What is an ID Card Printer?
An ID card printer is a machine that prints on a plastic (PVC) card. They are used to print employee ID badges, membership cards, credit cards and more.
ID card printers work the same way a typical inkjet printer does. Your office printer sucks in a blank piece of paper, prints on it, and then spits out the finished product for you to use immediately. In the same way, an ID card printer sucks in a blank white PVC card, prints your design and then spits the card out so that you can use it right away.
While they are easy to use like your paper printer, printing on plastic requires a different process and internal parts. This means, ID card printers are generally more expensive than inkjet printers.
Know the Differences
If you are just starting to research ID printers, it's important to know what you need it to do because there are tons of options out there.
If you are interested, read about the different ID card printer features.
Some are made to print one hundred cards per year while others are made to print thousands of cards per year. . . and priced to match. It’s pretty easy to find which one is the best fit for you.
Pro Tip: Buying a printer often does not come with everything you need. It’s more common to buy a Complete One-box System that comes with the printer, card design software, camera and supplies.
Do I Need an ID Card Printer?
If you have employees or provide cards to customers you need the ID cards, but whether you need to buy an ID printer comes down to two factors:
1. Immediate Issuance – Do you need to use your cards immediately? If so, printing them in-house with an ID card printer is your only option.
2. Quantity – If you only need a few cards per year, you can probably use an online service where you can pay per card. Check out IDville On Demand card printing service. If you need a hundred or more, the math suggests it’s the best decision financially to buy an ID card system. This is because a service will cost you $7 per card or more while the printer is a large upfront cost but the cards cost roughly $0.70 per card after that.
Service Cost
(card qty x card price) x number of years = Service cost
(100 card x $7) x 5 years = $3500
Printer Cost
printer price + ((card qty x card price) x number of years) = Printer Cost
$1500 + ((100 cards x $0.70) x 5 years) = $1850
While printers have a large up front cost, their cheap cost per card pays dividends down the road. Printers often last around 10 years so imagine the price difference using 10 years instead of 5!
Where to next?
Before you buy an ID badge printer for your organization, ask yourself:
How to Find the ID Card Printer for Your Needs?
ID card printers are used in many different industries and institutions, however, they’re especially popular in hospitals, corporations, and schools, as well as law enforcement and government agencies.
An ID card printer is used in organizations of all sizes to print ID cards and badges for employees, students, and visitors. It enables businesses to create cards quickly, securely, and with a high level of accuracy.
What Is an ID Card Printer Used For?
What Is an ID Card Printer Used For?
An ID card printer is used in organizations of all sizes to print ID cards and badges for employees, students, and visitors. It enables businesses to create cards quickly, securely, and with a high level of accuracy.
ID card printers are used in many different industries and institutions, however, they’re especially popular in hospitals, corporations, and schools, as well as law enforcement and government agencies.
How to Find the ID Card Printer for Your Needs?
Before you buy an ID badge printer for your organization, ask yourself:
laminate your ID card
?print a hologram
?After determining what you need, you can research ID card printer specifications, e.g. speed and performance, capacity, software, and connectivity.
TIP: Find out more about badge printers in our blog: How to Choose the Best ID Card Printer, How to Fix 3 of the Most Common ID Card Printer Problems, Edge-to-Edge vs. Over-the-Edge-Printing.
3 Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing an ID Card Printer
When deciding on a new ID card printer, think of it as an investment and consider the following points.
1. Don’t buy a badge printer based on the price alone. There’s no denying that budget is important, however, make sure you buy an PVC card printer that will fulfill your printing requirements. Even if it means spending a bit more.
2. Don’t only consider your current printing needs. Is it likely that in the future you’ll be requiring additional functions on your ID cards? Then, acquire a PVC printer that you can easily upgrade.
3. Don’t buy an ID card printer that can’t handle your security needs. If your organization has to follow high-security standards, invest in a specialized card printer that will protect your data and hardware.
ID Card Printers at IDenticard.com – Secure, Reliable & Easy-to-Use
At IDenticard.com, we offer various direct-to-card as well as retransfer ID card printers from renowned brands. As the name already suggests, direct-to-card printers print directly onto the surface of a card, while retransfer printers first apply the design onto a clear film which is then thermally transferred to the blank card.
Regarding the printing capability, you can choose between single-sided or dual-sided ID card printers. A single-sided model is a good option for organizations with smaller budgets and a limited workspace that want to create professional-looking one-sided credentials.
With a dual-sided ID card printer, on the other hand, you can add more information to your ID cards, which can be useful for employee badges or membership cards. Additionally, you can save time and effort by printing both sides in one pass.
Browse through our printer categories and find the ideal model for your business.
How Can Our ID Card Printers Help Your Business?
There’re many reasons why you should integrate an ID card printer from IDenticard.com into your daily business operations.
ID badges
TIP: To ensure impeccable printing results and prolong the life of your ID card printer, high-quality printer supplies (e.g. a printer ribbon shredder, printer ribbons, ink cartridges) are a must. Stock up today!
Save Time Printing Credentials & Improve the Safety in Your Organization – Order Your ID Card Printer at IDenticard.com!
By choosing IDenticard.com, you will not only join thousands of satisfied customers, but also save your company precious time printing credentials, and improve the safety of your employees as well as visitors.
Browse through our diverse products to find the ID card printer that meets your organization's needs.
Need help finding the right model? Try our Printer Finder or get in touch with our IDenticard.com experts. We’ll gladly assist you!
TIP: We offer additional state-of-the-art solutions to take your ID card printing to the next level.
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