Plastic card printing technologies

Plastic card printing technologies

Printing Solution
April 09, 2022

This technology, also known as D2T2 (Dye Diffusion Thermal Transfer), combines monochrome thermal transfer processes and dye sublimation:

Dye sublimation

When using a ribbon consisting of color panels (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black), printing is carried out in several stages, with the print head heating each color panel one after the other. These layers of color then vaporize and solidify on the top layer of the plastic card. The layers are superimposed to achieve the required colors.

Monochrome thermal transfer

Thermal transfer involves applying a single layer of color from a monochrome ribbon on the smooth, flat surface of the plastic card. This transfer is possible thanks to the print head, which, by increasing the temperature, heats up the areas to be printed on the colored layer of the ribbon before transferring it onto the card. A varnish is then applied to the card to maximize durability.

Retransfer printing

Retransfer technology (or reverse transfer) is a two-stage card printing process:

The card design is printed in reverse on a transparent film. The process used is sublimation for the color (successive application of different layers of color) and thermal transfer for the black panel.
The design printed on this film is then transferred onto the card, which reverses it again to achieve the correct orientation.

What are the benefits of these printing techniques?

The advantages of each of the two techniques are:

Direct-to-card printing:

Good value for money
Easy handling of a single print ribbon and simple management of consumables
Option to customize pre-printed cards for variable elements (photos, text, barcodes)
Faster print speed

First and most important, the card itself has to be tough. In this security-conscious age, governments and other large organizations insist on custom-designed card media of ever-increasing sophistication. This is for two main reasons.

First, multiple security features create greater counterfeiting difficulties.
Second, guards can quickly and easily validate unique features known only to the organization?s security force. Your card media should offer an array of security features, any or all of which may be incorporated into custom designs.

Durability?

Todays cards must be extremely durable. For example, your card stock should be ten times the flex life of regular PVC cards. It should meet or exceed all international standards for resistance to cracking, permanent adhesion of over-laminate, and durability of image. The lanyard slot in a regular PVC card is often fragile. If the slot tears, an unauthorized user needs only to change the photo to go past a careless inspector.

Holographic imaging?

To prevent counterfeiting, alteration or duplication, there are many techniques that companies can use with digital printers. First of all, they can position multiple security images or holograms. The holographic image lamination process also provides a very rich looking card. Multiple screenings of the same photograph increase integrity.

Micro-Printing

With micro-printing, text can be added to a users specifications, with deliberate random font changes and misspellings if desired. Character height is five thousandths of an inch (0.125 mm). Pre-printed serial numbers can also be incorporated into card stock. Laser etching is another option. Fine-line Guilloche patterns with hidden micro-text are aimed at foiling counterfeiters, and micro-printing of text and miniature graphic elements are also difficult to duplicate.

Over-Laminate Films

An over-laminate film adds security to the printed ID card. The inner surface of the laminate can be preprinted with OVI ink or UV-visible ink in one, two or three colors. In addition, todays high tech printers can also laminate with , including embossed micro-text. Applications for such security-enhanced cards include driving licenses; national health, social security and voter registration programs; law enforcement and government agency personnel.