Ribbons & Supplies
Transfer film
The clear film used in retransfer printing that receives the image and is then fused onto the card.
In retransfer printers the image is printed onto this film, which is then bonded to the card with heat, producing edge-to-edge, high-resolution results.
More on this in how ribbons, panels, and yields work.
Transfer film is the consumable that makes over-the-edge printing possible, on a retransfer printer you buy it alongside the ribbon. Because the image lives on the film until it is fused, retransfer prints cleanly across the raised bump of a smart chip that would trip up direct-to-card.
Where this leads
If you are working this out for a live card program, start with the exact ribbon part number for your printer.
Questions about Transfer film?
Our team explains the jargon and specs the right gear, since 1984.