Photo ID Design 201

Additional Card Features

While the basic photo ID card described in the first part of these design tips can meet the needs of many companies, others will require more from their cards. All of the features described here are available from both the software we have for sale, and our on-line badge printing service.


Among the additional features mentioned here are barcodes, background images, and additional data fields.

The last section in this series on advanced badge features will cover use of conditional element display, where the actual design of the badge can change depending on who it is being printer for.

Barcodes

Barcodes are almost commonplace on ID cards now. Besides being used to indentify employees, ID cards are also being used to clock people in and out of work, to log on to specialized equipment, and even to charge their meals in the company cafeteria. Both barcodes and magnetic stripes can be used for these purposes, but I will only cover barcodes here.

Barcode readers and the software they drive can vary, so please check with the people who will use the data read off the barcode for any special requirements. Generally speaking, you can't go too far wrong if you follow these suggestions:

  • Place the barcode along the long side of the card
  • Make the barcode 1/2" in height
  • The bottom of the barcode should be at least 1/8" but no more than 3/8" off the card edge
  • Keep the total data to fifteen digits or less
  • Use a background color to help "mask" the barcode from photocopiers
  • Use a standard coding when possible (Code 39 is most common)
  • Be sure to leave "quiet zones" (unprinted area) at either end of the barcode

Card Background Images

Having a background image on a card can make it much more impressive and dramatic. It can help identify the card quickly if it is your corporate logo, or contains security information like allowed access areas. They can also make a card very difficult to read and look like a real mess. Photo ID card printers can have trouble reproducing light background images, and dark ones can overwhelm foreground text and images.

Here are some guidelines for using background images:

  • Keep it simple. Complicated or small details will not show well
  • Use few colors. Two colors work better than four, and black and white works best
  • Don't put anything important in the background. It might get covered
  • Larger is better. Small backgrounds can get lost, or if repeated, can make the card too busy

Finally, create the image in something like Photoshop or some other picture editing software, and then import it. While all ID software has some kind of image editing capability, you will have much better control over the finished product by working with it first outside of the ID software, and then importing the finished image.

Additional Data Fields

Much of the time, ID cards will need to carry more information than just the company name and the badgeholder's name. Oft times there will be requirements for what badgeholder information needs to go on the badge. Then it becomes a matter of just fitting it all on the surface of the badge.

Here are some things to consider when adding data fields to a card:

  • Not all the information is equally important
  • Use different font sizes (but not different font styles)
  • Sometimes it makes sense to combine (concatenate) data fields
  • If the data is already in a barcode or magnetic stripe, don't repeat it
  • Remember, there is a front and a back. Put less important stuff on the back

For more design ideas, go to part 3.