When it comes to ID card printers, dual-sided ID card printers and retransfer printers are the two options that you can choose from. Out of these, direct to card printing technology is the most commonly used one, in which the images will be printed directly to the surface of the ID cards. In the case of retransfer ID card printers, the images will be printed to a clear film which is then heat sealed to the ID cards. This type of printing is also called reverse transfer printing.

Both these types of ID card printing techniques offer images of good quality, however, there are some important differences between both these techniques. Understanding the differences between both these printing technologies will help you to choose the one that is suitable for your business. Read along to know the differences. 

Comparing Retransfer And Direct-To-Card ID Card Printers 

Direct-to-card dual-sided ID card printers are much more sensitive to imperfections in cards. The effects of sensitivity can include:

• ID card printing that does not cover the complete surface of the card:  As the printhead of the ID card printer should not come in contact with the card edges, a white border will be left around the card edges.
• Difficulty printing technology cards: There are raised areas in technology cards and if you are printing close to these raised areas of the card, the printhead might get damaged. In addition, due to the uneven surface of technology cards, the quality of printing can be inconsistent.

Dual-sided direct-to-card badge printers can be suitable for your business if you need to print on both sides of a basic PVC card and do not mind having a white unprinted edge on cards. 

Dual-sided retransfer ID card printers are minimally sensitive to unevenness on the surface of cards. In this type of printing, the printhead of the ID card printer does not directly come in contact with the surface of the card and so the chances of the printhead getting damaged are minimized. The printed images can cover the complete surface of the ID card and using this technology, you will be able to print on smart cards, key tags, proximity cards, punched cards, etc. 

You can go for dual-sided retransfer ID card printers if you prefer over-the-edge printing or need to print on both sides of technology cards like proximity cards, smart cards, etc.