In order to select a suitable ID card printer for your use, few important factor you need to consider before you make up your mind. Deciding what kind of ID card printer to purchase will be carrying you to the correct and optimizing your investment. Here is our experience suggestion:
1. Number of card printed per day, per month, per year.
Do not invest on the entry level card printing if you have daily card printing activity, the same thing happen do not invest on high volume printer if you only print the ID card once a week or once a month.
2. Speed of printing.
Most of the company will only issue out their ID card once a year or once a month, but during the card printing process, it may involve long queue on staff, student, member who are waiting to get their member card, if the member card is printed on 2 sided and with magnetic encoding, the management need to consider the time speed vs the printer cost for printing. Saving of time equivalent to saving money in most of the organization.
3. What software you use for your company for card printing?
Most of the card printer machine now able to use together with windows software, anyway if your software is running on apple operating system, please check with the sales agent for more information before you make the decision. Most of the printer may not work with iOs or Linux system.
4. How much you willing to speed?
Cost the speed for card printer is one of the critical factor in most of the company in Asia, this is due to the living standard of the Asia country is relatively lower compare with western country. Normal cost for card printer start from RM4000++ depend on the model of printer you are selecting.
5. Resolution of printing?
Most of the card printer come with 300dpi resolution, anyway, 600dpi printer also available as option for your selection.
6. What is the printing interface required?
For most of the company, ID card printer is located at Human resource department for new staff card printing, so in this case, USB ready printer is sufficient for the operation, do not need to invest into TCPIP ready printer. Anyway, if you plan to use for this printer for sharing purposes, make sure you select the TCPIP ready printer.
7. Any magnetic stripe required for your company?
Magnetic technology is still the first option for most of the company who want to issue out the member card for loyalty purposes due to it security and cost. Make sure you select a printer come with magnetic encoding module which allow you the do encoding at the same time printing on the member card.
8. Contact smart card required?
Contact smart card is not popular in the card market due to it costing and complexity of technology. Contact smart card use mainly for the sector required high security protection and the reading of contact smart card is also relatively take longer time compare magnetic and contactless technology.
9. Using the contactless smartcard may become the latest trend?
Cost is always the issue in issuing card for your tracking purposes, contactless smartcard is the first option if you would like to issue out the card not only for identity purposes. Contactless smart card mainly use at access control and time recording purposes for most of the company. It help to simplify the staff and student tracking for most of the organization.