Single-Sided Card Printer and Dual-Sided Card Printer: Which One Is Right For Yo

Posted by Plastic Card Supplier on February 19th, 2021

Plastic card printers are a great option when you need to print customised plastic cards for your business or organisation. They can be used to print photo IDs, membership cards, RFID & NFC access cards, gift cards, debit or credit cards, and more. You may need to print on one side or both sides of the cards. There are two types of card printers that you will find in the market: one-sided card printer and dual-sided card printer. If you’re interested in purchasing a plastic card printer but don’t know which card printer works best for your business, then check out this article. It is going to take you through what you need to know when purchasing a plastic card printer.

Single-Sided Card Printer: Things to Know
Single-sided printing is required for basic printing needs. If you want to print only a photograph and a small amount of text on one side of plastic cards, a single-sided printer would be the most economical printing option for you.

You can print on both sides of the cards using a single sided printer by running the finished plastic cards for the second time. This would consume more time. Some single-sided printers can be upgraded to add a flipper mechanism that rotates the card automatically for dual side printing. You can even ask your printer supplier to upgrade your printer and add magnetic encoding and lamination capabilities.

Single-sided card printers are cheaper. They are easy to install. Two of the most common types of simplex printers are direct to card and reverse transfer. You will also find inkjet printers in the market.

Dual-Sided Card Printer: Things to Know
A dual-sided plastic card printer allows you to print more information and add features to your plastic cards. Some plastic card printers have two print heads that help to print on both sides of a card at the same time. They can add graphics, text, and other designs to both sides of the plastic cards.

Dual-sided printers are more expensive than their single-sided counterparts. Some of the best quality dual-sided card printers come with magnetic stripe encoder, lamination, and even contact/contactless smart card encoder. The printer will have USB and Ethernet connectivity as well as the option to select print modes.

Printing Basics
A printer contains a thermal print head and a colour ribbon. When a plastic card is passed through the printer, the colours, text, and design are heat transferred onto the card. Resolution of any card printing is typically 300 dots per inch. You will get other supplies with your card printer such as cleaning kits and fresh colour ribbons.

Conclusion
For businesses and institutions that have an ID card programme, buying a plastic card printer is a one-time investment, so you need to select the best one to save money and hassles. Depending on your unique card printing requirements, select a high-quality single-sided or dual-sided card printer rather than a regular printer. Contact a reliable card printer supplier and discuss your needs with its expert so that you make the right decision.

About the Author
Heong Choi
Heong has been working as a professor at a leading university in Singapore. He has a keen interest in printing technologies, innovations, and emerging technologies. When he is not teaching or writing articles, he loves to travel and explore new places and taste new cuisines.