When you Google, "How to customize employee ID cards," you'll find thousands of options, many of which want to control the process and print the cards for you. Most companies today, however, need an ID card/badge solution that you control on-site. You'll need something different.
You'll need photo ID card software. It's as simple, and as complex, as that. Each software program comes with templates that you can customize and adjust to fit your needs. And the software makes it easy to add details like images, text, barcodes, and more to your ID cards. In fact, you can easily customize your employee ID cards using today's ID software, print cards when and where you need them, and manage the entire process from your location. It really couldn't be easier to customize your employee or student ID cards.
Here's what you actually need to customize your employee ID cards.
PC or Mac specific software
Make sure you choose software that works with your operating system. Most ID card software programs have options for both, so it's a simple click to choose which one you need.
Once you get the specific operating system software you need, you need to make sure the software program works with your ID card printer. This is an easy step because most software works with any make and model printer. It's still best to check.
Built-in templates
Look for a software program with plenty of built-in templates. Even though you need to customize, there's no reason to recreate the wheel. Most software programs let you start with a template and change it to make it yours. You can customize colors, text, images, and more.
The more templates, the more options you have for a foundation. Choose a template that has most of the features you'll need for your employee or student ID cards and then proceed from there. This reduces your time when customizing.
Database accessibility
Most companies, when customizing their employee/student ID cards, have a database of information to pull from to create cards or badges. Make sure the software you choose can work with your database. The more database options you have, the more you can customize yourID cards.
Several editions of ID card software offer different options, so it makes sense to find the one that works with your current database and anything you might want to do in the future.
Entry level or advanced software
Obviously, entry level won't provide everything advanced software does. If you need to take your employees' digital identity and employee photo ID cards to the next level, you need advanced software. You still get templates you can customize; it just offers a full range of solutions that help you pick what you need for security, business, access control, and other reasons. For example, premium software lets you include conditional layers and even objects from databases based on specific designations.
Budget considerations
What's "nice-to-have" when customizing your employee or student ID cards doesn't always fit into what your budget will cover. Most ID card software programs have several versions to help you choose one that meets your security, business, and budget needs. And, yes, you can still produce customized, professional-looking ID badges and cards with the elements you need while sticking to your budget.
Printer-specific software
Some ID card printer manufacturers also produce their own software, like Zebra and Evolis. Check with your ID Card Expert first to see if there is a specific software that works with your printer. You'll find printer manufacturers' software has several versions available, similar to other software, so you choose what makes the most sense for your customized ID cards.
Final thoughts
Most ID card printer software offers drag-and-drop functionality that lets you rearrange and customize your ID cards. Choose a software program that offers simplicity with powerful elements like magnetic stripe encoding or barcodes, smart technology encoding, and other functionality with a few clicks of your mouse. And make sure your software program lets you import popular graphic formats so you can incorporate your company logo and other images.
ID card software lets you customize your employee and student cards as part of a complete in-house badge or ID card printing solution. You'll get everything you need to customize and produce ID cards or badges instantly when and where you need them.
Contact an Idesco ID Expert today at 212-889-2530 to discuss what you need to customize your ID cards. We have over 75 years of experience to help guide you to the right software program and the right printing solution to meet your needs.