How to Design Great Employee ID Cards

Whether private, public, government, NGO, or non-profit, most organizations today require employee ID cards for identification purposes. From small businesses with less than 50 employees to enterprises with thousands, security is a real issue. And an easy, cost-effective security measure you can put in place is the perfect employee ID badge.

If you're like most, however, you don't give a lot of thought to your ID cards' design. But your design is important for several reasons: safety and security measures, access control, customer relations, and even company branding.

So, how do you design great employee ID cards that meet these missions?

Must-have employee ID card components

Organizations around the country agree that certain features are mandatory for an employee ID card. Consider putting the following in place for your ID cards.

• Quality material & features. Plastic or PVC ID cards provide greater durability and a more professional image than paper or synthetic paper. Just as important are the features such as barcodes, magnetic stripes, smart chips, and a bevy of security features like holograms. Customizing your employee ID cards with such features makes it harder for nefarious individuals to produce counterfeit cards or tamper with stolen cards.
• Tailored design. Customize your design to your organization and branding. Make sure it adequately represents the right image but is still functional. Every ID should communicate the information you deem most important. And make it easily readable by your customers, security staff, and others. Consider how you can use different colors for different departments or security levels in your organization.
• Company logo. What better represents your organization than your company logo? Recreate your logo in consistent color, font, and other details on the front side of all employee ID cards. Another great use of your company logo is in a holographic overlay that's only visible when security personnel or others hold the card at a certain angle. Not only does it add brand recognition, but it increases security.
• Personal identification. Make it easy for customers, security personnel, and others to identify the cardholder by including personal identification information. At a minimum, include a color photo of the employee and their name and job title. Carefully choose what personal information to include; you want a balance between adequate identifying information, personal privacy issues, and the limited space you have on an ID card.
• Data encoding. Consider how you can use encoded information to further identify, track, and control access of cardholders. Barcodes, magnetic stripes, RFID tags, smart chips, etc. let you sync identification information with access control, time and attendance programs, and so much more. You can decrease the security staff you need on site when you combine it with smart cards.

How to design great employee ID cards

Your ID card software program comes with templates from which to choose. You can find a template and customize it to your organization's brand messaging and security needs. It doesn't hurt to scout out how other organizations design their employee ID cards to get ideas and check out other online templates for additional design ideas. Templates not only save you countless design hours but make it easy to adjust and customize. If you design something from scratch, expect some time to position all the information you want included.

Part of designing the perfect ID cards is to decide on several options and where they fit in your cards' design:

• Vertical or horizontal orientation
• Text font
• Background color
• Text and images like name, title, photograph, and company logo
• Single or double sided
• Security measures like holograms
• Data like barcodes, magnetic stripes, etc.

A consideration is "more doesn't always mean better, nor does less." While that's ambiguous, only you can decide how much is too much, too little, or just right. Keep in mind the more you include on your employee ID cards, the more cluttered they are and the harder for customers, security, and others to read at a glance.

Final thoughts

Your employee ID cards have limited space on the front and back. Be strategic about the personal information you display, especially if employees wear their ID cards every day. For instance, your employee ID cards can show job-related certifications that customers expect, or they can identify someone your customers can turn to for help. And if your employees aren't customer-facing, employee ID cards can streamline your access and attendance systems, leaving administrative and security staff open for more important tasks.

Not sure about the best design for your organization or maybe you have a unique situation? We've seen it all. Contact an Idesco ID Expert at (212) 889-2530 to discuss the elements you must have, what's optional, and how to design the perfect employee ID card for your organization's security and business needs.