Printed Photo ID Cards

Introduction

For businesses of any size, printed photo ID cards are an important part of day-to-day operations. They make it easy to identify personnel, grant access to restricted areas, and ensure that your staff can quickly and easily check in or out of a location. Having the right equipment to print and manage these cards can make your life much easier and more secure.

In this article, we'll go over the basics of printed photo ID cards, why they're important, and the best ways to print them. We'll also discuss the equipment and accessories you may need, and how to get the most out of your cards.

Plastic Card Printers

Plastic card printers are the go-to tool for printing ID cards and badges. These printers are designed to quickly create high-quality, durable cards with full-color graphics and text. They use specially-coated cards that are resistant to water, humidity, and other environmental factors, and have a longer lifespan than traditional paper cards. You can also get specialty cards with magnetic stripes or RFID chips, as well as cards with special security features to prevent tampering or counterfeiting.

Plastic card printers come in a wide range of sizes, from desktop-size models for small operations, to large industrial devices capable of printing hundreds of cards in a single run. Prices range from less than $100 for basic models, up to over $1,500 for professional-grade machines.

Features and Benefits

Plastic card printing offers lots of features and benefits, including:

• High-quality, professional cards with full-color graphics, text, and logos.
• The ability to print on a variety of card sizes, shapes, and stock types.
• Specialty cards with magnetic strips, RFID chips, and security features.
• Flexible print runs you can print one card, or hundreds.
• Durability the cards are resistant to water, humidity, and other environmental factors.
• Cost savings since the cards can last for years with proper care, you don't need to print as many replacements.

Pros and Cons

While plastic card printing has a lot of advantages, there are also some potential drawbacks:

• Higher start-up cost since the printers and accessories can be expensive, you'll need to make a significant investment to get started.
• Complicated setup printing plastic cards correctly takes some time and training, so you'll need to either do it all yourself or hire a professional.
• Time-consuming printing the cards can take longer than other methods, such as stickers or paper cards.

Case Studies

Here are a few examples of businesses that have successfully used plastic card printing for their operations:

1. A large manufacturing company needed to create customized employee access cards with their own logo and text. They used a plastic card printer to quickly and easily create the cards, saving time and money.
2. A university needed to create student IDs with an embedded RFID chip for access control. The plastic card printer was the perfect solution, as it was able to quickly and reliably embed the RFID chips into the cards.
3. A small retail store needed an easy way to print gift cards for customers. They used a plastic card printer to create the cards with full-color graphics and text.

Card Printer Accessories

To get the most out of your plastic card printer, you'll need to invest in some basic accessories. Here are a few of the most popular choices:

• Printer cleaning kits to keep your printer clean and help prevent jams and other problems.
• Print ribbons specially-coated ribbons designed to resist fading and ensure high-quality prints.
• Printhead cleaning kits for extending the life of the printer's printhead.
• Feeder and stacker modules for batch printing and collating large numbers of cards quickly and easily.

Final Notes

While plastic card printers are an investment, they can pay for themselves quickly if used properly. They offer an easy way to print durable, professional-looking ID cards with full-color graphics and text, and are a great choice for businesses of any size. With the right accessories, you can get even more out of your printer, and ensure that your cards last as long as possible.