Plastic Card Printer

Plastic card printers are essential tools used to quickly and easily create personalized plastic cards with ID images, access control cards, membership cards, credit cards, and more. These machines are uniquely designed to handle the unique needs of printing on plastic cards. In this article, we'll cover the different types of plastic card printers, their features, benefits, pros and cons, as well as provide a few case studies and answer some of the most common questions.

Types of Plastic Card Printers

There are a variety of plastic card printers on the market today. The most popular are direct-to-card printers and reverse transfer printers. Direct-to-card printers directly print onto the plastic cards using thermal and dye-sublimation technology. These are the most economical type of card printers available and are best for printing low to medium volumes of cards. Reverse transfer printers are a bit more expensive and are best for highly secure applications. They use ribbon technology to print onto a transfer film which is then applied onto the plastic card, ensuring the image is completely secure and won't smudge.

Features and Benefits

Plastic card printers offer a range of features and benefits. Most have the ability to print in both one and two-sided formats, so you can create dual-sided cards with ease. The more advanced models offer a range of features such as LCD control panels, built-in magnetic stripe encoding, and WiFi connectivity, making them personalizable and convenient.

The benefit of a plastic card printer over a standard printer is that they can print on a plastic surface, which provides a higher level of durability and card personalization. This is essential for creating secure plastic cards with personalized features such as magnetic stripes and embedded chips. Plus, plastic card printers offer a higher print quality and resolution than standard printers.

Pros and Cons

The main advantage of a plastic card printer is its ability to quickly create professional-looking cards with personalized features. With the latest models, you can even print in full-color for a more eye-catching and high-tech look. Plastic card printers are also compact and easy to use, meaning they are perfect for small to medium-sized businesses.

The main disadvantage of a plastic card printer is its cost. While the printer itself is reasonably priced, the plastic cards and ribbons are not. Plus, the continuous upkeep and cleaning required to keep a card printer running properly can be time consuming and expensive.

Case Studies

Wonder Horn

Wonder Horn is a small business specializing in creating custom horns and accessories. They needed an efficient and cost-effective way to print ID cards for their employees, so they turned to a plastic card printer. With their new printer, they were able to quickly produce hundreds of cards in a short amount of time. Plus, the card printer was easy to use and maintain, making it an ideal choice for their business.

Amanro Technologies

Amanro Technologies is a software development company that needed to issue employee badges to their staff. After researching their options, they decided on a plastic card printer. The printer enabled them to produce high quality cards with personalization features such as magnetic stripes and embedded chips. Plus, they were able to print in full-color and in both one and two-sided formats. The plastic card printer provided Amanro Technologies with the ability to quickly and easily issue employee badges without sacrificing quality or security.

FAQs

What is the best plastic card printer?

The best plastic card printer depends on your individual needs. Companies such as Datacard, Evolis, and Magicard all make excellent plastic card printers. It's important to read customer reviews and compare the features and specifications of each printer before making a decision.

What is a good price range for a plastic card printer?

The price range for plastic card printers can vary greatly. Basic direct-to-card printers start at around $300, while reverse transfer printers can cost upwards of $2000. It's important to keep in mind that the cost of the printer is only a portion of the total cost. You must also factor in the costs of blank cards, ribbons, and additional supplies.

Card Printer Accessories

In addition to the printer itself, you'll need to purchase several accessories for your plastic card printer. This includes ribbons, cards, laminates, and cleaning supplies. Ribbons and laminates help to make your cards more durable while cleaning supplies keep your printer running smoothly. It's important to purchase the right type of supplies for your printer, so make sure to read the manufacturer's instructions carefully.

Final Notes

Plastic card printers are an essential tool for personalizing plastic cards and IDs. They are compact and easy to use, making them ideal for offices and businesses of all sizes. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when selecting a plastic card printer. Make sure to consider your budget, the type of cards you'll be printing, and the printer accessories you'll need to purchase in order to get the most out of your plastic card printer.