In-house vs. outsourced ID card printing

Print your own ID cards for about 38¢ a card.

Outside vendors charge $6 to $12 a card and take days to deliver. The Bodno A30 prints a full-color card on your desk in 18 seconds, for about 15–30x less.

Print in-house 38¢ a card on the Bodno A30 Ready in 18 seconds
Outsource $6–$12 a card from ID card vendors 2 to 10 business days
Ribbon31.7¢$94.99 ÷ 300
Card6.7¢$19.95 ÷ 300
Per cardabout 38¢$114.94 ÷ 300
See the cost at your volume Shop the A30
Bodno A30 ID card printer
Bodno A30From $1,995 with ID card software

And far easier

  • 18 secondsto print a full-color card
  • On your deskPrint the moment someone walks in
  • No minimumsPrint 1 card or 1,000. No shipping.
  • Lost badge?Reprint it on the spot

Side by side

Printing in-house vs. sending cards out

Outsourcing costs nothing up front. Everything after that favors printing your own.

Print in-houseWith a Bodno A30
OutsourceTo an ID card vendor or print shop
Cost per card
About 38¢Ribbon 31.7¢ + card 6.7¢, full color
$6–$12Published prices, before shipping
Up-front cost
Printer from $1,995Software included, Lifetime License
NoneSome vendors charge setup or design fees
Turnaround
Minutes18 seconds per card to print in color
2 to 10 business daysProduction plus shipping
Lost card
Reprint it while they waitAbout 38¢, no new order
New order, new waitFull card price plus shipping
Design changes
Edit the template yourselfNew logo, new school year, same day
Send changes, approve a proofThen wait for the next batch
Photos and personal data
Stay in your buildingTake photos on site, store records on your computer
Sent to an outside companyNames and photos uploaded to the vendor

Cost at your volume

When does an ID card printer pay off?

It depends on how many cards you print. Here is the first-year and second-year cost on the Bodno A30 ($1,995 plus about 38¢ a card) at four common volumes, compared with outsourcing at $6 a card.

Cards a yearFirst yearSecond yearPays for itself
250cards a yearBodno A30
First year
Outsourced
$1,500
In-house
$2,091
Second year
Outsourced
$1,500
In-house
$96
in about 17 monthsSaves $813 over 2 years
500cards a yearBodno A30
First year
Outsourced
$3,000
In-house
$2,187
Second year
Outsourced
$3,000
In-house
$192
in about 8½ monthsSaves $3,622 over 2 years
1,000cards a yearBodno A30
First year
Outsourced
$6,000
In-house
$2,378
Second year
Outsourced
$6,000
In-house
$383
in about 4 monthsSaves $9,239 over 2 years
2,500cards a yearBodno A30
First year
Outsourced
$15,000
In-house
$2,953
Second year
Outsourced
$15,000
In-house
$958
in under 2 monthsSaves $26,089 over 2 years

Only print 10 cards a year?

In-house still wins on time. A dental office hires a new nurse, and she needs her badge today, not in a week. With your own printer it prints while she waits. No minimums, no shipping, no waiting, and a lost badge is reprinted on the spot. Bodno printers last 7 years on average, often longer with light use. At that volume a vendor may cost less in dollars. What you get in-house is speed.

How we figured in-house cost. A30: the A5300 color ribbon with 300 blank cards is $114.94 (ribbon $94.99, cards $19.95). $114.94 ÷ 300 = about 38¢ a card: ribbon 31.7¢ + card 6.7¢. That is one full-color side; color on both sides is about 70¢. A10 (single-sided): $64.99 ÷ 100 + 8¢ card ($39.99 for 500) = 73¢. Printers: A30 $1,995, A10 $995, with Bodno ID card software. The first year includes the printer. Bodno prices as of October 2026.

How we figured outsourced cost. $6.00 a card, the low end of published prices for printed photo ID cards, with shipping and setup fees left out. Sources, checked October 2026: InstantCard plans at $5.95 to $8.95 a card, single-sided (same-day printing, then 1 to 5 business days by mail); IDSuperShop, under $6 a card at 100 cards, $7 at 10 cards, shipping in 1 to 3 days; NameBadge.com, $12 single-sided and $14 double-sided, 4 to 6 business days production.

What you need

Everything it takes to print in-house

A printer, ribbon and blank cards. The design software comes with the printer, and your activation code arrives by email within 15 minutes.

Your first 300 cards on the A30 $2,034.99

The printer with its first color ribbon, plus a 500-pack of blank cards. Next 300 cards: a ribbon with 300 cards, $114.94.

Bodno A30 ID card printer
PrinterBodno A30Ships with the first color ribbon. Budget option: A10, $995
$1,995
Bodno ID Card Software
SoftwareBodno ID Card SoftwareTemplates, photos, barcodes. Windows and Mac
IncludedLifetime License
Bodno A5300 YMCKO color ribbon
Color ribbonA5300 for the A30300 prints, or $114.94 with 300 blank cards. For the A10: A5100, 100 prints, $64.99
$94.99300 prints
Bodno CR80 30 mil PVC cards
Blank cardsCR80 30 mil PVC cardsStandard credit card size, the same as most ID cards
$39.99500 cards
Bodno A11 photo ID camera
Camera · optionalBodno A11 photo ID cameraFull HD 1080p, for photos at the front desk
$99

Where to start

Two printers that replace a print vendor

Start with the A30 for the lowest cost per card. The A10 is the single-sided budget option. Both print a full-color card in 18 seconds and come with Bodno ID Card Software and a Lifetime License.

Bodno A30 dual-sided ID card printer
Dual-sided · our pick

Bodno A30

From$1,995

Best for most offices and schools: the lowest cost per card, front-and-back cards, and big batches like picture day.

Cost per card
About 38¢ (one color side)
Print speed
18 seconds per card, color
Color ribbon
300 cards per roll
Card feed
100-card input hopper
Coverage
3 years
View the A30 $300 trade-in rebate
Bodno A10 single-sided ID card printer
Single-sided · budget option

Bodno A10

From$995

Best for a tight budget and one-sided cards, a few hundred a year.

Cost per card
73¢
Print speed
18 seconds per card, color
Color ribbon
100 cards per roll
Card feed
One card at a time
Coverage
3 years
View the A10 $100 trade-in rebate
Compare every ID card printer → Not sure? Take the printer quiz →

Already have an old ID card printer?

Trade it in for a $300 trade-in rebate on the A30 or $100 on the A10. Any brand, any condition, with a free prepaid shipping label.

See trade-in rebates

Questions

Before you decide

Still weighing it? Email sales@bodno.com with how many cards you print a year.

We only print 200 to 500 cards a year. Does a printer pay off?
Usually, yes. Published vendor prices run about $6 to $12 a card. The Bodno A30 costs $1,995 and about 38¢ a card to run, so it pays for itself after about 355 cards: about 8½ months at 500 cards a year, about 17 months at 250. After that, every card costs about 38¢. On a tighter budget, the single-sided A10 ($995, about 73¢ a card) pays for itself after about 190 cards.
How much does it cost to print an ID card in-house?
About 38¢ a card on the Bodno A30. The A5300 color ribbon with 300 blank cards is $114.94, so the ribbon is 31.7¢ and the card 6.7¢ per card. That is for one full-color side; color on both sides is about 70¢. On the single-sided A10 it is about 73¢ a card.
How much do ID card printing services charge?
The published prices we found run from about $6 to $12 a card for single-sided photo ID cards, before shipping. Double-sided cards cost more, and some vendors add setup or design fees.
How fast can we replace a lost ID card?
In-house, the same day, usually while the person waits. The card prints in 18 seconds. A replacement from a vendor typically takes 2 to 10 business days, including shipping.
What do we need besides the printer?
Color ribbons and blank CR80 cards. Bodno ID Card Software comes with the printer with a Lifetime License, and the activation code arrives by email within 15 minutes. A camera like the Bodno A11 is optional. Already own a printer? Trade it in.