Zebra 104524-104 White 30mil Composite Cards for YMCUvK Printing
Overview
The Zebra 104524-104 is a 500-card box of white, 30mil composite cards manufactured without optical brightener — a specification that matters specifically when your printer ribbon kit includes a UV panel (the 'U' in YMCUvK). Optical brighteners in standard cards fluoresce under UV light and can interfere with UV-overlay security elements, making them visible or distorting them. If you're running a YMCUvK ribbon to apply invisible UV security printing, these cards are the correct substrate. Running the wrong card stock in a UV workflow is a common and avoidable QA failure. The 104524-104 (often searched as 104524 104) is purpose-matched for that application.
These cards are part of Zebra's card media line and are manufactured in the US, which matters for programs requiring domestic-origin consumables. For a broader look at Zebra's card printing ecosystem, the Zebra catalog covers printers, ribbons, and accessories that pair with this media. If you're sourcing cards for a badging or access control deployment, browse the full ID card printer supplies category to match card stock to ribbon type.
Key Features
- No Optical Brightener: Standard PVC and composite cards often contain fluorescent brighteners that react under UV light — useful for laundry, problematic for security printing. These cards are formulated without them, so your UV-panel overlay prints cleanly and reads under a UV lamp without card-substrate interference.
- 30mil Composite Construction: At 30mil thickness, these match the standard card thickness used in most desktop card printers. Composite construction (PVC-polyester blend) offers better durability than pure PVC — more resistance to cracking under repeated badge-clip stress, relevant in high-turnover environments where cards get handled daily.
- YMCUvK Ribbon Compatibility: The 'K' panel adds a resin black layer for crisp text and barcodes; the 'Uv' panel adds UV-fluorescent security ink. Both require a card stock that won't distort the UV layer — this is exactly what the 104524-104 is designed for.
- 500 Cards Per Box: A single box covers a meaningful run — enough for a mid-size access control refresh, a semester-cycle badge issuance, or several months of visitor badging at a busy facility. Reduces reorder frequency compared to smaller packs.
- US Country of Origin: Manufactured domestically, which satisfies TAA compliance requirements and domestic-preference procurement rules common in government and education contracts. Verify your program's specific requirements, but US origin is the starting point.
- Zebra Card Media Sourcing: Sourced through the card printer supplies channel with factory-new, genuine Zebra media — no grey-market stock, no parallel imports. Counterfeit or off-brand card stock is a known cause of printer head wear and ribbon mis-feeds.
Integration and Compatibility
These cards are designed for use with Zebra card printers running YMCUvK ribbon configurations. Confirm your printer model accepts 30mil card stock (virtually all desktop Zebra card printers do) and that your ribbon kit includes the UV panel. Do not substitute these cards in standard YMCK or monochrome workflows — the no-OB formulation has no functional advantage in non-UV print runs, and standard cards cost less per unit.
For deployments pairing card printers with access control readers, check access control systems for compatible reader infrastructure. The card substrate does not affect encoding — magnetic stripe, smart chip, or proximity encoding is determined by card variant, not this base stock.
What's in the Box
- 500x Zebra white 30mil composite cards (no optical brightener)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why do these cards specifically say 'without optical brightener' — does that matter for most badge printers?
A: It matters specifically when your ribbon includes a UV panel (like YMCUvK). Optical brighteners in standard cards fluoresce under ultraviolet light, which can obscure or corrupt UV-printed security overlays. For non-UV ribbon configurations (YMCK, KdKo, monochrome), standard card stock works fine and costs less.
Q: Are the 104524-104 cards compatible with all Zebra card printers?
A: These are 30mil composite cards, which is the standard thickness for desktop Zebra card printers (ZC, ZXP, and ZC300/ZC500 series). Confirm your specific printer model accepts composite stock and 30mil gauge — virtually all current Zebra desktop card printers do.
Q: How many cards come in a box?
A: Each box contains 500 cards.
Q: Are these cards TAA compliant?
A: The cards are manufactured in the United States (Country of Origin: US), which satisfies the domestic-origin requirement for TAA compliance under most government programs. Verify specific contract requirements with your procurement office.
Q: Can these cards be encoded with magnetic stripe or smart chip?
A: The 104524-104 is a plain composite card substrate without built-in encoding. Encoding capability (magnetic stripe, contact chip, contactless/proximity) is determined by the specific card variant ordered — not this base model. If you need encoded cards, select the appropriate Zebra card variant that includes your required encoding technology.
The spec that defines the 104524-104 is the absence of optical brightener — not a feature you'd notice running standard YMCK jobs, but a hard requirement the moment you introduce a UV security panel. I've seen UV overlay programs fail QC because procurement swapped in standard composite cards to save a few cents per unit; the brightener in those cards lit up under the UV lamp and made the 'invisible' overlay plainly visible. This card eliminates that failure mode.
Technical Highlights:
- No Optical Brightener: Eliminates UV-panel interference — cards won't fluoresce under ultraviolet inspection, keeping your UV security overlay invisible to the naked eye and readable only under UV light, as intended.
- 30mil Composite: PVC-polyester blend at standard 30mil gauge; more crack-resistant than pure PVC under badge-clip fatigue, and compatible with the full range of Zebra desktop card printers without requiring a gauge adjustment.
- 500-Count Box, US Origin: Enough volume to support a meaningful issuance run; domestic manufacture satisfies TAA domestic-origin requirements for government and education contracts without additional sourcing overhead.
Deployment Considerations:
- Verify your ribbon kit designation includes 'Uv' or 'UV' before ordering these over standard composite cards — the no-OB formulation has no advantage in non-UV workflows, and standard cards are typically lower cost per unit.
- This is a plain substrate card — no encoding included. If your access badges require magnetic stripe, proximity, or smart chip encoding, you need a Zebra card variant that specifies the encoding technology, not this base model.
The 104524-104 is the right call for government facility badging, university ID programs, and enterprise visitor management deployments where YMCUvK UV security printing is part of the credential authentication workflow.
