Evolis Zenius 2 ID Card Printer

Evolis Zenius 2 ID Card Printer Overview

The Evolis Zenius 2 handles single-sided colour and monochrome card printing at speeds that suit regular, moderate-volume runs. It’s best suited for schools, housing associations, corporate offices and facilities teams that issue access control cards alongside photo ID because it covers both jobs from one straightforward desktop device.

Specifications

What’s Included:

• Evolis Zenius 2 card printer (Classic or Expert model)
• Back output hopper for 50 cards
• Starter cleaning kit
• USB cable (1.8 m)
• Power supply and cord
• ID-ALL Starter Edition software licence
• Quick start guide and user documentation

Print quality and speed for a working card programme

The Zenius 2 uses dye-sublimation and resin thermal transfer printing, which produces vivid, photo-quality colour cards and crisp monochrome text. The standard print resolution is 300 × 300 dpi, with an extended resolution of 300 × 600 dpi available for both colour and monochrome output. Monochrome resolution steps up further to 300 × 1200 dpi, so black-only cards carry sharper detail. That makes a difference when you are printing dense barcodes or small-point text for access card workflows.

At 180 full-colour cards per hour, a batch of 50 cards completes in under 17 minutes. If you are printing in monochrome (names, roles and barcodes on a pre-printed card blank, for example), the Zenius 2 reaches 700 cards per hour. For most teams issuing cards regularly but not in bulk, those speeds leave no queue at the printer.

Card-by-card loading lets you produce a single card on demand. The 50-card feeder handles scheduled batches without needing anyone to stand over it. The front output hopper holds 25 cards and the rear holds 50. You can position the printer on a desk and collect output from whichever side suits the space.

Rewritable card support, ribbons and ongoing consumables

If your site uses visitor passes or temporary badges that change frequently, the Zenius 2 supports rewritable cards. Rewritable technology lets the printer erase and reprint a card, so temporary credentials can be updated and reissued rather than replaced. This reduces ongoing consumable spend for high-turnover visitor management.

For standard card printing, genuine Evolis High Trust ribbons maintain print-head life and consistent image quality over the printer’s working life. The Zenius 2 takes a wide range of ribbons, including YMCKO for full-colour printing and an extensive range of monochrome ribbons in black, white, metallic gold, metallic silver, red, blue and green. You can browse all compatible options on the Evolis Zenius 2 ribbon page. Evolis recommends running a cleaning cycle every time you change a ribbon. A starter cleaning kit is included in the box.

The printer carries a 3-year warranty covering both the printer body and the printhead. Organisations printing on a weekly or daily basis will find the reinforced printhead is built to handle that level of regular use without early failure.

Classic vs Expert: choosing the right version

The Classic connects by USB and prints names, photos, logos and barcodes onto standard PVC, composite PVC, PET, paper and rewritable cards. It suits teams that print ID cards or visitor badges and manage access credentials separately through their access control system. The USB-only connection means it prints from a single connected workstation.

The Expert adds Ethernet connectivity, so the printer can sit on a network and be used from multiple workstations. It also supports optional encoding modules purchased separately, covering magnetic stripe, contact smartcard and contactless encoding. Each module lets a single card be printed and encoded in one pass. If your site issues contactless access cards that also carry a photo and a staff member’s name, the Expert handles both steps. The Expert is also compatible with the YMCKOO ribbon, which applies a UV-effect panel and a second protective overlay to every card for greater visual security and durability.

Both versions include digital erasing, which deletes print data from the printer’s memory after each job. Both support a Kensington security lock. The Expert adds mobile printing via the Evolis Print Service app on iOS and Android, which allows cards to be sent from a smartphone or tablet.

Who the Evolis Zenius 2 ID Card Printer was Designed for

The Evolis Zenius 2 is the right ID card printer for organisations that need to produce staff ID, membership or access control cards in-house in moderate volumes and want a compact desktop setup that’s easy to run and produces high-quality cards.

• Corporate offices and facilities teams: Print staff photo ID and, with the Expert model, encode access control cards in a single pass for controlled-entry buildings.
• Schools and colleges: Issue student and staff ID cards on demand from a single desk, using the included ID-ALL software to build card templates without specialist training.
• Membership organisations and leisure venues: Print full-colour membership cards in small runs, with the option to reprint rewritable visitor passes without consuming ribbon.
• HR and reception teams: Produce individual cards on demand using the card-by-card slot, or run batches for new starters using the 50-card feeder.