Printers have een an essential tool in the office for bringing out soft copies in hard copies on paper, cards, etc. And they still are. As long as there is paper, there will always be a need for printers.
We’re focusing on different printers for printing ID cards in this article. There are different kinds of ID card printers. They include single ID card printers, dual ID card printers, and lamination.
These ID card printers function differently and for unique purposes. We’ll focus on two ID card printers: A single ID card printer and a Dual ID card printer.
Single ID Card Printer
Single ID card printers print on one side of the card. Cards containing limited information are printed using this type of printer.
These single-sided card printers even come with monochrome or multicoloured printing capacity. Some may have upgrades for smart card encoding, lamination, etc.
There are various kinds of single-sided printers in the market. Some excellent single-sided printers include Magicard 300, Fargo HDP5000, Zebra ZC300, etc.
Dual ID card Printer
A dual ID card printer, as the name implies, prints on both sides of the card, i.e., front and back.
When much information is needed on a card, this printer is used.
Also known as a “duplex printer,” this printer saves you the time of flipping your card as you would on a single-sided printer.
Dual ID Card Printers include FargoHDP 6600, Magicard 600, Entrust Sigma DS2, etc.
Differences Between Single and Duplex ID Card Printers
Various factors differentiate ID Card printers from each other. These factors influence users’ choices when going for any of the printers.
Here are some of these factors:
- Function
Both printers are not the same thing, and from their names, it’s clear to see. The single-sided printer functions best on printing on one side of the card, while a duplex printer prints on both sides of the card.
- Card Information
The job of these printers is also dependent on how much info you want your card to contain.
Single-sided printers are perfect for cards with little info, while duplex cards are great if you’re indicating more on your card.
- Cost
The duplex ID card costs more than a single-sided ID card. If you produce fewer volumes of cards per year, you may want to stick with the single-sided ID card printer.
People who mass produce find the duplex printer very useful and cost-effective.
Features of Single-Sided ID Card Printers and Duplex Printers
Both ID card printers come with different features. Some of these features include:
- Data storage feature
- Upgradeable feature
- Lamination module
- Printing directly to the card
- Retransfer
These features are available on both printers and are applicable when necessary.
Conclusion
One can find ID card printers almost anywhere. If you’re wondering where to get one, you can purchase it online or from any local retail shop. Operating them is also not difficult as you can easily check through the manual.
Some upgrades available to dual and single-sided ID card printers include manual feeding, slots, magnetic encoding, Ethernet connectivity, etc.
Also, it’s advisable not to flip your card while trying to print on both sides while using a single-sided printer. This is because dust, dirt, or oil may get on the card due to the touch, and these foreign particles can enter the printer and alter the ink or cause printhead damage. So instead, stick with the appropriate printer for the card type in question.
