ID Card Glossary
Every term, explained.
Ribbons, cards, encoding, printing, and hardware, the whole ID card vocabulary in plain English.
Encoding & Access
26-bit H10301
The most common open proximity card format: an 8-bit facility code plus a 16-bit card number.
Encoding & Access
37-bit H10304
A higher-capacity HID Wiegand format with a 16-bit facility code and a 19-bit card number.
Cards & Materials
Adhesive card
A card with a sticky back used to apply a printed image onto an existing technology card.
Hardware & Parts
Badge reel
A retractable clip that holds an ID badge and lets the wearer extend it to a reader.
Cards & Materials
Blank card
Unprinted card stock ready to be printed and/or encoded.
Hardware & Parts
Card flipper
The mechanism in a dual-sided printer that turns the card to print the second side.
Encoding & Access
Card format
The data structure encoded on an access card, such as 26-bit H10301 or 37-bit H10304.
Ribbons & Supplies
Cleaning kit
Supplies that keep a printer's rollers and print head free of dust and debris.
Hardware & Parts
Cleaning roller
An adhesive roller that removes dust and particles from cards before printing.
Encoding & Access
Coercivity
The magnetic strength required to encode a mag stripe, measured in Oersteds.
Cards & Materials
Composite card
A blend of PVC and polyester that withstands higher heat, ideal for retransfer and durability.
Encoding & Access
Contactless
A card read wirelessly by tapping near a reader (13.56 MHz), with no physical contact.
Cards & Materials
CR-79
A slightly smaller, often adhesive-backed card size used to stick onto an existing card.
Cards & Materials
CR-80
The standard ID and credit-card size: 3.375 x 2.125 inches (85.6 x 54 mm).
Encoding & Access
DESFire
A more secure MIFARE smart-card family with encryption.
Printing & Technique
Direct-to-card
Printing dye directly onto the card surface; the most common, cost-effective method.
Printing & Technique
DPI
Dots per inch, a measure of print resolution.
Printing & Technique
Dual-sided
Automatically printing both sides of a card (also called duplex).
Printing & Technique
Dye sublimation
A process that uses heat to diffuse dye from ribbon panels into the card for smooth, photo-quality color.
Printing & Technique
Edge-to-edge
A direct-to-card print that reaches close to the edges but leaves a thin unprinted border, not the same as over-the-edge.
Encoding & Access
Encoding
Writing data to a card's magnetic stripe, chip, or antenna so it works with a reader or access system.
Encoding & Access
Facility code
A site-specific number encoded on access cards so a reader accepts cards from your facility.
Hardware & Parts
Feeder
The input tray (hopper) that holds blank cards for printing.
Printing & Technique
Ghosting
A faint duplicate or shadow image on a printed card.
Encoding & Access
HiCo and LoCo
High-coercivity and low-coercivity magnetic stripes.
Encoding & Access
HID Prox
HID's 125 kHz proximity card technology for door access.
Printing & Technique
Holographic overlay
A secure holographic laminate or overlay that deters card counterfeiting.
Printing & Technique
HoloKote
Magicard's built-in holographic watermark feature for card security.
Encoding & Access
iCLASS
HID's 13.56 MHz contactless smart-card platform for secure access control.
Encoding & Access
iCLASS SE
HID's newer, more secure iCLASS platform supporting multiple credential technologies.
Encoding & Access
iCLASS SR
An iCLASS 'Secure Read' tier that validates a secured read instead of accepting a raw card number.
Printing & Technique
Lamination
Applying a protective clear or holographic film over a card for durability and security.
Hardware & Parts
Lanyard
A cord worn around the neck to hold an ID badge or card holder.
Encoding & Access
Magnetic stripe
The magnetic band on the back of a card that stores data in tracks.
Encoding & Access
MIFARE
A widely used 13.56 MHz contactless smart-card technology from NXP.
Cards & Materials
Mil
A unit of card thickness equal to one-thousandth of an inch; standard ID cards are 30 mil.
Ribbons & Supplies
Monochrome ribbon
A single-color ribbon (usually black) for printing text and barcodes only.
Encoding & Access
NFC
Near-field communication, a 13.56 MHz standard for tap interactions with phones and readers.
Printing & Technique
Over-the-edge
True full-bleed printing that wraps color over the card's edges with no border; produced only by retransfer printers.
Ribbons & Supplies
Overlay panel
The clear protective layer applied over a printed card to resist wear and fading.
Hardware & Parts
Print head
The heated component that transfers ribbon dye onto the card.
Ribbons & Supplies
Print yield
The number of cards a ribbon can print before it runs out.
Encoding & Access
Proximity card
A 125 kHz contactless card that sends a fixed ID to a reader; common for basic door access.
Cards & Materials
PVC card
A standard plastic card made of polyvinyl chloride, suitable for direct-to-card printing.
Ribbons & Supplies
Resin
A resin-based black used for sharp, durable text and scannable barcodes.
Printing & Technique
Retransfer
Printing onto a film first, then fusing it to the card for true over-the-edge, borderless results.
Encoding & Access
RFID
Radio-frequency identification, the umbrella term for contactless card and tag technologies.
Encoding & Access
SEOS
HID's highest-security credential technology: encrypted, chip-independent, and the basis for mobile access.
Printing & Technique
Single-sided
Printing on the front of the card only.
Hardware & Parts
Slot punch
A tool that punches a slot or hole in a card for lanyards, clips, or reels.
Encoding & Access
Smart card
A card with a chip that can securely store and process data.
Ribbons & Supplies
Transfer film
The clear film used in retransfer printing that receives the image and is then fused onto the card.
Encoding & Access
Wiegand
A common data format and wiring standard used between access card readers and controllers.
Ribbons & Supplies
YMCKO
A full-color ID card ribbon with five panels: Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, black (K), and a clear Overlay.
Ribbons & Supplies
YMCKOK
A full-color ribbon that adds a second black (K) panel for printing black on the back of a dual-sided card.
No terms match. Ask us instead
Still stumped by a spec?
Call the people who speak fluent ID card, since 1984.