Why Plastic Card Printers are the Logical ID Card Printing Solution at Work

Finding ways to accomplish every administrative task as cost efficiently as possible is good for any business. It is also a key reason why plastic card printers are used to produce personnel ID cards in house. But it is worth noting that the advantages of using a card printer extend beyond financial prudence.

They also relate to logical and practical aspects too. Admittedly, at first glance, cost efficiency does seem to be the key positive point about investing in a machine that will produce these identity cards and remove the reliance that businesses otherwise have on printing companies. But between the range of creative options and the fact that specific security features can be chosen, there is much more to the top brands, like Javelin card printers, Evolis printers and Fargo printers.

It may not seem important, but there is a certain worth to being able to design a staff ID card that is unique to a particular company. Thanks to the development of software, it is possible to make a card to precise preferences, using backgrounds, colour schemes and textures that can make an ID card almost as effective a marketing tool as a business card.

The printers can then easily print the custom designed cards, complete with carefully position photographic imagery, clear text and even some line art that adds character to a particular design. These card designs can be altered slightly in design or colour scheme to acknowledge employment or departmental status, and can be reproduced quickly and easily as each card can be saved on the system. Lost cards, therefore, can be easily reissued. Meanwhile, the security of cards can be precisely handled also, with a selection of materials and designs used to ensure that the cards themselves cannot be tampered with.


The most basic of these is the laminate itself, preventing access to the card and thus preventing any unauthorised changes being made. It is also possible to insert magnetic strips for card reading, and even hologram overlays to add a further layer of security. Of course, the cards themselves have an advantage over the cheaper alternatives. As anyone who has business cards can testify, a simple paper card is likely to sustain damage over time, with the edges scuffed and torn through repeated removals from a wallet, for example, and the colours eventually fading. Having the card laminated in plastic makes a world of difference in terms of the life span of the card, with the laminate layer protecting the ID against tearing and other forms of abrasion, while also protecting against exposure to UV light and to damaging substances like liquid.


Logically then, providing plastic ID cards to staff members means a longer lasting card that enhances security measures in the long term. And, of course, they cost a fraction of it would have cost to have a printing company supply them on an individual basis.


Interestingly, the only alternative to going to professional service providers if a printer is not purchased, is to do the task the hard way in house. That invariably means a lot of cutting, sticking, printing and laminating.

Perhaps worst of all is the loss of valuable working hours to such a time consuming undertaking when the staff involved could be used productively elsewhere. Having these personnel free to complete a contract proposal, or increase sales only adds to the economic sense that in house plastic card printers make. To benefit from the very best printers, it is necessary to invest in the more highly priced machines, though their long life means the cost efficiency easily justifies the initial price paid. The range available is extensive, with javelin card printers, for example, including the J230i model.


It can print in colour and monochrome to produce either single sided or double sided cards complete with a range of encoding options. Meanwhile, fargo printers include the stylishly slim line DTC550, which is a networkable ID printer producing single sided or double sided cards, with a variety of encoding and lamination options. As a networkable printer, however, the printer can reproduce card designs saved on the company network, making it possible for cards issued in New York to be reprinted and reissued in London.