Guide to Understanding PVC ID Cards & Printers

PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride. It’s an inexpensive, durable plastic material that’s used for everything from plumbing to food storage containers to raincoats. PVC ID cards are more durable than cardstock or paper ID card alternatives. Images and text print crisply on PVC cards, resulting in a more professional brand identity for your organization. A PVC card can range from simple objects with a name, photo, and branding to high assurance credentials that leverage smart cards and other sophisticated technology.

PVC card printers work by using one of three processes: dye sublimation, reverse transfer, or pigment ink.

Dye sublimation printers work by a printhead applying heat to the ribbon and injecting that color right into the surface of the card.

Reverse transfer printers produce a mirror image of the card design on a thin film. A reverse transfer printer then uses heat and pressure to bond the sheath to the ID card. The printed image is sandwiched between two layers, resulting in a durable card that is resistant to scratches and fading.

Pigment ink technology brings a proven track record from the financial card market to desktop printers. Pigment ink is a printing technology that results in dots on the card surface that are visible under a jeweler’s loupe. The benefit is greater clarity and definition to images, making it easier to see fine details like the pattern on a curtain or the sharp angles in a window frame.

PVC ID cards can be instantly issued at businesses, organizations, and schools, providing a secure, durable, and beautiful form of identification. There are a wide variety of instant ID card issuance system printers available that can print security features such as inline magnetic stripe encoding and smart card encoding. Extremely affordable instant ID card issuance systems add security features such as UV printing and luster color ribbon. A tactile impression module can be added to provide a unique security feature through color tactile printing. Also, a card lamination module can be included to enhance ID card durability.

Just like the ID card issuance systems should be user-friendly, PVC card software should be equally easy to use. With intuitive and innovative software, issuers can improve the productivity and efficiency of their access control solution, design stunning credentials, and manage user access and permissions. There are three options for PVC card software:

• Instant Issuance as a Service – a cloud-based platform to issue physical and mobile IDs
• Instant Issuance System – a solution that integrates with databases to guide card design, issuance, and management
• Issuance Device Management – an automated solution for data and insights gathering for a fleet of devices