PVC ID Card Tray for Epson R280, Artisan 50, R260, R265, R270, R290, R380, RX580, RX595, RX680, P50, and T50

I purchased this item to make novelty ID cards (little league, etc) The item is made of sturdy plastic construction. I own both an R380 and R290 and the tray works perfectly in both printers. You will need to purchase inkjet printable cards for use with this tray. After printing I would say that the cards do not smear. I have not tried to get them wet however. You can also coat them with an inkjet UV Protectant spray in either gloss or matt finish. Here is a link to one of the products to get you started: Krylon Preserve-It Digital Photo and Paper Protectant, Gloss 3 OuncesYou use this tray in the same way you would use the CD/DVD Printing tray which comes with these printers. It is recommended to place two blank cards in at a time even if you are printing on only one card. My tray came with instructions - which was helpful. However there are many U-Tube videos showing this tray in action. I would also search for a template that will work with the program you wish to use to create the card. I have found MS Word, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator templates on the internet. The cards do not need to be laminated, however you can purchase clear overlays with or without a Hologram. I think the Hologram provides a nice touch to the card since the kids really like it, and it makes them look like an official Private I or any other Official you can think of.Be sure to follow the directions which include setting the correct paper size to A4 in up to 2 places as well as setting the printer to print on CD / DVD Media.The tray itself is also an inexpensive way to make company ID cards without having to buy a dedicated printer. Keep in mind you will need to buy the right type of cards and have the necessary equipment to encode the cards and read the cards, (I.E. Swipe Cards versus Card Readers Where You Press the Card to a Plate)There are other types of trays being sold that work with other printers - however this seems to have been a solid buy for me.Here is a link to some blank cards:100 Blank Inkjet PVC ID Cards, Double Sided Printing

This tray works great with my Epson R280. Just set the printer tray to the CD position, slide the ID tray in until the arrows line up, and then print using the A4 standard settings for printing CDs. (Select "Best Picture" printing in the settings as well.) You can print one card if desired, but you will need to have a PVC card in each slot. (The printer checks surface area whereas it is designed to print on CDs and will not print unless that surface area is correct. It will spit the tray out if two cards are not inserted.) For printing to cards, download a template that shows you where your image needs to be for proper alignment with the card location. A simple search such as "Epson R280 ID card template" will give the results you need. The cards will have great image quality comparable to thermal ID printers..... BUT, the surface will feel tacky whereas ink is on the surface of the card. It won't readily smear or wash off, but you will need to apply a clear overlay in order to get a smooth surface and protect the image. Also note that you will need "INK JET" PVC cards (30 mil). You cannot print on the PVC cards designed for thermal printers because they don't have a printable surface.

Perfecto

Ordered product after careful research on price and functionality. Received product before estimated time of delivery which is always a pleasant surprise.I had questions of concern from product packaging, but after contacting the seller, (whom by the way was quick to respond), were resolved and had no functionality issues with the Epson R280 printer.The tray has two slots for the cards, but noticed it was not working when I inserted the tray. Even though I wanted to print only one (1) card, you must insert two cards for the printer to accept it, even if only one (1) was printed on. This was an over site on my end and not the product.I would not hesitate to purchase from seller again as the communications with them was professional and prompt.Saved $$ compared to other sites that were twice the cost.

CLOSING REVIEW: 21 June 2012Platinum ID Cards finally responded to me and I was able to return this tray and received the new tray today with a free set of ID Cards (Thanks Chris Bonno - Platinum ID!). Although this tray also does not fit in the R1900, I modified it and now it works. Awesome!UPDATED: 12 June 2012----------This Tray does not work with Epson Stylus Photo R1900. I've tried repeatedly to contact Platinum ID Cards (via e-mail and telephone - they are not responding) so that I can switch this tray with the other one because I see that the other tray's slots more clearly resembles the CD/DVD tray for the R1900.*I have given one star at this stage because the Seller (Platinum ID Cards) is not responding--------------------ORIGINAL REVIEW: May 2012I have already ordered this item, so I guess my question is a bit 'after the fact' :-)Anyway, anyone out there who have used this tray on the R1900?----If there's no one, I guess I will update soon with a review to say yay or nay!Thanks!!~~~~~***** The 5 stars is for 'If it works on my printer' because I think it is an awesome idea and I don't know why Epson didn't include something like this in the first place.

This tray does not work in my Epson Stylus Photo R680.I can print CDs in my Epson Stylus Photo R680, but despite hours of trying, I have not been able to print ID cards. The printer always returns the message "The CD/DVD tray is set incorrectly. Please correct, then press the Start button". Regardless of where the tray "arrow" is aligned, the printer returns the same message,