When a company needs photo ID cards, the traditional choice was to purchase an ID card printer, associated software, and supplies. The typical outlay for this investment was often over $5,000, and the equipment needed to be replaced every 3-4 years. Since ID card printing is very specialized, it was very rare for local print shops to offer this service. The high per-card cost was justified because there appeared to be few viable alternatives.
However, with the arrival of web services over the past 6-8 years, outsourcing of ID badge printing has become a highly practicable alternative. Services like InstantCard offer on-demand ID card printing services, allowing companies to order ID cards in batches or one-at-a-time as they hire new employees. There are a wide range of alternatives which are generally far more cost effective than in-house printing, except for very large corporations. As a result, companies are now offered an alternative to in-house printing as a source for their ID card requirements.
