ID Card printers have exploded in popularity in recent times. Most businesses, clubs and organisations have some kind of Identification system in place and a card printer can be an excellent alternative to outsourcing your printing which can be very time-consuming and expensive.
For those of you who are considering purchasing a card printer, you may find yourself faced with the difficult questions: Which is the best card printer? And where can I buy one?
In this article, we’ll answer these questions and also review a few choice contenders for you.
Why Buy an ID Card Printer?
An ID card printer is not just limited to ID cards. It can be used to print just about anything onto a plastic card. From membership cards and gift cards to loyalty programs and access control cards, a card printer is a truly versatile piece of equipment.
So, if you have the need to regularly generate plastic cards of some kind, check out our review on the top 3 picks currently available on the market.
1 . Magicard Pronto ID Card Printer
The Magicard Pronto is a base-level hand fed card printer that can print just about any type of card. This printers impressive range of capabilities make it a strong contender for smaller businesses looking to print cards in-house.
Something of a rarity in the card printing world, the Pronto is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS drivers making it compatible with most systems. With support for magnetic encoding, smart encoding and barcodes, the pronto is truly a strong all round machine.
The quality of the cards is quite good but will ultimately fall short of its premium re-transfer counterparts. Of, course, this is to be expected when you consider it’s about 1/3rd of the price.
Highlighted Features
- Easy to set up and use
- Can print any type of card
- Compact
You can source the Magicard Pronto card printer at CardLogic
2. Magicard Enduro 3e
Another offering from Magicard, the Enduro is a step up from the Pronto. The Enduro is similar in all aspects to the Pronto with the added benefit of a more robust print engine allowing for greater volume printing with improved quality and print speed.
Overall, you can expect to print around 3000 cards per-year with the Enduro. Like its entry-level sibling, the Enduro has the whole spectrum of encoding options available and is considered by many to be one of the best ID card printers on the market.
Highlighted Features
- Print full-colour cards in 35 seconds
- Ethernet and USB connection option available
- Dye sublimation technology
3. Smart 51 Card Printer
The Smart 51 Card printer is the latest iteration from IDP corp. Featuring lightning fast print speeds, superb print quality and high-volume hoppers, the Smart 51 is perfect for demanding card printing.
The Smart range focuses on simplicity and as such, its incredibly easy to set up and use. With a 100 card input hopper and a 50 card output hopper, you can print large batches of cards with ease.
This machine is capable of printing of a full-colour card in just 30 seconds with outstanding print quality.
Available with a variety of encoders as well as a dual-sided flipper module, this machine can take just about anything you can throw at it.
All things considered the smart is an impressive piece of kit. The unit is more expensive but the price trade off may well be worth it when you take into account he features and the industry leading 5-year warranty. If you are looking to invest in a good ID card printer, this is your winner.
Highlighted Features
- Easy setup and Support
- Needs only 30 seconds to print each card
- Dual side printing is available
You can find the Smart 51 at https://smartcardprinters.ie/
