Sublimation printing
Advantages - the production of plastic cards using sublimation printing is a classic office option. Most often used for printing passes . Printing is similar to printing on a regular office printer. You create a layout on a computer, buy card blanks and printing ribbons, and print on special printers for printing plastic cards costing from 50,000 rubles. and higher.Disadvantages - low print resolution (300dpi). The resulting image is of average quality (fonts float, pictures are dim, etc.). There are problems with solid fills and gradients and color rendering. The protective layer exists, but it guarantees intensive use of the card for no more than a year. High cost for the manufacturer and, accordingly, high cost for the buyer.
Offset printing
Advantages: There is practically no alternative to professional printing. Maximum high image quality, low cost and cost to the customer, fast production of cards in large quantities (high printing speed). Protective layer: varnishing or lamination. Varnished cards have a shorter shelf life, because... do not protect the image from deep scratches. Laminated cards are a professional solution.Disadvantages - unprofitability of small print runs. The process of preparing for printing takes quite a long time. Making a sample is equivalent to making a minimum edition.
Silk screen printing
Advantages - paint quality (brightness, color saturation), the ability to apply a thick layer of paint, for example, when applying scratch panels, low cost.Disadvantages - problems with full-color images. Problems with small elements due to low resolution. The image on the cards may “walk” (depending on the professionalism of the printer). Low printing speed (human factor).
Digital printing with lamination
Advantages - high print quality (using properly configured equipment), the ability to produce from 1 piece, the possibility of graphic personalization.Disadvantages - relatively high cost. There are also problems with maintaining stable color on some color dies. Not all digital machines are capable of creating a sufficient static charge on plastic to form a bright image (since plastic is a dielectric). When using inkjet printing, a RIP (raster processor) is required to avoid banding on certain fill colors.
(c) https://card-online.ru/articles
