Zebra 104523-132 Silver Metallic 30 Mil PVC ID Cards (500-Count)
Overview
The Zebra 104523-132 is a 500-card box of 30 mil silver metallic PVC card stock manufactured in the United States and sold under the Zebra Cards media line. If your ID badge program calls for a premium visual finish — corporate employee badges, access credentials, loyalty cards, or visitor passes that need to stand out from standard white stock — these metallic-finish cards deliver that without requiring specialty laminates or overlaminates on every card. The 104523-132 (often searched as 104523 132) is designed for use with Zebra card printers and belongs to the same card media family as Zebra's full range of direct-to-card and retransfer printing consumables.
At 30 mil thickness, this stock matches the ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1 standard thickness used across the access control and ID badging industry. That matters because thinner or off-spec card stock is one of the most common causes of feed jams, ribbon wrinkles, and encoder misreads in card printer deployments — using manufacturer-matched media eliminates that variable.
Key Features
- 30 Mil PVC Construction: ISO-standard card thickness means the card feeds cleanly through the printer's card hopper, contacts magnetic stripe and smart card encoding stations at the correct depth, and sits flush in badge holders without buckling. Off-spec cards cause feed errors; spec-matched cards don't.
- Silver Metallic Finish: The metallic surface gives printed badges a premium appearance that white PVC can't replicate — useful for executive credentials, VIP access cards, or any program where visual distinction between card tiers matters. Print graphics and text are applied on top of the metallic base, so the finish shows through unprinted areas.
- 500 Cards Per Box: A full 500-card pack means fewer reorders for high-volume badge programs. At standard enterprise issuance rates, a 500-card box supports a mid-size organization's annual new-hire and replacement badge cycle without mid-run stock changes.
- US Country of Origin: Made domestically, which matters for government, defense, and TAA-sensitive badging programs where card stock provenance can be an auditable procurement requirement.
- PVC Material: Standard PVC is compatible with dye-sublimation and direct-to-card thermal transfer printing — the two most common technologies in enterprise card printer fleets. It accepts color panels, clear overlaminate, monochrome ribbon, and holographic overlaminates without adhesion issues on qualified Zebra printers.
- Zebra Cards Product Family: Sourced from Zebra's dedicated card media division, so ribbon-to-card chemistry is validated by the manufacturer. Using off-brand card stock with Zebra ribbons voids ribbon performance guarantees and can cause color shift and adhesion failures — this stock avoids that risk.
Integration and Compatibility
The 104523-132 is part of the Zebra Cards media line and is intended for use with Zebra card printers including direct-to-card models in the ZC and ZXP series. Card stock compatibility depends on your specific printer model's card thickness range and hopper type — confirm your printer supports 30 mil PVC input before ordering. Most Zebra direct-to-card printers list 10–40 mil as their accepted range, making 30 mil stock universally compatible within the Zebra fleet.
For operations running ID card printers with dual-sided printing, magnetic stripe encoding, or smart card contact/contactless encoding, this blank card stock is the starting point. Encoding modules require cards pre-loaded with the appropriate stripe or chip inlay — this listing is for blank PVC card stock without embedded encoding media. If your program requires HiCo/LoCo magnetic stripe, MIFARE, or other inlay types, source the appropriate pre-encoded card variants.
The metallic finish is a base-layer effect in the PVC material itself, not a post-print coating. This means the card goes through the printer as standard PVC — no special printer settings or hopper adjustments are needed compared to standard white 30 mil cards. Retransfer printers (which print to a film first, then bond to the card) will cover the metallic base entirely; direct-to-card printers will let the metallic substrate show through clear or unprinted zones, which is where the visual effect is most prominent.
For full badge program planning — including printer selection, ribbon pairing, and overlaminate options — consult the ID card printer buying guide. For accessory pairings like card printer ribbons matched to Zebra media, verify the ribbon part number against your printer model and card type before ordering.
What's in the Box
- 500x Zebra 104523-132 silver metallic 30 mil PVC cards
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What card printer models is the Zebra 104523-132 compatible with?
A: The 104523-132 is designed for use with Zebra card printers that accept 30 mil PVC card stock, including models in the ZC and ZXP direct-to-card series. Confirm your specific printer's accepted card thickness range in its user guide before ordering.
Q: Does the 104523-132 include magnetic stripe or smart card encoding inlays?
A: No. The 104523-132 is blank PVC card stock without any embedded encoding media. It contains no magnetic stripe, MIFARE chip, or other inlay. If your badge program requires encoded cards, source the appropriate pre-configured card variant.
Q: Will the silver metallic finish affect print quality?
A: With direct-to-card printers, the metallic base shows through unprinted or lightly colored areas, creating the visual metallic effect. Fully printed zones will display the printed graphic normally. With retransfer printers, the printed film covers the entire card face, so the metallic substrate will not be visible on the print side.
Q: Is the 104523-132 TAA compliant or eligible for government procurement?
A: The cards are manufactured in the United States (Country of Origin: US). Government buyers should verify TAA compliance status with their procurement office, as TAA eligibility depends on the full supply chain and program requirements.
Q: How many cards are included and what does the package weigh?
A: Each box contains 500 cards. The packaged weight is 5.2 lb, with dimensions of 17.30 in × 3.90 in × 2.40 in — sized to store flat in a standard supply cabinet.
Q: Can I use the 104523-132 with non-Zebra card printers?
A: The 30 mil PVC thickness is an industry-standard dimension that many card printers accept. However, Zebra card media is validated against Zebra ribbons and printer mechanics — using it in a non-Zebra printer may work physically but is not a tested or supported configuration. Check your printer manufacturer's media compatibility documentation.
The spec that actually drives purchasing decisions on card stock is the 30 mil thickness, and the 104523-132 gets that right. It's the same ISO ID-1 thickness you'll find in every major access control credential program, which means it seats correctly in encoding stations and feeds reliably through hoppers without the micro-jams you get from cheaper off-spec blanks. I've seen badge programs burn through service calls chasing intermittent feed errors that turned out to be 28 mil aftermarket stock in a 30 mil hopper — this box eliminates that variable.
Technical Highlights:
- 30 Mil Thickness: Matches ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1 spec exactly — no shimming, no hopper adjustment, and consistent contact depth at magnetic stripe and smart card encoding stations.
- Silver Metallic PVC Base: The metallic finish is inherent to the card substrate, not a post-print coating, so it doesn't interfere with the print path or ribbon adhesion in direct-to-card workflows. The effect shows through unprinted zones automatically.
- 500 Cards / 5.2 lb Package: At 17.30 × 3.90 × 2.40 in, the box stores flat and holds enough stock for a full annual issuance cycle in most mid-size enterprise badge programs without a mid-run reorder interruption.
Deployment Considerations:
- Direct-to-card printer users get the full metallic visual effect in unprinted card zones — pair with a color ribbon that leaves clear areas in the design to maximize the finish. Retransfer users will cover the substrate entirely, so the metallic base adds no visual value in that workflow.
- This is blank card stock only — no magnetic stripe, no chip inlay. If your access control system requires HiCo mag stripe or MIFARE credentials, you need a different card part number with the appropriate inlay pre-installed.
The 104523-132 is a strong fit for corporate badge programs tiering credentials visually — silver metallic for general employees against white stock for contractors, for example — where the distinction needs to be immediately visible at a glance without adding a color-coded overlaminate to every card.
