Why wouldn't I just buy the cheapest priced ID card printer that I can find? Some may ask themselves this because a printer is a printer, right? Wrong! There are a number of factors to consider when shopping for your ID card printer that don’t sometimes come to mind until it’s too late.
Let’s say this year you buy a new single-sided printer because you just want to put photos and text on the front of the card and leave the rear blank. But, next year a new need arises to add printed data to the back of the card. Uh oh, you bought a single sided printer, how is this going to work? Well, many card printers are modular. Meaning that it’s very easy to upgrade a single-sided printer to a dual-sided printer, as in this example. Some printers even allow you to upgrade to the ability to encode magnetic stripes or even smart cards with cardholder information during the card printing process.
Thinking about how you may use your cards in the future should be part of your decision process. Choosing a printer that offers modular upgrade options will help future-proof the investment you’re making in a printer.
If you need assistance in determining which printers are good options for your needs, give our ID Professionals a call at (800) 321-4405 x2. We would be happy to discuss your options and give you more information on upgrades.