Why Printed Colors May Differ from Your Design

ID card printers use thermal printing technology, which applies heat to transfer color from a ribbon onto the surface of a PVC card.

Although this technology can reproduce a wide range of colors, it cannot always match the exact colors shown in your design. For example, colors such as red, blue, yellow, and green can be printed, but the final output may differ from the exact shade specified in your design or a Pantone Matching System (PMS) color reference.

Unlike offset printing, which can provide more precise color matching, thermal ID card printing has limitations when reproducing specific colors.

How to Achieve More Accurate Colors

If matching a specific PMS color is essential for your ID cards, we recommend the following options:

Option 1: Pre-Print the Card Background Using Offset Printing

Offset printing offers better control over color accuracy and is more suitable for designs that require specific PMS colors.

With this option, we will supply your PVC cards with the background pre-printed. You will then use your ID card printer to print only the cardholders' photos and personal information.

Option 2: Adjust Your ID Card Design

Alternatively, we can help adjust your ID card design and colors to achieve a closer match to your preferred colors when printed using your ID card printer.

Need Assistance?

For more information or help choosing the best option for your ID cards, please contact our Sales Team.