Plastic Printing

Plastics may not sound great. Especially since they are described as cold, shiny and hard. But, when it comes to gift cards, identification cards and the like, that's a good thing. Here, several companies display their newest plastic cards and explain their features.

Credit-card processing software is arguably more applicable in this country than Smart Cards. Although it has been reported that experts predict smart cards will be a billion-dollar industry in just five years, many insiders believe that smart-card technology will never catch on in the United States as well as it has in Europe and Asia. Smart cards differentiate themselves from other plastic cards with magnetic stripes by containing an embedded silicon computer chip that stores and processes values specific to each individual user. While an innovative idea in other parts of the world, this product doesn't quite meet the high-tech procedures already

New and old uses unite to expand the market for plastic cards. Plastic cards are breaking the mold. From artistic attributes—including oil-stamped logos and holograms—to out-of-the-ordinary shapes and multi-purpose designs, plastic cards are growing not only in diversity, but also in popularity. "People are adding a lot of things to cards," said Jim Brown, vice president of sales and marketing, Plastic Printing Innovations, San Diego. For example, instead of the typical four-color process, clients want silkscreen, pms color and foil stamps. "We've had a lot of interest lately in using card and key tag combinations in retail loyalty applications," noted Jerry Sumner, director