Abstract: A compact system adapted for card imaging, card laminating, or other card processing, comprises a card processor positioned on a horizontal card feed path and configured to process one or both faces of a rectangular card such as a plastic credit or debit card. A card feeder is arranged to feed cards one at a time onto the horizontal feed path upstream of the card processor, the feeder comprising a compartment for holding a stack of vertical cards each supported on a long edge and a card feed mechanism configured to successively draw a card from an end of the stack and translate it off the stack. A card re-director is configured to receive the card and to redirect it to an attitude in which it is parallel with the horizontal card feed path and positioned to be fed to the card processor along the horizontal feed path. The compartment is located above the horizontal card feed path, and the card feeder feeds cards substantially vertically downward into the card re-director.