Choosing the Right ID Card Printer
With so many brands and models to choose from, selecting the right ID Card Printer
for your needs may seem like a difficult task – but it doesn’t have to be.
“Today’s business owner has more choices than ever when purchasing an ID Card Printer,”
says Billy Kim, sales manager for ID Card Group. “Making the right choice becomes
easier once you determine what features and functionality you require.”
Assess Your Needs
When selecting a printer as the heart of your in-house card printing setup, it’s
important to consider factors like the printer’s speed and output capacity, as well
as its physical dimensions. Another basic factor to consider is whether your organization
requires cards in full color or monochrome.
Most full color printers utilize Dye Sublimation printing, a technology once reserved
for industrial and high end printing tasks, but one that has come down substantially
in price. As a result, it’s possible to achieve super high resolution in full color
at a reasonable price. An advantage of the Dye Sublimation printing process is a
superior range of colors, and cards that dry instantly.
Monochrome card printers typically utilize Thermal Transfer printing, as Thermal
Transfer technology is perfect for monochrome applications, though not as effective
printing full color, which is why virtually all manufactures use Dye Sublimation
printing for their color ID Card Printers.
A Myriad of Features
Some printers, like those in the relatively newer and very powerful Evolis lineup
offer a host of features in affordable, space-saving packages designed for use by
smaller organizations and businesses that need professional cards at a moderate
level of output.
Other ID Card printer manufacturers such as Fargo specialize in printers that excel
in producing state-of-the-art cards for applications requiring the utmost in security
such as government and corporate environments. The selection process is complicated
by the fact that most manufacturers produce ID Card Printers for both moderate security,
lower volume environments as well those designed for the most stringent demands.
For example, while the Evolis Pebble is an excellent choice for those who need quick
reproduction of monochrome cards in a very compact package, Evolis also manufactures
the Quantum, a powerful, maximum volume printer with an 1000 card hopper that allows
businesses to produce cards in brilliant full color on two sides almost continuously.
Similarly, the C30 from Fargo allows quick and easy production of monochrome cards
on a single side from a deceptively small package, while another Fargo workhorse,
the HDP600, offers the absolute utmost in power and functionality to meet virtually
any card printing situation. This amazing printer is one of the top choices of governments
and offices of multinational corporations around the world.
Most card printers will print on CR80 cards – like the Magicard Opera, a very easy
to operate single feed card printer with an attractively low price. Yet some, like
the Magicard RioG, utilize CR100 card stock to provide even greater visibility,
allowing for larger images and easier to read text while accommodating moderate
and high output cycles. The Magicard Tango offers some of the same Magicard functionality
while supporting two sided output.
A look at other manufacturers will offer similar results. The Zebra P110i is a compact,
space saving printer delivering affordable cards on a single side easily. It’s more
powerful older brother is the Zebra P420i, a very powerful dual-sided printer designed
for rapid reproduction of cards in brilliant color along with a host of options.
Yet price and size can be deceptive. Take the SP55 by DataCard. For a very attractive
price, the SP55 prints cards in full color on both sides in a package that integrates
easily with existing payroll and attendance functions, an is available with a host
of options. For even more power and higher volume output, the DataCard Select Imagecard
is available in a number of configurations and options to meet your needs.
Other leading brands offer printers ranging from the very basic models manufactured
by Dymo, to those by photography experts Polaroid, with two models offered by ID
Card Group, the P75i and the P100i. Nisca offers powerful, easy to use models like
the PR53LE and the PR5310, which delivers cards in full color on both sides.
It Pays to Ask Questions
It really helps to know what you need up front. Many models come with options like
magnetic stripe encoding and lamination modules and innovations like smart card
encoding. By assessing your requirements ahead of time, you’ll find it easier
to sort through the hundreds of available features.
Start by asking yourself questions like: “how many cards will we be issuing on an
average week?”, “what are my security requirements?”, or “how can magnetic striping
and smart card capabilities enhance my payroll and security operations?”
In addition, many models offer USB compatibility with Windows® software, so
checking for system compatibility in advance is a good idea. Other models function
as stand alone units – so be sure to know what your business calls for.
Once you’ve identified your needs and requirements, it becomes much easier to make
decisions based on information provided about the dozens of ID Card Printing models
available at ID Card Group.
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