Card Design
Paper Vs. Pvc Cards
So you’re ready to invest in a photo ID printer system. You’ve got plenty of choices when it comes to print capabilities, quantities, and security...
It’s no secret that ID card printers are expensive, but you can still find a good printer on a tight budget.
There are great ID printers for a tight budget and we link to some below but we want to stress one thing first. . .
The best way to start your ID printer search is to consider what you need and then find the cheapest but best printer that will meet your needs.
Without going into too much detail start by answering these quick questions:
- How many cards do you need to print per year?
- Will the cards be single sided or dual sided?
- What security or data storage features do you need?
- Is a printer all you need?
You might also need card design software, blank cards and ink. If that is the case, bundles or ID Card Systems are your best bet.
If you want some more insight we tend to geek out about this sort of thing so check out the rest of our blog posts about ID Card Printers.
You might also like our infographic - ID Card Features. This explains all the available features, what they can do, and how to use them.
Now, without further ado…
Here are some cheap but good ID card printers as well as some pros and cons.
ID Maker Value printer or Starter kit
Pros
Cons
|
ID Maker Edge Dual-Sided Printer or Starter Kit
Pros
Cons
|
ID Maker Complete One-box Systems
Pros
- Free and full lifetime support
- Premier card design software
- High quality prints (crisp, clear photos)
- This is our recommendation and often is the cheapest over time due to unlimited free support
Cons
- Required to buy ID Maker branded ribbons
You can always upgrade later if you need but we don’t want you to get stuck paying more in the long run…unless you’re into that sort of thing.
No matter what printer you end up purchasing always know who you’re buying from and look into the hidden fees. We have no hidden fees and we offer free and unlimited training and tech support calls. Others limit your support and charge per hour for training and fixes, not what you want on a tight budget.
There you have it. A short but sweet breakdown of what we consider the best cheap ID card printers out there. Now it’s up to you to choose the best one for you. Remember, start with your needs and that will often lead you to the right one.