IDP Smart 51D ID Card Printer (Smart 51 Series) - 651303

IDP Smart 51D Dual-Sided ID Card Printer Overview

Teams producing staff badges, student IDs, membership cards or access control badges on a single-sided printer have to flip and re-feed every card by hand. The IDP Smart 51D removes that step entirely. Its built-in flipper module handles front-and-back printing automatically in a single pass, so your team loads cards once and collects finished, two-sided credentials from the output hopper. It is IDP Corporation's mid-range ID card printer platform, built on the proven Smart 51 series, and it suits teams running regular batches rather than the occasional one-off double-sided card.

Specifications

What's Included:

• IDP Smart 51D dual-sided printer
• USB cable
• Power cord
• CD with printer drivers, manuals and utility programmes
• Quick install guide

Print quality, speed and the metal frame behind it

The Smart 51D's durable metal frame reduces vibration during printing. That matters because precise ribbon movement is what keeps colour gradients smooth and text edges sharp on a direct-to-card printer. IDP's FINE™ Imaging Technology and a new high-performance CPU optimise that ribbon movement together. So cards come out consistently across an entire batch rather than drifting in quality as the hopper empties.

Print speeds are 212 full-colour cards per hour in single-sided mode (YMCKO ribbon) and 164 dual-sided colour cards per hour (YMCKOK ribbon). Monochrome-only jobs reach 720 cards per hour. At those rates, a school issuing 500 dual-sided student IDs can complete the run in around three hours. The input hopper holds 100 cards and extends to 200 when you open the cover, so longer runs don't require constant reloading.

Resolution is 300 dpi for both colour and monochrome work. For mono-only jobs where fine text or barcodes need to be razor-sharp, 600 and 1,200 dpi are also available. The print area covers the full card surface edge-to-edge, so there are no white borders to plan around when designing your card layout. The printer also supports transparent cards, so visitor badges or premium membership cards can use the card material itself as part of the design.

Encoding, connectivity and security options

The Smart 51D ships with USB connectivity as standard. Ethernet is available as an upgrade if the printer needs to serve multiple workstations across a network, and Wi-Fi is also an optional addition. The printer runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, so it fits most existing IT environments without forcing a platform choice.

Magnetic stripe encoding follows ISO 7811, covering Tracks I, II and III with HiCo and LoCo support, and can be added for cards that carry swipe-readable data. Contact smart card encoding follows ISO 7816 for microprocessor cards. Contactless encoding covers ISO 14443, MIFARE, DESFire, iCLASS and NFC. Each encoding option installs inside the printer, so the card never leaves the machine between printing and encoding.

Physical security options include a lockable input hopper and ribbon lock, plus a Kensington lock slot. If the printer sits in a shared office or reception area, the hopper lock keeps blank card stock and used ribbon inaccessible when no one is at the desk.

The Smart 51D carries CE certification alongside CB, FCC, KC and CCC, confirming it meets the electrical safety standards for UK and European use.

Upgrade path, consumables and warranty

The Smart 51 series is designed to grow with your card programme. If your current workload only needs single-sided printing, the IDP Smart 51S single-sided card printer is the entry point on the same platform. If cards need a laminated overlay for durability or to carry visual security features, the IDP Smart 51L dual-sided printer with laminator adds IDP's patented Direct Lamination technology. It cuts laminator heat-up time and saves energy compared with conventional laminator designs.

The Smart 51D comes with a 5-year printer warranty and a 2-year printhead warranty, which is a strong commitment for this class of printer and reflects IDP's confidence in the metal-framed construction.

For consumables, the Smart 51D uses the same ribbon range as the Smart 31, so stock is shared across both printers if you run both. The IDP Smart 51 ribbons range covers every panel configuration the 51D needs. YMCKO gives you single-sided colour at 250 prints per roll, YMCKOK handles dual-sided colour at 200 prints per roll, and monochrome ribbons come in six colours at 1,200 prints per roll. A UV fluorescent YMCFKO option is also available for cards that carry a security panel readable only under UV light.

Plain white CR80 PVC cards are available separately and are compatible with the 51D's 15 to 40 mil thickness range.

Who the IDP Smart 51D was Designed for

The Smart 51D is the right choice for organisations that issue dual-sided ID cards regularly and need a reliable, mid-volume printer that can grow as requirements change.

• Schools and colleges: printing student ID cards with a photo and personalised data on the front and timetable, campus information or barcode on the reverse.
• Employers and HR teams: issuing staff badges that carry access permissions or barcodes on the back, with no manual flip-and-reprint step.
• Membership organisations: producing dual-sided membership cards, loyalty cards or event credentials in batches of hundreds at a time.
• Healthcare providers: printing staff ID badges and visitor credentials where both sides carry information required for identification or access.
• Government and local authority teams: running regular credential issuance programmes for roles that require a verifiable, professionally printed photo ID.