A card processing system , comprising: a card input that is configured to hold a plurality of plastic cards to be processed, each plastic card includes an integrated circuit chip and/or a magnetic stripe; a card output that is configured to hold a plurality of processed plastic cards which bear personalized data unique to the intended cardholders and/or which bear other card information; at least one of a magnetic stripe reading/writing system and an integrated circuit chip programming system between the card input and the card output ; a drop-on-demand card printing system between the card input and the card output , the drop-on-demand card printing system is configured to print on a plastic card using ultraviolet curable ink, the drop-on-demand card printing system includes a plurality of drop-on-demand print heads each of which has a nozzle plate ; the drop-on-demand card printing system further includes a cleaning mechanism that is configured to clean the nozzle plates of the drop-on-demand print heads without the cleaning mechanism physically contacting the nozzle plates ; the cleaning mechanism includes a plurality of cleaning blocks (50a-e), each cleaning block (50a-e) associated with a corresponding one of the drop-on-demand print heads ; and each cleaning block (50a-e) includes a flush orifice at which a dome of cleaning fluid that extends above the flush orifice is created for applying the cleaning fluid to the nozzle plate of the associated drop-on-demand print head , and each cleaning block (50a-e) also includes a vacuum orifice that is configured to remove cleaning fluid from the nozzle plate of the associated drop-on-demand print head ; an ultraviolet curing station between the card input and the card output , the ultraviolet curing station is configured to cure ultraviolet curable ink applied to a plastic card by the drop-on-demand card printing system . a card input that is configured to hold a plurality of plastic cards to be processed, each plastic card includes an integrated circuit chip and/or a magnetic stripe; a card output that is configured to hold a plurality of processed plastic cards which bear personalized data unique to the intended cardholders and/or which bear other card information; at least one of a magnetic stripe reading/writing system and an integrated circuit chip programming system between the card input and the card output ; a drop-on-demand card printing system between the card input and the card output , the drop-on-demand card printing system is configured to print on a plastic card using ultraviolet curable ink, the drop-on-demand card printing system includes a plurality of drop-on-demand print heads each of which has a nozzle plate ; the drop-on-demand card printing system further includes a cleaning mechanism that is configured to clean the nozzle plates of the drop-on-demand print heads without the cleaning mechanism physically contacting the nozzle plates ; the cleaning mechanism includes a plurality of cleaning blocks (50a-e), each cleaning block (50a-e) associated with a corresponding one of the drop-on-demand print heads ; and each cleaning block (50a-e) includes a flush orifice at which a dome of cleaning fluid that extends above the flush orifice is created for applying the cleaning fluid to the nozzle plate of the associated drop-on-demand print head , and each cleaning block (50a-e) also includes a vacuum orifice that is configured to remove cleaning fluid from the nozzle plate of the associated drop-on-demand print head ; an ultraviolet curing station between the card input and the card output , the ultraviolet curing station is configured to cure ultraviolet curable ink applied to a plastic card by the drop-on-demand card printing system . <EOS>