Access Control Cards - Plastic cards used to gain access to premises usually associated with magnetic stripe and proximity cards.

Bank Card - A personalized plastic card with magnetic strip and/or chip-module; used for cashless purchases of goods and services and cash withdrawals from certain banks and ATM.

Barcode - An array of machine-readable rectangular bars and spaces arranged in a specific way defined in international standards to represent letters, numbers and other human-readable symbols.

Barcoding - Printing of barcodes on plastic cards.

Biometrics - Biometrics utilize "something you are" to authenticate identification. This might include fingerprints, retina pattern, iris, hand geometry, vein patterns, voice password, or signature dynamics. Biometrics can be used with a smart card to authenticate the user. The user's biometric information is stored on a smart card, the card is placed in a reader, and a biometric scanner reads the information to match it against that on the card. This is a fast, accurate, and highly-secure form of user authentication.

Bleed - An extra amount of printed image which extends beyond the trim edge of the card. All of your print artwork should have at least an 1/8 of an inch bleed on all sides for offset printing.

Breakaway Lanyard - A lanyard with a safety snap that disconnects if the lanyard receives a firm tug.

Card Number - A unique set of numbers that is put on a card by printing, embossing, or recording onto a magnetic strip or chip.

Clear Overlay Patch - A clear varnish added to the PVC card after printing to increase the security and durability of the card.

Club Card - A card that shows the cardholder’s membership in a club or another organization.

CMYK - (Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-Black) A system of color separation for printing, where each color is divided into 4 colors in a palette: blue, violet, yellow and black.

Coercivity - A measure of the strength of a magnetic field. Fields are expressed as low or high by the terms LOCO and HICO.

CR79 Cards - Slightly smaller dimensionally than CR80 made to fit in the well of a proximity card.  Dimensions are 3.303" x 2.051" (83.9mm x 51mm).

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CR80 Cards - The standard card size is CR80. CR80 dimensions are 3.375" x 2.125" (85.73mm x 53.98mm).

CR90 Cards - Slightly larger than the standard CR80, CR90 cards are (3.63"x 2.37" (92mm x 60mm).

CR100 Cards - Often referred to as Oversize or Military sized cards, CR100 cards are (3.88" x 2.63" (98.5mm x 67mm).

Credit Card - A universal payment method that allows the cardholder to make payments for goods and services and receive cash not only through the cardholder’s own account resources but also through credit from the card-issuing bank.

Crop - To cut out or trim unneeded portions of an image.

CSV - Comma separated value(s).

Debit Card - A convenient payment method that allows immediate settlement of a payment through direct withdrawal from the cardholder’s account, as opposed to a credit card.

Degaussing - Magnetic stripe data erasure.

Digital Imaging - Scanning or otherwise capturing images which may be subsequently edited, filed, displayed or printed on a plastic card.

Direct-to-Card (DTC) Printing - The Direct-to-Card printing process prints digital images directly onto any plastic card with a smooth, clean, glossy PVC surface.

Discount Card - A plastic card that allows its cardholder to receive discount at stores, restaurants or other retail points.

Dpi (dots per inch) - DPI stands for dots per inch. The more dots per inch, the higher quality your image will be. Don't go higher than 300-400 dpi though because more dpi also means bigger files and longer transfer time. Also stay away from under 300 dpi. Images found online are commonly viewd at 72 dpi, and they aren't meant to be printed. For optimum results, make sure your image is at 300 dpi resolution.

Dye Sublimation - Dye sublimation is the print process card printers use to print smooth, continuous-tone, and photo-quality images. This process uses a dye-based ribbon roll that is divided into a series of color panels. The color panels are grouped in a repeating series of three separate colors along the length of the ribbon: Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan (YMC). As the ribbon and card pass simultaneously beneath the Printhead, hundreds of thermal elements heat the dyes on the ribbon. Once the dyes are heated, they vaporize and diffuse into the surface of the card. Varying the heat intensity of each thermal element within the Printhead makes it possible for each transferred dot of color to vary saturation. This blends one color into the next. The result is continuous-tone, photo-realistic color images.

Edge-to-Edge - Refers to the maximum printable area on a card. Printers with edge-to-edge printing capability can print just to the edge of a card resulting in printed cards with virtually no border. Virtually all brands print standard CR-80 cards edge to edge.

Embossing - Raised letters and numbers on a PVC card containing membership information, such as name, serial number or issue date.

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Encoding - The process of electronically "writing" information on magnetic stripes or into a variety of smart card types.

Foil Stamping - The application of foil, a special film-backed material, to pvc cards where a heated die is stamped onto the foil, making it adhere to the surface leaving the design of the die on the paper. Foil stamping can be combined with embossing to create a more striking 3D image.

Font - A character set (alphabet and numerals) of a specified design and size.

High Coercivity (aka HICO) - Magnetic coding on a magnetic stripe. High coercivity stripes are generally black and store information on a more secure basis than low coercivity magnetic stripes due to the higher level of magnetic energy required to encode them.

High-Volume Printing - Fast, efficient printing for producing large quantities of cards with minimal down time for supplies loading or maintenance.

Hologram - A unique photographic printing that provides a three-dimensional effect on a flat surface. Holograms cannot be easily copied and are used for security and aesthetic purposes on cards.

Holographic Overlay - A transparent overlay covered with a holographic image is placed onto the card. It is ideal for security as the holographic overlay cannot be altered or duplicated.

ID Card - Card that identifies both the bearer and the issuer. All financial transaction cards and driver's license are ID cards.

Imprinting - Information that is flat printed onto a card's surface, such as variable or sequential numbers and names.

ISO -International Standards Organization specification for magnetic stripe encoding. Printer encoders generally support dual high/low coercivity and tracks 1, 2 and 3.

JIS II - Japanese Industrial Standard for magnetic stripe encoding. JIS II is published and translated into English by the Japan Standards Association.

Lamination - The process of combining lamination material and core material using time, heat and pressure. Laminate patches used in card printers come on rolls, with and without carriers/liners.

Lanyard - A cord worn around the neck for carrying something, such as an ID badge.

Lithograph Printing - Most common process for plastic card printing based on the concept that oil and water are not compatible. The ink represents the oil and the alkaline fountain solution represents the water. These are the two main components which must interact during the printing process, allowing the ink to adhere to the image area of a printing plate while the fountain solution repels the ink from the non-image area. (Also see Offset Printing)

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Low Coercivity (aka LOCO) - Magnetic coding on a magnetic stripe. Low coercivity stripes are generally brown and store information less securely than high coercivity magnetic stripes.

Machine-Readable - A code or characters that can be read by machines.

Magnetic ("Mag") Stripe - Mag Stripe refers to the black or brown magnetic stripe on a card. The stripe is made of magnetic particles of resin. The resin particle material determines the coercivity of the stripe; the higher the coercivity, the harder it is to encode and erase information from the stripe. Magnetic stripes are often used in applications for access control, time and attendance, lunch programs, library cards, and more.

How much data can you encode to a Magnetic Stripe? Per ISO 7811 Format

• Track 1: 210 bits per inch (BPI), 7 bits per character (MPC), maximum of 79 Alpha Numeric characters.
• Track 2: 75 bits per inch (BPI), 5 bits per character (MPC), maximum of 40 Numeric characters.
• Track 3: 210 bits per inch (BPI), 5 bits per character (MPC), maximum of 107 Numeric characters.

Oersted (Oe) - The measurement of magnetic energy. The higher the Oe rating in a material, the more current is required to change its magnetic polarity.

Offset Printing - Method of printing that transfers the paint from the printing platform under pressure onto an intermediate elastic rubber surface and then to the product surface. (Also see Lithograph Printing)

Overlay Panel - The clear overlay panel (O) is provided on dye-sublimation print ribbons. This panel is automatically applied to printed cards and helps prevent images from premature wear or UV fading. All dye-sublimation printed images must have either this overlay panel or an overlaminate applied to protect them.

Over-the-Edge - Refers to the maximum printable area on a card. Printers with over-the-edge printing capability can print past the edge of a card resulting in printed cards with absolutely no border.

Personalization - Printing, encoding and programming a card with data specific to an individual cardholder.

PIN - A Personal Identification Number for use with a card.

PMS Color - Pantome Matching System. This is a color system developed to help designers and printers get matching color results.

Prepaid Card - A card paid for at point of sale permitting the holder to buy goods and services up to the prepaid value.

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Proximity "Proxy" Card - a form of contactless smart card used for access control applications. Embedded in the card is a metallic antenna coil, which allows it to communicate with an external antenna. Because the cards require only close "proximity" to a RF antenna to be read, they are also referred to as contactless cards.

PVC - Polyvinyl Chloride. The primary material used for typical plastic cards.

Resin Thermal Transfer - Resin Thermal Transfer is the process used to print sharp black text and crisp bar codes that can be read by both infra-red and visible-light bar code scanners. It is also the process used to print ultra-fast, economical one-color cards. Like dye sublimation, this process uses a thermal print head to transfer color from the ribbon roll to the card. The difference, however, is that solid dots of color are transferred in the form of a resin-based ink which fuses to the surface of the card when heated. This produces very durable, single-color images.

Resolution - Dimension of the smallest element of an image that can be printed. Usually stated as dots-per-inch (dpi).

RGB - Red, Green, Blue – additive primary colours.

Scratch Cards - Cards with a special opaque strip on the surface of the card and covered password, code or other type of information. It is necessary to scratch the strip to retrieve the information underneath it. Widely used in activation of prepaid services such as Internet access, mobile connection and IP telephony.

Sequential Numbering - A sequential order of numbers to be printed and/or encoded on a card.

Silk Screen Printing - A method of printing on fabric where a mesh screen coated with an ink film that holds the image is pressed onto the material the image is to be printed onto.

Signature Panel - A special strip on a card for inputting a signature or other information. Can be with or without captions that prevent the signature to be rubbed off.

Smart Card - Smart cards have an embedded computer circuit that contains either a memory chip or a microprocessor chip. There are several types of smart cards: Memory, Contact, Contactless, Hybrid (Twin), Combi (Dual Interface), Proximity and Vicinity.

Spot Color - The thermal resin transfer printing process prints one to seven durable colors onto a moisture resistant color PVC card. Unlike full color cards that use shading and blending, spot color printing lays each color down independently, side-to-side, producing a clean and bold image.

Thermal Printing - The process of creating an image on a plastic card using a heated print head.

Thermal Print Head - An electronic device which uses heat to transfer a digitized image from a special ribbon to the flat surface of a plastic card.

Thermal Transfer Overlaminate - A card overlaminate available in a .25 mil thickness that increases card security and durability; often used for moderate durability applications or when additional security (such as holographic images) are needed.

YMC - Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan are the primary print colors for cards. The three colors are combined in varying degrees to make a full spectrum of colors. YMCKO is the same as YMC plus Black (K) and clear protective overcoat (O).

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