Everyone has at least one plastic card in the pocket, but most people do not know how to produce those PVC cards, if you are going to start up your business with plastic printing cards, here 11 tips for you to be an expert.
1, Printed plastic cards with barcode
Many plastic cards printed a barcode, it’s easy to collect the data in seconds. ZBTECH as a plastic card factory can cover all kinds of barcode cards, like barcode gift cards, membership card with barcode, loyalty card with barcode, a barcode for IC cards, ID cards, NFC cards, etc.
Barcodes are a series of wide and narrow bars that can be scanned. There are many different types of barcode. The most commonly used are Code 39, Code 128, Code 93, UPC-A, EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC_E, also QR barcode.
Firstly, you should make sure what’s kind of barcodes is workable for your scanner, as well as do not make the barcode too long for Code 39 or Code 128. Especially, the letters, which will make your barcode hard to scan.
Secondly, do you want to make the barcode human readable or not, which determined to print the number or not under the barcode.
The third, make sure enough place for barcode when you make the design.
2, Magnetic stripe PVC cards
PVC Cards with magnetic stripe provide much convenient, reliable technology for gift cards, membership cards, loyalty cards, and other custom plastic cards.
Advantages of magnetic stripe cards:
Low cost. Lower price compares with chips.
Easily re-writable data. Data on the magnetic strip can be rewritten whenever necessary.
Easy to use. Custom magnetic stripe cards active with a quick swipe on your system, and as fast to use each time.
Familiarity. Almost everyone is familiar with magnetic cards and know how to use.
Security. Data stored in the magnetic stripe cannot human readable.
With so many advantages, please pay attention to some details when you need to make plastic magnetic stripe cards.
1, The thickness of the cards, standard PVC card size is 85.5*54*0.76mm, suitable for the most encoder. If you need to make some special thickness, make sure your encoder can work on that.
2, About encoding, single track encoding is more suggested or track 1 &3. If encoding for contiguous tracks would be easy to make mistakes.
3, The applications. For printed membership cards or plastic loyalty cards, Lo-co magnetic stripe is OK, for high security, we suggest Hi-co magnetic stripe. Certainly, it is according to your encoder.
3, Foil business cards
Foil stamp make your cards more glittering and shining. Let’s talk about starting from the design.
How to set up artwork for foil stamped card printing?
When you decide to make a foil stamped card, develop an extra layer within the artwork. This is requested to make the hot stamp mold. Also please keep in mind foil stamping can only do simple images and or letters.
However, make sure the image cannot too big and close to the edge of the card. For the letters, do not too thin. Why? Please consider the mold.
Then, you can get an attracted hot stamp plastic card.
4, Numbered membership cards
Almost every card need print serial numbers, which means the membership ID or customer ID.
If you need to print several lines of numbers, especially print pin code and serial number. Please make them within 32mm, we can print by DOD machine for one time. In this way, make sure each number one-to-one correspondence.
What’s more, if your pin code card without a serial number, please make it. With this serial number, our QC department can pick it out if there any pin code missing. In addition to this, if your pin code printed by DOD, please choose zebra-stripe scratch off label to avoid being seen through under the light.
5, Embossed cards
Foil embossed number plastic business card makes your name and number stand out. The most common embossed plastic card is the credit card with your name, account number, and expiration date.
Seeing that most companies and hotels would like to buy the card body and make the embossed number in the house. It’s a good way for the membership cards, loyalty cards or promotional cards, even employee cards.
As for the process, what’re details you should consider?
For serial number, the normal embossed print is workable. You can choose two font size, 8pt, and 12pt.
If for a different name and disorder number, we need to use NBS printing. This is the slowest process in plastic card printing and can add cost to a project. So please take the production time into consideration.
In view of some customers’ name is very long, need to print several lines. This is not suggested. Too much embossed make it easy bend and uncovering.
6, PVC card design
Some tips about the design of printing PVC cards:
1, Do not make frame especial close to the card edge, because when doing a cut process, there is tolerance, the frame will off-center.
2, The main color of the card, printing for light color is suitable for any finished, glossy, frosted, matte. If you designed for dark color, like dark green, dark blue, purple, black plastic cards, we suggest choosing frosted or matte cards. Or scratches would be obvious.
3, Special die-cut card can attract more attention, especially combo cards with key tags. But make sure the colors for each tag are the same, whenever you tear it off, no mixed color.
7, Laminate cards
What’s kind of plastic card finished face you need to choose on earth? We can find that almost plastic cards are glossy. However, there are scratches cannot avoid. Especially on dark color design. If you really want to make it glossy with the dark color, the silver (shimmer) background can help. This is Because of the refraction of light.
According to our experience, matte face for black PVC printed card looks elegant, you can have a try or contact us send you a sample for reference.
8, Printable blank PVC cards
Some of you just want PVC card supplier to provide you the bulk of blank plastic cards for re-printed in house.
You need to inform what’s kind of card printer you are using, like thermal printing or inkjet printing. If there any request to the thickness?
If you are not sure, ask us to send you some samples for testing.
9, RFID Cards
RFID Cards & NFC Cards are widely used nowadays. Here share some useful information help you avoid problems and save money.
Printed RFID cards are ideal for ID badge, a custom punch hole is needed. However, this request special process for the antenna design, or punch to the antenna, your ID badges won’t workable anymore. For the same reason, an embossed number also should be paying attention to.
If you need a print photo and name yourself, please inform in advance. It’s better to keep far away from the chip place, make sure your photo can be printed smoothly.
10, Spot UV business cards
Spot UV is a clear and shiny glossy coating to your smooth matte laminated plastic cards, spot UV layer is a truly eye-catching addition to your Business Cards.
You have creative freedom to use as much or as little of the Spot UV as you like. But for the production process, we have to say, do not make it too much or too small. Here will explain to you.
Spot UV is an extra layer print on the card, after printing need wait to dry. There is inevitable with some dust or bubble. On the contrary, if the printing is a thinner line, it will become blurry. What’s more, it cannot match your printing information perfectly.
11, Transparent business cards
Clear or transparent visiting cards are completely transparent on both sides. The clean finish leads the eyes to your company logo and company information.
The finished face can be frosted, matte, or glossy. If you want the glass card effect, you can choose the glossy face. Otherwise, Frosted and matte face would be elegant.
Custom gift cards with special die cut, for the thickness, 10 mil or 20 mil PVC cards are more recommended.
With the above 11 tips, you must know more about printing plastic cards if there any questions just feel free to contact me. Catherine@zbtechsz.com