Dye sublimation printing is chosen often because of the quality photographic printing results that this type of printing provides. The printing process is also known as dye sub. In this process, a thermal transfer provides a specific amount of colored dye pigment to section of a card surface. In ID card printing, this colored pigment is derived from a printer ribbon, transferred by the print head and deposited onto the plastic card surface. The pigment is able to bond chemically with the card due to the heat used in the transfer process.

The printer ribbon is a roll of film, sometimes in a cartridge, that consists of a number of repeated panels. The yellow, red and blue panels (YMC) provide various colors available while black and clear panels provide black color and an overcoat panel. The YMC panels hold heat sensitive dyes that can be combined in various amounts to create a broad range of colors. The black panel is a plastic resin and is not mixed with the other panels. It is used to provide solid black color that is most frequently used for barcodes on a badge. The protective coat, the O panel, is applied to the entire surface of the card to provide extra protection and durability to the card.

All of the colors needed from the panels are transferred when the print head of the printer is activated. The print head contains about 300 pixels per inch. Each individual pixel is separately activated and heated to transfer a specific amount of color, black or overlay panel to an area of the card. The dye is vaporized due to the heat and bonds to the plastic card surface. They dye does not become liquid, but changes straight from a solid into a gas.

Because of the way the vaporized dyes permeate the surface of the card, a gentle gradation at the edges of each pixel is created – not the conspicuous border between color and substrate produced by inkjets. Also, because the color infuses and bonds with the card material, it is less vulnerable to fading and distortion over time.

Most ribbons are set up in the Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), K (black), O (overlay) order. There are specialized panels and variations to this standard with the addition of security options and other printer features.

For information about PVC cards, contact our ID card experts toll free at 888-485-4696.