Methods Used While Printing On Plastic Cards

Posted by Hadraj Youssef On Thursday, August 8, 2013 0 Comments
By Nita McKinney


Globally, printing on plastic cards has become more popular since many companies and institutions prefer using them for several purposes. One can therefore print a membership card, business card, loyalty card, gift card, key access card, identity card, and fund-raising card among others. Preferably, plastic cards are extensively used because they are durable and resistant to water.

It should be noted that the designing and printing of such a card is demanding should be properly handled. As such, graphic designers should consider some factors and incorporate various printing tips when making one. With regard to the international policies, it is outlined that a standard plastic card should be 85.47 millimeters to 85.72 millimeters in long, 53.92 millimeters to 54.03 millimeters in wide, and 0.82 millimeters thick.

There are other regulations which dictate that a credit card should measure 3.375 inches by 2.125 inches, a business card to measure 3.5 inches by 2 inches and a postcard to measure 4 inches by 6 inches. In addition, there are certain factors that should be considered when printing a card. For instance, spot color and four color systems should always be used in the process.

The spot color should be devoted to a particular color of the ink such that the same color is printed on the card. Similarly, a computer can also be used with the spot color system to ensure the accurate printing of colors. Moreover, using a wide range of plastic substrates would ensure that the card gets a warm and stark white quality.

Designers are advised to avoid the final polishing of the card, which can darken them. Instead, they should bump it in order to compensate for the darkening or washing out of the printed details. When designing the card, graphic artists are advised to provide an additional 0.125 inch, which caters for bleeding of ink during the procedure. The extra piece also aids the designer in die cutting such the printed surface is not tampered with during cutting.

Most designers often use different kinds of plastics in their designing work. The major types of plastics used includes the composite laminated plastics and traditional PVC plastics. Most designers prefer using the composite laminated plastics since they are more cheaper than PVC types.

PVC plastics are however more durable and last longer than the composite plastics. In addition, there are also other designing options for plastics that can be carried on cards to enhance their quality. They include; using a wide range of plastic length, use of bar codes, variable data, UV coats, magnetic stripes, tip-on gluing method, gloss finish, and holographic security.

Before printing on plastic cards some designing is done, and for several purposes such as; increasing quality of the card, enhancing durability and making sure it conforms to the latest technological advancements. For instance, gloss finishing would enhance durability, while holographic security system serves for detecting the security digital gadgets. In the same manner, these designs determine the unique characteristics of different cards. When compared to products of other materials, the plastic ones are more durable and have other many advantages over the others.




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