What is card production ink
Card production ink is the specialty ink used for printing bank cards, membership cards, IC cards, gift cards and prepaid cards. It spans several functional branches: gold and silver inks for decoration and brand identity, signature ink for the signature panel, covert security inks (UV invisible / IR excitation) for card security, and substrate-matched inks for plastic card bodies. Unlike ordinary printing, card ink must stay stable under the lamination, abrasion and solvent exposure specific to cards.
Shenzhen Sojhonink Co., Ltd. was founded in 2002 and produces nearly 1,000 tons of ink a year. We have supplied inks to card manufacturers and card printers as a long-term partner, working across screen, pad and offset printing, adjusting formulation to the card body, lamination process and security requirements, and providing free printed proofs for colour selection and press trials.
Three process thresholds in card production
Cards are small, but their printing and post-press conditions are harsher than ordinary print — which is why card ink has to clear three thresholds:
- Lamination heat — PVC and similar card bodies pass through high-temperature lamination. The ink must withstand it without fading, migrating or sticking to the plate, or the printed graphic mottles or distorts afterwards.
- Signature panel writability — signature ink on the panel must write smoothly, dry fast, resist wear and bond firmly to the card body.
- Abrasion and solvent resistance — cards face daily friction, fingerprints and wiping with alcohol or cleaners. The ink needs matching abrasion and chemical resistance, especially on bank cards and high-use membership cards.
These thresholds mean a decorative ink is not automatically suitable for cards; card ink must be selected for the specific card body and post-press route.
Gold and silver ink vs hot stamping: cost and effect
The metallic look on a card is traditionally produced by hot stamping (hot transfer foil). Gold and silver inks offer a “single-print” alternative. Each has trade-offs:
| Item |
Gold / silver ink |
Hot stamping (foil) |
| Process steps |
Screen or pad printed in one pass, no post-press |
Requires a separate stamping step and equipment |
| Design freedom |
Gradients and fine patterns, not limited by the plate |
Limited by stamping die and foil; gradients are harder |
| Cost structure |
Ink and labour based; suits small and mid runs |
Needs tooling and foil; higher set-up cost |
| Metallic effect |
Gold, silver, antique bronze; gloss adjustable |
Strong metallic reflection, wide foil range |
| Best for |
Membership cards, gift cards, decorative blocks, gradients |
Large high-reflectance areas, specific foil effects |
In practice the two are often combined — large metallic blocks by hot stamping, fine patterns and gradients in gold/silver ink; some projects use gold/silver ink throughout to simplify the process. See card ink — gold & silver series for the available metallic looks.
Signature ink and the tamper-evident system
The signature panel is the card’s human-verification point and makes unique demands on the ink:
- Writability — the surface must suit common pens: smooth writing, no feathering, fast drying.
- Wear resistance — the signature must not flake or smear under daily friction and card insertion.
- Tamper-evidence — some cards need an anti-alteration treatment after signing, using a tamper-evident system that makes alteration visible for verification.
See card ink — signature ink. The specific writability and tamper-evidence requirements are best confirmed with the card body per project.
Covert security on cards
Beyond decoration and signing, card production often needs “security you cannot see”. The small area and high print precision of a card make it ideal for high-security marks:
- Covert UV — a UV fluorescent mark or microtext on the card face, verified quickly at the counter with a 365 nm lamp, without disturbing the design. See UV invisible (fluorescent) ink.
- IR excitation — reveals colour only under a 980 nm source, making replication hardest; 850 / 940 nm absorbing codes are available on request. See IR excitation ink.
Both are commonly paired with visible elements (card number, logo, variable code) to form a “visible + invisible” pair. Where an optically variable feature is also wanted, OVI can be layered on — see the Ink Selection Guide.
Choosing ink by card type
Card types differ markedly in process conditions and use intensity, shifting the emphasis of the ink:
| Card type |
Process traits |
Ink emphasis |
| Bank card |
High security; lamination and magnetic-stripe / chip steps |
Lamination, abrasion and solvent resistance; signature writability; covert security optionally layered on |
| Membership / points card |
Large runs; often with signature or barcode |
Decorative and signature inks, balancing cost and batch consistency |
| IC / chip card |
Carries a chip module; subject to insertion wear |
Abrasion resistance first; the ink must not interfere with chip bonding |
| Gift / prepaid card |
High visual demand; metallic and fine patterns |
Gold/silver ink and gradients as the main need, plus lamination stability |
Bank and IC cards emphasise durability and security; gift and membership cards emphasise appearance and cost. In every case, lamination tolerance is the shared precondition — confirm the card body and lamination temperature before selecting.
Substrate matching
The choice of card ink depends heavily on the card body — surface properties, heat tolerance and adhesion differ markedly between materials:
| Card body |
Characteristics |
Selection points |
| PVC |
Most common; requires high-temperature lamination |
Ink must resist lamination heat and not migrate; adhesion and lamination stability are key |
| PETG |
Eco-friendlier; good heat tolerance and gloss |
Focus on ink adhesion and lamination behaviour on PETG |
| Paper card |
Used for gift and membership cards; low cost |
Mainly a paper packaging ink system, with security features layered on |
| Composite |
e.g. PVC+PET, or chip-bearing structures |
Confirm compatibility with each layer and post-press tolerance |
For plastic card bodies (non-absorbent surfaces such as PVC / PETG), adhesion is the first issue — see the process notes in packaging ink for plastic substrates. For paper cards, see packaging ink for paper and fabric.
Sourcing, proofs and compliance
- Packaging — 1 kg cans and 5 kg drums; minimum order quantity is flexible and can be discussed per project.
- Proofs — printed proofs are provided free of charge to confirm metallic appearance, writability, fluorescence strength and post-lamination result. Ink samples are priced by weight.
- Quotation — prices cover the ink itself only and exclude freight and taxes. Delivery is to a customer-designated location within mainland China.
- Compliance — can be supplied against standards including EN71.3 and REACH. Compliance documents required for a specific project can be provided on request.
- What we need before proofing — card body material, whether laminated and at what temperature, printing process (screen / pad / offset), signature panel or security mark intent, and post-press steps.
Card projects are demanding on lamination tolerance and adhesion. Send your card body and lamination details through Contact and we will propose an ink selection and arrange proofing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Selection, detection, printing and ordering — answered.
What is the most critical requirement for card production ink?
Lamination heat resistance and adhesion. PVC and similar card bodies pass through high-temperature lamination, so the ink must withstand it without fading, migrating or sticking to the plate, while bonding firmly and resisting abrasion and solvents. Card ink therefore has to be selected for the specific card body and post-press route — an ordinary decorative ink may not be suitable.
For a metallic effect on a card, should I use gold/silver ink or hot stamping?
Each has trade-offs. Gold/silver ink is screen or pad printed in one pass with no post-press, suits small and mid runs plus gradients and fine patterns, and costs by ink and labour. Hot stamping gives strong metallic reflection and a wide foil range, but needs tooling and foil and a separate step. A common approach is hot stamping for large metallic blocks and gold/silver ink for fine patterns and gradients; some projects use gold/silver ink throughout to simplify the process.
What writability does signature panel ink need?
Signature ink must write smoothly, without feathering, dry fast, resist wear, and bond firmly to the card body. Some cards also need an anti-alteration treatment after signing, using a tamper-evident system that makes alteration visible. The specific writability and tamper-evidence requirements are best confirmed with the card body per project.
How is covert security applied on a card?
Two approaches are common. UV invisible ink places a fluorescent mark or microtext on the card face, verified quickly at the counter with a 365 nm lamp, without disturbing the design. IR excitation ink reveals colour only under a 980 nm source, making replication hardest — suited to critical marks, with 850 / 940 nm absorbing codes available on request. Both are often paired with the card number, logo and variable code in a two-layer structure.
How does ink choice differ between card bodies (PVC / PETG / paper)?
Markedly. PVC is the most common but requires high-temperature lamination — the ink must resist heat and not migrate. PETG is eco-friendlier with good heat tolerance and gloss — focus on adhesion and lamination behaviour on PETG. Paper cards use a paper packaging ink system with security features layered on. Composite structures require confirming compatibility with each layer and post-press tolerance. Provide the card body details first, then select.
How do minimum order quantity, proofs and quotation work?
Packaging is 1 kg cans and 5 kg drums; minimum order quantity is flexible and can be discussed per project. Printed proofs are provided free of charge to confirm metallic appearance, writability, fluorescence strength and post-lamination result; ink samples are priced by weight. Quotations cover the ink itself only, excluding freight and taxes, with delivery to a customer-designated location within mainland China.
Still deciding? See the full 12-ink selection comparison table →