What Information Should You Print on an ID Card?

Employee or student ID cards are the norm today, but choosing what to put on your cards isn't. With a bevy of options, how do you keep your card from becoming so cluttered, it's almost unidentifiable? Let's walk through a simple process to help you determine what information you should print on your employee or student ID cards.

What Is Your ID Cards' Use?

Do your cards need to provide access to your facilities, or are they specifically for identification? Maybe you need ID cards with high-tech security features to guard your employees and company assets. Depending on how employees or students will use their ID cards, you might need a lot of security. Features like holograms and watermarks or just a distinctive design and a color photograph provide both security and identification.

Consider how you can use design to help identify people. Hospitals, for example, can use different color ID cards to identify which floor employees work on. You can also use your ID cards' design to provide important graphics. For example, include a building escape route in case of fire on the back of your cards.

Also consider industry security standards and disclosure guidelines. For example, government employees, contractors, and others need specific information displayed at all times on ID cards.

Do You Need both Sides of the Card?

Especially if you need technology cards for access or payment options, you might want to limit the area on the front of your cards to a few elements. If so, include other information you need on the back. You can include only the minimum amount of information in an attractive design on the card's front. Then reserve the back for black text like where to return lost cards or emergency contact numbers.

What are your most important elements?

Brainstorm with you team to discover how you plan on using ID cards now and in the future. For example, you may just need identification purposes now, which a simple color picture and employee name will suffice. Or you may want your employee or student ID cards to help with your organization's branding, in which case company colors and a logo is important.

If your employees interact with customers or the public daily, your ID cards can be an integral part of your marketing materials. But if employees or students need to swipe their cards for access or attendance, that technology restricts the space you can use.

Finally, what kind of personal information do your cards need to display? Just because you have a lot of this type information doesn't mean it should be on your ID cards, however. You need to balance what information you include with privacy and security needs. For example, in the healthcare and service industries, you might not want to include last names on cards to protect their privacy.

Do You Need Enhanced Security?

While student or employee ID cards provide security to help identify who belongs and who doesn't, your organization may need enhanced security for a variety of reasons. You have quite a few enhanced security elements you can include to keep your employees and company assets safe. For example, add a non-replicable fingerprint or other biometric element to reduce fraud. Holograms or micro text are great additions to help security staff with elements that can't be forged. Another way to verify identity easily is including a picture of the employee's signature printed on your ID cards. Even the best fraud artist has a hard time duplicating someone else's signature on the spot.

Other Identifying Information

Beyond your company logo and the employee's name and photo, what else might you include on ID cards? Here's a list of possible information to include, depending on your organization's needs:

• Cardholder title (e.g., Student, Premium Club Member, Director of Marketing, Surgeon)
• ID number (e.g., student, employee, or customer ID numbers)
• Issue or expiration date
• Bar code or QR code to include additional information
• Security access level
• Building or plant number
• Personal identifying information (e.g., weight, height, hair and eye color, sex)
• Company mission statement
• Cardholder responsibilities
• How to return or replace a lost or stolen card

Final Thoughts

Most common elements organizations include on their ID cards are student or employee name, title, and a color photograph. These are basic designs for identification. Your business needs might include more security, additional identifying information, or technology for tracking, purchasing, or access privileges. Because your ID cards have limited space, each element you include must be purposeful. Don't feel you need to cover all the real estate on both sides of your cards. More isn't necessarily better when it comes to employees or student ID cards.

If you're stuck on what to include on your ID cards, call an expert at Idesco. We have over 75 years of experience helping organizations just like yours create long-lasting, purposeful cards to meet both business and security needs.

Call us today at 800-336-1383 to find the right ID card solution for you.