| Business cards are an essential item for anyone in the | | | | Thermographic printing takes place in a heating |
| business world who wants to quickly give out their | | | | machine, which is divided up into three different |
| contact information to someone else. They have been | | | | sections. In the first section of the machine, plastic |
| around since the 19th century and have continued to | | | | powder is put on the card. This will end up sticking to |
| evolve over the years. Cards were originally seen as | | | | any place where there is ink, as the ink is still wet. In |
| simple white cards with information printed on them in | | | | the next section, a vacuum is used to remove as |
| black. Now that color printing has come down in price | | | | much of the excess powder from the non-inked parts |
| from what it used to be, card makers are coming up | | | | of the card as possible before moving onto the next |
| with new and unique designs to make each card stand | | | | phase. The final section of the machine is where the |
| out from all the others. One of the newer techniques | | | | plastic is heated in temperatures ranging from 900 to |
| that can be utilized today is one known as | | | | 1300 degrees. At those temperatures, it only takes |
| thermography printing. | | | | around 3 seconds for the plastic to be melted onto |
| Having raised print on a card is nothing new, as that | | | | business cards. |
| has been able to be done for a while now with | | | | Once the process is complete and the card has come |
| engraving. Thermography is printing process that is | | | | out of the heating unit, the plastic should be perfectly |
| used to simulate raise the printed writing slightly up off | | | | conformed to just the shape of the text on the card. |
| the card. It is a post production process, which is done | | | | Whereas the ink is simply flat, the plastic has a more |
| after the card has already been created. It just adds | | | | three dimensional look to it. This is what gives the card |
| an extra effect to the card, after the fact. Using | | | | its raised text effect, even though it's not actually |
| thermography doesn't actually raise the text, but it | | | | raised, like it would be with engraving. Thermography |
| gives off the same effect as if it has been raised. This | | | | can be an inexpensive way to enhance business |
| process uses heat to achieve the same look and | | | | cards, if you want to make yours stand out from the |
| effect on business cards, at only a fraction of the cost. | | | | already crowded pack. |