Better than in-house card printing
Get the ID cards you need when you need them, hassle-free.
We won’t try to sell your business a printer, we won’t try to sell your company any card stock—we don’t sell hassle.
Helpful Resources
If you’re looking for something else regarding employee ID cards,
you might find help in one of these pages.
There’s a better way to get Employee Photo ID Cards in 2020
Before InstantCard, companies had two equally unattractive options when deciding on a work ID Badge program for their staff.
The first option was to print ID Cards and badges in-house. The problem with this is that id requires additional overhead, dedicated staff, and swearing at jammed printers. Devoting so much time and resources to a non-vital operation detracts from the successful running of your company. This is why we will never try to sell anyone an ID card printer. There’s never any equipment that needs replacement. We don’t want to sell the hassle that comes with them.
The second option was outsourcing, having to meet batch size requirements and deal with the transfer of employee information. Small companies can’t commit to big batches. Big companies, with fast employee turnaround, ran into issues with getting new hires their IDs right away.
So, we built a new option – an ID Card printing system that allows for single-card-orders, same-day shipping, and easy transfer of employee information. Now, you no longer have to deal with the hassle of on-site ID badge printing, or the struggle to meet batch size. Photo ID badges for employees, made easy.
We also made sure to offer every possible ID card technology. We make access control via ID cards as easy as possible, so you can enhance security through your badge program. Get badges made that can facilitate accessibility to not only physical locations but also computer systems. We support all existing security systems. Make your IDs work for you.
Simply get the company identification badges you need, when you need them. And, continue to focus on the successful operation of your company.
Employee IDs are typically printed on standard PVC plastic card stock. This is the same card stock used for standard credit cards. IDs may also be printed on composite card stock, which is slightly more durable.
The minimum recommended resolution is 675px by 1050px (at 300dpi). This includes bleed for edge-to-edge printing.
Should you wish to create your own ID card template design, you should create an image that is at least 675 pixels on the short edge and 1050 pixels on the long edge for a standard CR80 (credit-card-sized) ID card. If the ID card contains a slot punch, allow for a 140 pixel margin from the top of the card.
The standard (CR80) ID card size is 3.375″ by 2.125″ (85.6mm by 54mm). The thickness of a standard ID card is 30mil. This is the same size as a standard credit card.
There are other, less common, ID card size standards such as CR79 and CR100. The CR79 card is 2.051”× 3.303” (52mm × 83.9mm). The CR100 card is 2.63”× 3.88” (66.8mm × 98.6mm).
InstantCard prints all ID cards on CR80 card stock. Most badge holders and wallets are designed for the CR80 size standard.
There are three major options for printing ID cards: direct-to-card printing (DTR), thermal retransfer printing (TR), and offset printing (OP).
Direct-to-Card Printing
DTC is inexpensive and is the process often used for in-house and budget operations. Despite the price, there are several disadvantages to DTC printing. When printing directly to PVC the color rendering is not very sharp. Small imperfections in the plastic prevent a complete coating of the material, and the plastic itself is resistant to the dye. Additionally, DTC does not offer true edge-to-edge printing—there is always a thin white band at the edge of the card.
Thermal Retransfer Printing
The TR process has the card image first printed to a thin film which is then fixed to the card using a heat process. This has several advantages. The color quality is based on how film takes the dye. It is more durable (dye doesn’t scratch off the film easily). TR allows printing to the edge of the card. InstantCard uses this process due to its quality and flexibility.
Read more on TR printing.
Offset Printing
OP is of slightly higher quality than TR. However, OP may only be implemented where the PVC stock is being produced. Additionally, it does not allow you to print to either prox or RFID cards (or any sort of textured cards).
Yes. It is possible to take perfectly good employee ID badge photos with a phone camera. However, while the size and quality of today’s phoneimages is more than enough, phones often struggle in low light. To take a good ID photo with a small sensor, make sure to have plenty of light. You should also make sure the light is flat (diffused) to eliminate shadows.
