The quality of the card stock you use is important. Poor quality stock has burrs, scratches and sometimes even dirt on the cards which will damage the internal parts of your card printer. Most printer brands will only fill a warranty if high quality certified card stock is used for printing.
All direct to card dye sublimation printers require PVC plastic for printing as PVC allows the ink to sublimate the plastic. Direct to card dye sublimation printers will not print colour images on ABS, PET, PVH and other plastic composites. (Do you require printing on speciality non-PVC plastic? We recommend EDIsecure Retransfer Printers like the XID8300 or XID 9300)
There are a few tricks to see if you are printing on high quality stock. (We also explain what a high quality custom printed card looks like here)
Test your stock quality by:
1. Looking at the finish
High quality stock is very glossy, and when held to reflect the light, should have a perfectly smooth surface. Any pits, burrs or deep scratches may signify poor quality stock.
2. Run your fingers up and down the edges
Is the die cutting smooth? Or very rough? Rough edges can come into contact with your print head causing costly repairs.
3. Look at the colour
The purity of the plastic can indicate the quality of PVC used. If your white cards seem to be tinted pink you may be using poor quality stock. Pink tinted stock will also affect your print quality. The inks used in card printers are semi translucent and any undertones in the stock will be seen through the inks over the top.
These three tips will help you choose the highest quality stock for printing. Using high quality stock is only a few cents more than low quality stock, but will lower your overall return on investment. Using high quality stock helps keep your printer from highly expensive and time-consuming repairs and ensures a validity on your printer warranty.
CardsPlus offers superior certified stock for Blank Plastic Stock (including Premium white plastic cards: We have more than PVC!; Coloured Card Stock: From Blue to Pink to Silver, we have a wide selection of different colours! ; Cards with Technology: We also stock magnetic stripe cards ; Contactless Smart Cards: We carry MIFARE, RFID cards and a selection of Proximity cards and Contact Smart Cards: Contact Smart Cards (EEPROM) are a special order item, and we are well equipped to assist you. )
