| CardsPlus strongly believes in educating the marketplace creating informed plastic card consumers. Below we offer a brief explanation of the various technologies available in a plastic card as well information on the type of print processes needed to print on such cards. | The Magnetic Stripe Card
A magnetic stripe card is a type of card capable of storing data by modifying the magnetism of tiny iron-based magnetic particles on a band of magnetic material on the card. The magnetic stripe, sometimes called a mag stripe, is read by physical contact and swiping past a reading head.
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| Magstripes come in two main varieties: high-coercivity (HiCo) and low-coercivity (LoCo). High coercivity magstripes are harder to erase, and therefore are appropriate for cards that are frequently used or that need to have a long life.
A magnetic stripe is simply a storage device. Its “magic” is held in the program that the magnetic reader communicates with. The code, be it simply a name and ID number, or an encrypted code, containing secure information, is read into the program, then it, depending on its design, accomplishes the task that is required. | Smart Cards
Smart cards with a microprocessor look like standard plastic cards, but are equipped with an embedded Integrated Circuit (IC) chip. Microprocessor cards can store information, carry out local processing on the data stored, and perform complex calculations. These cards take the form of either "contact" cards which require a card reader or "contactless" cards which use radio frequency signals to operate. Smart cards can store over 100 times more information than a magnetic stripe and they can be reprogrammed to add, delete or rearrange data.
| Contactless Cards
Proximity cards use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to read a card or tag without requiring physical contact between the card and the reading device. With these proximity readers, there is no physical wear and tear on the card or the reading device. The card is simply held up to a reader, within the reader's detection range and the cards unique number is then read into the system.
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Of the brands of contactless Proximity Cards, MiFare is the most common. It operates in the 13.56 MHz frequency and offers read/write capabilities. Also available are EM 4100 and EM 4102, which come with pre-encoded security numbering, and operate on 125 khz. | Contact Smart Cards
Standard sized blank PVC cards embedded with smart chips available with various memory capacities. Smart cards are used in many applications worldwide, including:
|  | - Secure identity applications - employee ID badges, citizen ID documents, electronic passports, driver’s licenses, online authentication devices
- Healthcare applications - health ID cards, physician ID cards, portable medical records cards
- Payment applications - credit/debit cards, transit payment cards
- Telecommunications applications- GSM Subscriber Identity Modules, pay telephone payment cards
|  | Printing Processes
Due to the characteristics of certain technologies, some printing process are not recommended.
Cards Plus also offers the only certified methods of printing onto smart cards (both contact and contactless). Retransfer and offset printing are the only methods of print that will not reduce the lifespan of the card or damage the technology within the card.
Each contactless card has a fine antenna and a small chip sandwiched between the sheets of plastic. When printed on a standard Direct to Card printer, the card is heated once each time a colour is printed on the card- a total of 5 times for the standard full colour card. The rate that the metal antenna cools down is different than the rate that the plastic cools, making the antennae brittle and thus, the life of the card is reduced. Manufacturer recommendation for contactless chip cards is offset printing and retransfer printing.
Contact chip cards contain an external chip imbedded into the face of the plastic card. Inconsistencies in depth of imbedding can cause the chip to be slightly raised above the surface of the card. Direct to Card printing is not recommended for this type of card, as not only will the uneven surface result in an inconsistent print, but the raised metal chip will damage the printer’s printhead. Manufacturer recommendation for this type of card is offset and retransfer printing. |
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