Plastic Card Finishing Options

What sets your plastic card printing program apart are the options available from Plasticcardonline.com. We offer a full range of personalization options that will allow you to take your plastic card program to the next level. Plasticcardonline.com offers embossing, bar coding, magnetic stripe encoding, thermal printing and foil stamping.

MOQ starting quantity & unit price

One large pvc sheet size is 460X305mm, which can contain 25 cards. We use Heidelberg machines ,each run of this machine consume 500pcs large sheet. So each run it prints 12500pcs, that's why the quantity is larger the unit price drops quickly.

Magnetic strip

There are several types, most widly used is 12.5mm height loco magstrip. Standard encoding is on track 2, numbers only. Track 1 can encode numbers and characters. If you provide data sheet, we can do random encoding too. And speical magstril, like 8mm height, silver colour, gold colour magstrip are also available for high end clients.

Embossing

One of the most popular options we have available to our customers is Plastic Card Embossing. This feature is the same that you will find on your credit card. It is a very popular feature with VIP and Membership cards. It has also become a new trend with Plastic Business Card Printing and Gift Cards. We can emboss type in several sizes as well as embossing unique information on each cards. Coupled with our fulfillment programs our customers can save money by ordering a large quantity of cards and having us emboss individual member information on each cards as their club or organizations numbers rise. Embossing can be random or sequantial number. The character size has 2 types: 16pt and 12 pt. 16pt is same as credit card embossing, using NBS embossing machine, we can do 18 characters each line maximun. Embossing can not be vertical. And need leave at least 5mm to the card edge. Also embossing will affect magstrip if there is one on the otherside of the card.

Barcode

Barcode has 2 types, thermal printed and spray printed. Thermal printed is durable and clear. Spray printed is cost effective and usually the only one option for special shape card. The most widely used barcode format is Code139 The code can be sequential number or random code. Barcode size: 10digitals 35X15mm, 8digitals 30X12mm,6digitals 25X12mm

Signature panel

Signature panel can be any size and shape, most clients use white ones. We can also do transparent magstrip which is a layer of oil add to the card surface and make it writable for pens.

Scractch panel

Most used scratch panel size:5X18mm 6X18mm 5X22mm 6X22mm 5X26mm 6X26mm 5X30mm 6X30mm 5X40mm 6X40mm. The data under scratch panel are spray printed number.

Printed number

There are 2 types, spray printed number, which is dot matrix. Low cost, short run. And can apply to any position of the card and no matter what size and shape the card is. Themal printed number is only for standard card. The number is printed by heat so it is more durable and looks more clear and sharp. Above 2 types of numbering systems can be sequential or non sequential.

Metallic stock

There are gold and silver, this is widly use for membership card. The card with metallic stock is shinny under light, looks like there are gold or silver power inside of the plastic card material. It makes the card expensive looking.

Metallic ink

Metallic ink is done by silk printing. As CMYK colour can not represent real gold or silver colour, so we have to use special ink with gold or silver powder to make the gold more golden. Unlike mattlic foil, metallic ink has no limitaions for designers mind, it can be used to print complex image like individual portrait. The metallic ink is the best solution for complex image with real gold and silver colour.

Metallic foil

There are gold and silver , green, red, rainbow colours, it is done by heat stamp machine. The made a new layer of gold or silver and add to the card surface, it is glittering and smooth surface like a mirror. The limitation is foil stamp can only do simple images and large charactors.

Colored & Clear Stock

If you are looking to make a definate impression give our clear or frosted line a try. The translucent quality of these cards makes them unforgettable. We also offer Silver and Gold Cardstocks that have a metallic quality (Like metallic paint on a car) In addition to these specialty cardstocks we have a full line of colored stock that can help keep costs down by reducing the colors of ink required to create a design.

Thermal Customization

Need different information on every one of your Plastic Cards?? No problem! In the printing industry this is known as as Thermal Printing. Common uses are ID Badges, Member Information, Bardcode Printing, and Thermal Numbering.

FOB Plastic Breakaway Key Tag

A popular new solution in the VIP and Membership Card industry is to have a card attached to a keytag that can be fastened to a members keychain. FOB Keytags can be thermal printed to have matching information. Keytags are also available in a three up version. A great way to save money on a budget. A 500 card order yields 1500 Keytags this way.

UV Printing

UV printing is used to print on plastic, foil, and specialty substrates. UV light is used to dry specially formulated inks that are printed on non-porous materials. In conventional printing, ink dries as it is absorbed into paper. Because plastic is not absorbent, the ink must be dried on the top surface using UV light.

A

Access Control Card - Plastic card used to gain access to premises, usually associated with magnetic stripe and proximity cards.

B

Bar Code - An array of machine-readable rectangular bars and spaces arranged in a specific way defined in international standards to represent letters, numbers, and other human-readable symbols.

Bleeds - Artwork that extends beyond the actual size of the card.

C

Combo Card - A standard CR80 card attached to 1 or more key tags or a hanger.

CR50 Card - Luggage tag sized card (3 1/2" x 2 3/32" x .020).

CR80 Card - Standard credit card size (3 3/8" x 2 1/8" x .030).

D

Digital Imaging - Scanning or otherwise capturing images which may be subsequently edited, filed, displayed or printed on a plastic card.

Dye Sublimation - An imaging method for transferring controlled quantities of printer ribbon dye onto a plastic card, used in thermal printing.

E

Electronic Art - Graphics in a digital format to work with computer design and imaging applications.

Embossing - Raised letters or numbers usually tipped in either silver or gold foil.

Encoding - The process of electronically "writing" information on magnetic stripes or smart card chips.

F

Foil Stamping - Hot stamp printing is achieved by using pressure and heat to affix colored foil in to the plastic surface.

Font - A character set (alphabet and numerals) of a specified design and size.

Four Color Process (CMYK) - Printing in full color using four color separation negatives - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. When blended, these four colors reproduce only a small portion of all the colors found in nature, but they can reproduce the widest range with the fewest inks when printing.

Fulfillment - The process by which the card is matched to a letter, inserted into an envelope, metered and delivered to the post office. Personalization is available using several different methods along with continuous form equipment or individual piecework.

G

Gift Card - Standard CR80 or custom size card. Stored value is placed on the card through the Point of Sales system using the magnetic strip or bar code.

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) - A bitmap image file that is not recommended for print production due to its color limitations.

H

Half Tones - Dot system of color photos to black and white.

Hanger Card - A CR80 card that is attached to a piece of plastic which can hang from a display.

Hologram - A unique photographic printing that provides a three-dimensional effect on a flat surface. Holograms cannot be easily copied and are used for security and aesthetic purposes on cards.

I

I.D. Card - Card which identifies both the bearer and the issuer. All financial transaction cards are I.D. cards.

Image Capture System - A hardware and software system used to obtain and save personal data and cardholder photographic images.

J

JPEG (file extension .jpg) - A very common form of image compression file used. This type of file may be opened in many programs.

K

Key Card - Plastic card used to gain access to premises, usually associated with magnetic stripe and proximity cards.

L

Lamination - The process of combining lamination material and core material using time, heat and pressure.

Loyalty Card - Standard (CR80) or custom size card that have off line accounting for capabilities such as mileage or merchandise purchases.

M

Machine-Readable - A code or characters that can be read by machines.

Magnetic Stripe - Magnetic material, applied as a strip in the surface of a card, used to encode cardholder information.

Matte Finish - A non-glossy and writable finish that can be applied to an entire side, or both sides, of a card.

Memory Card - A type of smart card. Also known as a synchronous card, it features 256 bit or 32 byte memory and us suitable for use as a token card or identification card.

Microprocessor Card - A type of smart card, also known as an asynchronous card. Features 1 kilobyte to 64 Kbytes of memory and is suitable for portable or confidential files, identification, tokens, electronic purse or any combination of uses.

O

Overlay Varnish - A thin transparent layer applied to cards to resist scratching and fading from exposure to UV radiation.

P

Personalization - Printing encoding and programming a card with data specific to an individual cardholder.

Phone Card - A stored value card that allow the user to access pre-paid long distance. The long distance is generally accessed via a PIN (stored value), which is usually covered by a scratch-off panel for security.

PMS (Pantone Matching System) - Used by printers for color standardization.

Point of Sales (PoS) - The system which your business uses to process transactions. The POS provider will be able to explain what types of barcodes, magnetic stripes, or other options like RFIDs your system may accept.

PDF (Portable Document Format) - A file format created for document layouts, not ideal for imaging.

Prepaid Card - A card paid for at Point of Sale, permitting the holder to buy goods or services up to the prepaid value.

Print Ready Art - Complete art file that is ready to be put into production.

Prox Card - Short for Proximity card; a form of contact-free smart card used for access control applications. Embedded in the card is a metallic antenna coil, which allows it to communicate with an external antenna. Because the cards require only close "proximity" to a RF antenna to be read, they are also referred to as contactless cards.

PVC - Polyvinyl Chloride. One of the materials used for plastic cards with certain special features such as embossing or use in thermal printers.

R

Resolution - Dimension of the smallest element of a bitmap image. Usually stated as dots-per-inch (dpi). 300 dpi is the minimum standard for printing clear images.

S

Safe Design Area - The printable area in which important information or images will be safe from being cut off, .125” from the edge of the plastic card.

Screen Tints - Determined by percentage of colors.

Signature Panel - The area of an I.D. card where the cardholder enters a signature.

Smart Card/Contact Smart Card - Also called a "chip" card or IC card. A plastic card with an embedded microchip, which may be used to store information about the cardholder or record card transactions as they occur.

Swipe Packaging - Designed to hold a card with a magnetic stripe for point of sale activation.

T

Teslin® - A durable plastic substrate made predominately of silica manufactured by PPG Industries.

Thermal Printing - The process of creating an image on a plastic card using a heated print head.

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) - A flexible and common file format for images that is widely accepted by image-manipulation software.

Y

YMC - Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan are the primary print colors for cards. The three colors are combined in varying degrees to make a full spectrum of colors. YMCKO is the same as YMC plus Black (K) and clear protective overcoat (O).

Qantity/Unit Price	1000	2000-3000	5000-10000	10000+	Style/option
Bar Code	+0.04	+0.04	+0.02	+0.01
Lo-co Magnetic Strip	+0.04	+0.04	+0.02	+0.01
Hi-co Magnetic Strip	+0.08	+0.08	+0.06	+0.02
Scratch off panel	+0.08	+0.06	+0.04	+0.02
Hole/Strip punch	+0.08	+0.06	+0.04	+0.02
Signature panel	+0.04	+0.04	+0.02	+0.01
QR code (variable)	+0.4	+0.2	+0.1	+0.1
Scratch resistant finishing	+0.08	+0.04	+0.02	+0.01
Matte laminated	+0.08	+0.04	+0.02	+0.01
Print film overlay	+0.08	+0.04	+0.02	+0.01
Spray printed numbers	+0.04	+0.04	+0.02	+0.01
Thermal printed numbers (Black)	+0.08	+0.04	+0.02	+0.01
Thermal printed numbers (Gold/Silver)	+0.14	+0.12	+0.12	+0.08
Laser printed numbers	+0.12	+0.1	+0.08	+0.08
Embossing	+0.04	+0.02	+0.01	+0.01
Credit card NPS embossing	+0.06	+0.04	+0.02	+0.01
Gold/Silver Laser foil	+0.08	+0.04	+0.02	+0.01
Gold/Silver Green/Red/Blue foil	+0.08	+0.04	+0.02	+0.01
Holo stamp	+0.1	+0.06	+0.04	+0.01
Gold/Silver metallic ink	+0.1	+0.08	+0.04	+0.02
Visible UV oil	+0.14	+0.14	+0.1	+0.1
Invisible UV printing Shining under UV light	+0.3	+0.2	+0.1	+0.1
Die cut card	+0.3	+0.2	+0.1	+0.1
Clear stock	+0.14	+0.1	+0.08	+0.04
Clear frosted card	+0.12	+0.1	+0.08	+0.04
Metallic Gold/Silver background	+0.06	+0.04	+0.02	+0.02
Matte finish	+0.06	+0.04	+0.02	+0.02
Protect film overlay	+0.08	+0.06	+0.04	+0.02
Plastic bag	+0.08	+0.06	+0.04	+0.02

Plastic Card Printing Terminology

Plastic Access Card
Magnetic or chip cards with or without photo used to enter restricted areas eg. ID badges.

Blank Plastic Cards
Cards with no printing usually used in imagining machines

Coercivity
A measure of the strength of a magnetic field. Fields are expressed as low or high by the terms LoCo and HiCo.

Contact
A point of electrical connection between a smart card and its external interface device.

Contact Card
Any card where information is transferred to a reader via a series of contact points located on the card.

Degaussing
Magnetic stripe data erasure.

Digitizing
Conversion of non-textual data to digital form.

Embossing
Characters in relief on the front surface of a card.

Encoding
Recording electronic information on to a magnetic stripe.

Encryption
Transferring information based on a key to make it un-intelligible to unauthorized parties.

Electronic Gift Card
A retail prepaid card usually initiated at cash or checkout.

Initialization
Programming a smart card chip with data that is the same for a batch of cards.

ID Card
Card which identifies both the bearer and the issuer. All financial transaction cards are ID cards.

ISO
International Standards Organization, central body for formation and dissemination of industry standards for all national standards bodies.

Issuer
An individual or organization that issues identification cards to individual or corporate cardholders.

Lithography or Offset Printing
Most common process for plastic card printing based on the concept that oil and water are not compatible. The ink represents the oil and the alkaline fountain solution represents the water. These are the two main components which must interact during the printing process, allowing the ink to adhere to the image area of a printing plate while the fountain solution repels the ink from the non-image area.

Lamination
Using plates on a press to fuse the various layers of a plastic card together.

Loyalty Card
Usually a retail frequent user card offering promotional benefits.

Magnetic Stripe
The strip of magnetic recording material on an ID card.

Plastic Membership Card
Usually a club member card for ID purpose.

Non-magnetic Card
Cards without a magnetic stripe eg. ID cards.

Off-line
A transaction via paper or reader not connected to a central system.

On-line
A transaction on a terminal permanently connected to a network that is on-line to the card account.

Personalization
Printing, encoding and programming a card with data specific to an individual cardholder.

Prepaid Card
A card paid for at point of sale permitting the holder to buy goods and services up to the prepaid value.

Promotional Card
A card offering special benefits to users eg, discount card.

PVC
Polyvinyl chloride, the most widely used plastic material for ID cards.

Radio Frequency Card (RFID)
A proximity card in which the coupling between the card and the interface device is by radio.

Signature Panel
The area of an ID card where the cardholder enters a signature.

Skimming
Copying the magnetic stripe encoding from one card to another.

Stored Value Card (aka cash card, electronic purse, prepaid card)
A financial card that is loaded with a certain amount of money with each purchase amount deducted from the card.

Substrate
Material upon which a plastic card is printed.

Transit Card
Magnetic or chip card used for transportation services eg. subway card.

Telecom Card
Magnetic or chip card used for telephone services eg. GSM card, prepaid card.

Traditional Card
A magnetic or non magnetic card not using chip card technology.