ID Badges & Cards: Understanding Printing Technology

ID Badge and Card Printers are easy to use devices, which compare well with consumer printers in their ability to be used straight out of the box. However, as most card printers work quite differently from ink-jet and laser printers, it’s worth understanding a bit about their technology.

Dye Sublimation

Dye sublimation or dye-sub, is the most common technology used.Thermal printing is used to place layers of dye into the ID badge surface. In dye sublimation printing, colors are not laid down as individual dots, as is done in ink jet printers. Dye sublimation makes photos in particular look more realistic.

Inside a dye sublimation printer is a roll of transparent film that resembles sheets of red, blue, yellow, and gray colored cellophane stuck together end to end. Embedded in this film are solid dyes corresponding to the four basic colors used in printing: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The print head heats up as it passes over the film, causing the dyes to vaporize and permeate the glossy surface of the card before they return to solid form. The vaporized colors permeate the surface of the card, creating a gentle gradation at the edges of each pixel, instead of the conspicuous border between dye and card produced by ink jets. And because the color infuses the card, it is also less vulnerable to fading and distortion over time.

YMCKO

The printer creates the ID badges by placing layers of dye in the following order:

Yellow: (Y)
Magenta: (M)
Cyan: (C)
Black: (K) or Resin black
Clear: (O) or Overcoat

The colored image is a combination of the Y, M, & C layers which also produce a form of black. The K Resin layer allows very sharp defined black text, bar codes etc. to be added. The Overcoat layer acts as a protective film against wear and fading and can also carry a secure image, which cannot be photocopied – e.g. the Magicard Holokote security watermark.

Ultra Magicard