The Zebra ZC350 is a unique, top-of-the-line premium ID card printer from the same manufacturers as the ZC100, ZXP Series 3, as well as the industrial size high-capacity ZXP Series 9. Zebra has often been lauded for their sleek, simple, and compact designs. In this regard the ZC350 is no exception. We decided to take an in-depth look at the ZC350 to see how it stacks up against the competition. What follows is the fruit of our research and close comparisons to printers on the same tier that are meant to serve the same purposes and industries as the Zebra ZC350. If you’re already sold on the ZC350 (and trust us, by the end of this article you will be) you can buy the printer on the Bodno Marketplace here: https://bodno.com/zebra-zc350-id-card-printer.html

At its core, the ZC350 is meant to fill the role of a mid-line ID card printer; it doesn’t have the high capacity and storage of a larger industrial grade printer but it’s packed with far more features than a simple lower-end basic model. That said, as far as mid-range ID card printers go, the ZC300 is absolutely packed to the brim with impressive bells and whistles that come as a welcome add-on to the compact unit.  Designed specifically for the hospitality and retail industry, the printer delivers on the needs of both of these types of facilities and more. From an upgradeable card flipper for double-sided printing to authentication, payment, and access capable cards the options available for the ZC300 series is endless.

Printing & Security - 9/10

With 300 dpi and direct-to-card printing, the printing capabilities of the ZC350 are superb. You can choose economy black and white ink ribbons for yourZC350 or go with the full-spectrum YMCK option and still get a whopping 300 cards out of each ribbon roll. The model also comes with a state-of-the-art card hopper which allows you to remove individual cards or a full stack for large quantity print jobs. It also includes a lock-box card loading receptacle so that your security isn’t compromised when working with magnetic stripe encoding, contactless encoders, or magnetic stripes. The lock box also secures a receptacle for rejected cards and ink ribbons.

As far as added printing capabilities go, the ZC300 has a pearlescent security coat that can be used to print logo overlays, security patterns, and reflective details that security enforcement and employees can use to verify the authenticity of any given card. Further overlays include:

• 3d Metallic Effects
• 2 Layers of high durability overlay
• Watermark security visible only under UV light

You can go with either the batch printing option or choose to feed cards in manually while completing your project. All of the card stock and finished prints are kept safely apart thanks to the cover lock. This component also facilitates no-risk printing in crowded spaces, preventing card stock and print theft. This model also comes with government grade encryption that protects sensitive data. Authentication between printer and host makes sure no unauthorized applications can start a print job. The ZC350 comes with Link-OS for Card loaded. This is a powerful OS, and comes loaded with the Print DNA family software apps, which tremendously ease app-to-printer functionality. These software tools simplify card printing for anyone who has access and authorization.

Usability – 10/10

We chose to give the ZC350 a much higher usability rating compared to other comparable models available on the market. It features an amazingly low-profile input and output hopper with a whopping 100 card capacity when you consider the modest size of the device. You should also consider the option of the single manual feeder if all you need is one card at a time. The printer can tolerate a number of common sizes including 10 mil, 20 mil, 30 mil, and 40 mil cards. When you consider the wide number of resources available for the printer including online video tutorials detailing printing, loading, and extra functionality, its easy to see how user friendly the Zebra brand is as a whole. To wrap the ease of usability in a nice tight bow is the intuitive and vibrant LED display. As an icing on the cake, Zebra also guarantees a 2 year warranty for the printer and print-head.

Speed 10/10

The Zebra ZC350 is one of the fastest comparable mid-range printer with the ability to produce a single-sided full-color ID card in a whopping 18 seconds. In comparison, the ZC100 model requires a full 24 seconds to perform the same routine. Overall, the device can print 1,000 monochrome cards or 225 vibrant full-color cards all in under an hour. The only other devices that can often the same speed and results as the ZC350 are the larger industrial models, and even then many often fall short in speed and make up for it in sheer quantity of hopper storage.

Extra Features

Print Touch

This lets you use an Android-based device to tap into information resources covering troubleshooting and how-to topics. With the help of this, you can make sure your ID card printer stays up at all times, and runs reliably when you need it to.

Price Range

The Zebra ZC350 has a variable price range depending on the features chosen. A single sided standalone printer will set you or your facility back $1,995.00, and the double sided comes with a $300 increase and is priced at $2,295.00. If you’re looking for an economy version of the style of printer, an IDP Smart-51 may be a good option to suit your needs, and even comes with 2 seconds shaved off the total print time. That said, it’s not nearly as aesthetically pleasing for your facility and only has a 40 card output hopper.

Our Conclusion – 10/10

In summation, the Zebra ZC350 is one of the best mid-range ID card printers on the market, and in addition to reaching the needs of their target demographics have the potential to serve a much larger clientele. If you’re considering an ID card printer for your business or facility, you absolutely can’t beat the ZC350 as it meets at the middle of the road on needed functions and far surpasses current needs in other categories. We recommending buying the ZC350 bundled with our patented Bodno ID Card Printing Software. You can see the different packages and different pricing options on our storefront here: https://bodno.com/zebra-zc350-id-card-printer.html?color=39&size=75