How to Choose an Oversized ID Card Printer

TABLES OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction
1. Reasons for Having an Event
2. Why You Need Name Badges
2. Questions to Answer
1. What is the Nature of Your Event?
2. What Level Security Do You Need?
3. What Kind of Names Badges Do You Need?
4. What Information Needs To Be Visible?
3. Types of oversized ID card printers
1.  XXL 2.0 ID Card Printer
2.  XCR100 2.0 ID Card Printer
3.  Zebra ZC10L ID Card Printer
4. Matica XL8300 ID Card Printer
5. SwiftColor Card and Envelope SCC-4000D
4. Conclusion

Introduction

You don't have to be an event company to understand the benefits your organization will reap from putting on an event. From hosting a conference to inviting your clients to a golf outing, companies use events to get their brand front and foremost.

In addition, have you discovered the benefits of trade shows? Not only can you test new products at trade shows, but you get access to a large population of your ideal customers which results in a lower cost per sale.

What's one thing you'll need regardless of the type of event you host? Your attendees will all need name badges. And as the event planner, you'll need an easy way to print name badges on demand.

This white paper helps you determine the types of badges you need and the best way to produce them. We'll look at customization, efficiency, and convenience when considering an oversized ID card printer for your next event.

Reasons for Having an Event

The reasons for having an event are as numerous as your options for reaching out to customers, prospects, and others who might be interested in your products or services. Companies who host and sponsor events look more profitable, and people tend to trust event sponsors and hosts because they perceive them as more successful and popular.

For companies like yours wishing to stretch your marketing budget, here are a few reasons to host an event:

• Brand visibility. If you want to get your company name out there, a conference, trade show, or other event is a great way to get in front of your ideal customers. And the bigger the event, the more press and social media coverage you'll get.
• Lead generation. You may track cost per lead, and an event offers one of the most efficient lead generation practices available. Consider how much time you spend chasing 10 qualified leads. Now consider having hundreds of qualified leads in a single location. The cost savings can be immense.
• Community goodwill. You can generate an amazing amount of goodwill by sponsoring events or partnering with like-minded organizations to put on events. Your customers love brands who give back to communities, so make the most of your marketing budget and work with a local shelter or other organization that helps the community.
• Customer research. At an event, you have access to hundreds of potential customers. Take advantage of this to perform market research to see what your prospects like and don't like. You can gather industry intelligence and audience insight into your products and services.
• Return on investment. How much is a qualified lead worth to your company? How important are business relationships? Trade shows and events are one of the best way to create a positive return on investment for your marketing budget. It's not necessarily about sales the day of the event; it's about creating relationships and generating qualified leads for the future.

Why You Need Name Badges

Remember the old days of "Hello, my name is…" name badges when you attended an event? In today's age of technology-savvy consumers, those old paper stick-ons don't cut it anymore. Besides facilitating introductions between attendees and event hosts, sponsors, and participating companies, name badges help to eliminate our innate fear of strangers.

A name badge tells you instantly who you're talking to and where they work. Name badges also help you overcome the dreaded, "Oh no, I've forgotten his name already" syndrome. If you're not good at remembering names, a name badge can save you a world of embarrassment. Printed name badges are easier for others to read, and it's great branding when printed with your company's logo.

Next, let's look at questions you need to answer when deciding the kind of name badges you need for your corporate event.

Questions to Answer

Before you can decide on what printer to purchase for your event, answer the following questions to help you determine the right event badges you need.

What is the Nature of Your Event?

Is your event one you want your attendees to remember afterwards? Perhaps you're sponsoring a concert, seminar, or trade show and would like attendees to have a memento of their time. Or perhaps you're hosting a corporate event like a business conference or a shareholders' meeting.

Plastic or PVC cards are more durable, meaning your attendees can keep them afterwards as a remembrance. They're also project a more professional image. If you're putting on a notable or corporate event, consider PVC event badges.

Another element to consider is the duration of your event. Will it last for several days or just a few hours? Events that last for days require a more substantial ID badge, something that won't tear or disintegrate if it gets wet. PVC cards are durable enough that your event staff won't need to reprint damaged ID cards unless someone loses theirs. These plastic cards also eliminate the need to purchase plastic holders to protect your paper name badges.

What Level Security Do You Need?

Security is on everyone's mind today as events become targets for nefarious individuals. How can you make security a cornerstone of your event without disturbing your attendees? One way is through credentialing people at your event.

For example, will your attendees need access to different areas or sessions during your event? You need to consider how easy it will be for security and others to recognize someone who's in the wrong place.

You'll certainly need credentials that can identify the cardholder on the spot. But you might also need additional security features that eliminates the possibility of forging or counterfeiting your event badges.

Since it's important not to jeopardize security at your event, choose from paper cards, plastic IDs, or wristbands carefully. Consider how you can use additional security measures like photographs, holographic images, a QR code, or a smart chip to check whether the cardholder is in your authorized database.

What Kind of Name Badges Do You Need?

You can choose from wristbands, printed badges in plastic holders, laminated badges, or plastic ones. So how do you know which is right for your event?

First and foremost, how long is your event? If it's scheduled for several days, you'll need a name badge more substantial than a paper one. If your attendees need to swipe their badges for access to secure areas, you'll certainly need something that can withstand that wear and tear.

One consideration, depending on your event's duration, is to laminate your name badges to add durability. Also, consider if color-coded wristbands would make sure people are where they're supposed to be, especially for a shorter event. Think about how wristbands can break or be passed to someone else if your event is longer than a single day.

If your event lasts several days or longer than a week, choosing plastic ID cards can save your event staff a lot of time. They'll less likely be required to reprint creased or damaged name tags. And if you're considering laminated paper name badges, over time these can become folded, creased, and unrecognizable. For events that last the long haul, choose PVC or plastic cards for your attendees and event staff.

What Information Needs to Be Visible?

Another consideration is the size of the badge. Start by making a list of everything you need on your cards. This could include first and last name, title, company name, a photo, QR code, even the event sessions the cardholder registered to attend. The more you need printed on your ID badges, the larger card you should choose. Most event badges today are bigger than the standard credit card sized ID. Oversized event badges also help reduce the clutter on your cards and make them more readable and recognizable.

A final consideration is how readable you need your badges by security personnel. A reasonable card means one your security staff can easily read as an attendee walks through a checkpoint at a leisurely pace. If you want to avoid congestion at checkpoints, make your ID cards as secure as you can without security requiring attendees to stop to inspect their badges.

Next let's look at some oversized ID card printers on the market.

Types of Oversized ID Card Printers

Once you've answered the questions from the previous section, it's time to evaluate ID card printers. For an oversized event badge, the following printers are the best on the market. Each can help you print high quality name badges that present your company and your attendees in the best possible way.

XXL 2.0 ID Card Printer

If you need a printer that travels well between your office and event location, one that prints durable name badges on demand, consider the XXL 2.0 ID Card Printer. This printer is robust and easy to use and works with both Windows and Mac. You can personalize your badges and print them out on site. In fact, you can print up to 180 full color cards per hour.

The XXL 2.0 ID Card Printer prints on two sizes of cards: 4.88" x 3.46" and 5.51" x 3.46". You also have the option to include a contactless encoding module to help you create more secure badges on site.

XCR100 2.0 ID Card Printer

If you want a name badge that's not too large, but still 42% larger than the standard credit card, choose the XCR100 2.0 ID Card Printer. This printer lets you print durable, customized ID cards on the spot. You can easily include a photograph and other identifying information on CR100 cards sized 3.88" x 2.63".

You can also get an optional flipper for turning your name badges over and printing on the back. This gives you dual-sided badges in one pass that lets you take advantage of the real estate on the back of the cards.

Zebra ZC10L ID Card Printer

If quality and speed are both important, the Zebra ZC10L ID Card Printer produces high quality, full edge-to-edge, color name badges in a single print. Print custom, photo-quality ID cards with this 300 dpi modified photo printer. It produces crisp text, rich graphics, and amazing images and bar codes.

You'll love the larger sized cards at 3.5" x 5.5". Also, the Zebra ZC10L ID Card Printer can print beautiful, high definitional ID cards fast thanks to a 400 card capacity feeder and a 100 card capacity output hopper.

Matica XL8300 ID Card Printer

The Matica XL8300 ID Card Printer is an exceptional retransfer printer that issues 128 full color, high quality oversized cards per hour. What sets this printer apart from other is the oversized name badges that include 2 printable areas that let you customize badges.

If security is an issue, the Matica XL8300 ID Card Printer prints text, logos, and images in UV ink on a range of card materials, from PVC or ABS to PET. You can even add on the contactless encoding option for added security. You'll love the lifetime warranty on this printer's printhead as well.

SwiftColor SCC-4000D ID Card Printer

The SwiftColor SCC-4000D ID Card Printer is a versatile ID card printer than can produce anything from 3.5" x 5.5" and CR100 cards to 3.5" x 4" and 4" x 6" badges and more. You can print full color on the entire surface of your cards in a single pass in just 2 seconds.

This ID card printer prints on both plastic and paper, and you can choose from glossy and matte finishes for a customized look. The SwiftColor SCC-4000D ID Card Printer offers additional security features like a UV hot stamp, UHF, and holograms you can add to your oversized event badges.

Pre-printed Cards

A final option is to request pre-printed cards from a reputable ID card expert. To make event registration seamless, have unchanging elements on your event's name badges pre-printed so you only need add a name and photo at registration. You can choose from high-quality pre-printed cards you can use with any of the oversized printers named above.

Choose from full color on both sides or monochrome on one side. You can also opt for RFID/MIFARE cards, UHF cards, or HID proximity cards. In fact, just about anything you can imagine you need on an oversized event name badge, you can get pre-printed.

Conclusion

With so many printer and event badge options on the market, choosing the right oversized ID card printer for your event can be a time-consuming process. Hopefully this guide helps you narrow your choices down.

Since each event is different, you may need a highly personalized solution. A reputable ID card expert like Idesco offers a wide array of technology options at the best price.

About Idesco

For over three-quarters of a century, Idesco has provided customized ID card solutions to organizations just like yours. When you partner with Idesco, you know you're getting the world's top manufacturers like HID Fargo, Magicard, Zebra, Datacard, Evolis, IDP, Nisca, Matica, and ScreenCheck. Beyond having the ID card printers you need, Idesco also has a full inventory of cards, software, and supplies.

Your ID card solution is our number one priority. That's why Idesco offers an expert team of technicians who are highly trained and experienced with each manufacturer. Our service technicians can be on your site within 48 hours anywhere in New York.

Idesco leads the nation in providing solutions for ID cards, event badges, or any ID project, even the most complex. In addition, you get the best price on everything you need for your event—guaranteed.

Call us today at 800-336-1383 to find the right ID card solution for you.