Why Would I Need to Laminate My Plastic Cards?

An average PVC card will last 1-2 years. Sometimes even less if you will be swiping barcodes or magnetic stripe cards. Card durability is an important factor to consider, particularly for large organizations, as card replacement can be costly.

An easy way to extend the life of your cards is by applying an overlay or laminate. This requires a laminating card printer.

Laminating ID Card Printers

If you recall the old days of cutting and pasting an ID card together, lamination may confuse you a bit. You might wonder why you would need lamination when printing directly to plastic.

In plastic card printing, lamination is a clear protective layer that is applied over the top of your printed cards by a printer with lamination capability.

It offers three primary benefits to a plastic ID card:

1. Lamination extends the life of your card by protecting it from wear, such as being swiped in a magnetic stripe reader. 
2. Lamination protects your cards from fading and dye migration when exposed to the sun. 
3. Holographic lamination increases the security of your cards by making them difficult to copy.

To learn more about the benefits of lamination, check out this video!

Watch the Video: Why Would You Need to Laminate Plastic Cards