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ID Card Printers

ID card printers print photo ID cards, badges and other plastic cards, including standard CR80 credit-card-size cards and, on some models, long format event passes. This page has printers from makers including Magicard, IDP, Cards-X, HID Global and Matica: single-sided and dual-sided retransfer and direct-to-card models, an event card printer and the Matica MC110BUNDLE starter bundle, plus IDP Smart 81 printers with spare rollers and a print head.

Choosing ID Card Printers

Look first at how the card is printed and whether it must be printed on two sides, then at encoding and at what comes in the box.

Direct-to-card and retransfer

The Cards-X DNAP00000, the Javelin DNA Pro, is a single-sided direct-to-card printer with 300 dpi resolution that prints full-colour or monochrome ID cards edge-to-edge, one side at a time. The Magicard P-MAG-PRIMA801 is a single-sided retransfer ID card printer that produces a high-resolution glossy image, printed right over the edge of the card. The printer in the Matica MC110BUNDLE provides full colour dye-sublimation or monochrome thermal transfer printing.

Speed

The P-FG-55000 can print a card in 16 seconds, or 225 in an hour, with YMCKO. The Javelin DNA (P-JVI-DNA00000) prints 200 full-colour, single-sided cards in one hour.

Connections and encoding

The Cards-X DNAP00000 has USB and Ethernet connectivity as standard, with optional Wi-Fi, and takes optional smart card and magnetic stripe encoding modules. The Magicard P-MAG-3300-0003 is a single-sided Magicard 300 ID card printer with Elatec smart card encoding. The HID Global 052100, the FARGO DTC4250e, is a card printer and encoder with a flexible and modular design.

Card sizes

The Matica MC110BUNDLE prints on standard CR80 plastic cards. The Magicard P-MAG-4500-0003, the E+ Uno Smart Printer with encoder, prints a range of card sizes including standard CR80 (credit card size) and long format cards up to 140mm in length.

Software

The Magicard P-MAG-3100-0001 has bundled MagiCard Design and Print software, and its Clix user interface lets users operate the Pronto100 over company intranets. The Cards-X DNAP00000 is compatible with Windows and Mac OS and integrates with cardPresso and other ID software.

ModelPrinterSides
Cards-X DNAP00000Javelin DNA Pro, direct-to-cardSingle-sided
Magicard P-MAG-PRIMA801Prima 801 Uno, retransferSingle-sided
Magicard P-MAG-PRIMA802Prima 802 Duo, retransferDual-sided
Magicard P-MAG-3300-0003Magicard 300, Elatec smart card encodingSingle-sided
P-FG-55000card printerSingle-sided

Related categories

See ribbons in ID card printer ribbons, card holders in ID card holders and badge holders, and smart cards in MIFARE and smart cards.

Brands we stock in ID Card Printers

Cards-X, HID Global, Hikvision, IDP, Magicard and Matica.

Frequently asked questions

Which cards can a plastic card printer print on?

Standard CR80 credit-card-size PVC cards, with some printers also taking composite, rewritable, PC, PET or ABS cards or longer formats. The Matica MC110BUNDLE prints on CR80 PVC, PVC composite and rewritable cards, and supports PC, PET and ABS cards with a UcYMCK ribbon type. The Magicard E+ P-MAG-4500-0021 prints CR80 cards and long format cards up to 140mm in length.

What comes in an ID badge printer bundle?

A printer with ID card software, a ribbon and cards. The Matica MC110BUNDLE includes a Matica MC110 ID card printer, CardPresso XXS ID card software, a YMCKO ribbon (250 prints) and 100 blank PVC white cards. The Zenius Classic Go Pack bundle (P-EV-ZN1U-GP1) includes cardPresso XS ID card design software, a Zenius single-sided printer, a ribbon and CR80 sized ID cards, and is compatible with Mac and Windows operating systems.

Which ID card printers print both sides of the card?

Dual-sided models print on the front and back of the card, while single-sided models print one side. The Magicard Prima 802 Duo (P-MAG-PRIMA802) is a dual-sided retransfer printer, and the MC110BUNDLE includes a Matica MC110 printer that is dual-sided. The Prima 801 Uno (P-MAG-PRIMA801) and the Javelin DNA Pro (P-JVI-DNAP00000) are single-sided.

What finish does a retransfer printer give a card?

A high-resolution glossy image, printed right over the edge of the card. The Magicard Prima 801 Uno (P-MAG-PRIMA801) is a single-sided retransfer printer and the Prima 802 Duo (P-MAG-PRIMA802) a dual-sided one, and both produce that finish. For comparison, the Cards-X DNAP00000 is a direct-to-card printer.

Which printer makes long format event passes?

An event card printer that takes long format cards as well as standard CR80 cards. The Magicard E+ P-MAG-4500-0021 prints photo ID and long format event passes on cards up to 140mm in length. With Smart encoding, the Magicard E+ supports contactless smart chip encoding such as NXP MIFARE Classic and MIFARE DESFire, and the P-MAG-4500-0003 is the E+ Uno Smart Printer with encoder.

  • Established 1975
  • Birmingham trade counter
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Written by the West Midlands Electrics technical team

Updated

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