Simply put, a single-sided printer prints on one side of your cards and a dual-sided printer prints on both sides of your cards in one process.

Many customers ask if it is possible to print on both sides of the card with a single-sided printer by manually flipping the cards and sending them back through the printer. While technically it is possible, it's not recommended. Printing on both sides of the card with a single-sided printer will expose the printhead to dust, debris, and oil from your fingertips, which can cause expensive printhead damage. Plus, damage to a printhead from non-standard use will void warranty coverage, costing you more in the long run.

View dual-sided card examples

If you recall the old days of cutting and pasting an ID card together, lamination may confuse you a bit. You might wonder why you would need lamination when printing directly to plastic.

In plastic card printing, lamination is a clear protective layer that is applied over the top of your printed cards by a printer with lamination capability. It offers three primary benefits to a plastic ID card:

Watch a video on the benefits of lamination

This non-laminated ID card was placed in a badge holder in direct sunlight for 15 days. Due to the heat, the printed card image transfered from the card to the badge holder.

Back How wear and tear can affect a non-laminated card

Lamination adds a layer of protection from everyday wear and tear. The cards at the right illustrate the durability of lamination.

Both cards were printed with a retransfer printer. The card on the left, however, is laminated, while the card on the right is not laminated.

Both cards were scratched with a set of keys. The laminated card is unscathed, while the non-laminated card is visibly damaged.

The Zebra ZXP Series 7 and ZXP Series 8 printers offer options for single- or dual-sided lamination.

Back

Many experienced card printer users are familiar with the white border that direct-to-card printers leave around the edge of cards. Retransfer printers, on the other hand, produce "over-the-edge" prints that cover the entire surface of your cards.

Direct-to-card printers print directly to the surface of cards. Any uneven surface of a card--including coming in contact with the edge of a card--can cause expensive printhead damage.

Retransfer printers, like the Zebra ZXP Series 8, print your card image to a clear retransfer film that is then fused onto the surface of the card. With this process, the printhead does not come in direct contact with your card, allowing you to print over the edge of your cards and to a wider variety of card surfaces including proximity cards, smart cards, pre-punched cards and key tag cards. Another benefit: retransfer printers produce imagery with rich, vibrant, saturated colors.

Watch a video on the benefits of retransfer printing