Desktop Photo ID Card Printers

Quickly and easily manage your card printing project In-House.

• Print Text, Photos, Logos, Barcodes, Graphics
• Single Sided and Double Sided Printing
• Print a Card in less than 40 seconds
• Print Secure Holograms and Patches
• Encode Magnetic Stripe Cards
• Encode Smart Cards
• Create Re-Usable Plastic Cards

Dashford is recognised as the UK's Leading Approved Dealer for all the major ID Card Printers on the market including: Datacard, DNP (Dai Nippon), Evolis, Fargo, Javelin, Magicard and Zebra.

At Dashford our concentration spans far beyond an initial sale.   We focus heavily on providing our customers with first class products, service and support, all at the most competitive prices.

How can you select the right product?

Dashford offer one of the most comprehensive ID printer ranges in the UK, yet making the right choice is very easy.   Firstly, you can call us and we will quickly and easily guide you to the most appropriate solution.   Dashford was built on more than 20 years experience in the ID card printing industry, and has access to industry experts who are more than capable to assist you with any type of enquiry.

Secondly, you can browse through our website, which provides details, prices and brochures on all the printer products that we currently offer.   If after browsing you would still like us to clarify your choice of printer, you can always use our "Call Back Service" located at the top right of every page.

What is the Difference between each ID Card Printer?

As we have more than 30 printers in our range, each with a variety of options, we cannot highlight all the differences between each one here.   There are however some initial differences that you can take into consideration, which are detailed below.

• Think About Your Requirements

How many cards will you need to print?   Will you print them all in one go?   Will you print them over the course of a year?

A major difference between ID card printers is that the entry level printers such as the Magicard Tempo & Magicard Alto, the Datacard SP25 Plus and the Javelin J100i, are all hand fed printers, which simply means you can only print one card at a time, by manually feeding each card through the printer.   These are ideal solutions for visitor ID systems on a reception desk, or for small batch printing on the go.

The remaining printers all offer a facility for stacking blank cards in an input tray, which automatically feeds cards through for printing.   These type of printers are more suitable for higher volumes of card printing.   In addition to the input tray, they also offer a card collecting tray, so that one the card has been printed, it will eject into a the output stacker tray, however the quantity that each printer can hold does vary between makes and models.

Would you like to print single sided or double sided cards?

We have a seperate section for both categories, located under the "ID Card Printers" tab found at the top of each page in the navigation menu.   Single sided card printers, although prodominantly for that purpose can of course print on both sides of a card, however it is only advisable in smaller quantities.    Double sided printers are designed specifically to make that style of printing much faster, logistically easier and more cost effective.

Will you need to encode magnetic stripe cards or smart cards?

Some printers can do both, some printers can do one or the other, however none of the printers come with this capability as standard.   If you require this type of facility, please be advised that it will need to be added on to your order at the time of purchase.

Would you like your printer to work as part of a network?

Certain printers offer the capability to be intergrated to a network, or as part of a printing pool.   Not only will you require a printer that has these capabilities, but you will also require a more substantial software programme, which we recommend that you contact us to discuss your options prior to ordering.

How professional do your cards need to look?

The desktop photo ID card printers supposedly print edge-to-edge, but please be advised this may not mean as one would expect it to literally mean.   Whilst they do print to the edge of the card, there is always a very small border around the edge of the card that the printer is unable to print on.   This is due to the fact that the printer thermally transfers ink from a ribbon, directly onto the card.   Becuase the cards have a slightly rounded edge, which is not really detectable by the naked eye, the flat printhead us unable to make contact with that area of the card and therefore is unable to print to it.

If you require a card with a truly professional finish, for example a card that is printed across the entire surface, then you will need to use a Re-Transfer Printer.

What kind of support will you require?

Different manufacturers offer different levels of support, from a standard return to base warranty, which covers the mechanics of the printer, through to next day onsite engineer support.   Some companies offer extended warranty periods yet others do not.   As with any product the price of the printer will generally reflect what support accompanies it.

Magicard printers include free technical telephone support on all their printers, additionally some of their range include their Ultra Cover Warranty, which entitles you to a loan printer should yours require repair.   Repairs usually take 5 working days, however you can use the loan printer for as long as your printer is being repaired.   This is the best support package for those who need to be able to print cards at all times.

Our range of Javelin printers and Evolis printers include free technical telephone support on all their printers, additionally some of the range include 12 months next business day onsite engineer support, which is extendable by upto 3 years.   This is the best support package for those who need their printer to be fixed with minimal cost and fuss.

Datacard printers only include a return to base warranty as standard, which covers mechanical parts and labour.   This warranty can be upgraded to an onsite warranty, however for those that do not require such support can benefit from keeping the cost of a printer down.

On-going printing costs?

The ongoing printer costs do vary from printer to printer, details of cost per card printing can be found on each printer page.   It is worth taking this into account if you intend to print a large volume of cards.

How secure do your cards need to be?

Certain printers are capable of printing either a standard watermark or a customised watermark across the entire face of the card, which acts similarly to a holgram, so that when the card is tilted slightly, the watermark becomes more visible.   This certainly is not a fool proof method of securing your cards, however it certainly can make a slight difference.

For greater security you can apply a laminate or holographic image on your cards, mainly through the high end printers.   For advice on these type of printing methods, please feel free to contact us.

We hope this information was helpful.

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