Get free, quick access to our ID expert recommendations with our four-question System Selector. By answering just a few questions we will help you find complete ID card systems that fit your program needs.
How Many Cards?
Some printers are manual hand-feed only, and others have card hoppers that hold hundreds of cards – which one you need depends on how many cards you will be printing. If your company has 300 employees and they each need a new ID card every year, you can narrow your search to printers with mid-sized to large card hoppers.
Printing on Both Sides?
Before you purchase an ID card printer, you’ll want to think about the cards you want to print – will they be single or dual-sided cards?
The base model of most ID card printers is the single-sided version, giving you the widest range of printer options. While most ID card printers do have a dual-sided printing upgrade option, not every single model does; knowing that you need this upgrade will help you find a printer designed for your card needs.
Mac or PC?
To print ID cards, you will need to connect the printer to a computer – is that computer a PC or a Mac? This matters because not every ID card printer is compatible with Mac computers. You should review the technical specs on a printer to see the OS compatibly.
Do you Need to Network?
Will you be using the printer with only one computer? Then you’ll need a printer with just a USB connection. But if you need to connect the printer to your network so multiple computers can connect, you’ll want a printer with Ethernet.
This feature isn’t available on every ID card printer, so knowing that you need Ethernet will help you narrow down your printer choices.
