A Comprehensive Guide to Plastic Card Printers and Accessories

When it comes to counterfeit prevention and identity verification, plastic card printers are one of the best technologies available. Industries ranging from government to healthcare to entertainment rely heavily on secure plastic cards for events, membership applications and more. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore plastic card printers, their accessories and the best practices for using them.

Plastic Card Printers

Modern plastic card printers are the foundation of secure and reliable card-based identification systems. A plastic card printer is typically used to produce up to thousands of cards per hour with various features such as:

• Various card sizes
• Contactless smart cards
• False-proof textures and colors
• Fingerprint recognition

The two main types of plastic card printers are: direct-to-card and re-transfer. Direct-to-card plastics card printers use thermal dye sublimation and thermal printing technology to print directly on the card surface, while re-transfer card printers print on a film which is then transferred onto the card. With re-transfer card printers, cards can be overprinted and laminated with multiple layers for maximum security.

Features

Plastic card printers have several features that are designed to improve convenience and performance. Some of these features include:

• Convenient ink cartridge replacement
• Auto-loading card feeders
• Automatic cutters
• Versatile encoding options

Modern plastic card printer models also have USB ports, allowing users to easily plug in an external device for higher quality printing.

Card Printer Accessories

There are several accessories and consumables that make it easier to customize and maintain plastic card printers. One of the most important accessories is ribbons, almost all card printers require ribbons to print the image onto the plastic cards. Ribbons are also available in many colors for custom printing.

In addition to ribbons, there are other accessories that can help improve the performance of plastic card printers. For example, cleaning kits can help keep the printer clean and dust-free, while printer covers help extend the life of the device.

Cases Studies

To show how plastic card printers have benefited customers, here are two case studies:

University of Arkansas

The University of Arkansas needed a fast and reliable way to produce student IDs for its large student population. The university opted for a Fargo DTC4500 card printer and other related accessories. Since then, the school has been able to print hundreds of customized student IDs per day.

St. John Ambulance

St. John Ambulance needed to quickly print high-security membership cards for its members. The organization chose the Evolis Primacy card printer, as well as genuine Fargo ribbons. As a result, St. John Ambulance was able to quickly and cost-effectively print high-quality membership cards for its members.

Summary Review

Plastic card printers are essential tools for producing secure and reliable identification cards. There are many types of plastic card printers to choose from, each offering unique features and benefits. In addition, there are several accessories and consumables that help customize and improve performance for plastic card printers.

By taking advantage of the features and accessories available, organizations can reduce costs and quickly print cards with high security levels. As illustrated by the two case studies, many companies and organizations have successfully implemented plastic card printers to better serve their customers.