Outsource or In-House: Should Companies Buy Their Own ID Card Printers?

ID badges are essential to any company standard, not just for identification but for security, access control and branding. They help regulate facility entry, reinforce company identity and ensure a professional appearance. 

Deciding on whether to launch an in-house badge program depends on factors like budget, printing frequency and security needs, including: 

• Cost considerations. Upfront investment vs. long-term savings

• Printing volume. Occasional vs. high-volume printing 

• Maintenance and ease of use. Managing equipment vs. managing orders 

In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at in-house vs. outsourced ID card printing and dive into how to create a badge program that meets your company’s needs. 

What Is Outsourcing vs. In-House Printing?

When it comes to creating ID cards for your employees and visitors, there are two options: design, manage and print your own badges in-house or outsource the process to a third party. There are advantages and disadvantages to each option. 

In-House Printing

Printing in-house gives companies full control over the process, but it requires investment in equipment, supplies, and staff training. 

Advantages

• Instead of relying on available templates from a third-party designer, you’ll have complete control over your badge design and branding. 

• You decide on the quantities you print without worrying about purchasing extra badges to hit a minimum order requirement.

• You’ll have the freedom to print last-minute badges, or daily visitor passes on-demand without waiting for delivery. 

Drawbacks

• An in-house program requires an upfront investment in equipment and materials. 

• Your staff will take on operations and maintenance duties for your badge program, equipment and software.  

• The design may lack the professional look and polish of a third-party operator.  

Outsourced Printing

Working with a third-party ID badge provider to design, print and deliver badges as needed makes sense for companies that don’t need frequent printing or prefer to leave badge management to the professionals. 

Advantages

• Professional quality and management. 

• Save on supplies and only pay for the badges you need. 

• Less expensive upfront and no ongoing maintenance costs. 

• Convenient and time-saving, freeing up staff for other tasks. 

Drawbacks

• Longer turnaround times may slow down last-minute badge needs. 

• Recurring costs to purchase supplies and re-order badges. 

When Buying an ID Card Printer Makes Sense

Having an in-house badge program is an easy and convenient way to print badges for employees and visitors. It can save you time and money, and it also allows you to tailor your badges to your company’s needs. 

It might seem intimidating at first, but you don’t need advanced technology skills to manage your in-house program. It will require an ID card printer. 

An in-house badge program may be a fit for: 

Frequent printing needs. When printing on-demand, it’s more cost-effective and convenient to have a printer for ID card printing. Printing in-house means you have the ability to design and print badges as needed based on your hiring rate and schedule. On-demand printing also means you won’t have to worry about minimum orders. 

Customization and control. Printing in-house gives you the ability to completely customize your badges, from appearance to included technology. Security accessories such as RFID chips or magnetic stripes can be included in your printing process. Other options include security and hologram labels, bar codes, magnetic stripes, fluorescent overlays, micro text and more.

Enhanced security. In addition to adding security features, printing in-house allows you to keep employee data on-site rather than sending it to a third party for printing. 

How to Get Started With In-House Badge Program

Start by considering your company’s badge needs. Do you want to print on both sides? Should badges include photos? What access and security features do you require? 

Once you’ve answered these questions, you can think about the type of software and equipment you’ll need to purchase to set up your badge program. For a typical in-house badge printing program, you’ll need: 

• An ID card printer

• Ink ribbon

• Badge management software (license-based or cloud-based) 

• A camera

• ID cards

Once purchased, your system will work with your existing computer. If you opt for a cloud-based badge management system, you can access card data from any internet-connected device. 

When Outsourcing Is a Better Choice

Printing on-site has its advantages, but being able to outsource your custom ID badge design and production takes the burden of badge management off your staff. Outsourcing is also a good way to ensure you get a finished product with the quality and features you need. 

Outsourcing may be a fit for: 

Low printing volume. If you only need to print a few hundred (or even fewer) cards a year, and those cards are generally all printed at the same time, investing in a badge printer and all the supplies might not be the best value for you.

You need to ensure high quality. Having someone else do the production and printing work also ensures that you get a high-quality, professional-looking badge.

You don’t have staff to handle maintenance and operations. Printing an ID badge can be simple, but it requires several steps and a certain level of ability. Your staff will need to take on design, photography, data management and printing. You’ll also need staff to handle any technical issues with the equipment. 

How to Choose a Vendor for Outsourcing

To find the right vendor, first determine what specific services you need. Are you looking for someone to design your badge from scratch, or are you looking for someone who can do the final production? If you have existing graphics but just need to have them merged with text files, you probably don’t need a full-fledged design service. Ask the following questions when interviewing printing vendors: 

• Who does the work? Look for a company that does design and production in-house rather than hiring contractors to limit delays. 

• What’s your turnaround time? If you have a specific date for when you need the badges, make sure your vendor can accommodate your timeline. 

• What’s your price? Get a quote on your project and ask about any additional fees that may be charged for things like multiple rounds of edits or changes or a rush order. 

Working with a professional badge production company ensures a great look for your badges and less hassle for you and your staff. 

The Right Choice Is the One That Works for You

If you have a one-time badge printing needs, knowing that the design and details of your ID cards are in the hands of a professional company gives you one less thing to worry about. But if you find yourself frequently needing to print ID cards, investing in a quality ID badge printer might prove to be a better value and will pay for itself fairly quickly. 

Whether you opt for outsourcing or in-house printing, ID Shop can guide you through the process. Reach out to our ID badge experts today.