How to get rid of imperfections on your cards
Debris & Dirt
Surface imperfections such as bumps, ripples, spots and halos are extremely small issues that provide a noticeable effect on the texture of your card, producing an uneven print that can ruin a printed card’s appearance.
Imperfections are often caused by types of debris on the surface of the card when it runs through the printhead, as the debris obstructs printed imagery being applied to the card surface – leaving cards looking unprofessional or poorly printed.
The Fix
Identify where the debris is coming from – the card surface or from the printer itself, this will go a long way to fixing the issue.
If the blank cards are stored in a container such as a resealable plastic bag that is impenetrable to debris, then the problem must be within the printer.
Regular cleaning of your printer is arguably the most important maintenance task and should be done frequently with a specific cleaning kit designed for your printer model.
Smart Cards
Due to the nature of smart cards, the chip within the card means the surface can never be perfectly flat to print on, leading to minor imperfections during the print.
With the limitations that a direct-to-card printer and smart card bring, it is impossible to achieve the same quality of print compared to using a standard blank card.
The Fix
There are some solutions that ensure a better print, including using a self-adhesive card, this allows printing onto the card initially, before applying the self-adhesive card over the smart card.
The main fix for printing onto a smart card would be to swap a direct-to-card printer for a retransfer printer – using this method of printing means your card design is printed on a clear film, before that film is then adhered to the card surface.
Retransfer printers give a higher definition print quality and ensure smart cards with uneven surfaces avoid the troubling surface imperfections of direct-to-card printing.
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