ISO/IEC 15457-1:2008

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 15457-1
Second edition
2008-03-01
Identification cards — Thin flexible
cards —
Part 1:
Physical characteristics
Cartes d'identification — Cartes flexibles fines —
Partie 1: Caractéristiques physiques

Reference number
©
ISO/IEC 2008
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©  ISO/IEC 2008
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
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ii © ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword. iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions. 2
4 General characteristics . 3
4.1 Introduction . 3
4.2 Materials . 4
4.3 Finishing . 4
4.4 Quality of TFC products. 4
4.5 Reference edges . 5
4.6 Card life. 5
4.7 Environmental conditions. 5
5 Outline geometry . 6
5.1 Dimensions. 7
5.2 Corners . 7
5.3 Edges . 8
6 Presentation . 9
6.1 Single card. 10
6.2 Fan-fold pack. 12
6.3 Reel. 15
7 Positioning features . 16
7.1 Punched positioning hole. 16
7.2 Printed positioning mark . 17
8 Characteristics specific to contactless TFCs . 18
8.1 Local overthickness due to the presence of the chip. 18
8.2 Antenna location in Special TFC.1 cards .18
8.3 Location of chip and forbidden area for thermal printing . 19
8.4 Joins and splices. 20
8.5 Ultra-violet light. 22
8.6 X-rays . 22
8.7 Dynamic bending stress . 22
8.8 Dynamic torsional stress . 22
8.9 Static electricity . 22
8.10 Operating temperature . 22
Annex A (normative) Paper TFC material characteristics. 23
Annex B (normative) Composite TFC material characteristics. 28
Annex C (normative) Plastic TFC material characteristics. 31
Annex D (informative) Recommended location of TFC.1 tactile identifiers . 33
Bibliography . 34

© ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved iii

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of
ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees
established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC
technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations, governmental
and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work. In the field of information
technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of the joint technical committee is to prepare International Standards. Draft International
Standards adopted by the joint technical committee are circulated to national bodies for voting. Publication as
an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the national bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO/IEC 15457-1 was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 17, Cards and personal identification.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO/IEC 15457-1:2001), which has been technically
revised.
ISO/IEC 15457 consists of the following parts, under the general title Identification cards — Thin flexible
cards:
— Part 1: Physical characteristics
— Part 2: Magnetic recording technique
— Part 3: Test methods
iv © ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC 15457-1:2008(E)

Identification cards — Thin flexible cards —
Part 1:
Physical characteristics
1 Scope
Thin flexible cards (TFC), the subject of ISO/IEC 15457, are used to automate the controls for access to
goods or services such as mass transit, highway toll systems, car parks, vouchers, stored value, etc.
For these applications, data can be written and/or read by machines using various recording techniques such
as magnetic stripe, optical character recognition (OCR), bar code, contactless, etc.
This part of ISO/IEC 15457 specifies the physical characteristics of thin flexible cards at two points in the card
life cycle:
1. at the point of loading into the card issuing equipment;
2. at the point of issue to the public.
It takes into consideration both human and machine aspects and states the minimum requirements.
The principal card sizes are identified and the characteristics and dimensions are specified.
Guidance concerning the storage and use of cards under various environmental conditions is given.
NOTE ID-1 cards, specified in ISO/IEC 7810, do not come within this scope.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 1831, Printing specifications for optical character recognition
ISO 1924-2, Paper and board — Determination of tensile properties — Part 2: Constant rate of elongation
method (20 mm/min)
ISO 2144, Paper, board and pulps — Determination of residue (ash) on ignition at 900 °C
ISO 2471, Paper and board — Determination of opacity (paper backing) — Diffuse reflectance method
ISO 5626, Paper — Determination of folding endurance
ISO 5627, Paper and board — Determination of smoothness (Bekk method)
ISO 5629, Paper and board — Determination of bending stiffness — Resonance method
© ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved 1

ISO 6383-2, Plastics — Film and sheeting — Determination of tear resistance — Part 2: Elmendorf method
ISO 8570, Plastics — Film and sheeting — Determination of cold-crack temperature
ISO/IEC 10373-1, Identification cards — Test methods — Part 1: General characteristics
ISO/IEC 10373-6, Identification cards — Test methods — Part 6: Proximity cards
ISO/IEC 15457-2, Identification cards — Thin flexible cards — Part 2: Magnetic recording technique
ISO/IEC 15457-3, Identification cards — Thin flexible cards — Part 3: Test methods
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
back face
face of the card opposite the front
3.2
finished card
card at the point of issue to the public
3.3
front face
reference face of the card (which normally bears printed information relating to its origin and ownership)
3.4
height
dimension parallel to the shortest edge of the card
3.5
print contrast signal
PCS
print contrast of a machine readable printed mark, defined as:
R −R
w p
PCS=
R
w
where
R is the reflectance of the printed mark, measured in accordance with ISO 1831 for the B 900 spectral
p
band;
R is the reflectance of the background surrounding the printed mark, measured in accordance with
W
ISO 1831 for the B 900 spectral band.
3.6
recording technique
technique, such as magnetic, contactless or optical encoding etc., used to store data on the card
3.7
reference edges
datum edges for dimensioning and orientation, having a fixed relationship to the front of the card
2 © ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved

3.8
regular card
card without thermal sensitive coating
3.9
tactile identifier
feature used to determine the orientation of the card
3.10
thermal card
card with thermal sensitive coating
3.11
width
dimension parallel to the longest edge of the card
3.12
wood free
(of paper) 100% chemical pulp, containing no ground wood
3.13
normal use
use as an identification card involving equipment processes appropriate to the card technology and storage as
a personal document between equipment processes
3.14
twist
off-axis curl resulting in the four corners of the card not being co-planar
3.15
sizing and pen writing factor
capacity of a paper for receiving lines of aqueous ink (pen ink) without smudging or going through the paper
3.16
join or splice
link made between two lengths of continuous conjoined cards (e.g. to eliminate one or more defective
contactless cards)
3.17
Limited Use Card
LUC
card conforming to ISO/IEC 15457-1 that is equipped for contactless applications
4 General characteristics
4.1 Introduction
Three card formats are recognized, and classified as follows to correspond with other existing schemes of
classification:
⎯ TFC.0, size 66 mm x 30 mm;
⎯ TFC.1, size 85 mm x 54 mm normal Thickness (see Table 1);
⎯ Special TFC.1, size 85 mm x 54 mm with increased thickness (see Table 1);
⎯ TFC.5, size 187 mm or 203 mm x 83 mm.
© ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved 3

For each format of card, the geometrical and topographical characteristics are specified separately in the
relevant clause of this part of the standard. The remaining physical characteristics, which are common to all
sizes, are specified in this clause.
Magnetic stripe and track characteristics are specified in ISO/IEC 15457-2.
Contactless characteristics are specified in ISO/IEC 10536, ISO/IEC 14443 or ISO/IEC 15693.
All clauses in all parts of ISO/IEC 15457 apply to finished cards or to the reels/packs from which such cards
are taken. Certain clauses however concern the characteristics of the card throughout its life.
As a matter of convenience and practicality, certain tests can be carried out on unfinished cards where it can
be demonstrated that no significant change in that characteristic can arise during subsequent processing.
4.2 Materials
Materials for TFCs of various thicknesses are defined in Annexes A, B and C, as shown in Table 1.
Table 1 — Permitted materials v TFC size
Permitted
TFC.1 Special TFC.1 TFC.5
TFC.0
materials
Paper A270 A178, A250, A270, A 290-680 A178
Composite B270 B250, B250, B360, B400-680 not specified
Plastic C270 C250, C270 C250, C270, C290-680 not specified
NOTE Table entries refer to the nominal thickness of the material and the annex in which it's specification is given, e.g.
A178 refers to 178 micron material from Annex A.
4.3 Finishing
Thin flexible cards are finished in a variety of ways, in accordance with the requirements of the system in
which they are to be used. They may be
⎯ printed or pre-printed except in areas used by recording techniques and machine functions (e.g. magnetic
stripes, positioning marks, where used);
⎯ equipped for one or more recording techniques (e.g. magnetic stripes, optical bar codes, contactless).
Thin flexible cards shall not be embossed.
Regardless of any of these finishing processes, the finished cards shall continue to conform to the
requirements of this standard.
4.4 Quality of TFC products
All cards, however presented, shall be generally free from minor defects which could interfere with the
performance of TFCs or which detract from their visual appearance, such as joins, excessive dust, cutting
debris, folds, tears, creases and thick spots.

Note that TFC.0 materials are not necessarily the same as TFC.1 materials of the same thickness.
4 © ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved

Due to characteristics of product, stripe of contactless cards when presented in reel or in fan-fold can have
join defined in section 8.4.
4.5 Reference edges
Any specification for a thin flexible card conforming to this standard shall nominate a reference face (the front)
and two reference edges, having the relationship shown in Figure 1, such that all features of the finished card
can be located within the same frame of reference.
Front
Figure 1 — Relationship between card front and reference edges
It is preferred that the front of the card should be that which is designated to carry the major printed
identification information (e.g. system logo or name) and that human readable information on the front shall be
upright when the card is held with one of the two reference edges at the top.
Once identified, these same reference edges shall be used exclusively and consistently when locating all
features specified in this and the other applicable parts of ISO/IEC 15457.
4.6 Card life
4.6.1 Before issue
Cards stored in their original packing, under conditions specified in 4.7.2, shall remain in conformance with
this standard for at least be one year.
Cards stored in operational devices (e.g. issuing machines), under the conditions specified in 4.7.3, shall
remain in conformance with this standard for at least two months.
4.6.2 After issue
Finished cards stored under the conditions specified in 4.7.2, without further use, shall remain in conformance
with this standard at least one year.
NOTE Paper materials specified in Annex A may be expected to withstand up to 50 transaction cycles, composite
materials specified in Annex B may be expected to withstand up to 500 transaction cycles; plastic materials specified in
Annex C may be expected to withstand up to 2 500 transaction cycles. The actual lifetimes achieved will of course be
affected by many external factors.
Cards shall resist deterioration from exposure to light and other environmental factors encountered in normal
use.
Where abnormally demanding conditions of use are likely to affect life expectancy, these shall be taken into
account when selecting suitable card materials and methods of manufacture.
4.7 Environmental conditions
4.7.1 Testing environment
Each of the characteristics specified in this standard shall be measured under the environmental conditions
specified in ISO/IEC 15457-3. For most characteristics, these conditions are 23 °C and 50 % relative humidity.
© ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved 5

NOTE Under different conditions, certain characteristics will change significantly, including dimensions (width, height,
thickness), weight, flatness and many of the physical parameters listed in Tables A.1, B.1 and C.1. At the extremes of the
operating environment (see 4.7.3), these changes can be substantial, and should be taken into account in the design of
TFC handling devices.
4.7.2 Storage environment and packaging
Thin flexible cards shall be stored under the conditions specified in Table 2.
Table 2 — Storage conditions
Card type Relative humidity %
Temperature °C
Regular cards 0 to 50 30 to 65
Thermal cards 0 to 40 30 to 65
The purpose of the packaging is to protect cards from physical damage and to reduce the rate of humidity
variation. As a consequence:
⎯ cards shall be kept in their original packaging for as long as is practical;
⎯ boxes shall be stored on a flat surface, respecting "top" and "bottom" indications;
⎯ boxes shall not show any apparent distortion or other damage.
The packaging may be defined by the user but shall enable the above conditions to be met.
4.7.3 Operating environment
Sudden changes in environmental conditions can cause card distortion. Packages containing cards shall
therefore be approximately in equilibrium with surrounding conditions before they are opened.
Cards shall remain in conformance with Table 4, retain their structural integrity and remain usable within the
range of ambient conditions specified in Table 3.
Table 3 — Operating conditions v Card type
Card type Temperature °C Relative humidity %
Standard cards -35 to 50 15 to 85
- 20 to 50
Special TFC 1 cards 15 to 85
In some applications, the temperature range can be limited by the cold crack temperature (see
Annex C).
5 Outline geometry
Table 4 shows, for each TFC format, the values of the quantities specified in Clause 5.
6 © ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved

Table 4 — Quantity values for outline geometry
dimensions in millimetres except where indicated otherwise
TFC size
Quantity Quantity symbol 0 1 & Special TFC.1 5
Width W 66,0 +1,0/-0,5 85,6 +1,0/-0,5
203,20 ± 0,38
187,33 ± 0,38
Height under testing H 30,0±0,1 53,98±0,2 82,55 ± 0,18
conditions (see
4.7.1)
Height variation H 29,8 to 30,3 53,6 to 54,5 82,10 to 83,25
under operating
conditions (see
Table 3)
Corners
α (Figures 2, 3, 4) 90°±1° 90°±1° 90°±1°
R (Figure 4)
3,20±0,05 3,20±0,05 6,35±0,05
a (Figures 3, 4)
3,20±0,10 3,20±0,10 6,35±0,10
b (Figures 4) not specified not specified
3,2±0,5
not specified not specified
β (Figure 3) 45°±1°
Edge straightness
±0,05 ±0,05 ±0,05
Mismatch (barb) C 0,1 0,1 0,1
Discontinuity D 0,1 0,1 0,1
1 TFC.5 with stub.
2 TFC.5 without stub.
5.1 Dimensions
Dimensions shall be as shown in Table 4 for the selected card format.
5.2 Corners
Corners shall be rectangular, beveled or rounded, as shown in Table 4.
The parameters of corner geometry for which values are given in Table 4 are shown in Figure 2, Figure 3 and
Figure 4.
α
Figure 2 — Rectangular corner
© ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved 7

α
β
a
Figure 3 — Beveled corner
α
a
R
b
Figure 4 — Rounded corner
5.3 Edges
Each card edge and corner bevel (as applicable to the card format) shall be straight to within the value given
in Table 4 except, in the case of a rounded corner, within a corner arc.
Any mismatch (barb) between a rounded corner and either of its adjacent sides shall be limited to the value of
maximum displacement given in Table 4 of the side from the parallel tangent on the corner arc.
Discontinuities in any rounded corner (cut-ins, fibre clusters, single fibres – see Figure 5) shall be limited to
the value of maximum deviation given in Table 4 from a smooth corner arc of the same radius.
Cut-in
Barb
Single fibre
Fibre Cluster
Figure 5 — Edge defects illustrated on rounded corner example
8 © ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved

6 Presentation
Table 5 shows, for each TFC format, the permitted methods of presentation and the values of the quantities
specified in Clause 6.
Table 5 — Quantity values for presentation
dimensions are in millimetres except where otherwise specified
TFC size
Quantity symbol
Quantity 0 1 Special TFC.1 5
or remark
Single card: allowed Allowed allowed allowed
(1)
Class 1 ≤ 2
overall flatness  ≤ 2 ≤ 2 ≤ 6,35
(2)
Class 2 ≤ 5
Class 1 ≤ 1
transverse curl
≤ 1 ≤ 1 ≤ 3,04
Class 2 ≤ 3,5
Class 1 ≤ 1
twist
≤ 1 ≤ 1 ≤ 6,35
Class 2 ≤ 2,5
separation force
no fold perforation line A not specified not specified not specified 300±40 N
no fold perforation line C not specified not specified not specified 200±40 N
5 folds perforation line A not specified not specified not specified
≥ 60 N
5 folds perforation line C not specified not specified not specified
≥ 40 N
(5)
Fan-fold :  not specified allowed Allowed allowed
separation force
(3)
Type 1 :
80±15 N
no fold perforation line not specified 80±15 N not specified
(4)
Type 2 :
280±40 N
Type 1:
80±15 N
Bridge not specified 80±15 N not specified
Type 2:
280±40 N
1 fold perforation line not specified not specified not specified 80±20 N
Bridge not specified not specified not specified not specified
perforation line not specified
≥ 20N ≥ 20N ≥ 20 N
5 folds
Bridge not specified not specified
≥ 40 Ν ≥ 40 Ν
© ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved 9

(5)
Reel :  allowed allowed allowed allowed
width Wr < 32 < 56 < 56 not specified
diameter D ≤ 280 ≤ 280 ≤ 280 not specified
o
end cut angle α 90°±1° 90°±1° 90°±1° not specified
Plastic hub:
External diameter D 80±0,5 80±0,5 106±0,5 not specified
Internal diameter D 70±0,1 70±0,1 70±0,1 not specified
i
width W 30±0,2 54±0,2 54±0,2 not specified
h
Paper hub:
External diameter D 80±1 80±1 not specified not specified
D
Internal diameter 70±1 70±1 not specified not specified
i
width W 30 +0,5/-1,0 54 +0,5/-1,0 not specified not specified
h
Notes:
(1) Class 1 shall be used in distribution systems that require normal TFC.1 flatness.
(2) Class 2 shall be used in distribution systems capable of handling a degree of flatness outside the normal TFC.1 limits; manual
distribution systems for example.
(3) Type 1 separation force values shall be used in distribution systems that require normal TFC.1 burst strength to separate two
consecutive cards;
(4) Type 2 separation force values shall be used in distribution processes that do not employ traction to separate two consecutive cards.
(5) Reels and fan-fold packs of TFCs shall not contain any splices or joins (except in the special case of contactless TFCs – see
Clause 8).
6.1 Single card
6.1.1 Overall flatness
The maximum perpendicular distance which can be measured from any point on the concave surface of the
card to a plane defined by any three corners of the card, shall be as shown in Table 5.
6.1.2 Transverse curl
The maximum perpendicular distance which can be measured from any point on either of the short edges to a
line defined by the two adjacent corners, shall be as shown in Table 5.
6.1.3 Twist
The maximum perpendicular distance that can be measured from any corner to the plane defined by the other
three corners shall be as shown in Table 5.
6.1.4 Perforations
Perforation lines within the outline of the single card are permitted only for TFC.5, which may be divided into
parts by the perforated lines shown in Figure 6, Figure 7 and Figure 8.
10 © ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved

Any text or design printed on either side of the card shall be upright when the longest reference edge is
uppermost.
STUB PART 1 PART 2
perforated line A
perforated line C
(optional)
132,08 m m ± 0,38 mm
15,87 mm ± 0,38 mm
203,2 mm ± 0,38 mm
NOTE 1 The purpose of the stub is to hold cards into a binder when issued. In use the card is detached from the stub
to expose a new edge along perforation line C. This perforated line is therefore designated as the reference edge and
datum for all subsequent card processing.
NOTE 2 The dimensions of the card are specified in the manner shown to avoid the effects of cumulative tolerances.
Figure 6 — Card with stub (default)
PART 1 PART 2
perforated line A
(optional)
147,95 mm ± 0,38 mm
203,20 mm ± 0,38 mm
NOTE The dimensions of the card are specified in the manner shown to avoid the effects of cumulative tolerances.
Figure 7 — Long card without stub (first variant)

© ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved 11

PART 1 PART 2
perforated line A
(optional)
132,08 mm ± 0,38
mm
187,33 mm ± 0,38
NOTE The dimensions of the card are specified in the manner shown to avoid the effects of cumulative tolerances.
Figure 8 —
...