Plastic cards printing methods

Plastic cards can be printed by various printing techniques. Each of the printing techniques has its own properties, and thus advantages and disadvantages. What’s more, techniques can be combined to achieve the desired effect. Each plastic cards printing technique has different costs associated with the amount of circulation.

Offset printing

Card offset printing is a technique analogous to the offset printing technology generally known in the printing industry, but a different, difficult to print substrate (PVC, plastic) requires the use of a special type of paint and a more complicated procedure. Of all popular methods, offset printing offers the highest quality and durability of printing. Multicolored print is obtained from the assembly of four basic CMYK colors and / or additional individually selected colors, e.g. according to the PANTONE pattern. They can be metallic paints, e.g. gold, silver. The possibility of using individual colors from the palette (e.g. PANTONE) allows you to get vivid, attractive colors.

The offset method allows to obtain a ruling (raster line density) up to 200 lpi with a resolution of 3000 dpi. High ruling allows you to get a large number of shades of colors on the same surface. Cards are made once as a whole series. It is not cost-effective to obtain an individual print using this method for each card separately. This is only possible during the personalization process using the thermal transfer or dye sublimation method. This method is used for larger numbers of cards due to the cost of production preparation, but once the increase in circulation the price of a single card decreases significantly. For high volumes requiring precise printing, for example, printing gift cards, this is the most efficient and appropriate method.

Screen printing

Screen printing is another popular technique for plastic cards printing. Like the offset method, it allows you to obtain multi-colored prints composed of basic CMYK colors and additional colors, e.g. according to the PANTONE pattern. Compared to offset printing, it is a more versatile method, hence printing on materials such as PVC, plastic, polyethylene is not a major obstacle, but it is characterized by poorer quality and lower efficiency.

The screen printing process produces a ruling of 133 lpi at a resolution of 1270 dpi. Its special advantages are used when printing with coarse-grained metallic colors (gold, silver) on previously printed by other methods cards or as a metallic primer. It is used for cards from 500 to 2000 pieces. For larger volumes, offset printing is a more effective method.

Similarly to the offset method, screen printing does not allow cost-effective individual printing for each card separately.

Digital print

Having several varieties most often uses a raster technique similar to offset printing or a raster technique used in inkjet printers. It is made in devices that can work in room conditions. A multi-colored image is obtained from the combination of four primary colors (CMYK) or from the four available ink colors.

It is not possible to use any color from the template, e.g. PANTONE. The print quality achieved varies within 145 lpi. It does not offer the quality of offset printing, however it is higher than the dye sublimation method. In terms of performance, it gives way to offset printing.

The digital printing of plastic cards allows, however, to personalize cards during printing, so it is great for printing plastic business cards.

Thermal transfer printing

Thermal transfer printing is made on special printers. It is a one-color (monochrome) print with a resolution of 200 to 300 dpi. The dye from the ribbon is transferred to the card and then fixed with a thermal head. The ribbons are replaceable. The print is limited to an eight-color palette. With this method you can apply a layer of so-called “scratch cards” or laminating tape. Thermal transfer printing is used at small volumes from a few to about 1000 pieces, where other printing methods are much more expensive, as well as in the personalization process, for printing personal data of the card holder or the barcode printing during printing plastic snap-off cards.

Dye-sublimation printing

Dye-sublimation printing is a type of thermal transfer printing. Unlike the previous method, it allows you to make multi-color prints, almost photographic quality, obtained from three (YMC) and sometimes four (YMCK) basic colors with a resolution of 300 dpi and a screening of 75-140 lpi. Due to the lower resolution and ruling, as well as the inability to use additional colors individually selected from the palette according to e.g. the PANTONE pattern, it does not allow for obtaining the quality as in the offset method.

The dye from the dyeing tapes is sprayed onto the card and then the card is covered with a colorless protective layer (overlay), which protects the print from abrasion and gives it shine. This method works in the case of the need for high-quality multi-color printing from a few to about 1000 cards, and in the case of the need to obtain an individual print on each card separately, e.g. photos of holders on ID cards or when e.g. printing loyalty cards requires personalization. Sometimes this technique is combined with the offset method. In the first phase, the entire effort is covered with offset printing with free space left. In the second phase, a dye-sublimation print is applied (e.g. photo of the card holder) in the personalization process.