Top 6

Best ID Card Printers of 2024

ID machines are used to print IDs for employees, students, government staff and all types of workers and business applications. Find the best high resolution ID card printers of 2024 below.

Get Expert Help

Best ID Card Makers

If you need to regularly print ID cards for your workforce, a high-resolution ID card printer is a necessity. ID printers come in a range of different types and uses from low-volume printers, high-volume printers, laminating printers and much more. The best ID card printer machine is functional, reliable and performs the card printing tasks you need for you workers. We’ve narrowed down the list to the best 6 ID card machines for 2024.

 

Entrust Sigma SL3: Best All Around System ID Card Printer

Print Volume: Medium/High

Print Side: Front and Back

Full Color: Yes

Price: Starting at $2,889

Entrust has made a huge investment in revamping their line of printers, and the results have been nothing short of spectacular.  The old line of CD and SD printers have been replaced with a new sleek design that includes many innovative features.

I can still remember the old days of trying to figure out what was wrong with a print job, trying to interpret random codes or blinking lights.  The Entrust SL3 has an Intuitive printer dashboard lets you see printer status, order supplies, check cleaning status, update firmware, or contact help. What makes this even more impressive is that you can monitor all of this from your mobile device.  The platform is operating system agnostic which allows you to print anytime, anywhere with any iOS, Android, or Windows device

Keeping personal data has been a rising concern over the past few years.  While not as strict as the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) in the EU, protection and privacy are still considered in this most release printer release. Customer data is encrypted and is not stored in the printer after printing is complete, so no digital footprint of the employee data remains.  In addition, ribbon shredders can be added to your printing system to make sure all ribbon history is also destroyed.

The SL3 can print in either single or dual sided and has rewriteable technology built in. The SL3 comes with a wide variety of ribbon options to allow for unique designs as well as additional security features. The printer comes standard with a 36-month warranty, so you know you are protected for the lifetime of the printer.

Overall, the SL3 is a fantastic printer and a great new addition to the printer market.  You get the benefit of a future poof printer, with the backing of an industry leader in Entrust.  A win-win situation.

Entrust SL3 Strengths

  • Future Forward Printer
  • Mobile Device Controlled
  • Updateable Variable LED Lighting

Weakness:

  • Slightly more expensive than average printer
  • USB and Ethernet only

AlphaCard Pro 550: Best Value ID Card Printer

Print Volume: Medium

Print Side: Front and Back

Full Color: Yes

Price: $1,536

AlphaCard has made it easy with a premium mid-volume system, which comes with everything you need to batch print professional and secure cards: the AlphaCard PRO 550 ID Card System. AlphaCard has been manufacturing and developing printers and software for a few years and has been a leader in the industry.  The 4-year warranty, which looks to be longer than most manufacturers, supports their belief in the product. What is attractive about the Pro 550 is that is allows you to put extra security into your card with their customer AlphaGuard watermark, which adds a hologram-like watermark over your printed card without any additional supplies. This added layer of visual security makes cards harder to tamper with or duplicate. The PRO 550 printer includes one free Custom AlphaGuard design securely programmed with your logo or artwork (a $598 savings), or you can use of the standard designs included with the printer.

The all-inclusive system comes with software to get you up and running.  I liked that you could modify the software options depending on your needs.  AlphaCard offered software compatible with Windows, as well as Mac.  I also saw some options for cloud-based software (Called Cloudbadging). The various software come with some pre-supplied templates from which to build your design from, which is helpful if design is not your best skillset. The designs tend to be focused on the usual applications: students, educators, corporate and occupational specific themes. Overall, relatively easy to use and update images and information.

Lastly, the bundle comes with technical support, which AlphaCard has labeled as True Support.  You get the service included in your purchase for the first year. What is nice about this service, is that AlphaCard will help get the printer set up to your specifications to make sure everything is working well.

So all-in-all, they system is great for most printer use cases. There are less expensive system options, or systems with more features and functionality, but this system solves most needs for everyday printing.

AlphaCard Pro550 Strengths

  • All in one Solution
  • Worry Free “Fully Supported”
  • Nice Security Features

Cons:

  • Not upgradeable
  • Software could be refreshed
  • Email only without AlphaCare Plus

ID Zone 31S Badge Express: Most Economical Printer

Print Volume: Low

Print Side: Single side (would have to print card twice for front and back)

Full Color: Yes

Price: Starting at $699

If you are looking for an inexpensive, but reliable ID Card printer, then look no further than the ID Zone 31S Badge Express ID Card Printer. ID Zone has been recognized as a leader in the ID card and Access control space, and they decided to jump into the ID Card Printer space.  While the printer alone is a great deal, the printer is typically sold with everything you would ever need to print cards for you school, business, or clubs.  Print your own quality photo ID security cards, employee ID or membership cards. Includes the best-in-class printer and all the essentials (ribbon, cards, and 30-day software subscription) you need to get your card program up and running right away.

There are cheaper options out on the market, but print quality and reliability may not be there.  I am always on the lookout for a good deal, but want to make sure I am not throwing money away on a deal that is too good to be true.  Compared to printers like the Evolis Badgy, the 31S Badge Express offers significantly faster speeds, larger capacity, and the ability to print a larger variety of cards. Plus, it has a 3-year warranty which makes you feel comfortable that they are standing behind their printer.

The printing capabilities is nothing extravagant, but matches up well with many of the low volume printers.  You have options to print in either color or monochrome single sided printing.  While built for low volume, the speed is surprisingly sufficient. Cards can be printed up to 20 seconds per card in full color single sided printing.  While most print jobs will never need it, the printer can print up to 1200 dpi, although 300 dpi is the industry standard.  Lightweight and nice size, this printer can work for your everyday printing needs.

Strengths

  • Economical
  • Small Footprint
  • Environmentally Friendly

Cons:

  • Single Side only
  • Not overly robust security
  • Small output hopper

Fargo INK1000: Most Innovative ID Printer

Print Volume: Low

Print Side: Single Side

Full Color: Yes

Price: Starting at $1,580

It was a bit of a leap of faith for Fargo to enter the Thermal Inkjet market for ID Card Machines. For years, Fargo has watched the growth of the traditional thermal at-home inkjet printers and believed there was an opportunity to replicate a similar approach with ID cards.  The INK1000 printer offers affordable inkjet printing while lowering the total cost of ownership.

Most other ID Card Badge printers use a dye-sublimation print technology that requires a ribbon. The INK1000 eliminates the need of costly ID Card printer ribbons with a user-friendly YMC (Yellow, Magenta, Cyan) ink cartridge. The mx of primary colors provides full color image quality that rivals the performance of some of the best ID Card printers. While the print technology has changed, the medium on which it is printed has not.  The INK1000 still uses standard CR8030 PVC cards, which are the plastic cards the size of a credit card.  The ink adheres to the cards and dries almost instantly. While the printer has not been out long to test card durability with a strong history of customers, Fargo has protected against card fading with ink that  supports enhanced UV-stability.

One last feature that is nice about the new badge machine printer is the ability to snap and go.  The cartridge fits easily into the printer and requires virtually no set up.  Printhead pixels and ribbon rips tend to plague some of the traditional ID Card printers. The Fargo INK1000 has none of those challenges with its unique print capability.

I think the biggest question on the table is the quality of the print after months of use or harsh environments.   I like the fact that Fargo is challenging the status quo with a new option and could be a new way of approaching everyday card printing.

INK1000 Strengths

  • Innovative Print Technology
  • Ease of Use
  • Attractive Footprint

Weaknesses:

  • Unproven market acceptance
  • Ink could lead to smudging if touch before dry
  • Card longevity

Fargo HDP6600 XE: Best Retransfer Card Printer

Print Volume: High

Print Side: Front and Back

Full Color: Yes

Price: Starting at $5,446

There was an old saying that no one ever got fired for buying IBM.  You could say the same thing about Fargo ID when it comes to their retransfer printing experience. The fast-printing, high-definition HDP6600 XE ID card printer advances HDP badge printers with sixth-generation technology. Retransfer printing typically provides a very good image quality compared to standard dye-sublimation printing and is also helpful when using smart card technology or exposed chip.  Because the print technology doesn’t use a printhead, it eliminates the risk of damaging the card or chips in the card.

One of the drawbacks of retransfer technology is the time it takes to “warm-up” the printer as well as the excessive heat generated during printing.  The HDP6600 XE takes only a 60-second warm-up speed, and then it is off to the races. In optimal conditions, it can print up 230 cards in a single hour! This is a large time saver for when you first initiate the printing commands.  Some printers can take multiple minutes to heat up enough to ready itself to print.

A nice feature of these high-end printers is the ability to grow as your business grows.  The HDP6600 XE card printer can be loaded with a variety of cards, ribbons, films, and laminates to suit your needs for card security and durability. The HDP6600XE supports CR80 cards in a thickness between 30 Mil and 40 Mil. Aside from the cards, this Fargo printer accepts standard retransfer film, high-durability retransfer film, or holographic retransfer film.

In addition to the variety of supplies, the printer is “module”. If you want to add an additional feature at any point such as dual-sided printing – simply purchase the appropriate module and attach it to your existing system. So, you always have an option, regardless of the application and solution your card is solving.

6600 XE Pros

  • Modular
  • Image Quality
  • Warm Up Speed

Cons:

  • More costly than other solutions
  • Requires a bit of sophistication
  • Footprint

EasyBadge 3.0 ID Printer: Best Eco-Friendly Option

Print Volume: Moderate

Print Side: Single Sided

Full Color: Yes

Price: Starting at $900

While not typically thought of in this industry, I decided to throw this category in because of some of the cool features of the EasyBadge 3.0 Bundle. It is not every day that a printer manufacturer offers so many eco-friendly options. Most badge production involves plastics, which is inherently bad for the environment. Realizing this is an issue, EasyBadge will plant a tree for every bundle that is purchased. In addition to the tree planting, I also noticed the company uses eco-friendly plastic cards and color ribbon in their offerings. And if that wasn’t enough, the company pushes eco-friendly options in attachments such as lanyards and badge holders.

Another clever offering is the EasyBadge mobile app. The app allows you to design your card through the app and add employees or credentials remotely. With all the recent changes in the gig economy and the new paradigm of work from home, more and more employees are not centrally located at a location where credentials are administered. The app allows employees to upload pictures and credential information, without being a in a central location, so the flexibility is limitless. This feature is also great for clubs and memberships which require badge printing to a wide range of remote members. The app and software are very easy to use, and is definitely a unique offering in the space.

The EasyBadge printer is a nice complement to the bundle. Small, compact, and noiseless. The printer won’t look out of place in any workplace environment and won’t cause any unnecessary distractions while in use. Print speed is satisfactory at 23 seconds per full color card. Standard 36-month warranty is a nice bonus. As mentioned above, the environment is top of mind as this product is made from 75% recycled materials. Keep your employees secure and help save the environment at the same time.

EasyBadge 3.0 Strengths

  • Eco-Friendly
  • Mobile App
  • 3-year Warranty

Weaknesses:

  • Not Truly Cloud-Based (App Connects to Native Software)
  • Distribution Availability