ID card printers are central to an ID card system, but what do you need beyond just the ID card printer? We’ve gathered together a list of the basic supplies you’ll need to start printing.

Ribbons

Ribbons are what your ID card printer uses to print – unlike an inkjet printer you may be more familiar with, card printers use solid ribbons and a heated print head to transfer colors to the cards. Ribbons come in a wide range of styles including full color, monochrome in both black and other colors, and specialty ribbons.

You can find ribbons for your printer in the Ribbons & Supplies section, sorted by brand.

Blank Cards

Blank ID cards are the canvas of your ID card system. There’s a style of blank ID card for every style of card – standard CR80 (credit card size) cards, key tags, colored cards, cards for encoding, cards for visual security, and more.

The type of card you use will depend on how you want to use them – for example, a card that needs to last a long time should be laminated, and to laminate you’ll need a PVC/Poly combo card instead of a normal PVC card because the combo material is designed to withstand the higher heat of the lamination process.

Shop all blank cards including standard cards, specialty cards, and visual security cards.

Cleaning Kits

Cleaning kits are the secret to keeping your ID card printer running – it removes the dust and debris that could build up and damage your printer over time. Each printer has its own cleaning kit, which bundles up the specific materials you need to clean the printer.

You can find cleaning kits for your printer in the Ribbons & Supplies section, sorted by brand.

Supply Finder

Want to make it even easier to find all the supplies you need? With our Supply Finder Tool, that takes just seconds – simply select your printer brand and model from the list! Try the Supply Finder today.