PVC, PC and PETG Coated Overlay with Black HiCo Magnetic Stripe
Wallis coated overlay with a pre-laid black HiCo magnetic stripe combines card-surface protection and magnetic data functionality in one lamination-ready material. It is available with PVC, polycarbonate (PC) or PETG film for bank cards, identification cards, access cards, hotel cards, transport cards, loyalty cards and smart-card constructions.
The overlay material, thickness, sheet or roll size, coating, surface finish, stripe coercivity, stripe width and stripe position can be matched to the card structure and production line. For reliable bulk production, buyers should approve the overlay together with their printed core, lamination parameters, punching layout, encoder and card reader.
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Product Specifications and Custom Options
The following information describes Wallis standard supply options. Final values must be confirmed for the selected PVC, PC or PETG grade and recorded on the quotation, technical data sheet, production drawing and approved sample.
| Product Name | PVC / PC / PETG Coated Overlay with Black HiCo Magnetic Stripe |
| Overlay Material | PVC, polycarbonate (PC) or PETG, selected to match the card construction |
| Color | Transparent as standard; frosted, black or customized options subject to grade |
| Surface | Smooth, frosted or coated surface |
| Thickness | 0.05-0.25 mm or customized; 0.08 mm is a common card-overlay option |
| Magnetic Stripe | Black high-coercivity (HiCo) stripe; exact coercivity must be specified and approved |
| Stripe Configuration | Custom stripe width, position, orientation, card layout and optional signature-panel compatibility |
| Supply Format | Cut sheets or rolls; custom punching and imposition layouts available on request |
| Maximum Width | Up to 930 mm or customized, subject to material and magnetic-stripe layout |
| Manufacturing Process | Film production, coating and magnetic-stripe bonding or pre-laying |
| Packing | 525 sheets per tray or customized export packing |
| Typical Applications | Magnetic-stripe cards, smart cards, ID cards, access cards, financial cards, transport cards and loyalty cards |
| Optional Documentation | RoHS or other project-specific documents for selected grades; confirm availability before ordering |
| Grade-Specific Performance | Temperature range, flame rating, chemical resistance and electrical properties vary by material and grade and must be separately confirmed |
What Is a Coated Overlay with a Magnetic Stripe?
A coated overlay is a thin protective film laminated over a printed card core or smart-card inlay. The coating promotes bonding during heat lamination, while the overlay protects the printed graphics and helps form the finished card surface. A pre-laid magnetic stripe allows the finished card to be encoded and read by compatible magnetic-stripe equipment.
Using a pre-laid stripe can simplify production by combining the overlay and stripe-placement steps. However, stripe registration, adhesion, coating behavior and shrinkage must match the lamination and punching layout to prevent off-position stripes, delamination or reader failures.
Why Choose a Black HiCo Magnetic Stripe?
HiCo means high coercivity. Compared with a low-coercivity stripe, a HiCo stripe is more resistant to accidental erasure by external magnetic fields and is commonly selected for cards that are encoded once and used repeatedly. Typical applications include access, identification, employee, transport, loyalty and transaction cards.
HiCo Versus LoCo Magnetic Stripe
HiCo is normally preferred when resistance to unintended erasure and frequent use are priorities. LoCo is easier to encode and is often chosen for lower-cost or short-life cards. The correct choice depends on the encoder, reader, required service life and customer specification. Stripe color alone should not be used to identify coercivity.
Standards and Finished-Card Compliance
If the finished card is intended for international interchange, the project may need to address ISO/IEC 7810 physical characteristics and the applicable ISO/IEC 7811 magnetic-stripe requirements. Purchasing compliant raw material does not automatically make the finished card compliant; the complete laminated, punched and encoded card must be validated against the customer specification and applicable test methods.
How to Choose PVC, PC or PETG Overlay Film
The overlay should normally be selected as part of the complete card construction. Material compatibility is especially important because the printed core, inlay, overlay and adhesive system must bond under the same lamination cycle and remain dimensionally stable during cooling and punching.
PVC Coated Overlay
PVC overlay is widely used with PVC printed sheets for conventional bank, membership, gift, hotel and identification cards. It offers familiar processing for card factories and is available in common card-overlay thicknesses and sheet layouts.
Polycarbonate Coated Overlay
PC overlay can be considered for durable card constructions that require dimensional stability, heat resistance or compatibility with PC core materials. Flame rating, laser personalization compatibility and temperature performance depend on the exact grade and should be verified rather than assumed.
PETG Coated Overlay
PETG overlay is used in selected laminated-card structures where PETG core or inlay compatibility, toughness and controlled processing are required. The entire stack should be tested for adhesion, shrinkage, warpage and surface quality under the intended lamination cycle.
Key Performance Benefits for Card Manufacturers
Integrated stripe placement: The pre-laid magnetic stripe reduces a separate production step and supports repeatable registration.
Strong lamination bond: The coated side is designed to bond with compatible printed core or inlay materials under controlled heat and pressure.
Surface protection: The overlay helps protect printed graphics from abrasion, handling, moisture and everyday wear.
Stable conversion: Controlled thickness, dimensions, coating and stripe position support lamination, punching, encoding and personalization.
Custom production: Material, finish, dimensions, stripe layout, coercivity and packing can be developed for OEM card projects.
Applications of Magnetic Stripe Coated Overlay Film
Bank, Payment and Transaction Cards
The overlay can be used in approved card constructions that require a magnetic stripe, surface protection and reliable lamination. Financial-card projects normally require strict customer specifications, traceability and finished-card testing.
ID, Access Control and Employee Cards
Black HiCo stripe overlay is suitable for identification, attendance, access-control and employee cards that are swiped frequently and need clear printed information protected beneath the overlay.
Hotel, Transport and Campus Cards
The material can be incorporated into hotel key cards, public-transport cards, parking cards, student cards and campus payment or access cards when magnetic-stripe functionality is part of the system design.
RFID, IC and Dual-Technology Smart Cards
A magnetic-stripe overlay can be laminated over compatible contactless inlays or chip-card constructions to create cards with more than one data interface. The inlay, chip module, antenna, printed core and overlay must be evaluated as a complete stack.
Membership, Loyalty and Gift Cards
Retailers, clubs and service businesses use magnetic-stripe cards for membership identification, loyalty programs, stored value and gift applications. Customized sheet layouts can support efficient multi-card lamination and punching.
Lamination, Encoding and Production Guidance
Confirm the Coated Side and Stack Direction
Before lamination, confirm the coated side, magnetic-stripe orientation and front/back overlay position. Incorrect stack direction can cause poor adhesion, reversed stripe placement or unusable card layouts.
Develop the Lamination Window with the Complete Card Stack
Lamination temperature, pressure, heating time and cooling time depend on material, coating, core thickness, inlay and press design. Use the supplier starting conditions only as a trial reference, then approve a stable production window with the actual card materials.
Test After Lamination and Punching
Inspect stripe position, bonding, surface appearance, warpage, card thickness and punched-edge quality. Encode and read cards from different positions in the laminated sheet to verify magnetic signal consistency across the production layout.
Quality Control and Sample Approval
For mass-production approval, buyers should define measurable acceptance criteria instead of relying only on a visual sample. A practical inspection plan may include:
Overlay thickness, length, width, squareness and sheet-layout tolerances.
Stripe coercivity identification, width, position, registration and visual appearance.
Coating uniformity, dust, scratches, crystal points, gels and other surface defects.
Lamination peel strength, stripe adhesion and resistance to delamination.
Shrinkage, warpage, blocking, transparency and finished-card surface quality.
Encoding and reading tests using the specified equipment and finished-card test plan.
Required regulatory, substance-compliance or customer-specific documentation for the exact grade.
Why Choose Wallis Coated Overlay Film?
Multiple Card Materials from One Supplier
Wallis supplies PVC, PC and PETG coated overlays together with card-core sheets, RFID inlays and related card-manufacturing materials. This allows the team to review compatibility across the card stack rather than treating the overlay as an isolated film.
Custom Stripe Layouts for OEM Production
Buyers can specify the overlay material, thickness, dimensions, surface finish, stripe coercivity, width, position, sheet imposition and packing method according to their lamination and punching equipment.
Sample Support Before Bulk Orders
Samples can be evaluated for material compatibility, lamination bond, stripe registration, surface quality, punching and magnetic encoding before a bulk production specification is finalized.
Information Required for a Quotation
For an accurate quotation, provide the overlay material, thickness, sheet or roll dimensions, card imposition, stripe coercivity, stripe width and position, surface finish, quantity, packing method and required documents. Also share the printed-core or inlay material and intended lamination conditions. A drawing or physical sample is recommended for custom stripe layouts.
Contact Wallis for Custom Card Overlay
Related Card Materials
PVC, PC and PETG coated overlay without magnetic stripe
PVC, PC and PETG printed core or white core sheet
Laserable polycarbonate overlay and core materials
RFID and smart-card inlay sheets
Blank PVC cards and finished magnetic-stripe cards
Lamination plates and related card-production consumables
Frequently Asked Questions
What is magnetic stripe coated overlay used for?
It is laminated over a printed card core or smart-card inlay to protect the card surface and provide a pre-positioned magnetic stripe for encoding and reading. It is used for ID, access, hotel, transport, loyalty, bank and other magnetic-stripe cards.
What is the difference between HiCo and LoCo magnetic stripes?
HiCo stripes have improved resistance to accidental erasure and are generally selected for frequently used cards. LoCo stripes are easier to encode and may suit lower-cost or shorter-life applications. Confirm compatibility with the intended encoder and reader.
Is every black magnetic stripe a HiCo stripe?
No. Color is not a reliable technical specification for coercivity. The required HiCo grade should be stated on the purchase specification and verified through supplier identification and finished-card testing.
Which is better for card overlay: PVC, PC or PETG?
There is no single best material for every card. PVC is common in conventional card production, PC is used in selected durable and security-card constructions, and PETG can suit compatible laminated-card stacks. Choose according to the core, inlay, lamination cycle, personalization method and finished-card requirements.
What overlay thickness is available?
Wallis lists a customizable range of 0.05-0.25 mm, with 0.08 mm commonly used for card overlay. The correct thickness depends on the core layers, inlay and target finished-card thickness.
Can the magnetic-stripe position and width be customized?
Yes. Stripe position, width, orientation and multi-card sheet layout can be produced according to the customer's drawing, card size, punching layout and applicable card specification.
What lamination temperature should be used?
The correct temperature depends on the selected overlay, coating, printed core, inlay, press and cycle time. Wallis can provide starting guidance for the ordered grade, but customers should establish and approve a production window using the complete card stack.
Can magnetic stripe overlay be used with RFID or chip cards?
Yes, when the overlay is compatible with the inlay, chip-card construction and lamination process. The complete card should be tested for bonding, dimensions, antenna or chip performance, magnetic encoding and reader compatibility.
Can I test samples before mass production?
Yes. Sample testing is recommended to verify stack compatibility, coating adhesion, stripe registration, lamination appearance, punching, encoding and reading before the bulk specification is approved.
