Manufacturers such as Fargo, Zebra, Magicard, Evolis, and Datacard have all released high-value ID card printers that deliver clear and vibrant images on cards, while offering options for sophisticated functionality. It's now possible to produce multifunctional ID cards without breaking the bank. Features such as magnetic stripe encoding, RFID technology, and even smart card encoding are now available with select value printers.

Of course, there are a number of factors go into choosing the right printer, and for many high-security applications, top-shelf printers are certainly the best choice, but for small to mid-tier environments, this new wave of flexible and affordable ID card printers provides options that are very much welcome.