by
Nam Huynh
| Feb 17, 2021
When choosing an ID card printer for your organization, you must first determine your requirements for your ID card or ID badge. What information you plan to have on the card will help determine whether you need to print on just one side or on both sides of a card. In some cases, an organization may use pre-printed cards and require only the ability to print on one side.
Most ID card printers — direct-to-card, reverse transfer or inkjet — are usually available in two different options of either simplex or duplex. Simplex printers produce single-sided cards and duplex printers produce double-sided cards.
Simplex card printers are technically able to print on both sides of ID cards, but it requires you to manually flip cards into a feeder or hopper because they don't have the built-in flipper mechanism that rotates the card automatically. If you plan to print more than a few dual-sided cards a day, a duplex printer is much more time efficient. Another thing to keep in mind is that some simplex printers are field-upgradable to be able to print duplex, usually by installing a flipper module.
Choosing between a simplex or duplex printer is just one of the many functionalities of an ID card printer to consider. Contact us to speak with your local ID expert.