Prima 4 Reverse Transfer ID Card printer

The Prima 4 uses reverse-transfer printing technology. Images are printed onto a thin retransfer film in a "reverse image" and heat transferred onto the card. The quality of the finished card is comparable to off-set litho printing, but with the advantage that every card can be different.

• In-line laminator option
• Built-in USB and Ethernet connection
• Superb print quality
• Magnetic stripe, Barcode, Contact & Contactless encoding options
• Holographic overlaminate option

Reverse Transfer Printing

One of the key advantages of Reverse Transfer or Re-transfer ID card printing technology is the increased yield when printing technology cards for access control. Cards constructed with embedded technologies such as IC chips or antennas typically have inconsistent surfaces. Direct to card printers require a completely flat print surface to achieve high quality images. Reverse transfer printers print on the reverse side of a clear film which is then laminated onto the card surface resulting in consistently high quality printed cards.

Images printed by the reverse transfer technology method tend to wear longer then cards printed by the direct to card printers. The process works like this: in addition to a color YMCK-type ribbon that all dye sublimation direct-to-card printers use, Re-transfer printers include a second clear polyester-based Re-transfer ribbon, often referred to as the Re-transfer "film". Instead of transferring dye directly from the YMCK-type ribbon onto a card, Re-transfer printers transfer, or sublimate, the dyes onto the clear Re-transfer film, then laminates this film to the card.

The advantages of Reverse Transfer technology are:

• Very high print quality.
• True over-the-edge printing on the card.
• The ability to print onto uneven or bumpy cards, such as some contactless cards.
• The ability to print onto non-PVC cards like ABS, PET, PVH and Polycarbonate.