Polaroid ID CARD MAKER ENTRY User Manual
ID Card Maker Entry Online User Documentation
This file contains information about Polaroid ID Card Maker
identification software version 6.0 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 ID Card Maker Version 6
Administrator’s Guide for ID Card Maker Version 6
Polaroid PCID Printer and Magnetic Stripe Plug-ins
Legal Notices
Conventions Used in the Online User Documentation
Comments? Suggestions?
ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 User Documentation
Legal Notices
The design and information contained in these materials is
protected by US and international copyright law.
U.S. Patent No. 6,632,250.
Names and logos in sample projects are fictitious. Any similarity to
actual names, trademarks, or trade names is coincidental.
Polaroid and Polaroid & Pixel are trademarks of Polaroid
Corporation.
Adobe and Acrobat are registered trademarks and Type Manager
is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Microsoft and
Windows are 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 © 19912005 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.
ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 User Documentation
Conventions Used in the Online User Documentation
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 ID Card Maker
application).
Parts of dialog box names that change depending on a name you
supplied appear in brackets [ ].
Blue text indicates a jump (link) to the referenced topic for online
reading.
ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 User Documentation
Comments? Suggestions?
Please send comments, suggestions, or corrections to:
ID Card Maker Information Development
Polaroid Commercial ID Systems
4650 Executive Blvd.
Ft. Wayne, IN 46808
ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 User Documentation
Operator’s Guide for
ID Card Maker Version 6
Contents
About the Operator’s Guide _________________________________________________ iv
Chapter 1: System Overview _________________________________________ 1
Introducing the ID Card Maker “Project” _____________________________________ 1
Getting Started_____________________________________________________ _________ 2
Start an ID Card Maker Application_______________________________________ 2
Using the Welcome Dialog Box___________________________________________ 3
Using ID Card Maker Applications ________________________________________ 3
Opening a Project __________________________________________________________ 5
Chapter 2: Using the ID Card Maker Process Application ______________ 7
Using an ID Card Maker Project ______________________________________________ 7
Entering Information in Text Fields_________________________________________ 8
Using Photo Fields _______________________________________________________ 9
Photo from File______________________________________________________ 10
TWAIN__________________________________________________________ ____ 10
TWAIN (Fast)________________________________________________________ 11
Video for Windows__________________________________________________ 12
Video for Windows (Fast) ____________________________________________ 13
Optional Cameras __________________________________________________ 13
Selecting a Different Photo Source __________________________________ 13
Cropping and Adjusting Photos______________________________________ 14
Rotating Photos _________________________________________________ 15
Selecting an Exposure ___________________________________________ 15
Starting Over____________________________________________________ 17
Previewing Cards_____________ __________________________________________ 17
Printing Cards __________________________________________________________ 18
Using the Project Database _________________________________________________ 20
Changing Information in a Database____________________________________ 20
Entering a New Database Record_______________________________________ 21
Deleting a Database Record____________________________________________ 22
ii ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 User Documentation
Chapter 3: Searching the Database _________________________________ 23
Performing a Search _______________________________________________________ 23
Refining the Search____________________________ ___ ____ ___ ____ ___ ____ ____ 24
Navigating Search Results_______________________________________________ 25
Index ______________________________________________________________ 27
ID Card Maker Entry Ver sion 6 Operator’s Guide iii
About the Operator’s Guide
This document, part of the online User Documentation, guides users of
the Process application through the tasks they perform.
Other sources of information about ID Card Maker applications are:
• The CD insert tells how to install ID Card Maker software.
• The online help system tells you how to perform ID Card Maker
tasks. You can access the online help system from the Help menu
in each ID Card Maker application or by pressing the F1 key.
• The Administrator’s Guide, also part of the online User
Documentation, explains why you might want to use the various
features available in the ID Card Maker applications. It also
suggests the order in which tasks should be performed.
iv ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 User Documentation
Chapter 1: System Overview
Polaroid ID Card Maker Entry Edition includes three applications:
ID Card Maker Designer lets a System Administrator create projects
that meet your organization’s specific needs for card designs, data
entry, and database access.
ID Card Maker Production lets you use the projects you create in the
Designer application to gather information, access your database, and
print identification cards.
ID Card Maker Administrator contains tools to configure your ID
Card Maker software.
Introducing the ID Card Maker “Project”
An ID Card Maker project is similar to a folder or directory on a
computer: it is the container that holds information about an
identification implementation.
A project contains a Production Form, a card design, and a database.
By using field connections, information entered in a Production Form
can be saved in a database, printed on a card, or both. 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 using
information in the database.
ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 Operator’s Guide 1
System Overview
Getting Started
The rest of this chapter explains the steps you take to begin using your
ID Card Maker identification software.
Start an ID Card Maker Application
To begin using ID Card Maker software, on the taskbar, click Start,
and then click Programs, Polaroid, ID Card Maker, and then ID Card
Maker Entry Process.
2 ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 User Documentation
System Overview
Using the Welcome Dialog Box
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 ID Card Maker 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 ID Card Maker Applications
ID Card Maker applications let you perform most actions several
ways: by selecting menu commands with the mouse, or with the
keyboard, or 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.
ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 Operator’s Guide 3
System Overview
Most ID Card Maker 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
Toolbar
Statu s B a r
4 ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 User Documentation
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).
*** IDCM Entry screenshot goes here
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.
ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 Operator’s Guide 5
System Overview
6 ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 User Documentation
Chapter 2: Using the ID Card Maker Process Application
This chapter uses the sample projects that came with your ID Card
Maker 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 ID
Card Maker Process 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 ID Card Maker Project
When your project opens, 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.) 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.
ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 Operator’s Guide 7
Using the ID Card Maker Process 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, 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 H
8 ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 User Documentation
OME, END, left
Using the ID Card Maker Process Application
arrow, and right arrow keys. You can also ask the project designer to
make the text field wide enough to display all the text.
Using Photo Fields
Photo field
Whenyou enter a photo field, a photo capture begins.
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-bystep instructions.
If you need to select a source, check with your System
Administrator. They may have forgotten to assign a source.
ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 Operator’s Guide 9
Using the ID Card Maker Process Application
The following paragraphs show the dialog boxes that open for the
photo sources that are available on all ID Card Maker 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 ID Card Maker 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.
TWAIN
If the photo source selected is TWAIN, the TWAIN Interface dialog
box opens. (The TWAIN standard specifies how an application, such
as ID Card Maker Process, can activate a scanner, digital camera, or
other image-capturing device.)
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Using the ID Card Maker Process Application
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 ID Card Maker
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.
ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 Operator’s Guide 11
Using the ID Card Maker Process Application
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.
12 ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 User Documentation
Using the ID Card Maker Process Application
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
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.
on page 14.
Optional Cameras
In addition to the photo sources already described, your ID Card
Maker system may include an optional capture device, such as a
Polaroid ID Card Maker Image Capture product. These optional
devices have special software that makes them especially easy to use
with your ID Card Maker system. Optional cameras are explained in
their own online documents, which you access through the Windows
Start menu.
Selecting a Different Photo Source
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.
ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 Operator’s Guide 13
Using the ID Card Maker Process Application
Cropping and Adjusting 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-
14 ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 User Documentation
Using the ID Card Maker Process Application
way arrow. Click and drag the crop box to the position you want, 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, 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.
ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 Operator’s Guide 15
Using the ID Card Maker Process Application
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 E
NTER 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.
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Using the ID Card Maker Process Application
Starting Over
You can undo all your changes (cropping, exposure selection, rotation)
by clicking the Restore Original button.
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, 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 only accepts
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.
ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 Operator’s Guide 17
Using the ID Card Maker Process Application
Too much bar code data
Unsupported bar code data
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.
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 encoder, you can choose to
print the card, encode the card, or both by selecting the appropriate
check boxes.
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Using the ID Card Maker Process Application
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.
ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 Operator’s Guide 19
Using the ID Card Maker Process Application
Using the Project Database
Your ID Card Maker project is connected to its own database. To help
you use the database, your menu bar has a Record menu and your
toolbar includes eight database-specific buttons.
Database-specific buttons
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 ID Card Maker
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 23.
Changing Information in a Database
20 ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 User Documentation
Using the ID Card Maker Process Application
To change information in a database:
1. Locate the record you need to change. See Searching the Database
on page 23, 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 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.
Entering a New Database Record
To add a new record to a database:
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.
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.
ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 Operator’s Guide 21
Using the ID Card Maker Process Application
An ID Card Maker project can be set up so that a record is
automatically saved to the database each time a card is
printed. Ask your ID Card Maker 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
To delete a record from a database:
1. Locate the record you need to delete (see Searching the Database
on page 23, 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.
22 ID Card Maker Entry Version 6 User Documentation
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