Top tips for your plastic ID card printing

Plastic ID Cards are on the rise but do you need to consider when ordering your plastic ID cards.

Being plastic card printers we see many types of plastic ID cards for all different types of organises both big and small. It is interesting to see the different types of data which appear on the ID Cards we print. Traditionally there is always the card holder name and image, usually an employee number or job title. However, we are now starting to see more complex data such as the card holders certifications or company access rights.

Plastic ID cards can hold as little or as much information as you require, and they are no longer only available to larger companies. We work alongside many smaller companies who only need upto 20 ID cards for their staff and are looking for the simplest plastic card to fit their requirements.

If you are considering introducing company ID cards you need to consider the following;

What information do I need on my ID card?
Firstly, you do not need to over complicate things. Different companies need to display different pieces of data subject to the type of industry they are in and people that work with. By all means you can display as much data as you wish on your plastic card but just make sure that all the basics are covered.
When supplying your data we need this to provided in the form of an excel spread sheet with each type of information set in a separate column. The data will be extracted directly from your spread sheet so it is important to check all spellings before submitting your data.

What kind of image do I need to supply?
The personalised image to go on your plastic card needs to be a good quality tiff or jpeg (a minimum of 300dpi) to get the best print quality. Ideally if the image can be taken against a plain background with only the card holder in shot (no friends pulling silly faces in the background!). Ladies please make sure you are not hiding behind your hair and gentlemen please remove any sunglasses or hats. Remember that people need to be able to easily identify you from your ID card.

What design will look the best?
All of our plastic ID cards are printed in full colour to both sides. Take advantage of this! Even if you do not require any information to be printed on the reverse of your card you should take advantage of this space. Either have your company address and contact details printed on the reverse, so that any lost cards can be returned to you, or could you duplicate what is printed on the front of the card to the reverse. This way if your plastic ID card is going on a lanyard for your employees to wear you will never have to worry about it being displayed the wrong way.
Remember the print on your plastic ID card is only as good as the artwork you provide. If you use a low resolution copy of your company logo (ie image taken from a website) then the print quality of your plastic card will not be great. Please use high resolution copies of your logo to get the best print quality.

If you are struggling with the design or unsure how to submit your artwork please contact our team today and we will be more than happy to help.

Lastly – do I need anything else to accompany my ID card?
It might sound silly but once you have your company ID cards what are you going to do with them? Maybe your employees only need these to sit in their wallet to display as and when needed. However, if you require your employees to wear them whilst they visit clients or carry out their working day you should consider purchasing a lanyard or snap back holder to accompany your cards. We supply a range of plastic card accessories for such occasions please take a look on our accessories store for more details.

If you would like any more information regarding plastic ID cards or our plastic card accessories please contact our team today.