. This is ideal for identification purposes as ID cards can be placed in pockets, wallets, purses and typically experience a lot of wear and tear.

We carry dye sublimation ID card printers from Fargo, Polaroid, Eltron, Magicard and many other manufacturers. You can find most of our dye sublimation printer ribbons here and dye sublimation ID card printers here.

Do you still have questions? Call one of our photo ID experts at 1-800-658-8788.

There are a lot of different sizes and colors of PVC cards available today for creating photo ID cards. A lot of people get confused as to which size, thickness and style they should use. Here is the advice I give our customers.

To begin with, most ID card printers print on plastic PVC cards. The size that is most common is referred to as a CR-80. This size is exactly the same size as a credit card. It fits in most badge holders, can be slot punched for use with lanyards and continues to be the best all-round size for ID cards.

The thickness of PVC ID cards is measured in mils. A mil is a thousandth of an inch. The most common thickness of ID card used today is 30 mils thick. As with the size, the 30 mil thickness is the same as a credit card.

So why do we offer thinner 10 mil cards? For one, they cost less and are nice for temporary ID cards. The most common use of the 10 mil ID card, however, is with proximity cards.

We offer a 10 mil thick CR-80 that has an adhesive back. What many people do is print their ID on the 10-mil adhesive card and then stick it on the surface of a thicker proximity card. This is a great way to put an ID on a proximity or key card.

CR-80 PVC cards are available in multiple colors, but white continues to be the most popular color. White cards, much like white paper, allow the printing of just about anything. Blank PVC cards are also available with magnetic stripes (high & low coercivity) for encoding data and information. Most of our CR-80 cards ship in 500 or 1,000 quantity boxes.

You can find our entire selection of blank CR-80 PVC ID cards here. You can also find our entire selection of digital photo ID printers here.

Everyone’s favorite Polaroid 669 film has been replaced. Sad isn’t it? Although it has been gone for several months, we do get a lot of questions from customers regarding a replacement. Do not fret, there is a great replacement available.

Earlier this year Polaroid confirmed that they would stop making “Instant Film” that many of our photo ID and passport cameras use. Apparently this once popular film has fallen victim to the digital camera revolution. Polaroid 669 film was no exception.

Many people, however, really like the film. It requires no printer and can easily create instant photographs on site for identification and passport purposes. For this reason, we still sell a lot of Polaroid-style ID cameras (found here).

Still in need of instant film? You’re in luck. FujiFilm has a replacement that will work in all cameras that previously used Polaroid 669 film. This new film is called FujiFilm FP-100C Instant Film. We have a lot of it, it is priced about the same as the 669 film, and there is no indication that it will be going away anytime soon.

You can find our FujiFilm FP-100C here!