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Cards Plus Terminology

May 2016

PVC Cards – Polymer of Vinyl Chloride PVC, is the third-most widely produced synthetic plastic polymer.

Magnetic Stripe Cards – The magnetic stripe, known as a swipe card or magstripe is a band of magnetic material on a card. It is capable of storing data by modifying the magnetism of tiny iron-based magnetic particles, and is read by swiping past a magnetic reading head.

Barcode Cards – A bar code is the small image of lines (bars) and spaces that is affixed to retail store items, identification cards

QR Coded cards – A Quick Response Code is a type of 2D bar code that is used predominantly by a smartphone to provide easy access to information.

Signature Panel – Also known as writing panels allow the user to write on a plastic card without the text smearing or wiping off.  Signature panels are a popular addition for plastic gift cards and membership cards

Embossing – DEFINITION of ‘Embossed Card’: The practice of imprinting or stamping payment card details so that they can be felt above the card’s surface.

Foiling – Foiling is a thin metal layer that can be printed or stamped onto a card to enhance the design and feel of the plastic card. Gold and silver foiling are the most popular, but other colours are available upon request.

Sequential Numbering – A sequential numbering system is a great way to cut back on costs and being able to track card issuance and use. And they don’t visually impact the design of your card as much as a barcode or magnetic strip would.

Hole and Slot Punch – A round or slot hole can easily be incorporated into all plastic cards for very little added cost. Usually cards are punched for the purpose of using a luggage loop, lanyard or split ring that we offer as part of our consumable range.

Gloss Finish – High Gloss / Shiny finish on your card.

Matte Finish – A dull, no-gloss finish (also known as frosted finish). Smaller text can be easier to read and matt cards don’t scratch quite as easily as gloss cards, providing a modern first impression.

Thermal Transfer Printing – This process requires a mono inked ribbon. The thermal transfer process is accomplished in a thermal transfer printer by applying a voltage to the print head. The ribbon and card is “sandwich” together by a rubber-covered platen roller under the print head print line at a speed consistent with the heating cycle time of the print head.

Technology Based Cards – Technology cards can be anything from a smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card (ICC). They are PVC cards with embedded integrated circuits with either a secure microcontroller or equivalent intelligence with internal memory or a memory chip. The card can connect to a reader with direct physical contact or with a remote contactless radio frequency interface.

Smart Cards (Technology Card) – A chip card, or integrated circuit card (ICC). They are PVC cards with embedded integrated circuits with either a secure microcontroller or equivalent intelligence with internal memory or a memory chip. The card can connect to a reader with direct physical contact or with a remote contactless radio frequency interface.

Contact Smart Cards – A PVC card that contains a chip. The external chip has to make contact with reader; when inserted into a reader data is transferred to a central computer.

Contactless Smart Cards – A PVC card that contains a chip (Mifare 1K, RFID, NFC cards). The card can contain an external or internal chip; when held within a few inches of the reader data are transferred to a central computer.

NFC – Near Field Communication (NFC) is the set of protocols that enable electronic devices to establish radio communication with each other by touching the devices together, or bringing them into proximity to a distance of typically 10cm or less.

NFC Cards – NFC technology is a standards-based wireless communication technology that allows data to be exchanged between devices that are a few centimetres apart. NFC operates at 13.56 MHz and transfers data at up to 424 Kbits/second. NFC is distinguished by its intuitive interface and its ability to enable largely proprietary wireless networking platforms to interoperate in a seamless manner.

RFID – RFID stands for Radio-Frequency Identification. The acronym refers to small electronic devices that consist of a small chip and an antenna. The chip typically is capable of carrying 2,000 bytes of data or less. The RFID device serves the same purpose as a bar code or a magnetic strip; it provides a unique identifier. And, just as a bar code or magnetic strip must be scanned to get the information, the RFID device must be scanned to retrieve the identifying information.

Mifare Cards – Mifare is a 13.56 MHz contactless technology owned by Philips and is powered by an internal antenna as the card moves into a magnetic field. Mifare has proven popular as the card to use in ticketing and low value transactions. A standard 1K Mifare card has 16 sectors each with 4 blocks of data that are 16 bytes. Other capacities are available.

Nippy – A one of a kind service only offered by Cards Plus, providing up to 5000 cards in just 24 hours! This service can include all of the following features on your plastic card: Vivid Full colour printing on one or both sides of the card, barcodes, photos and text inserts, serialised numbering and HiCo or LoCo stripes for self encoding.

5 day – Custom manufactured plastic cards within 5 working days. This plastic card printing service is specifically designed for single step plastic cards- that is, any card with standard CYMK printing with or without variable data printing- including ID cards, information cards, membership cards, barcoded cards, technology cards and more.

10 day – Short run service (that means less than 35 000 cards per order) of custom plastic cards with no minimum quantity. Cards are printed using an eye-popping digital process, with a full selection of features to add to your cards. Our most popular features include: CYMK colour printing, gloss or matte finish, magnetic stripe and encoding, variable printing, photo insert, foil stamping, embossing, signature panels and array of high-tech security features.