Whether you are purchasing a new ID printer or buying supplies for an existing machine, there are a variety of ribbon options available for your various applications. What type you decide to buy will depend first on what printer model you are using, and then on the specific job. If cost is a factor keep in mind that, in general, full color is more expensive than monochrome. For ID printing you will need the full spectrum, but for high volume marketing you may want to use a vibrant one-color logo to reduce your cost per unit. Finishing and specialty options are often made available incorporated into a single color cartridge but they can be also be purchased separately.
Dye Sublimation and Thermal Transfer
Full color printing in the ID card industry is usually done using dye sublimation ribbon. Dye is released by exposure to tiny, heated metal pins on the printhead and bonds chemically with the plastic surface being printed. Since the amount of dye used can be minutely controlled and each color blends easily into the next, this method of printing renders very high quality images.
Thermal transfer printing uses resin that is melted onto the plastic in small dots of color. Resin ink is usually the fourth panel on a color cartridge (the K in the YMCK designation stands for black). Resin is the perfect medium for printing crisp lines and is used for bar coding and most monochrome applications. Single color doesn't necessarily mean black – the full range of primary colors is available. Having the ability to pick a contrasting ribbon color and card color gives you a lot of variety to choose from for your final look. You might also select a metallic cartridge as the printing option for your next advertising campaign to set you apart from the competition.
Ink and resin printing can both be carried out in one of two ways. In "direct to card" applications the printhead releases dye or ink directly onto the surface of each card. "Retransfer" involves printing the image on the reverse side of a strip of plastic film and then fusing that film to the card. The dye/ink is layered between the card surface and the protective topcoat making it impervious to wear. The direct to card option is often standard in less expensive printer models while retransfer printing is available on many high-end units.
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