There is a factor that is related to card manufacturing. Opacity, not color, is of greatest interest in controlling a card manufacturer's cost. The degree of opacity is directly related to the amount of TiO2 in the formulation. It is also true that the higher the concentration of TiO2 the higher the film cost. Thus, it is in the best interest of the card manufacturer not to over specify the requirements in this area. While card construction may have equipment limitations forcing the card manufacturer to seek a more costly split core construction, opacity is within a card manufacturer's total control for proper selection. Higher concentrations of TiO2 lead to higher raw material costs and an increase in specific gravity and thus a higher weight/cost per sheet. From a costing perspective the lower the levels of TiO2, the more attractive the cost can be. While different levels in TiO2 do represent up to $ 0.10 per pound differences in costs, even a slight price advantage of $ 0.01 per pound would be significant when multiplied by a consumption rate of a million pounds or more of core stock in any given year.
It also should be noted here that opacity requirements on credit card product is for the finished card design and not for the blank opaque card body that will be used in satisfying an order. Most credit cards today are full bleed front and back with extensive use of 4-color process and/or silk-screen inks. Thus, by the very nature of the card design itself, will meet opacity requirements via ink coverage and not blank card opacity.
