What Is a Thermal Image ID Card?

A thermal image ID card is a plastic card upon which an image has been imprinted using heat. Three methods can be used to create a thermal image: dye sublimation, thermal transfer printing, or a combination of the two methods.

Dye Sublimation

Dye sublimation uses a thermal print head to create heat and vaporize the dyes in the printer ribbon to create an image. The downside to this method is that because the image contains no ink and therefore no carbon, it might not be able to be read by a bar code scanner.

Thermal Image Transfer

Thermal image transfer, like dye sublimation, also uses a thermal print head. However, instead of heating the dyes it heats and melts the ink. By use of this method it's possible to adjust the shade and intensity of the color being produced. Thermal transfer printing works best when only one color is used.

Combination Method

A printer and ribbon can also be used together, combining the two methods. The desired result of this method is usually a dense black color.

References

• AlphaCard: Thermal Printing and Thermal Transfer Printing

Resources

• Zebra Technologies: Direct Thermal and Thermal Transfer Printing