Everything You Need to Know About Plastic Card Printers

The modern world is increasingly becoming card-driven, and as a result, there is a greater need than ever to have plastic card printers at hand. With this in mind, having a better understanding of the plastic card printer market, available features and functionalities, and the different types of accessories can provide significant advantages.

Introduction

The modern world is dependent on IDs for much more than just showing people's names. Bank cards, access-controlled cards and tickets for rides now require ID badges to be printed out from plastic card printers. It is essential to have an understanding of these kinds of machines and all related accessories and add-ons in order to ensure that everything runs smoothly when producing ID badges and cards.

Plastic Card Printers

Types of Printers

Depending on the environment in which the printer is going to be used, there are two main types of plastic card printer: direct-to-card (DTC) and re-transfer (retransfer). DTC printers print directly onto the card, while retransfer printers print onto a film before transferring this onto the card. Generally speaking, retransfer plastic card printers have higher resolution and better finishing than the DTC printers, but cost slightly more for both the printer and any associated supplies (such as rollers, fusers and toners).

Features

When selecting a plastic card printer, there are certain features to look out for that can determine how well the card printer is suited to your needs. There are certain features such as printing speed, resolution, and support for dual-side printing, inline encoding, and smart card printing that you should consider before making a purchase.

Benefits

• Speed - Many of the newer card printers come with improved printing speeds, making them more efficient in producing large batches of cards.
• Security Smart cards and embedded security features make it easier to create secure ID badges and cards.
• Adaptability Many of the latest plastic card printers are versatile enough to create variations such as lanyards and ID badges.

Pros and Cons

Card Printer Accessories

Card Printer Ribbons

Ribbons are an essential part of the printing process and are used to create the colors, text, and barcodes on the cards and badges. Depending on the printer, there are usually two types of ribbons available: monochrome (black and white) or full-color ribbons. Both types of ribbons are affordable, but the price increase with more intricate features (such as lamination).

Card Printer Cleaning Kits

Card printer cleaning kits are an essential part of printer maintenance, ensuring that the printer and its associated parts are regularly checked and cleaned in order to prevent ink build-up. Ink build-up can lead to smeary prints or reduced resolution, which can cause inconsistencies across the print batch or multiple reprints.

Conclusion

Having a better understanding of plastic card printers, their features, and the associated accessories can help buyers select the right one for their needs. It is important to consider the speed, resolution, and other features of the printer before purchasing, and to remember to regularly clean the printer afterwards in order to maintain optimal performance.