Choosing the best printer for your application goes hand in hand with selecting the correct software. Start by determining which versions work with your machine and whether or not you should spring for an upgrade to the latest package with all the bells and whistles. All three of the options reviewed below can be used with several different printer brands. Remember to talk with a knowledgeable customer service representative before finalizing your purchase. Software is almost always a non-returnable commodity so a little advance research really pays off. Most of today's ID formatting options are user friendly and integrate with products such as Microsoft Access for easy data management. You generally have the option of purchasing your digital camera separately if you wish. Just take a moment to ensure compatibility by locating the TWAIN compliant specifications on the box.

Datacard Truphoto Solution with ID Works

This is a great starter kit at a very affordable price. If your company is launching a brand new ID badge protocol on a small scale, trying this product gives you the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the basics before adding more complex modules. The drivers and software come together in this setup so you are ready to install without a lot of hassle. Templates are also included so you don't have to build your own card formats from scratch, and the user interface is easy to navigate.

The Truphoto Solution package brings you a camera that is specifically programmed to give you increased controllability and image quality when used in tandem with your PC. Special features such as auto-capturing/cropping photos make the ID creation process a snap. Exposure and focus are also automated and advanced enhancement features can deal with common problems like red-eye to ensure a sharp finished product. You receive a tripod and backdrop with your purchase to get you up and running in no time.

EPI Suite Classic

Mid-size clients often select the EPI Suite Classic as their preferred ID badge solution. This program comes standard with a variety of card designs to choose from and allows users to create custom designs for any application. Batch printing is made simple with this system giving organizations the ability to reissue and update cards efficiently for mass enrollment processes. There is no limit to the number of records you can store, so this product will continue to serve you well even as your company grows. If you buy a new printer, the software can automatically reformat all of your existing designs to fit the new equipment - potentially saving you hours of work.

Password protection, multiple user accounts, and special printing effects make this an excellent choice for secure ID creation. Bar coding and mag stripe encoding options come as plug-ins for this package so you can upgrade easily if you want to add these features. A face-finding camera tool and one click image transfer speed up the entire production process. You can even add additional images such as fingerprints and digital signatures to take your identification strategy to the next level. Finally, the report printing features make auditing your current database swift and accurate.

Asure ID Enterprise

This top-of-the-line, user friendly software groups the options you use most often into readily available tool bars to increase the efficiency of your system. The program also features fly-out menus and floating windows that can be easily dismissed once you are through with them - keeping your monitor free of clutter. Clickable tabs mean your various screens are within easy reach at all times making navigation intuitive.

The Live Link option allows you to print cards with data freshly uploaded from your external HR or security databases to ensure that your information is always current. An internal database is also included if you wish to create a self contained process, or you can mix and match your sources. iDIRECTOR is available for smart card applications so you can streamline this advanced data storage and communication technology into your workplace. Memory management and encoding application jobs are dealt with in a single pass using this deployment module.

This premier software is packed with advanced options that are compatible with several high volume printer brands, but this is truly the ideal vehicle for creating IDs with Fargo systems. It is designed to be integrated with the OnQueue decentralized printing platform which can interface with up to 20 printers at once. This allows you to add new equipment to your fleet without having a separate PC dedicated to each printer. It also tracks when and where each badge was created to promote accountability and security.