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ID Zone Learning Center

Find answers to your questions about photo identification and plastic card printing!


ID Card Printer Showdown: The Smart-31 vs. Smart-51

When it comes to ID card printers, there are a lot of choices. If you're looking to make a decision about the next ID card printer your organization purchases, we're comparing two direct-to-card printers from IDP - the Smart-31 and the Smart-51. Both are value-priced and engineered for users that print less than 1,000 cards annually.

Smart-31 ID Card Printer

A progressive upgrade from the IDP Smart-30, the affordably priced entry-level Smart-31 printer creates a full-color ID card in just 23 seconds and a monochrome card in only 5 seconds. In addition, it includes an 80-card input hopper with a 25-card output hopper for efficient, small-batch card printing. The Smart-31 printer can easily be configured to accommodate your security and photo ID needs with options like:

  • encoding
  • dual-sided printing
  • rewritable printing
  • Ethernet connectivity

The compact Smart-31 card printer includes an exceptional 3-year advanced exchange warranty coupled with a 2-year unlimited printhead warranty! With 300dpi for color prints and 600 or 1200dpi resolution for monochrome cards - along with edge-to-edge card coverage - you can depend on the Smart-31 ID card printer to produce excellent quality cards.

Smart-51 ID Card Printer

The Smart-51 card printer - the Smart-50's successor - builds upon the features of the Smart-31 with optional features including:

  • lamination
  • encoding
  • dual-sided printing
  • Ethernet connectivity

Designed with a rugged metal frame and steel ball bearings for lasting durability, the Smart-51 card printer is equipped for every office environment. With its direct-to-card technology, this printer offers faster printing speeds and can create up to 212 single-sided, full-color in an hour. This dye-sublimation ID badge maker produces excellent skin tones for your photo IDs with a faster, state-of-the-art CPU and reduced printing noise. In addition, the Smart-51 printer has a built-in LCD display with intuitive user prompts, including:

  • ribbon and hologram count
  • user prompts (ribbon or card empty, etc.)
  • IP address
  • manual cleaning by pressing the two buttons

The Smart-51 ID printer also has a larger card capacity (up to 200 cards when the printer cover is open) for increased card production efficiency. In just 8 seconds, the IDP Smart-51 printer is the industry's fastest "ready-to-print" laminator:

  • YMCKO: 17 seconds or 212 cards per hour
  • YMCKOK: 22 seconds or 164 cards per hour
  • YMCK/Lamination: seconds or 164 cards per hour
  • YMCK/K/Lamination: seconds or 113 cards per hour

IDP's patented DirectLamination capabilities, you can opt for single- or dual-sided lamination for high-security, long-life credentials. With an easy-to-read LCD display, the Smart-51 printer provides helpful user prompts, including manual printer cleanings for ultra-convenient maintenance.

The improved print speeds for the various types of printing simplify the creation of secure, superior-quality images and text for your card issuance program. A quick review of the features and benefits of the Smart-31 vs. Smart-51 printers:

For more information on the IDP Smart-31 or Smart-51 ID card printers, call a knowledgeable ID Expert at (800) 910-5987. Based on your credential program requirements, we'll help you figure out which printer is the best choice for you!


Ready to shop for a printer? Use our Printer Finder.

Have questions or need assistance? Talk with an ID Expert at (800) 910-5987, Chat Live, or email us at sales@IDZone.com.

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