| abs |
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene is a plastic used in some chip cards.Unlike PVC, it is formed through injection molding which allows the dimensions of the card and the hole into which the chip module is inserted to be precisely controlled. |
| Alphageometric |
A Videotext display technique that produces smoother and more elaborate graphics than alphamosaic. Geometric instructions are transmitted to the terminal or computer. |
| Burn |
Exposing the image on a printing plate with any light wource high in ultraviolet radiation. |
| Acetate
Base |
A photographic film support used to prepare overlays or used as a clear base for stripping. |
| Acoustic
Coupler |
A
low speed
modem which
converts
digital
signals
to and from
audible
analogue
form for
transmission
via an ordinary
telephone
handset. |
| Acquirer |
A
financial
institution
such as
a bank which
acquires
transaction
data from
a card acceptor
and enters
the transaction
into the
relevant
payment
system. |
| Acrylic
Ink |
A
screen printing
ink that
contains
acrylic
polymers
and is used
to print
on some
plastics
and other
substrates,
especially
ones that
will be
exposed
to outdoors. |
| Activation |
A
secure procedure
under control
of the card/secure
application
module (SAM). |
| Active |
Powered
card, on-board
battery
to support
RAM, processor,
display,
input keyboard,
and operating
system. |
| Active
Smart Card |
See
Super Smart
Card |
Address
Verification
System |
An
additional
point of
reference
to authenticate
card use,
for tele-marketing
purposes,
by confirming
the cardholder’s
address. |
| ADE |
see
Angewandte
Digital
Elecktronik. |
| AFC |
Automated
Fare Collection
systems,
usually
based on
magnetic
stripe,
chip card
or RFID
technology. |
| AFC |
Automatic
fare collection,
as in contact
or contactless
smart card
public transport
schemes. |
| Affinity
Card |
A
form of
loyalty
card where
the co-branding
partner
is a charity
or organization
which benefits
financially
from card
use. |
| AFNOR |
Association
Francaise
pour la
Normalisation. The French
standards
body responsible
for the
early smart
card standards.Chips
in the AFNOR
position
are in the
top left
hand corner
of the card
rather than
in the ISO
position
lower down.
|
| AKU |
Asymmetric
key Unit |
| Algorithm |
A
sequence
of steps
which can
be carried
out mechanically
and which
yield a
defined
result. |
| Alpha
Test |
The
initial
trial run
of a new
program,
system or
hardware
within the
organization
that developed
it.See beta
test. |
| Alphamosaic |
A
Videotext
display
technique
that divides
the screen
into an
invisible
grid and
accepts
signals
instructing
how each
square is
filled in,
as if creating
a mosaic. |
American
Bankers
Association
(ABA) |
The
trade association
of American
banks. It is also
the body
nominated
by international
agreement
as the registration
authority
for issuer
identification
numbers. |
American
National
Standards
Institute
(ANSI) |
ANSI
and ISO
standards
are available
from the
ANSI Publication
Sales Office,
1430 Broadway,
New York,
NY 10018;
(212) 354-3300 |
Angewandte
Digital
Elektronik |
European
contactless
card association. (ADE) |
| Annual
Fee |
A
fee paid
by a cardholder
for the
privilege
of holdingfinancial
transaction
card.With
some cards
the cardholder
pays interest
and no fee.
Some cards
charge both
fees and
interest. |
| ANSI |
see
American
National
Standards
Institute |
| Antiope |
A
protocol
developed
by the French.
It uses
an alphamosaic
configuration. |
| APACS |
see
Association
for Payment
Clearing
Services. |
Application
Specific
Integrated
Circuit
(ASIC) |
A
computer
chip designed
with special
features
to satisfy
particular
requirements.In
the smart
card context,
an ASIC
generally
refers to
chips with
special
“cells”
for functions
such as
security
(exponentiation
used in
public key
cryptography)
or communications
(radio frequency). |
| Area
1 |
Part
of the embossing
area reserved
for identification
of the card
issuer and
cardholder
(defined
in ISO7811) |
| Area
2 |
Part
of the embossing
area provided
for cardholder
identification
data such
as name
and address
(defined
in ISO7811). |
| Artwork,
separated |
Design
that indicates
each area
to print
in a color
on a different
layout. |
| ASCII |
American
Standard
Code for
Information
Interchange. The protocol
used by
most small
computers.It
assigns
a seven-bit
code to
96 printable
characters
and 32 control
characters. |
| Assembler |
Short
for assembly
code, a
form of
programming
language
permitting
direct manipulation
for machine
memory or
registers;
also used
to mean
the processor
which translates
assembly
code into
executable
code. |
Association
for
Payment
Clearing
Services |
Umbrella body for the UK payments industry. |
Asymmetric
Key Cryptography |
See
Public Key
Cryptography
and Encryption. |
| Asynchronous |
Not
synchronous.
The most
common data
transmission
method for
small computers. |
Asynchronous
Password
Generation |
A method of generating a unique one-time password for a computer user based on a challenge-response sequence between a host and a device possessed by the user.The device, generally referred to as a smart card or token, contains a secret ID or seed number, a cryptographic algorithm and some method for the challenge issued by the host to be entered.This may be contacts on a traditional smart card or keypad. When the user signs onto a system, the host issues a challenge in the form of a pseudo-random number. The user enters the number into the device, and a response is displayed on an LCD.This response is typed into the terminal by the user.The host computer, which knows the user’s seed and the algorithm, compares the response to what it expects in order to authenticate the presence of the device.The method can be strengthened by requiring the user to enter a PIN. |
| ATB |
Automated ticket and boarding pass machine at an airport which accepts a financial transaction card to pay for an airline ticket and issues ticket and boarding pass. |
| ATM |
Asynchronous
Transfer
Mode. A new communications
protocol
for the
transfer
of data
(any type)
across a
network. |
| ATM |
see
Automated
Teller Machine. |
| ATM
Reciprocity |
An
arrangement
between
ATM operators
under which
they accept
each other’s
cards in
their own
ATM machines. |
| ATZ |
Access
Tracking
Zone.Part
of the card
memory reserved
for registering
secret keys
or cardholder
codes. |
| Audit/Journal
Printer |
The
printer
which records
all transactions
as they
occur and
provides
an audit
trail. |
| Authenticate |
To
provide
identity
or origin. |
| Authentication
Routine |
A
cryptographic
process
used to
validate
a user,
card, terminal
or message
contents.Also
known as
a handshake,
the authentication
uses important
data to
create a
code that
can be verified
in real
time or
batch mode. |
| Authorization |
A
card issuer’s
undertaking
to a card
acceptor
that he
will honor
a transaction. |
| Authorization
Code |
A
specific
value issued
and stored
with the
transaction
data to
allow confirmation
that a valid
authorization
occurred. |
| Authorization
Message |
Within
a payment
system,
any message
between
a card acceptor
and a card
issuer serving
to establish
whether
the issuer
approves
for a transaction
to proceed. |
| Authorization
Terminal |
A
terminal
permitting
authorization
of a transaction
but not
necessarily
capturing
the transaction
data into
a payment
system. |
Automated
Banking
Machine
(ABM) |
North
American
term corresponding
to automated
teller machine
in the UK. |
Automated
Clearing
House |
A
facility
that electronically
processes
payments
of funds
and government
securities
among financial
institutions
and businesses. Visa the
only private
national
ACH in the
US, competitive
with the
Federal
Reserve
ACH. |
Automated
Issuing
Machine |
A
machine
which records
information
on a blank
identification
card before
its issue
to the cardholder. Some issuing
machines
only write
information
on magnetic
tracks,
others carry
out embossing
too. |
| BACS |
see
Bankers’
Automated
Clearing
Services. |
| Bar
Code |
A
binary coding
system using
a numerical
series and
bars of
varying
thicknesses
or positions
that can
be read
by optical
character
recognition
(OCR) equipment. |
| Batch
Processing |
A
mode of
data processing
in which
data is
gathered
over a period
of time
and aggregated
for subsequent
sequential
processing. |
| Baud |
A
unit of
signaling
speed defined
as the rate
of change
of the unit
signal element
on a communication
channel. Note that
this is
not the
same as
bit rate
if the unit
signal element
encodes
more than
one bit
at a time. |
| Bit |
Derived
from the
words BInary
digiT, a
bit is the
basic element
of electronic
information.It
has one
of two states
commonly
referred
to as “0”
and “1”,
or “on”
and “off”.In
memory storage,
a string
of bits
represents
a series
of “0”’s
and “1”’s. |
| Black
and White |
Originals
or reproductions
in single
color, as
distinguished
from multicolor. |
| Bleed |
Refers
to a printed
color(s)
that runs
off the
edge of
the card.Non-bleed
means that
the printing
stays at
least 1/8
of an inch
from the
card edge. |
| Blend |
Joining
two colors
so smoothly
that there
is no perceptible
line at
the intersection.In
digital
painting,
the quality
of the blending
process
is an indication
of the quality
of the electronic
prepress
system. |
| Block |
In
art preparation,
to mask,
cover, opaque,
or paint
out portions
of a copy
or negative
to modify
the printing
areas. |
| Block
Colors |
Colors
printed
solid, i.e.,
with near
identical
opacity
and density
over the
entire surface
and without
gradations,
tints, or
shading. |
| Blowup |
A
photographic
enlargement. |
| Blueprint |
In
offset-lithography
and photoengraving,
a photoprint
made from
stripped-up
negatives
or positives,
used as
a proof
to check
position
of image
elements. |
| Butts |
Halftones
or transparencies
back to
back without
the use
of black
and white
gutters
to separate
the images. |
| Byte |
A
group of
bits (usually
4 or 8)
that form
a character
based on
a coding
scheme which
assigns
unique meaning
based on
the binary
representation
of the “0”’s
and “1”’s. |
| Camera
Film |
A
high contrast,
silver-based
orthochromatic
graphic
arts film
designed
specifically
for exposure
using a
graphic
arts camera. |
| Camera,
digital |
A
photographic
system using
a charged-coupled
device to
transform
visual information
into pixels
that are
assigned
binary codes
so that
they can
be manipulated,
compressed,
stored,
or transmitted
as electronic
files.
|
| Camera,
process |
A
camera designed
especially
to create
halftone
images and
color separations
for photomechanical
reproduction
and similar
work |
| Camera-Ready |
Artwork
that is
generally
black and
white completely
finished
with color
breaks ready
to be photographed
to produce
negatives
used for
making the
printing
plates. |
| Camera-Ready
Copy |
All
printing
elements
prepared
to be photographed
on the graphic
arts camera;
text type
set in the
correct
point size
and properly
mounted
to the page
grip; headlines,
copy blocks,
and screened
prints;
keylines
showing
the exact
size and
position
of halftones
or four
color photographs
to be stripped
in; and
spot color
elements
mounted
to acetate
overlays,
properly
registered
over the
black copy,
and marked
for screen
percentage
and colors.
It is generally black and
white completely
finished
with color
breaks ready
to be photographed
to produce
negatives
used to
for making
the printing
plates.Manual
pasteup
techniques
or computer-based
pagination
systems
may be used
to create
the layout.
Also referred
to as camera
ready artwork. |
| Card
Acceptor
Device |
The
mechanism,
a key component
of reader/writers,
into which
an IC card
is inserted. |
| Card
Bureau |
A
contract
service
to card
issuers,
whereby
printed
blank cards
can be embossed
and encoded
with cardholder
and other
data and,
in some
cases dispatched
to cardholders. |
| Card
Encoding |
The
original
recording
of information
on an identification
cards by
the card
issuer. |
| Card
Issuer |
An
individual
or organization
that issues
identification
cards to
individual
or corporate
cardholders. |
| Card
Jitter |
Poorly
aligned
recording
on the magnetic
tracks of
the identification
card. |
| Card
reader-writer |
Equipment
that can
electronically
read the
information
on one or
many types
of cards
and modify
specific
data fields. |
| Cash
Card |
A
prepaid
credit balance
stored in
card. Such card
systems
decrement
the balance
with each
use. |
| CD-ROM |
A disk-shaped mass storage medium that employs optical recording technology to store hundreds of megabytes of data. known as a laser disk because tiny lasers are used to record data by creating micron level areas of low and high reflectivity that represent data. |
| Challenge-response |
See
Synchronous
password
generation |
| Character
Height |
The
maximum
permitted
height of
embossed
characters
on an identification
card.For
ISO standard
card this
is 4.32mm
(defined
in SIO 7811) |
| Character
Spacing |
The
nominal
spacing
of embossed
characters
on an identification
card.For
ISO standard
cards this
is 3.63mm
with a minimum
spacing
between
two consecutive
characters
of 3.48mm
(defined
in ISO 7811). |
| Check Guarantee
Card |
A
financial
transaction
card used
to guarantee
the payments
by check.Provided
the conditions
of use are
met, the
card issuer
guarantees
to honor
the check
mad out
by the cardholder. |
| Check
Digit |
A
digit calculated
from the
digits of
a number
and appended
to it as
a form of
integrity.
Check digits
on ISO standard
identification
cards are
calculated
using the
Luhn formula. |
| Chip |
A
piece of
silicon
etched with
electronic
circuit. |
| Chip
Card |
A
card into
which one
or more
integrated
circuits
have been
incorporated.Also
known as
smart cards. |
| Chromatone |
A
photographic
color print
process. |
| Coercive
Force |
The
energy required
to saturate
a given
piece of
magnetic
material.Expressed
in “oersteds.” |
| Coercivity |
The
magnetic
“retention
value” of
different
ferrous
oxide materials.
It is a
measure
of the strength
of the magnetic
field. For
example,
a high coercivity
stripe will
be less
vulnerable
to degaussing
or erasure
than a low
coercivity
stripe. |
| Color
copy |
The original color artwork, transparencies, photographs, keylines, or other materials furnished for reproduction. |
| Color
Electronic
Prepress
System |
A
computer-based
image manipulation
and page-makeup
system for
graphic
arts applications.CEPS
replaces
manual correction
techniques
previously
accomplished
with duplicate
transparencies
and emulsion
stripping. |
| Color
Keys |
A
standard
proofing
system;
overlay
materials
having no
inherent
color cast
so interpretation
of color
judgment
is minimized. |
| Color
overlay |
Transparent
film sheets,
usually
made of
acetate,
that are
super-imposed
over each
other to
represent
each color
in a reproduction. |
| Color
Separation |
Using
red, green
and blue
filters
to divide
the colors
of a multi-colored
original
into the
three process
colors and
black. The four
resulting
film intermediates
are used
to prepare
the yellow,
magenta,
cyan and
black printing
plates. Color separation
is most
often accomplished
with an
electronic
color scanner,
but film-contacting
a process
camera methods
are also
employed
on occasion. |
| Combo
Card |
A
combination
of a surface
pad for
contact
applications
and a dual/RF
capability
for contactless
applications
both of
which are
connected
to the same
chip. |
| Composite |
Combining
separate
pieces of
produced
art into
film and
converted
into one
piece of
composite
film. |
| Contact |
A
point of
electrical
connection
between
an integrated
circuit
card and
its external
interface
device. ISO standard
integrated
circuit
cards have
eight contacts
designated
C1 to C8
(defined
in ISO 7816) |
| Contact
Card |
A
smart card
with a visible
module cover
(usually
gold colored)
which has
five or
six contact
points which
transfer
information.Contact
cards may
be memory
only or
microprocessor. |
| Contactless
Cards |
As
the name
implies,
contactless
IC cards
contain
no surface
contacts
and employ
either RFID
techniques
(see radio-frequency
ID), which
incorporate
an antennae
in the card,
or inductive
techniques,
where metallic
plates inside
the card
are used
to receive
power and
transmit
data. |
| CR-50 |
Industry
name for
standard
finished
plastic
card sizes:
3.500 in.
Wide 1.725
in. High. |
| CR-80 |
Industry
name for
standard
finished
plastic
card sizes:
3.375 in.
Wide x 2.125
in. High. |
| Cromalins |
Dupont’s
single-piece
laminated
proofing
system in
both the
positive
and negative
forms.Each
process
provides
a highly
comparable
proof to
ensure consistent
quality. |
| Crop
Marks |
Small
lines placed
in the margin
or on an
overlay,
denoting
the image
areas to
be reproduced.
|
| Cropping |
Framing
the reproduction
as it appears,
printed
by crop
marks. |
| Cyan |
A
blue-green
color, complementary
to red. Along with
yellow and
magenta,
one of the
three primary
subtractive
colors,
or process
colors used
in the printing
process.
Cyan reflects
blue and
green light,
while absorbing
red. |
| [top ^ ] |
Data
Encryption
Standard |
Federal
Information
Processing
Standard
publication
46.A US
standard
defining
a cryptosystem
for use
by the US
Federal
Government. Popularly
known as
DES, this
cryptosystem
is widely
used in
payment
systems. |
| Debit
Card |
A
financial
transaction
card permitting
transactions
to be debited
to an account
which may
or may not
allow credit
to the cardholder. |
| Decrementing
Value Card |
See
prepaid
card |
| Degaussing |
Magnetic
stripe data
erasure. |
| De-Lamination |
A
condition
that occurs
when the
overlay
of clear
vinyl does
not bondproperly
to the core
stock.The
overlay
may peel
off near
the edges. |
| Densitometer |
An
instrument
for measuring
the optical
density
of a negative
or positive
transparency,
or of a
print. Reflection
densitometers
measure
the amount
of light
that bounces
off a photographic
print at
a 90 degree
angle. Transmission
densitometers
measure
the fraction
of incident
light conveyed
through
a negative
or positive
transparency
without
being absorbed
or scattered. Combination
densitometers
measure
both reflection
and transmission
densities. |
| Density |
The
measurement
of darkness,
usually
determined
by a densitometer. |
| DES |
The
National
Institute
for Standards
and Technology’s
Data Encryption
Standard
is the most
widely accepted
public domain
symmetric
key cryptography
algorithm. |
| Die
Cut |
The
final precision
trimming
to size
or shape
of the plastic
cards, i.e.,
rounded
corners
or rolodex
notching. |
| Die
Stamping |
Use
ofa die
of brass
or other
hard metal
to stamp
the card
surface. The case
may be stamped
with ink
or metallic
foil. |
| Digital
Optical
Laser Card |
A
portable
card that
passively
stores information
in the form
of high-density
marks or
bars. |
| Digital
Signature |
Digital
signatures
are used
to prevent
denial of
a transaction
or message
by the sender.The
technique
is being
used for
electronic
mail, financial
transactions
and in sensitive
data system
applications. The digital
signature
is generated
using a
cryptographic
algorithm
and information
that identifies
the user,
including
a cryptographic
key.The
digital
signature
can be generated
using either
symmetric
key cryptography
or public
key cryptography.In
the public
key version,
the user
signs the
message
using a
secret key
stored in
a smart
card or
terminal
hardware
or software.The
receiver
employs
the public
key of the
sender to
authenticate
his identity. |
| Digital
Signature
Standard
(DSS) |
A
soon to
be adopted
standard
for generating
a non-reputable
electronic
code linking
the user
to a specific
transaction.The
standard
specifies
a government
developed
algorithm
called the
Digital
Signature
Algorithm
(DSA), specifically
designed
to be easily
implemented
in smart
cards without
the need
for special
math co-processors.DSS
also uses
the Secure
Hash Algorithm
(SHA) for
reducing
message
data to
produce
the digital
signature.
|
| Direct-to-Card
(DTC) |
Color
printing
of personalized
information
directly
onto, or
into a card
surface.Used
to differentiate
photo printing
using dye
diffusion
or dye sublimation
from systems
that place
information
on a core
stock which
is then
laminated
into a polyester
pouch. |
| Dot |
The
individual
element
of halftone. |
| Dot
etching |
Enlarging
or reducing
the size
of the halftone
dots on
separations;
usually
done chemically. |
| Dot
Gain |
The
optical
increase
in the size
of a halftone
dot during
prepress
operations
or the mechanical
increase
in halftone
dot size
that occurs
as the image
is transferred
from plate
to blanket
to paper
in lithography. |
| Drop
Shadow |
A
dark outline
in or around
portions
of typeset
letters.The
shadow effect
is separated
from the
main body
of the letter
by space. |
| Drop-Out |
Portions
of originals
that do
not reproduce,
especially
colored
lines or
background
areas (often
on purpose). |
| Drop-Out
or Reverse
Out |
A
printing
technique
where the
white color
from the
core material
appears
as printed
on a colored
background.The
ink has
been dropped
-out. |
| Duotone |
In
photomechanics,
a term for
a two-color
halftone
reproduction
from a one-color
photograph. |
| EEPROM |
Electronically
Erasable
Programmable
Read-Only
Memory is
a non-volatile
memory technology
where data
can be erased
and rewritten. EEPROM is
widely used
in smart
cards, usually
in 2K-bit
or 64 K-byte
quantities. |
| Electronic
Data Interchange
(EDI) |
The
Ability
to transfer
information
such as
orders and
invoices
from one
computer
to another
over a communications
network.
The goad
of EDI is
to eliminate
the redundant
paperwork
and delays
in response
time inherent
in mail
an other
delivery
services.For
EDI to be
effective,
users must
agree on
certain
standards
for formatting
and exchanging
information. |
| Electronic
Purse |
A
special
function
in a smart
card including
an area
of memory
and a specific
set of commands
used to
store value
for low-dollar
transactions. Cards may
be dedicated
to the purse
function
or also
contain
memory and
programs
for other
applications. |
| Electronic
Wallet |
Generally
refers to
a calculator
type or
other portable
device capable
of executing
a variety
of financial
transactions
and identification
functions. More sophisticated
than an
electronic
purse, a
wallet may
include
debit, credit,
cash card,
and other
function.Some
people carry
the analogy
to a wallet
further
and envision
a portable
device with
LDC display,
keyboard
and reader/writer for a variety
of cards.By
this definition
the electronic
wallet is
a subset
of the personal
digital
assistant
(PDA) category
of computer
products. |
| Embossed
Hologram |
A
holographic
image is
embossed
on special
foil that
can be affixed
to a plastic
card. |
| Embossing |
Technique
of depressing
the back
surface
of the card
in order
to raise
the surface
of the front
of the card
with alphanumeric
information. The height
of the embossed
characters
is approximately
.018 inches. |
| EMV
Specifications |
Specifications
developed
cooperatively
by Europay,
MasterCard
and VIS
(EMV) to
ensure global
interoperability
of chip
cards and
terminals. |
| Encoder |
A
system or
equipment
designed
for the
encoding
of magnetic-striped
plastic
cards used
to activate
an ATM. |
| Encoding |
Recording
electronic
information
on a magnetic
stripe. |
| EPROM |
Electronically
Programmable
Read-Only
Memory is
a non-volatile
storage
circuit
that can
be written
to only
once. The
memory can
only be
erased using
ultraviolet
light which
is not feasible
for chips
packaged
in plastic. EPROM is
used widely
in smart
cards, usually
in 256-bit
to 32K-byte
quantities. |
| Exposure |
The
step in
photographic
processes
during which
light produces
the image
on the light
sensitive
coating. |
| Feathering |
A
ragged edge
on printed
type.It
may be caused
by poor
ink distribution,
a bad impression,
excessive
in, or and
ink not
suitable. |
| Ferrous
Oxide |
The
metal “rust”
particles
that are
used to
make magnetic
stripes. The controlled
rusting
(oxidation)
determines
the recording
characteristics
of the magnetic
material. |
| Film |
Sheets
of flexible
translucent
or transparent
acetate,
vinyl, or
other plastic
base materials
that are
coated with
a photographic
emulsion. |
| Film
Laminating |
Bonding
a plastic
film with
heat or
pressure
to a printed
sheet for
protection
or appearance. |
| Flash |
A
type of
memory based
on a modified
single transistor
EPROM cell
technology
which offers
all the
usual reliability
attributes
of EPROM,
but is in-system,
electrically
erasable
on a whole
chip or
block basis. |
| Flat |
In
offset-lithography,
the assembled
composite
of negatives
or positives,
mostly on
goldenrod
paper, ready
for platemaking. Also, a
photograph
or halftone
that is
lacking
in contrast. |
| Fleet
Fueling
Card |
A
special
purpose
charge card
used most
by transport
drivers
to pay for
the fuel
on the road. |
| Four-Color
Process |
A
combining
of small
printed
dot patterns
of four
basic colors
- cyan,
magenta,
yellow and
black to
produce
a full range
of colors.This
process
is used
to give
a full color
reproduction
similar
to a color
photograph. |
| FRAM |
Ferroelectric
Random Access
Memory contains
a thin layer
of ceramic
material
covering
a traditional
circuit
to provide
durable
non-volatile
memory. The technology,
fairly new
to the commerical
market,
is used
in some
chip and
RFID cards. |
| Full
Bleed |
An
image extending
to all four
edges of
the press
sheet leaving
no visible
margins. |
| Full
Track Reading |
Reading
the full
capacity
of a magnetic
track. |
| General
Purpose
Chip |
A
chip with
electrical
properties
that are
set for
the handling
of a common
set of requirements,
such as
a microprocessor
or storage
unit |
| [top ^ ] |
| Global
System for
Mobile Communications |
(originally
Groupe Systeme
Mobile):
the standard
adopted
by 18 European
countries
in order
to develop
compatible
digital
mobile telecommunications. |
| Gold Card |
A
prestige
issue of
financial
transaction
card with
up-market
enhancement
services. They are
usually
colored
gold and
aimed at
well-off
cardholders. American
Express
introduced
them first,
but other
card issuers
have followed
suit. |
| Graphics |
Artwork,
photographs,
and charts
that are
reproduced
or presented
in visual
form. |
| GSM |
Global
System Mobile
is a pan-European
standard
for portable
phones that
employ smart
cards for
identification
and security. |
| Guillotine Cutter |
A
manual or
electronic
device with
a long,
heavy, sloping
blade that
descends
to a table
or bed and
slices through
a stack
of paper. |
| Hairline Register |
Register
within + / - row
of dots. |
| Halftones/Tone |
The
reproduction
of continuous-tone
artwork,
such as
a photograph,
through
a crossline
or contact
screen,
which converts
the image
into dots
of various
sizes. |
| Hickeys |
In
offset-lithography,
spots or
imperfections
in the printing
due to such
things as
dirt on
the press,
dried ink
skin, paper
particles,
etc. |
| Hologram |
Unique
photo/graphic
printing
that gives
the image
a three-dimensional
effect. Usually
employed
for security
or aesthetic
effect. |
| Hologram Card |
An
identification
card bearing
a hologram
as a security
measure
against
counterfeiting. |
| Holographic Foil |
The
foil used
to carry
embossed
holographic
images |
| IATA |
International
Air Transport
Association:
defines
magnetic
stripe encoding
position
and configuration
referred
to as Track
1. |
| IC Chip Card |
Any
of a series
of card-shaped
devices
that contain
one or more
IC chips. Includes
both memory-only
and smart
cards. |
| Imagesetter |
A
device used
to output
fully paginated
text and
graphic
images at
a high resolution
onto photographic
film, paper,
or plates. |
| Imprinter |
A
device used
to print
embossed
details
from financial
transaction
cards on
to sale
vouchers. |
| International Standards
Organization |
The
major international
standards
setting
organization
for cards
of all types. Relevant
standards
include: |
| ISO |
International
Standards
Organization.A
central
body, located
in Switzerland,
for the
formation
and dissemination
of industry
standards
for all
national
standards
bodies. |
| ISO 1831 |
Printing
specifications
for optical
character
recognition. The ISO
standard
specifying
requirements
for ink-printing
on documents
intended
for OCR. |
| ISO 4904 |
Bank
cards-magnetic
stripe data
content
for track
3. The ISO
standard
financial
transaction
cards. |
| ISO 7810 |
This
ISO standard
specifies
the nominal
dimensions
for bank
cards, including
standards
for edge
burring
not to exceed
0.08 mm
(0.003 inc.),
surface
distortions,
and signature
panels. |
| ISO 7811 |
ISO
7811/2 specifies
the magnetic
stripe surface
profile
and ISO
7811/4 specifies
the location
of magnetic
stripe material. |
| ISO 7813 |
This
ISO standard
specifies
that the
dimensions
of financial
transaction
cards shall
be 0.76+/-0.08
mm (0.030+/-.0003
in.) thick
85.1 mm
(3.375 in.)
wide and
54.03 mm
(2.127 in)
high. |
| ISO 7816 |
Specifies
standards for integrated
circuit
cards with
contacts
and has
five parts:
Part 1 -
Physical
characteristics;
part 2 -
Dimensions
and location
of contacts;
Part 3 -
ISO/EIC
Electronic
signal and
exchange
protocols;
Part 4 -
Interindustry
commands
(draft);
part 5 -
Registration
system. |
| Key Management |
A
technique
for securely
distributing
cryptographic
keys to
parties
involved
in a secure
transaction.The
primary
standards
for key
management
is known
as ANSI
X9.17.Other
techniques,
including
proprietary
methods,
are used
for government
classified
information
systems. Key management
generally
requires
a special
computer
dedicated
to distribute
keys securely. However,
public key
cryptography
also can
be used
to establish
session
keys between
two parties
without
the need
for a third-party
server. |
| [top ^ ] |
| Lamination |
The
process
of bonding
layers of
core material
and overlay
material
through
heat and
pressure. |
| Laser Card |
See
Optical
Memory Cards |
| Lazerproof/Digitized
Proof Recorder |
Lazer
exposed,
continuous
tone, pre-press
proof. Processed
onto photographic
reflection
transparency
print material. In most
cases, this
is an extremely
close representation
to the final
product. |
| Light Sensitivity |
ISO
standard
identification
cards are
supposed
to resist
deterioration
from exposure
to light
during normal
use (criteria
defined
in ISO 7810) |
| Line Copy |
Any
copy suitable
for reproduction
without
using halftone
screen. |
| Litho (Offset Printing) |
Ink and water are used with rollers to receive and transfer images onto plastic. Specially treated metal plates allow image areas to accept ink and non-image areas reject ink.Used for fine line printing or step and repeat patterns and reversed out of background colors. Only way to print four color process in achieving the look of a photograph. |
| Magenta |
The
subtractive
transparent
primary
color that
should reflect
blue and
read and
absorb green
light.It
is one of the four
process-color
inks used
in the printing
process. Alternative
term: process
red. |
| Magnetic Stripe |
A
magnetic
tape material
applied
to the plastic
card to
be used
as a medium
for storing
machine
readable
information.Size
or width
of magnetic
material
varies according
to the number
of tracks
to be encoded. |
| Magnetic Stripe
Reader |
A
device which
reads information
recorded
on the magnetic
tracks of
an identification
card. |
| Magnetic Stripe
Writer |
A
device which
writes information
to magnetic
tracks on
an identification
card. Note that
track 1
and track
2 are read-only
on ISO standard
cards. |
| Magnetic Track |
A
linear path
on a magnetic
stripe along
with data
recorded. Positions
of magnetic
tracks are
defined
in ISO 7811. |
| MasterCard |
An
international
payment
systems
organization
controlled
by its members. |
| Matchprints |
3M’s
single piece
laminated
proofing
system in
both the
positive
and negative
forms. Each process
provides
a highly
comparable
proof to
ensure consistent
quality. |
| Matte Finish |
A
dull, non-gloss
finish on
the final
surface
of a plastic
card. |
| Mechanical |
Used
mostly in
offset,
a term for
a camera-ready
pasteup
of artwork. It includes
type, photos,
line art,
etc., all
on one piece
of artboard. |
| Memory Card |
A
card shaped
device that
contains
one or more
integrated
circuit
ships (OTP
ROM, Mask
ROM, DRAM,
SRAM, EPROM,
or EEPROM)
capable
of storing
data. Memory cards
normally
require
an on-board
battery
to maintain
stored data. |
| Message Authentication
Code (MAC) |
A
digital
code generated
using a
cryptographic
algorithm,
which establishes
that the
contents
of a message
have not
been changed. A MAC is
generated
by taking
all or part
of a message,
such as
the dollar
amount and
account
number,
and processing
it through
the algorithm,
usually
DES. The resulting
code is
appended
to the message. The receiver,
using the
same algorithm
and secret
key, processes
the message
to see it
the same
MAC results. If not,
there has
been an
error in
the transmission
or data
has been
purposely
changed.Messages
with MACs
do not necessarily
need to
be scrambled
as data
integrity,
not data
secrecy,
is the primary
objective. |
| Mezzotint |
A
random-dot
halftone
with a strong
grainy effect. |
Microprocessor/
Microcomputer |
The
brain of
the smart
card that
functions
as the central
processing
unit and
executes
application
and security
functions. A true smart
card contains
a microcomputer
that includes
a microprocessor
CPU<
ROM - which
stores operating,
security
and application
programs
- and RAM
- which
provides
temporary
registers
for interim
processing
steps. |
| Motorized Card
Reader |
A
magnetic
stripe reader
which passes
a card past
its magnetic
heads under
motor power
compare
read-on-insertion,
read-on
withdrawal, swipe reader. Most ATM’s
and ABM’s
have this
kind of
reader. |
| Mottle |
The
spotty or
uneven appearance
of printing,
mostly in
solid areas. |
| National Bureau
of Standards |
The
predecessor
body to
the US National
Institute
of Standards
and Technology. |
| [top ^ ] |
| OCR |
Optical
character
recognition.Computer
input by
reading
characters
printed
out on paper
documents
in special
type fonts. |
| Oersted |
A
unit of
magnetic
coercive
force.Also
used to
define relative
magnetic
material
“energy
retention
value.” |
| Offset |
In
printing,
the process
of using
an intermediate
blanket
cylinder
to transfer
from the
image carrier
to the substrate.Short
for offset
lithography. |
| Opacimeter |
An
instrument
used to
measure
the opacity
of paper. |
| Opacity |
The
degree to
which light
will not
pass through
a substrate
or ink. |
| Opaque Ink |
An ink that conceals all color beneath it. |
| Optical Memory
Cards |
Also known as laser cards, because a low-intensity laser is used to burn holes of several microns in diameter into a reflective material exposing a substrata of lower reflectivity.The presence, or absence, of a burned hole represents bits. The areas of high and low reflectivity are read using a precision light source. Storage capacity of the cards is generally greater than 2 megabytes. Recently magneto-optical technology has also been introduced to the optical memory card family. |
| Overlay |
In artwork, a transparent covering over the copy where color break, instructions or corrections are marked.Also, transparent or translucent prints which, when placed one on the other, form a composite picture. |
| Overprint |
Double
printing;
printing
over an
area that
already
has been
printed. |
| Passive Chip Card |
An
integrated
circuit
card containing
no programmed
processing
elements. |
| Password Tokens |
Portable devices that contain integrated circuit chips, batteries, LCD and sometimes keypads. The devices are designed to generate a unique password for users logging on to computer systems and employ techniques known as synchronous or asynchronous password generation. |
| Personalization |
The
process
of initializing
a card with
data that
ties it
uniquely
to a given
cardholder
and account. |
| PIN |
Personal
identification
number;
also
Personal
Identification
News. |
| PMS (Pantone Matching
System) |
An
industry-wide
color matching
system used
to reference
or indicate
printed
colors. |
| Polished Finish |
The
smooth high
gloss surface
that results
from lamination
of most
cards. |
| Polyester laminate |
A
raw plastic
sheet material
from which
identification
cards are
made. |
| Polyvinyl Chloride |
One
of two plastics
(the other
is polyvinyl
chloride
acetate)
specified
by ISO 7810
as a suitable
material
for identification
cards. |
| Pre-Paid Card |
A
card paid
for at point
of sale,
and permitting
the bearer
to buy goods
or services
usually
of a particular
type up
to the pre-paid
value. Not all
such cards
are ISO
standardidentification
cards because
some do
show the
identity
of the bearer. |
| Prepaid
Card |
A
card in
which monetary
value is
stored and
then decreased
as services
or products
are purchased. Can be accomplished
with magnetic
stripe or
IC card
technology. In Japan,
hundreds
of millions
of magnetic
stripe cards
are used
in this
manner.Low-capacity
memory-only
cards with
surface
contacts
are used
in the phone
systems
of over
60 nations. |
| Prepress |
All
printing
operations
prior to
presswork,
including
design and
layout,
typesetting
, graphic
arts photography,
image assembly
and platemaking. |
| Press
Proofs |
In
color reproduction,
a proof
of a color
subject
on a printing
press, in
advance
of the production
run. |
Press
Proofs/Progressives |
The
most accurate
way of viewing
the final
printed
job. However,
results
will vary
considerably
depending
on the equipment,
techniques
and the
skills of
the printer
producing
the proofs. |
| Process
Colors |
In
printing,
the subtractive
primaries;
Yellow,
Magenta,
and Cyan
, plus Black
in four
color process
printing. |
| Process
Printing |
The
printing
from a series
of two or
more halftone
plates to
produce
intermediate
colors and
shades. In four
color process;
Yellow,
Magenta,
Cyan and
Black. |
| Proofs |
A
means of
close approximation
available
to the actual
printed
piece. |
| Proximity
Card |
A non-contact card whose presence and contained data can be sensed by an interface device not in physical contact with the card. Such cards are often used in access control systems in which doors open automatically if an authorized person approaches carrying his card. |
Public
Key
Cryptography
and
Encryption
(PKE) |
An asymmetric cryptographic method using two different mathematically related keys for encryption and decryption.One key remains secret and is maintained by the user in a terminal or smart card.The other key, since it cannot be used to derive the secret key, is made public in a system directory. When encrypting data, the sender looks up the public key of the receiver and uses it to encrypt the message. Only the user possessing the associated secret key can decrypt the message. Because of the sophisticated and extensive mathematics that allow this cypher system to work, public key cryptography is generally not used for encryption of large amounts of data. Instead, it has found the most favor as a way of generating a digital signature, which is attached to a message or transaction to confirm the identity of the sender. In this process, the user employs his own private key on part of the message, including identification information. Anyone receiving the message can authenticate the sender’s identity by decrypting the digital signature using the sender’s public key. The message also may be scrambled to ensure the secrecy of the message contents. Also popular is the use of PK techniques to establish session keys for symmetric key encryption of data between two parties without the need for a central key distribution facility. |
| PVC |
Polyvinyl
Chloride
is the plastic
used to
make most
plastic
cards, including
smart cards. PVC is produced
in sheets
through
a lamination
process
and individual
cards are
die cut.For
IC cards,
the hole
into which
chip modules
are inserted
is milled
out of the
blank card. |
| Radio Frequency
Card |
A
proximity
card in
which the
coupling
between
the card
and its
interface
device is
by radio. |
| [top ^ ] |
| Radio-Frequency
ID |
A class of methods for transmitting information from a card without physical contact between card and reader.A variety of techniques are used to accomplish this contactless, or proximity, reading and writing. There are two major RFID approaches for cards containing IC chips. Active RF techniques require an on-board battery to power transmission, and passive techniques induce their power for radio fields generated by the reader/writer. There are three basic classes of RF technology; high, medium, and low-frequency.Each of these has unique performance and cost characteristics for both cards and reader/writers. |
| Rainbow Printing |
Infill
printing
using graded
areas of
color which
merge into
one another. |
| RAM |
Random access memory is a volatile memory device that requires power to maintain data. In smart cards, RAM is an interim storage mechanism for registers and other byproducts of processing functions. It is used only while the card is receiving power from a reader/writer. In memory -only cards, batteries in the card provide power to maintain data in RAM. |
| Reflex Hologram |
A
hologram
produced
in film
form similar
to a photo
negative
which gives
full 3D
imagery. |
| Register |
In
printing,
fitting
of two or
more printing
images on
the same
paper in
exact alignment
with each
other. |
| ROM |
Read-only
memory is
non-volatile
memory which
is written
once, usually
during card
production. It is used
to store
operating
systems
and algorithms
employed
by the microprocessor
in a smart
card during
transactions. |
| RSA |
A
public key
cryptography
algorithm
developed
by mathematicians
Rives, Shamir
and Adelman
of MIT.See
Public Key
Cryptography
and Encryption. |
| Screen Printed
Panel |
One method of applying a signature panel is by screen printing with special inks on the sheets of plastic cards after lamination before they are die-cut to the finished size.These type of signature panel is more economical and allows more flexibility in the size of the panel. Also, with the screen method you can apply multiple writing panels on the same side of the card for greater personalization. |
| Screen Ruling |
The
number of
lines or
dots per
inch on
a halftone
screen. |
| Security Printing |
Printing which incorporates anticounterfeiting measures such as fine-line security patterns, infill printing, lenticular patterns, rainbow printing, serial numbering, etc. and which is carried out under tightly controlled conditions to prevent fraud. |
| Service Code |
A
code recorded
on track
1 of a financial
transaction
card indicating
what kinds
of facilities
the cardholder
may access
with the
card. |
| Sharpen |
To
decrease
in color
strength,
as when
halftone
dots become
smaller;
opposite
of “thicken”
or “dot
spread”. |
| Signature Panel |
A receptive panel applied to the card to accept writing inks. May be applied using a printing ink in sheet form or individually using a hot stamp method. |
Silk Screen
Signature
Panel |
A receptive panel produced by printing ink on the card utilizing a pre-cut screen. |
| Smart Card |
A card-shaped portable data carrier that contains one or more integrated circuits for data storage and processing.A typical smart card chip includes a microprocessor or CPU, ROM (for storing operating instructions), RAM (for storing data during processing) and EPROM, or EEPROM memory for non-volatile storage of information. |
| Step and Repeat |
In
photomechanics,
the procedure
of multiple
exposure
using the
same image
by stepping
it in position
according
to a predetermined
layout. |
| Stripping |
In
offset-lithography,
the position
of negatives
or positives
on a flat
(goldenrod)
prior to
platemaking. |
Subscriber
Identity
Module |
A SIM is used to link a phone number to a specific person, instead of linking the number to a specific phone set.Smart cards, which can be inserted into any reader-equipped phone, are used to carry the customer’s number. A pan-European standard has been established for SIMs, and several experimental programs are scheduled in the US for personal communications networks (PCNs) using the technology. |
| Super Smart Card |
The term given to card-shaped devices that have on-board keypads, LCDs, and batteries, as well as one or more integrated circuit chips capable of storing and processing data .Super smart cards usually contain specialized programming, stored in ROM for specific applications such as banking transactions or password generation. |
| Swipe Reader |
A
magnetic
stripe reader
in which
the magnetic
stripe is
read by
passing
the card
manually
right through
the reader
past the
magnetic
heads. |
| Symmetric Key Cryptography |
Cryptographic processes in which encryption and decryption rely on the same secret key. An example is the Data Encryption Algorithm (DEA); however, a host of other proprietary algorithms also are available. The strengths of the approach are its security and speed, especially when implemented in hardware. The major disadvantage is the complex key management procedures required to securely distribute keys. In addition, symmetric key cryptography can be used to protect the integrity of data by generating message authentication codes and to sign messages with digital signatures. The latter process, however, requires special procedures to guarantee protection of keys.See DES. |
Synchronous
Password
Generation |
A method of generating a unique one-time password for computer users based on time or transaction synchronization between a host and a device at the point of transmission.The user’s device, generally referred to as a token, contains a secret ID or seed password every 30 or 60 seconds so the user never enters the same password twice. The host computer contains a synchronized clock, the same algorithm and a file of user seed numbers, so it knows what password to expect at any given time. The method can be strengthened by requiring the user to enter a PIN also. |
| T&E Card |
Travel and Entertainment Cards.A general term for financial transaction cards, usually charge cards, used primarily by business executives. American Express and Diners Club cards are often referred to as T&E cards because their original growth was mostly in this market. |
| Tints |
Uniform
dot valued
produced
photomechanically. |
| Topping/Tipping |
The
process
of transferring
a contrasting
color foil
to the embossed
characters
on a personalized
plastic
card. |
| Track |
In
magnetic
stripe and
optical
cards, the
physical
band within
the active
area where
data are
sequentially
stored. Regular
magnetic
stripe cards
have three
tracks.Optical
cards may
have more
than 2500
tracks. |
| Transparencies
|
Copy
and photos
designed
to be viewed
by transmitted
light. |
| Trapping |
The
ability
to print
a wet ink
film over
a previously
printed
ink. Dry trapping
is printing
wet ink
over dry
ink.Wet
trapping
is printing
wet ink
over previously
printed
wet ink. |
TTS
(Thrift
Third Standard) |
Defines
the magnetic
stripe encoding
position
and configuration
referred
to as Track
III. |
| U.V. Printing |
Special
printing
inks applied
to certain
cards to
produce
a unique
symbol or
code as
an added
security
feature
visible
only under
a special
black light. |
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| Watermark Magnetics |
A
magnetic
tape that
contains
non-erasable
personalized
magnetics
for identification
purposes,
hence increasing
the security
of magnetic
media. |
| Watermark Plastics |
The creation of images
that can be seen
visually
in a plastic
card with
the objective
of providing
additional
security
in identifying
the card
relative
to its user. |
| Weigand Effect |
A combination
of magnetic
wires imbedded
in a card
to make
a binary
machine
readable
code. |
