You make a lot of decisions to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your business. You look for areas of improvement while also deploying proven practices to maintain a sustainable system with room for growth. Every aspect should be planned for, including the creation process for your company’s ID cards. If now is the time for your company to purchase a new ID card printer, you may find yourself faced with an expansive range of options.

In order to vastly narrow down on your choices, it’s important to ask whether or not a dual-side printer is needed, or if a single-sided printer is enough to get the job done. 3iD Cards is here to serve as your online source for everything ID cards, ranging from accessories and add-ons to card printers, replacement supplies, and more. All of our products are backed by industry-leading experience and training, and we’re confident that we can help you find an ideal setup for your professional needs.

Today, we’ll continue discussing the considerations between single- and dual-sided ID printers. The latter option costs more, but at the benefit of increased capabilities and speed. Keep reading to learn about additional considerations for your next ID printer, and be sure to contact us if you need assistance!

Meeting Your Business-Specific Needs

As our last blog post stated, it is essential to find the ID card printer that best meets all of your needs. Whether you’re a small business that only needs to print one or two badges a day or you rely on your printer to serve dozens of patrons a day, it pays to scale your printing abilities accordingly.

Lamination Considerations

Will you be laminating your ID cards? This composite protection delivers ideal results in keeping your company’s badges safe from moisture, UV exposure, normal wear and tear, and more. It’s beneficial to find an ID card printer with the ability to laminate the finished product. If your employees spend time outdoors and you wish to protect both sides of their ID cards with laminate, we recommend investing in a dual-sided printer. The increase of longevity for your badges can result in serious savings throughout the life of your printer!

Looking for other ways to protect your ID badges? Check out our full array of badge holders to customize the protection for your vital information!

Customization Capabilities

The level of customization that your ID cards require will play a major role in determining your badge printing needs. Your organization may require customization for both sides of each ID card to provide the right level of information and security as needed. If you plan on customizing and printing both sides on a regular basis, then a dual-sized printer can prove to be a major plus. 

If you’re unsure as to whether or not you need a dual-sided ID printer, keep in mind that you can save time and stress on ID badges with static rear-side images. Plainly put, if one side of your ID cards is the same (i.e. disclaimers, FYI content), you can pre-print all of these sides at once to save time later or order new ID cards with the back pre-printed on.

Budgetary Concerns

Ultimately, one of the biggest factors in determining your choice of ID printer will be the available budget. If your company has allotted $1,000 for a new printer, don’t expect to benefit from the advantages of a $4,000 purchase!

Generally, single-sided ID printers will be more affordable than their double-sided counterparts. You can invest in a more costly unit if you require faster prints, more prints, quality lamination, and the ability to customize your ID cards. If your business demands less functionality from your badge printer, chances are that a single-sided printer will work just fine.

Find the Supplies You Need!

Regardless of your needs, the 3iD team is here to help you find the right ID cards, printers, and more. Our company relies on centralized purchasing and global shipping to provide the most beneficial products and support services at amazing prices. If you do decide to buy an ID card printer through us, you can benefit from the 3iD Care Package, which provides lifetime printer support through our expert team. No matter your needs, the 3iD Management pros can assist with industry-leading training and resources.

Browse online to find ID cards, visitor badges, and more, and feel free to contact us if you have any questions!