When we use the term "card technologies" or “smart cards,”
what do we mean? The easy answer is - any technology that can be placed
on a card. Typically we think of our credit or bank card but there are
other sizes and materials used for different applications. The card
can be made of plastic (polyester, pvc, or some other material) or
paper, or even some amalgamation of materials. The common point is that
the card is used to provide "access" to something and it includes some
form of automatic identification and data capture technology.
There are currently three main technologies we think of when we mention card technologies:
- Magnetic stripe,
- Smart cards, and
- Optical cards.
Other technologies can be put on cards as well (such as bar
codes, touch memory, etc.). Often the card will have printing on it
which may involve technologies such as Dye Diffusion Thermal Transfer
(D2T2) direct-to-card printing.