Ink jet card printer having a dual belt card transport

A method of printing images to first and second cards using an ink jet card printer having a card transport including first and second belts, and a print unit including an ink jet print head and a gantry, the method comprising:

• supporting the first card in a print position on the first belt;
• supporting the second card in a print position on the second belt;
• printing a first image on the first card and a second image on the second card using the ink jet print head including moving the ink jet print head in a fast scan direction across the first and second cards and moving the ink jet print head in a slow scan direction that is perpendicular to the fast scan direction using the gantry;
• and
• discharging the first card from the first belt including feeding the first card in a first direction along a processing axis that is parallel to the fast scan direction using the first belt;
• wherein supporting the first card in the print position on the first belt and supporting the second card in the print position on the second belt comprises:
• feeding the first card along the processing axis to the print position on the first belt including driving the first belt using a first motor of the card transport;
• and
• feeding the second card along the processing axis to the pring position on the second belt including driving the second belt using a second motor of the card transport independently from driving the first belt using the first motor.

A card transport for use with an ink jet card printer comprising:

• a first belt configured to feed a card along a processing axis;
• a first motor configured to drive the first belt;
• a second belt configured to feed a card along the processing axis;
• and
• a second motor configured to drive the second belt;
• wherein:
• the first and second belts each include an input/output end and a passing end;
• the passing ends of the first and second belts are configured to simultaneously engage a card fed between the first and second belts;
• and
• the first belt is spaced from and oriented relative the second belt such that a gantry of a print unit is permitted to move an ink jet print head of the print unit along a fast scan direction, parallel to the processing axis, across a first card in a print position on the first belt and a second card in a print position on the second belt and move the ink jet print head along a slow scan direction that is perpendicular to the fast scan direction, such that the ink jet print head is permitted to print an image to the first card and the second card during a same print operation.