IDP Smart 51S Card Printer - 651302

IDP Smart-51S Single-Sided ID Card Printer Overview

The IDP Smart-51S is a mid-range, single-sided direct-to-card printer built for organisations that issue ID cards regularly and need reliable output without constant operator attention. It suits HR teams, membership clubs, schools, and anyone running a medium-volume card production programme.

Print quality and speed that keep pace with your workload

The Smart-51S uses dye-sublimation with IDP's Enhanced FINE™ Imaging Technology to produce full-colour photo ID cards at 300 dpi, edge to edge across the full CR80 card face. Monochrome resolution steps up to 600 or 1200 dpi for text, barcodes, and line detail that reads cleanly under a scanner.

Speed is where the Smart 51 stands apart from lighter-duty card printers. Full-colour YMCKO cards print at up to 212 cards per hour. Switch to a monochrome ribbon and that rises to 720 cards per hour. That throughput is useful when you need to issue a large run of single-colour access control badges or membership cards quickly. Every card comes out dry and ready to hand over; there is no waiting for inks to cure.

The input hopper holds 100 cards with the lid closed and opens to 200, so a sizeable batch runs unattended. The 40-card removable front output hopper keeps finished cards organised, and individual cards can be hand-fed when you only need one or two.

Upgrade options and encoding

The Smart-51S ships as a single-sided, USB-connected printer. Optional upgrades are all field-installable, so you can add capability as your programme grows rather than buying a new printer.

Dual-sided printing. A flipper module converts the 51S to the 51D, printing colour on the front and black on the back in a single pass. If cards also need lamination for daily handling, the IDP Smart 51L is available separately as a ready-configured dual-sided model with the lamination module installed.

Ethernet. USB is standard. Ethernet connects the printer to a shared network so multiple users can send jobs without physically accessing the machine.

Encoding. Magnetic stripe encoding writes to ISO 7811 tracks for door access and time-and-attendance systems. Contactless smart card encoding covers MIFARE and other ISO 14443 formats for proximity access control cards and contactless passes.

Security printing. The SmartMark feature prints a custom visible watermark, which can be text, a logo, or an image of your choice, into the overlay panel at no extra ribbon cost. UV printing adds a covert image to the card that only appears under ultraviolet light. Either feature on its own deters casual copying; both together make a card significantly harder to clone.

Please note: This printer is not currently compatible with Windows 11. It supports Windows 7, 8, and 10, plus macOS and Linux.

Specification table

Warranty, consumables, and what to order alongside

IDP backs the Smart 51 with a five-year manufacturer warranty, three years of which covers the printhead. That cover period is well above the industry norm for this class of printer, and it reflects the metal-frame construction and steel ball bearing mechanism that keeps print quality consistent over high card volumes.

The Smart-51S uses a dedicated ribbon cartridge that drops in without tools. For full-colour ID cards, the IDP Smart 51 YMCKO colour ribbon (659366) yields 250 prints per roll and includes a cleaning roller. For text-only or barcode-only runs, the monochrome black ribbon (659367) yields 1,200 prints per roll. There are also blue, red, white, gold, and silver monochrome options if your card design calls for them.

If you need blank plastic cards to print on, our plain white CR80 PVC cards are sized and certified for direct-to-card printers. The 760 micron option gives the firm credit-card feel appropriate for staff passes and membership cards that take daily handling.

For ongoing maintenance, the IDP Smart 31/51 cleaning kit keeps the transport rollers clear and helps the printhead deliver consistent results across its full service life.

The Smart-51S is the right printer for any organisation that issues photo ID cards, access control badges, membership cards, or event passes at medium volume and needs a proven, upgradeable platform they can grow with.