plastic card printer, also known as a card printer, is a device specifically designed to print and encode information onto plastic cards. These cards can include employee IDs, membership cards, gift cards, student IDs, or national ID cards. Such cards may feature digital data, images, and even embedded chips or magnetic stripes for access or specific functionalities.
Uses of Plastic Card Printers
ID Issuance: For organizations, schools, governmental agencies.
Membership Cards: For retail stores, fitness centers, clubs.
Gift Cards: Used in retail businesses.
Access Control Cards: Used to regulate entry to buildings or sensitive areas.
Official Documents and IDs: For national identification purposes across countries.
Types of Plastic Card Printers
Plastic card printers come in various types, primarily differentiated by their printing technology:
Direct-to-Card (DTC) Printers: Print directly onto the surface of the card.
Re-transfer (Reverse Transfer) Printers: Print onto a film that is then transferred onto the card, offering higher quality images and the ability to print to the edge of the card.
Brands of Plastic Card Printers
There are several brands in the market that manufacture plastic card printers, each offering features and pricing that cater to different customer needs. Some of the popular brands include:
Zebra Technologies: Known for durable, high-quality printers offering both DTC and re-transfer models.
Evolis: Recognized for attractive designs and flexible customization options.
Datacard: Offers a complete range of card printing solutions from basic to professional models.
HID Fargo: Stands out for reliability and security, suitable for national ID cards or access control cards.
Magicard: Focuses on security features, including specialized technologies for watermark printing.
Choosing a plastic card printer depends on specific business requirements such as desired print volume, card type, and budget. It's important to carefully consider the desired features to select a printer that best matches the business needs.
The ideal card printing solution for small businesses, schools, and local governments, the HID® FARGO® DTC1250e ID card printer and encoder is the fastest printer in its class, allowing you to produce 50% more visually-rich, full-color credentials in the same amount of time. Its small, compact footprint makes it easy to use in a variety of office environments and can be easily upgraded to include an embedded iCLASS SE® encoder (part of the iCLASS SE platform), enabling you to produce secure, personalized membership and loyalty photo ID cards in one single, seamless step. An optional Wi-Fi® accessory is also available to help you print anytime, anywhere.
The FARGO HDP6600 from HID Global is ideal for organizations of any size that need retransfer printing technology to routinely issue secure and durable, high definition IDs or cards at high speeds. As a cost-effective, eco-friendly and reliable solution, the HDP6600 provides high resolution 600 dpi printing capability for superior text and image quality.
The FARGO HDP6600 from HID Global is ideal for organizations of any size that need retransfer printing technology to routinely issue secure and durable, high definition IDs or cards at high speeds. As a cost-effective, eco-friendly and reliable solution, the HDP6600 provides high resolution 600 dpi printing capability for superior text and image quality.
An economical complete solution and easy to use Evolis presents the Badgy200 solution designed to help you print professional-quality color badges with perfect ease. Badgy200 fulfills all your needs for graphic personalization and instant card production, as single cards or in small batches.
Edikio: our all-in-one solutions for printing tags on plastic cards yourself Specially designed to meet the needs of stores, hotels and restaurants, Edikio solutions enable you to easily create price tags, buffet tags and all kinds of aesthetic and practical tags on plastic cards.
Edikio: our all-in-one solutions for printing tags on plastic cards yourself Specially designed to meet the needs of stores, hotels and restaurants, Edikio solutions enable you to easily create price tags, buffet tags and all kinds of aesthetic and practical tags on plastic cards.
ZEBRA ZXP Series 7 printer is built to meet the needs of today’s demanding business environment. It features a robust design that works out of the box in a wide range of environments and applications, plus it generates near-photographic print quality and color depth using photo-print technology. The printer also performs edge-to-edge card printing, while the laminator ensures security of the cards and lengthens the life of the image.