I know we covered this a few months ago – but we always get plenty of questions regarding this topic.
Selecting the right card printer is an important task – you want to get something that fits your needs. For companies / individuals planning on printing few cards in monochrome or those seeking to personalize a high amount of cards will need different printers that have different price ranges.
Here are some questions you should review before making your purchase.
1. Will you be printing color ID cards?
Most of the printers that we offer here at Card-Online come with the option of monochrome (single color) or full color. Think about which option is best for you and remember to keep your future needs in consideration.
2. How many cards do you plan to print?
Each printer varies in printing speed and capacity which means you must think about the output you will need. Are you planning on only printing a few cards a day? Or do you need a machine to print fast and large quantities on a daily basis? If planning on a large volume then a printer with a input hopper would be important, if large quantities will not be your situation then a printer with a manual feed will work well.
3. Single sided printers versus dual sided printers.
Will your ID cards only need printing on one side or will you need information printed on the back of the card as well? Single sided printers will only print on one side of your plastic card leaving the back blank. If you have the need to include information on the back of the card then a dual sided printer is the best choice for you.
4. What encoding options will you need?
For increased security and personalization reasons some ID cards have magnetic stripe or smart card encoding. If you will need one of these options you will need to look into the type of encoding that will be necessary. Will you need just one feature or both of them? These encoding features are additional features that you must request for when making your order.
5. Need more ID card security?
Other features such as lamination are available. If you feel that your ID cards need extra security to avoid duplication and fraud look into features that will help prevent this. To learn more about special security features feel free to contact one of our ID printer specialists at 305-260-6743.
6. What technical features do you need?
When selecting an ID printer it is important to know some of the technical details such as the driver and interface that the ID printer is compatible with. Most ID printers come with a USB interface and Ethernet is available when requested. It is also important to know if the ID printer supports the operating system you work with – whether it is Microsoft Window or Mac (only few ID printers are Mac compatible).
For more information or questions that you may have give us a call at 305-260-6743 or email us at info@card-online.com
