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In response to the increasing concern with climate change we are frequently getting asked if we do recycled plastic cards. After much looking into this we just wanted to discuss the ins and outs of the production.

For us to recycle plastic cards is more of a challenge than it seems, as plastic card is comprised of the following materials;

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

Polystyrene (PS)

Corn-based polylactic acid (PLA)

As well as other compounds in smaller measures. (This is before adding a magnetic strip and inks into the mix)

 

Because they melt at different temperatures it is not only extremely difficult to extract and isolate  these materials but also putting them back together again in a process known as a polymerization is very involved in terms of both cost and energy.

This complex method means that that the environmental benefits would be negated by the heating and chemical energy used in this process. In short, recycling the cards could effectively double that of your initial carbon foot print.

So you see the quest for the for the elusive green card continues…or does it?

 

Our answer

At Impress we are concerned with what our customers want; we are constantly looking for new solutions and alternative products.

To celebrate Earth day on April 22nd we are launching our new paper plastic cards. Honestly, when this lovely product landed on our desks we couldn’t tell that it was paper (and we have been working in the print industry for several years)

They are paper cards; 720gsm to be exact and every other quality is the same, they are highly durable and can have any personalisation on  much like our plastic cards, you can even have a magnetic strip on there. The only difference being that they are 100 percent recyclable; so we aren’t fibbing when we say they literally grow on trees!

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In Uncategorized
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These Mixed Tape Save The Dates are the perfect for every music lover who still remembers the trusty old cassette tape! This speaks volumes to anyone part of a dying breed who has gone to the trouble of painstakingly stop starting and rewinding a cassette player just to piece together their beloved favourite songs and encapsulating them onto 1 hours worth of delight/dancing/nostalgia or just happy shared memories.  This mixed tape design is a wonderful way to announce your day with a personal touch! There is no better way to announce a good party that shouldn’t be missed.

Choose from seven unique paper types; gesso, satin, matt, gloss, metallic, pearlescent or my favourite for this particular design; Kraft which is available in three colours; brown/white or black. They are all 300gsm so are super sturdy and resilient.

This particular tone is earthy brown to give it a real rustic and earthy vibe. It is uncoated with a fibrous appearance to give it a textured finish which works well with designs that have a bold or strong line element. I like how it contrasts the fluid nature in the linework and text in this design.

We chose round corners for this design which I feel frames the illustration well.

Choose from a range of envelopes, here I wanted a splash of colour to work with the design to set it off but not so much that it detracts. I feel that this gave an extra chique quality.

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hologram printing banner

In Design
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Impress hologram stickers and labels are perfect for a variety of security applications to protect your products, event tickets, ID badges, etc.

  • Combat Counterfeiting and Fakes
  • Prevent Alterations
  • Indicate Tampering

Our quality holograms feature affordable pricing and fast service.

True Holography, based on work done by Hungarian-British physicist Dennis Gabor in the 1940’s. They can be thought of as somewhat similar to sound recording, whereby a sound field created by vibrating matter like musical instruments or vocal cords, is encoded in such a way that it can be reproduced later, without the presence of the original vibrating matter.

2D / 3D “hologram” images

Embossed holograms are the most common hologram products used in security printing. They can be easily mass produced by embossing but are difficult to copy without specialist equipment. They are widely used for security, labels, packaging, and display purposes.

Resolution for security grade holograms typically begins at 400 dpi and goes higher(600 dpi, 1000 dpi and higher).

These are by far the most common type of hologram – and in fact they are not holograms in any true sense of the words. The term “hologram” has taken on a secondary meaning due to the widespread use of a multi-layer image on credit cards and driver licenses.

This type of “hologram” consists of two or more images.  These are stacked in such a way that each is alternately visible depending upon the angle of perspective of the viewer. The technology here is similar to that used for the  to make safety reflectors for bicycles and cars.

The artwork of these holograms may be of two layers (i.e. with a background and a foreground) or three layers (with a background, a middle ground and a foreground). Our Specialist design team will help guide you through the process.

In the case of the two-layer holograms, the matter of the middle ground is usually superimposed over the matter of the background of the hologram. These holograms display a unique multilevel, multi-colour effect. These images have one or two levels of flat graphics “floating” above or at the surface of the hologram. The matter in the background appears to be under or behind the hologram, giving the illusion of depth.

Impress have a selection of vibrant hologram printing options all available with additional security feature like serial numbering or tamper evident backing.

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