When you consider everything that today’s ID card makers are capable of achieving, it’s no wonder they are sometimes referred to as machines rather than simply printers. These are serious pieces of equipment, though they don’t necessarily take up much space, nor do they weigh a ton. They can however be quite robust in their functionality and durability, and that’s a good thing.

Consider some of the ways we utilize ID cards these days. Personally, I have a gym membership card which contains a barcode that I hold up to a card reader before entering the facility. I’ve held jobs where I was required to carry a proximity card to gain access to office buildings, and I’ve used encoded smart cards to log onto company computers and networks. While in college, my student ID card had a magnetic stripe that stored my meal plan information and also granted me access to the student recreation center. And those are just a few examples of how I’ve used different forms of ID cards in my own life.