Method of fabricating electronic cards including at least one printed pattern

A method of fabricating cards that each include at least one electronic unit incorporated or embedded into a card body and at least a first printed pattern on a side of a first surface of the card body, wherein the method includes the steps of:

• (A) Forming a plurality of card bodies in the form of a thick sheet that incorporates or embeds respectively a plurality of electronic units;
• (B) Printing a plurality of first patterns on a first surface of the thick sheet in a printing station, wherein, at the printing station, an ink is deposited on the first surface so that each first pattern is on a different card body;
• (C) Printing a plurality of second patterns on a surface of an at least partially transparent film or on a respective plurality of at least partially transparent films;
• (D) Arranging the film or the plurality of films on the side of the first surface of the thick sheet, each second pattern being located above a different card body, or, after a step of cutting the card bodies in the thick sheet, the plurality of films on the respective plurality of card bodies, such that the printed surface of the film or films is located on the side of the thick sheet or the printed surface of one part of the film or that of one of the films is located on the side of a respective card body and that the first patterns are at least partially visible through the film or the films, and
• (E) Assembling the thick sheet with the film or the plurality of films, or each card body with one part of the film or one of the films,
• wherein after printing step (B) the method includes a step of covering the first printed surface with a protective film or a lacquer, and wherein the protective film or lacquer protects the first printed patterns prior to step (D), and
• wherein the protective film or the lacquer are arranged in a removable manner on the first printed surface of the thick sheet and are removed prior to step (C).