Plastic cards - printing and refining procedures

1. Plastic-card printed by offset printing method

More than 90% of all printed cards are printed by the appliance of a offset printing method. The advantage of this high-resolution procedure is, that almost all designs and layouts can be realized. The colours get a high brilliance what is reflected in an outstanding colour-quality. It is printed in the 60th grid of the YMCK process (Y-yellow, M-magenta, C-cyan, K-karbon) or defined spot colours by the HKS colour system or the pantone matching system.

The advantage of printing in the YMCK colour model (4c-print) is, that if a theme is present, that has to be printed in YMCK colour mode, simultaneously and without additional costs also almost each spot colour, with low deviations, can be represented, too (e.g. photos can be printed only using YMCK colour mode).

Other elements of the layout, for example logos or logotypes, can be printed in spot colours as well as in scale colours. Because of the production process while fabricating cards, a bled-off print (the print is approx. 2.5-3.0 mm beyond the edges of the card) can be realized, just like fine an delicate elements of the layout.

Traditionally, an offsetfilm, that is necessary for the preparation of the printing plates, was produced for each colour to be printed. Nowadays the printing plates are mostly exposed digitally (CTP-method means "computer-to-plate"). Consequently the procedures film-exposure, -processing and -montage are discontinued.

The printing quality enhance by this and possible mistake-sources during film-preparation are excluded.

2. Plastic-card printed by screen printing

If cards need to be printed holohedral with one colour, or special metallic-colours (gold or silver) shall be illustrated or a writing field (signature field) has to be applied, the screenprint method is carried out. Due to the colour density, the screenprint is more covering than the offsetprint. Since a screen is produced for each printing ink and the screenprint is slower and more complex, this printing process is more expensive as the offset printing method.

A combination of both printing methods is, according to the layout, also realizable. However, the offsetprint should overprint the screenprint preferably. Colour gradiants within the screenprint-colour cannot be printed.

3. Plastic-card printed using dye-sublimation printing technology

Dye-sublimation printing is mainly applied with us for personalisation of colour photos. It is suitable ideally for smaller quantities of cards (up to 1,000 pcs.), or if the customer has little time for the production of the card.

With dye-sublimation printing, differently than with the screen- or offset printing, the printing is done on the already completely produced card (punched and laminated cards, according the ISO-format). This happens with the help of a card printer. The particular ribbons (4c5p - 4 colours + overlay-protective-patch) copy the layout-data from the software by use of the printhead under temperature effects upon the card surface. Each individual colour (YMCK) is printed or overprinted separately.

However, with dye-sublimation printing, the representing of special-/spot-colours is difficult. Since the printing quality is worse than with the screen- and offset printing methods, you should order cards previously in order to evaluate their quality.

4. Hot embossing printing (Hotstamp)

By means of the hotstamp- or hot embossing printing, the cards become optical enhanced on the one hand, and on the other hand this technology represents a relatively forgery-proof security characteristic. For the wanted theme a sort of stamp is build (printing plate), that stamps the theme under pressure and temperature effects out of a foil (usually silver or gold shiny) onto the card surface. This technology is also applied with the process of hot embossing holograms.

Many elements, e.g. logos and fonts, can be representet in a high-quality. However, the realisation should be coordinated previously. We like to advise you.

5. Plastic-card with writing fields

Writing fields can be realised in almost every selectable format and are mostly printed on the card surface by screen printing technique.

Besides the usual white and transparent fields, also coloured and printed writing-fields are possible.





 

6. Plastic-cards with holograms (3D - finish)

Holograms are primarily found on cards for security reasons, since it is not to copy or to reproduce. However, it represents a method of refinement of your card as well, just like the Hotstamp described above.

The, on rolls produced holograms are shaped in the same procedure on the card surface, (embossing printing) as it is the case with the hotstamp. On the process, standard-themes, but also individual designed logos can be used.