Q. What exactly does a card printer do?

Answer

The ID card printer allows users to print from any program on their computer. The only real change for the computer is in the dimensions of the output. The output is in a 3.375" × 2.125" (85.6 mm x 54 mm) rectangle, the same proportions as a plastic ID card (or CR80 format). A blank plastic card is fed through a plastic card printer and printed on by a thermal print head. The ID card is then produced using the printer's ribbon and transferred to the card's surface using the print head; lastly, the card is ejected from the printer via the output hopper.