Choosing the right ID card printer system for your organization takes some consideration. We have created this comprehensive and regularly updated guide to compare the best ID badge printers in categories that matter most to our customers, including:
Our categories are not exhaustive, as every organization is different; however, we are confident that this transparent guide will help you better understand the basic ID printer features and options and how they apply to your organization.
Easy Badges has incorporated user feedback into our results so you know what features matter to other similar organizations. As always, we love to hear from those new to the ID card printer world — so if you need help, Easy Badges is here to assist you.
And please keep in mind that all ID printer systems purchased through Easy Badges include:
A new era of Evolis Primacy ID card printers has arrived with six new features. We voted the Evolis Primacy 2 the Best ID Card Printer in 2024 because it balances your need for performance, security, durability and adaptability with the Evolis commitment to the environment and quality.
Our customers want an ID Card Printer and design software that is easy to use, reliable and produces high quality ID badges.
The Primacy 2 does all this and more with exciting capabilities, such as:
For organizations just starting with in-house ID badge printing or those whose current needs have evolved, the Evolis Primacy 2 can provide faster, more convenient and secure ID badge printing.
Find out why this model was also voted:
Ranked the best overall printer by the pros at Easy Badges, this versatile machine has turbo printing speed at a lower cost per card. The Primacy 2 is also the most user friendly MAC ID printers, making it a favorite among educational environments.
The Evolis Primacy 2 offers upgrades like lamination for durability, magnetic stripe encoding, a 200-input hopper for efficiency and more. Print remotely and securely thanks to its Kineclipse® masking system and digital erasing.
Starts at $1,833.50 - $5,250.75.
Dual and Single-sided Printing Capability
Volume: < 30,000 cards annually
$0.38 cost per side (full-color)
18 seconds per side (full-color)
USB + Ethernet + WiFi optional
Direct-to-card printing technology
3-year warranty
100-card input + 100-card output hopper
Lamination option
Pros:
Cons:
Our Price:
Starting from $1,883.50. Enquire with Easy Badges for the lowest price.
We recommend the Evolis Zenius to organizations that plan to print roughly 500 or fewer single-sided ID cards in a year. The Zenius produces an ID card in 30 seconds using direct-to-card printing technology. The Zenius conserves energy when not in use. Evolis is committed to reducing waste during the production and transport of each machine for lower CO2 emissions.
This model is intuitive to use. To print one or a few ID cards, use the manual feed, just like a desktop printer. The hopper will take in 50 cards and hold the same amount for set-it-and-forget-it single-sided card printing jobs. Our Easy Badges software enables you to print professional, high quality ID cards, gift cards, memberships cards and more — without hiring expensive graphic designers.
We recommend this printer to anyone looking for cost-effective and energy-efficient printing without a high pricetag (or learning curve).
Find out why Zenius was also voted:
The Evolis Zenius Classic is a great option for organizations that desire cost-efficient and eco-friendly performance. It sleeps during unproductive times and is manufactured with recycled materials when possible.
Starts at $1,000-$1,295.
Single-sided printing only
Volume: < 500 cards annually
$0.37 cost per side (full-color)
30 seconds per side (full-color)
USB
Direct-to-card printing
2-year warranty
50-card input + output hopper
Pros:
Cons:
Our Price:
Starting from $1,000. Enquire with Easy Badges for the lowest price.
Your organization may need ID cards in bulk once or twice a year. The cost of a print shop might be better spent on your operations or marketing than on those annual meeting parking passes or the twice-annual batch of loyalty cards.
The Magicard Pronto is a no-fuss ID card printer that is simple to use and will save you time and money. The manual feed drastically reduces manufacturing costs and those savings are passed on to you.
Here are the top reasons why Magicard Pronto was voted runner-up entry-level printer :
Easy Badges offers customers our signature Easy Care email and phone support at no extra cost for the life of your Magicard Pronto.
Ranked second-best for entry-level printer needs for its compact design and cost-efficiency, the Magicard Pronto is excellent to start in-house printing ID badges, visitor passes and more. The optional HoloKote® technology adds a layer of security to every card.
The Magicard Pronto is popular with organizations with simple ID card designs and low print volume.
Starts at $935.00-$1,188.00.
Single-sided printing only
Volume: < 100 cards annually
$0.49 cost per side (full-color)
35 seconds per side (full-color)
USB
Direct-to-card printing
2-year warranty
Manual feed
Pros:
Cons:
Our Price:
Starting from $895. Enquire with Easy Badges for the lowest price.
The Evolis Primacy 2 received our vote for Best Overall and Best Dual-Sided Printer 2024 for several reasons:
Find out why this model was also voted:
Ranked the best overall printer by the pros at Easy Badges as well, this versatile ID printer has turbo printing speed at a lower cost per card.
The Evolis Primacy 2 offers upgrades like lamination for durability, magnetic stripe encoding, a 200-input hopper for efficiency and more. Print remotely and securely thanks to its Kineclipse® masking system and digital erasing.
Starts at $1,833.50 - $5,250.75.
Dual and Single-sided Printing Capability
Volume: < 30,000 cards annually
$0.36 cost per side (full-color)
18 seconds per side (full-color)
USB + Ethernet + WiFi optional
Direct-to-card printing technology
3-year warranty
100-card input + 100-card output hopper
Lamination option
Pros:
Cons:
Our Price:
Starting from $1,544.00. Enquire with Easy Badges for the lowest price.
We recommend the Magicard 300 for organizations that want the option of dual-sided printing at a lower annual volume (10,000 cards). It’s a powerhouse that can print 160 full-color cards an hour and hold 100 cards in the hopper. We also like its shredding capability and added security measures.
The Magicard 300 comes with four default HoloKote® hologram-like watermarks for enhanced security. Purchase a custom HoloKote® with your design for a one-time fee of $695.00.
The Magicard 300 ID card printer can produce many types of standard-sized plastic cards like loyalty cards, gift cards, access badges, transit passes and more. Employees don’t need to be graphic designers. With the Easy Badges software, you can print like a pro in no time. Easy Care assistance and training are available to our customers at no additional cost for the lifetime of your printer.
Ranked second best dual-sided ID card printer for its versatility and volume, this machine is great for small to midsize organizations. The Magicard 300 gives you magnetic strip and smart card encoding options. It also comes loaded with 4 watermark designs using its HoloKote® technology.
It can be easily upgraded to dual-sided printing capability onsite, which is a great feature for growing organizations.
Starts at $1,435.00 - $2,045.90
Dual and Single-sided Printing Capability
Volume: < 10,000 cards annually
$0.35 cost per side (full-color)
23 seconds per side (full-color)
USB + Ethernet
Direct-to-card printing technology
3-year warranty
100-card input + output hopper
Pros:
Cons:
Our Price:
Starting from $1,435. Enquire with Easy Badges for the lowest price.
The direct-to-card (DTC) printing method produces an ID badge in black-and-white or full-color with a very small white border (less than ⅛ inch-wide) in the 300 DPI range. DTC printers provide a print quality suitable for most organizations at a lower cost per card than reverse transfer ID printers.
The two-step reverse transfer of an image or text on a card delivers photo-finish quality and is ideal for microtext, vivid colors and true edge-to-edge printing. Organizations select a retransfer ID card printer for high-volume, high-quality and definition printing.
Schools and educational systems need a secure, efficient, out-of-the-box solution for ID badge printing. The latest Evolis Primacy 2 offers exceptional print quality with an intuitive software package and several optional security features that level-up your in-house ID card printing when your school needs it. The Evolis Primacy 2 also is the most MAC user-friendly compared to all MAC compatible ID card printers.
Staff will love how simple it is to navigate the Easy Badges ID Card software and print professional looking ID cards quickly. With a print speed of 18 seconds per side — and with a 100-card input and output hopper, large jobs are no problem for the Primacy 2. Expect to be able to print up to 30,000 ID cards, employee badges, visitor passes, parking passes and more every year without worry.
Connect via USB, Ethernet or optional WiFi to get going immediately. If you need help, Easy Badges customers enjoy free, five-star customer service for the life of your Primacy 2 printer.
It’s not hard to understand why we voted for Primacy 2 for the following categories in 2024:
Ranked the best overall printer by the pros at Easy Badges, this versatile machine has turbo printing speed at a lower cost per card.
The Evolis Primacy 2 offers upgrades like lamination for durability, magnetic stripe encoding, a 200-input hopper for efficiency and more. Print remotely and securely thanks to its Kineclipse® masking system and digital erasing.
Starts at $1,833.50 - $5,250.75.
Dual and Single-sided Printing Capability
Volume: < 30,000 cards annually
$0.36 cost per side (full-color)
18 seconds per side (full-color)
USB + Ethernet + WiFi optional
Direct-to-card printing technology
3-year warranty
100-card input + 100-card output hopper
Lamination option
Pros:
Cons:
Our Price:
Starting from $1,833.50. Enquire with Easy Badges for the lowest price.
The Evolis Zenius is ideal for schools printing 500 or fewer ID cards a year. We recommend this printer for quick performance right out of the box — print a single sided card in 30 seconds.
This model is intuitive to use. To print one or a few ID cards, use the manual feed, just like a desktop printer. The hopper will take in 50 cards and hold the same amount for set-it-and-forget-it single-sided card printing jobs. Our Easy Badges software enables you to print professional, high-quality ID cards, gift cards, membership cards and more — without hiring expensive graphic designers.
Schools can feel good about Evolis’ commitment to conserving our planet’s natural resources. This printer is made with recycled materials and designed to be compact for a lower carbon footprint from the manufacturing floor to your school’s campus. Zenius printers idle in sleep mode when not in use. It’s a no-brainer for K-12 schools, small colleges and organizations that want to print ID cards in-house simply and easily.
Find out why Evolis Zenius was also voted:
The Evolis Zenius Classic is a great option for organizations that desire cost-efficient and eco-friendly performance. It sleeps during unproductive times and is manufactured with recycled materials when possible.
Starts at $1,000-$1,295.
Single-sided printing only
Volume: < 500 cards annually
$0.37 cost per side (full-color)
30 seconds per side (full-color)
USB
Direct-to-card printing
2-year warranty
50-card input + output hopper
Pros:
Cons:
Our Price:
Starting from $1,000. Enquire with Easy Badges for the lowest price.
Easy Badges makes ID card printing headache free. Contact us to get started with your ideal ID card printer system. Easy Badges ID card printers include a free 30-day return policy, free email and phone support and online training for the lifetime of your printer. Download a demo of Easy Badges ID card printing software to experience how easy ID badge printing can be.
Sales :
(855) 436-0527
Support :
(971) 327-8166
Sales :
Sales@easybadges.com
Support :
Support@easybadges.com
We are happy to offer you a complimentary sample, programmed with the widely accepted card format that is compatible with most access control systems. To incorporate the sample into your access control system, you will need to assign the card or fob number to an employee in your access system. The sample will be shipped with a random facility code and ID range. If you require a specific format, facility code, or ID range, please reach out to our sales team, and we will gladly make the necessary arrangements. In case this process is unsuccessful, kindly inform us so that we can assist you in finding the appropriate programming for your door system. Easy Badges offers a diverse range of programming formats to cater to your needs.
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