Many different terms are used in the world of cards. For example, consider terms such as plastic cards, credit cards, PVC cards and plastic cards. A laminated card is most common. At Cards Unlimited we specialize in printing credit cards and everything that comes with this process, such as technology and handling data. On this page we will tell you more about the possibilities of printing credit card cards.

Credit card printing: dimensions & thicknesses

The vast majority of cards are laminated cards. Consider, for example, a health care card, customer card, fuel card or an Air Miles card. These passes consist of 2 layers of PVC with laminate (gloss or matt) that are fused into one whole. The PVC is printed using an offset process, the most common thickness is 0.76 mm. The standard size for credit card printing is 54 x 86mm, but we also supply these cards in different sizes. The card is also available in different thicknesses: 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm and 0.62 mm. The production of our laminated cards complies with the VISA/MASTERCARD standard, for the highest quality credit cards.

Print credit card and data

Thanks to the laminate layer, our credit cards can be retrofitted with variable data. This can be done by thermal printing via a card printer, embossing, laser engraving, or when the laminate is provided with a magnetic strip thanks to encoding the magnetic strip. Chip cards and RFID cards are also often laminated cards.

Magnetic stripe cards are popular as access cards, for example in fitness centers, hotels and office environments. These exist in two forms:

  • LoCo: cheapest option, but sensitive to the influence of other magnetic fields. The magnetic strip usually has a blue or brown color.
  • HiCo: not sensitive to external magnetic fields, recognizable by the black color.

Curious about the possibilities for your organization? Our specialists are happy to help you with advice.

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Sustainable credit card?

In addition to a ‘standard’ plastic card, you can choose from many other types of materials. From a credit card made from PVC to ABS. And did you know that you can even have a sustainable credit card made? We also offer Bio-PE cards (lime + cane sugar), Bio-PVC (completely biodegradable), FSC (cardboard) and much more. Read more about our sustainable credit cards here.

Printing and finishing

Finally, we would like to tell you about the options for printing and finishing. For printing, you can choose from offset printing techniques, digital printing, screen printing, metallic inks, scented inks, matt/gloss varnish and lenticular cards.

In terms of finishing techniques, we can work with unusual shapes, hot stamp foils, holographic images from 2D to 3D images, Loco & Hico magnetic strips (in various colors), lenticular and gloss or matt laminate.

Why print credit card cards at Cards Unlimited?

As you can see in the text above, you have to make a lot of choices when printing credit card cards. From the dimensions to the material and from the finish to the printing technique. It is therefore nice to be able to work with an organization that has years of experience in this field.

At Cards Unlimited we help you from A to Z: from the design of the card, the use of technology and personalization, printing credit cards, database management and advice on mobile applications. In short, a complete service in which your personal wishes are central! We do all these activities in-house, which means we guarantee fast delivery times and competitive prices.

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