How a bank card is made

Cards are made of several layers of plastic laminated together.

The core is commonly made from a plastic resin known as polyvinyl chloride acetate (PVCA). This resin is mixed with opacifying materials, dyes, and plasticisers to give it the appropriate appearance and consistency. This core material is then laminated within layers of PVCA or clear plastic materials. These laminates adhere to the core when applied with pressure and heat.

A variety of inks or dyes are also used for printing smart cards. These are available in a variety of colours and are designed for use on plastic substrates. In some instances special magnetic inks are used to print the magnetic stripe on the back of the card.

The inks are made by dispersing metal oxide particles in the appropriate solvents. Additional special printing processes are involved for cards, like VISA and MasterCard, which feature holograms. The manufacturing process consists of multiple steps: first the plastic core and laminate materials are compounded and cast into sheet form; then the core is printed with the appropriate information; next the laminates are applied to the core; once the chip has been milled and implanted, the final assembled sheet is cut into individual cards.

If your next card project has a need to be on a material a little different then please contact us for one of our consultants to visit with you. We can use transparent, flocked and material affect substrates to give your card the edge in the market place.