ID card printing with and ID card printer has been made easier with each new model of printer released. The complexity of the card output has increased with a greater variety of card options at a faster print speed time. In this change, the ease in installation and use is increased to the point that many manufacturers market their products with terms like “virtually maintenance free” “easy to learn” “no training required.”
By understanding how an ID card printer works, you can appreciate the wide variety of options available in card printing with current badge printers. Making a selection from the wide variety of printers available is easy if you understand the process and know what type of card output you require.
Most card printers accept plastic PVC cards that range anywhere from 10 ml to 40 ml thick. The standard PVC card thickness is 30 ml. This is the same size as your driver’s license. The 10 ml cards are often used as business cards, temporary cards, retail cards or something else. Cards that are 40 ml thick are most likely access cards or smart cards. These cards contain chips inside that can be embedded with important information about the card holder or information that will allow a card holder to access a secured area.
These plastic cards must be a quality of image grade or higher to retain the image placed on them by the printer. The printer uses a heated print head to transfer the image from the software directive to the card. The ribbon placed in the printer is normally a full color ribbon. Thousands of colors can be produced from three panels of the ribbon – Y, M, C. Just the right amount of each color is heated, released and burnt into the plastic card. The mixture of the three colors produces photo sharp images on the card using a dye sublimation process as it prints. After the color panels of the ribbon pass, a black panel (k) passes over the card so that true black can be printed for things such as bar codes and text. The final panel on a standard direct to card printer using a full color card is the o panel. This is a clear overlay panel that covers the entire surface of the card. It provides a layer of protection for the printed surface.
If the card is a dual sided card and the printer is capable of printing on both sides of the card, the printer will automatically flip the card within the printer and pass it back under the print head. The printer then prints with a new black panel on the back. Text, mission statements, company location information and other basic items are often printed on the back of the card.
Upon completion of the printing, the printer ejects the card into the output hopper. Most printers can print a full color single side print in about 30 seconds, while a single color print can be completed much faster.
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Tue, Jun 22, 2010
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