IDP Smart 31 Card Printer

IDP Smart-31 ID Card Printer Overview

The IDP Smart 31 is a straightforward, entry-level card printer built for small businesses, schools, and organisations printing less than 100 high-quality ID cards at a time.

How It Prints

The Smart 31 uses IDP's FINE™ imaging technology to produce full-colour or monochrome cards with sharp detail at up to 156 full-colour cards an hour. It's built for standard photo ID: staff badges, membership cards and visitor passes, printed directly onto the card surface.

A small, deliberate border stays around the edge of every card too, protecting the printhead so print quality stays sharp and consistent, card after card. With the right card design, this border is barely noticeable, and at a 300 dpi minimum, your cards look great fresh off the printer and for years afterwards.

Please note: Because this is a direct-to-card printer, it's not the right printer type for access control cards; that's a job for a retransfer printer instead. This is because the embedded chip can cause blemishes as the card moves across the printer head.

Choosing the Right Variant

The Smart 31 comes in three configurations. The 31S is single-sided, the standard starting point for most organisations. The 31D adds double-sided printing if you need information on both sides of the card. The 31R is a rewritable, monochrome-only version: instead of using a ribbon, it wipes and reprints the same card up to 500 times, which is a useful option for temporary passes or visitor badges that change constantly, since it removes the ongoing ribbon cost entirely.

Security That Punches Above Its Price

PC authentication locks the printer to a specific machine, so it's no use to anyone if it's stolen, and USB data is encrypted as standard. UV ink printing adds an image or text only visible under UV light, and a customisable SmartMark watermark, using your own text, image, or logo, sits under a transparent overlay for an extra visible layer of security. With all of the built-in security, cloning a Smart 31 card convincingly is genuinely difficult.

Software and Compatibility

A free copy of EasyBadge Lite comes included, limited to 100 records and Windows only. If you need Mac compatibility or a higher record limit, cardPresso is the better fit and is sold separately. The printer itself connects over USB as standard, with Ethernet available as an upgrade, and it's compatible with Windows 7, 8, and 10, Mac OS, and Linux.

Please note: ribbon and blank cards aren't included with this printer. Add compatible consumables to your order so you're ready to print as soon as it arrives.

Key Features:

• Direct-to-card printing, FINE™ imaging technology
• Print speeds up to 156 full-colour cards/hour (approx. 23 seconds per card)
• Available as single-sided (31S), double-sided (31D), or rewritable monochrome (31R, reusable up to 500 times)
• Print resolution: 300 dpi (Colour), 600 dpi / 1200 dpi (Mono)
• UV ink printing and customisable SmartMark watermark with transparent overlay
• PC authentication and encrypted USB data transfer
• USB connectivity as standard, Ethernet available as an upgrade
• Compatible with Windows 7/8/10, Mac OS, and Linux
• Includes EasyBadge Lite design software (Windows only, 100-record limit)
• 5-year manufacturer warranty, 3-year printhead warranty
• Dimensions: 172mm x 377mm x 190mm (W x L x H)
• Weight: 3.4kg (single-sided), 4.2kg (double-sided)

Complete Your Setup

We stock blank PVC cards and a full range of compatible ribbons, YMCKO full colour, monochrome, and specialty finishes, to keep your Smart 31 running from day one.