Print Patron ID Cards

Patron ID Cards lets you print identification cards to be carried by patrons, Rolodex/rotary cards to be kept at the circulation desk, or 3" × 5" cards to be kept in a file drawer.

If you want to export the data to Microsoft Excel, see Export to Excel.

Print Patron ID Cards

  1. Select Reports > Patrons.
  2. Under Labels/Cards, click Patron ID Cards.
  3. If you are a district patrons manager, select a single school from the list.
  4. In the Select by list, select a method for identifying the patrons:
    1. To specify a range, select Name, Grade Level, or one of the User Defined fields:
      • Leave both fields blank to include all the patrons.
      • Leave the From field blank, and enter a name or number in the to field, to include all those up to and including the datain the to field.
      • Enter a name or number in the From field, and leave the to field blank, to include that name or number and all those after it.
      • Enter the same name or number in both fields to include only that one name or number.
    2. To include a range of homerooms, select Homeroom. Then, choose the homerooms from the From and to drop-downs, or leave one or both at Any Homeroom.
      Only homerooms that patrons are currently assigned to appear in the lists.
    3. To use a list of barcode numbers, select Barcode List. You can either browse to an existing file, or create a list here.
      • To select an existing file, click Browse to find your file.
      • To create a list, place the cursor in the Create a barcode list field and scan the barcodes, or type them in and click Add.
      • To remove a barcode number from the list, select it, and click Remove.
    Note: Destiny does not support the use of wildcards (?, *) in ranges.
  5. To limit the patrons based on Patron Type, click Update.
    1. To select new patron types, click Clear All, and then select the checkbox(es) for the patron types you want.
      -or-
      To select all patron types, click Select All.
    2. Click OK.
  6. To limit the card printing to specific groups of patrons, deselect the appropriate Statuses checkboxes.
  7. To limit to patrons with certain graduation years, use to Graduation Year drop-down to select the timeframe, and then enter the year in yyyy format.
  8. To limit to certain expiration dates, enter the desired range in the Card Expires From and to fields in mm/dd/yy format. Or, click Calendar icon.to select the dates.
  9. Select the format you want the patron's name to appear in:
    • Last, First Middle
    • First Middle Last
  10. Use the Include the following checkboxes and the Optional Line drop-downs to select additional information to appear on the cards.
  11. From the Use Card Stock drop-down, select your card stock, or to create a spreadsheet file, select Export to Excel®. If you chose Use Card Stock, do the following:

    • To start printing on other than the first card on the sheet, enter the position in the Start on label field.

    • If the page needs to be moved left or right (horizontal) or up or down (vertical), enter the appropriate setting in Printer offsetto center the printing.

  1. When you are ready, click Run Report.
  2. When Report Manager opens, click View to open the report.
  3. After positioning the card stock in your printer, use Adobe Reader's Print option to print the actual cards.
Important: Make sure to set Page Scaling to None in Adobe's Print pop-up.

Test a Patron ID Card

If you are including scannable barcodes on the cards, print a few samples on plain paper first. Then, ensure your scanner, PHD, or wireless handheld device can read the barcodes. The quality of the printout varies from printer to printer; some older printers cannot produce scanner-readable barcodes.

Also, make sure the barcode is properly located on the card. Scanners require some white space at either end of the vertical barcode lines.

If the barcode is too close to the edge, adjust the offsets and try again. When you print, Destiny saves the offset settings you used so you do not have to set them again.

Card Stock to Use

You can use any of four card stocks. Stock from other vendors may work as well. Print a test page on plain paper, and adjust the offsets as needed.

Item # Card per sheet Card size H x W in inches
Avery 5361 1 × 3 2 × 3-1/4
Avery 5385 2 × 4 2-1/4 × 4
Avery 5386 1 × 3 3 × 5
Rolodex 67620 2 × 4 2-1/4 × 4

Card Sheet Numbering

Destiny counts cards from left to right, then top to bottom.
To start printing on a card other than the first one on the sheet, set Start on label to the card number where printing should begin.

Content on Patron ID Cards

Each card includes the following information:

  • Patron's name
  • Patron's picture (if selected)
  • Scannable barcode (if selected)
  • Barcode number (if selected)
  • Up to three of the 11 listed fields (if selected)
  • School name (if you selected the Avery ID Card [5361] or the Avery Large Rotary [5386] card)

Incorrect Centering

If the printing is not centered on the cards, use the printer offsets to fine-tune the alignment. The Horizontal offset adjusts the printing from the left. The Vertical offset adjusts the top margin.

In the Printer Offset fields, enter a number between -100 and 100. Each increment is equal to 1/10th of a millimeter.

The offsets needed for each card stock vary from printer to printer. The first time you select a card stock, print a few tests on plain paper to ensure the printing is aligned correctly.

Note: Any offsets you define for the patron ID cards are in addition to the unprintable area defined in the printer's properties.