A Guide to Printing Terminology

There are different types of ID card printers with different functions and it's important to understand their various features prior to making any purchase. A better understanding of the features requires a good understanding of the related terminology. For example, an interested buyer needs to understand the difference between 'Mass Transfer Printing' and 'Dye Sublimation Printing.'

Dye Sublimation Printing

Dye sublimation printing is suitable for printing on the hard surfaces of different types of ID cards. It involves the application of images to the cards, which need a special coating. The process requires three main ingredients: heat, pressure and sublimation ink.
The ink can be converted to gas straight from its solid state without turning into liquid; hence the term 'sublimation.' Heat initiates the conversion while pressure and time control it. The ribbons on the printers are usually divided into three stripes of color - yellow, magenta, and cyan.
In order for the ID cards to accept the ink, they need a special coating that is applied during the manufacturing process. Some dye sublimation inks are meant for particular types of ID card printers. Heat transfer papers with specially finished surfaces that do not soak the ink are used to apply images onto the cards. The images are first printed on the papers before being transferred onto the targeted surfaces using a heat press.
Both professional and consumer dye-sublimation printers generally produce photographic prints. They can be used in a wide variety of fields, including membership and loyalty card applications, photo ID cards, or security badges. A relatively small printer can be used to print instant photo-realistic images cheaply.

Mass Transfer Printing

This technique involves the transfer of colorant material to the desired object by applying localized heat. The method is commonly used to print such monochrome images as bar codes or text. It can also be used in conjunction with thermal dye transfer to print personalized ID cards using a method known as direct-to-card (DTC) printing.
The printers melt ribbon coats that remain glued on the object or material printed. The printers can use cards made of cheap plastic that cannot withstand the heat of laser printers.
They have thermal print heads of fixed width that press plastics or papers over driven rubber rollers known as platens. A thin transfer ribbon or foil is sandwiched between the label and print head. It is a polyester film coated with pure resin, wax-resin or wax ink on the label side. Tiny pixels on the print-head are alternately heated and cooled in rapid successions to melt the ink on the label.
Image by bru76 and licensed through Creative Commons.

Rebecca Fischer is a sales representative for CardPrinter.com, an ID Card Printer retailer that offers the leading brands in the industry including the Evolis Zenius Single-Sided card printer and the Zebra ZXP Series 3 ID Card Printer.

Protective Surfaces: School And Park Playgrounds

Head fractures, broken arms and cuts all occur on playgrounds across the country. School and park supervisors attempt to minimize these injuries as much as they can, but sometimes, injuries will occur due to harsh falls or lack of proper adult supervision. School and park playgrounds all have some type of safety surface to protect children, and even the best surfaces will not safeguard against injury. Still, as a park and school official, choosing a surface either for its affordability or protection can affect the final appearance and level of protection a playground offers.
Sand
Sand provides an easy-to-maintain surface that can be placed in any environment, and since it is the cheapest, most school officials will choose sand. Considered a great shock absorber, sand can cover an entire playground surface and prevent major head injuries and fractures, but it also comes with various downsides. School officials must constantly inspect sand for any sharp or hard objects that can be hiding below the surface, while water, especially after a rainstorm, can make sand mushy, dirty, and difficult for children to play on.
Wood Chips
Compared to sand, wood chips also provide a great shock absorbing material that can prevent many injuries. For an outdoor playground, wood chips are easy to maintain and will not be affected by water as is the case with sand. Still, wood chips can cause minor splinters if children start to crawl or scrape their bodies against the material. Aside from the minor downsides, wood chips are a great, safe, cheap surface to use.
Rubber Mats
Rubber mats are a bit more expensive than wood chips or sand. The surface is durable and will absorb falls, and sharp objects and materials can easily be spotted on mats. Mats can break apart over time and may need to be glued together to avoid revealing the hard surface below.
Rubber Mulch
The most expensive alternative, rubber mulch provides a durable, soft-surface solution for a commercial playground. Rubber mulch is cemented in place, but can rip or tear after several years of heavy use. Unlike wood chips or sand, rubber mulch is not affected by the environment and will not grow fungus or attract any type of animal to its surface. Rubber mulch provides the best choice for school and park officials looking to maximize their investment and get a surface that will last for years to come.

Feel free to call (877) 777-3700 to allow ParknPool assist you in picking the ideal outdoor commercial playground and school age playgrounds for you!

Flyknit: Nike's Knitted Trainers

Technology has changed the way we live our lives. Even the last 10 years have been a turning point in everything from labour saving devices to transport and especially in computing. Fashion and sportswear have also benefited from these developments, with the latter investing millions in creating more effective clothing and shoes. Sports brands work very closely with sportsmen and women to improve their products all the time, and Nike is one of the first to hit upon a new way of making trainers.

I say 'new', it's new to Nike. They're knitting their shoes now.

Nike Flyknit is a new line for the brand. They've been trying to work out how to make running shoes that are supportive, but also feel light and airy. This is a holy grail for many athletes who prefer a more minimalist approach to running for competition and training. The inspiration came from athletes who had been looking for shoes that feel as comfortable as socks. These shoes are apparently close to knitted socks in comfort as you can get, at least for now.

This isn't the first time that Nike has attempted to produce a kitted sock-like training shoe. In the 80s the release of the Sock Racer, which was very thin, and found to be too flimsy for many runners. It seems that technology has finally caught up with Nike's design concepts, and a stable, knitted running shoe could finally be released.

The technology behind Nike Flyknit

Starting with the basic idea of how a sock is made, the technicians, engineers and programmers took a knitting machine, normally used for making jumpers, and took it apart. The 15-foot long machine was re-engineered to work on the designs for the uppers, which has a surprisingly level of versatility.
The material to make the shoe is woven from spools of polyester yarn on spools. These are fed through the machine to create the shape of the shoe, which is formed from small strands of fibre. These synthetic fibres build up the shoe's structure and support. In-house software, which Nike calls 'micro-precision engineering' allows for the slightest adjustment in the shoe's design. Even the flexibility of the shoe can be adjusted at its most basic make up. The addition of more lycra into the yarn feed adds more flexibility, while thicker yarn for the heel adds greater toughness.
This whole process is performed incredibly quickly, which has made Nike very excited at the prospects. In fact, with the projected speed of production this has also improved the brand's performance at the stock exchange. It remains to be seen how these knitted trainers will take off among runners when they hit US stores this July, at $150 a pair.

Citations:

• Exciting times for Nike with their new line of knitted trainers (not pictured).

Pack Lane Wool stocks a wide range of knitting accessories including Rico Can Can yarn.