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Choosing an ID Card Printer or System

Overview of Digital Card Printers and Photo ID Systems

1. Do you have a brand preference?
   ID Wholesaler sells and supports nine of the most reputable printer brands:
   
   Fargo | Persona | Evolis | Zebra | Magicard | Nisca
   Datacard | Digital ID EDIsecure | Polaroid | NBS ImageMaster
   If you prefer a certain brand, it’s likely that we can help you select a printer that meets your needs within that brand. Contact the ID Specialists for a no-obligation consultation.
2. Do you need, or prefer to print color cards (e.g., for photographs)?
   Most printers will print a combination of color and monochrome (single color), but certain entry level models are capable of monochrome printing only. Where applicable, we will inform you that a printer is 'monochrome only'.
3. Will your cards be printed on one or two sides?
   Some printers are 'single-sided', which means they can only print on one side of the card. Two-sided card printing is called ‘dual-sided’ or ‘duplex’. If you would like to print color and/or monochrome on both sides of your cards, you will want to select a card printer that is dual side capable or duplex. Select this Card Printers link to browse for printers by single or dual side printing capability.
4. Will your cards include a magnetic stripe?
   Magnetic stripes are the dark stripe on the back of your credit card or driver’s license. These stripes store data and are often used in Time and Attendance or Access Control applications. All printer manufacturers offer optional magnetic stripe encoding on their printers. Consider adding magnetic encoding up-front or select a printer that is upgradeable to magnetic encoding in the future.
5. Will you need to encode smart cards?
   Contact smart cards have a memory chip embedded on the card surface. This chip can hold more information more securely than a magnetic stripe. Virtually all printer manufacturers offer smart card contact stations as an option. Since most smart card contact stations cannot be added after the printer has been built, we suggest ordering this option up-front. For more information on the various embedded card technologies, see our Technology Cards section.
6. Will you need to print high volumes of cards per session and/or per year?
   If you plan to print thousands of cards per session or many thousands of cards per year, you’ll want to look for a printer that is built to sustain high volume printing. This printer should also include large input and output card hopper capacities (greater than 100 cards). Examples of such printers are the Fargo DTC550 and the Evolis Quantum.
7. How long do you need your cards to last?
   If your cards need to last more than a year, will be used outside, or will be subject to chemicals or abrasive contact, you will want to consider purchasing a printer that includes lamination capability. Lamination is generally a 1 mil thick clear or holographic layer that covers the card surface, protecting the image and information that has been printed. If you select a lamination-capable printer, be sure to select composite PET/PVC cards rather than 100% PVC cards. Composite PET/PVC cards are designed to stand up to the heat generated by the lamination process. Select this Laminating Printers link to browse all lamination-capable printers.
8. Do you need additional card security?
   There are many ways to protect your printed cards from fraudulent duplication. One method is to utilize the optional lamination station that is available with many mid- to high-level ID card printers. If you believe that you may want to add clear or holographic security overlamination to your cards now or in the future, consider purchasing a lamination-capable printer. Learn about additional ways to secure the authenticity of your printed cards in our Advanced Card Security section.
9. What type of interface do you need?
   Most ID card printers now come standard with a USB interface. Some manufacturers offer a parallel interface along with USB and others offer USB with an Ethernet interface. Ethernet is available on several printers. Our ID Specialists can help you select a printer that provides the interface you need.
10. What type of driver do you need?
    With some exceptions, all card printer manufacturers solely support Microsoft Windows (typically Windows 2000 and XP) drivers. Windows Vista support is also becoming more common. If you are using a MAC and don’t want to use an emulation program, we suggest a card printer from the Evolis product line. Please note that MAC-supported ID software is in short supply.