Creating Dynamic, Effective and Secure ID Cards
If you're tasked with designing ID cards for your organization, you have an important responsibilty. Cardworx design studio offers our clients expertise which combines creativity in card design with access control industry knowledge as well as international partner resources to deliver top quality branding in high secure id card applications.
From concept and innovative design to proofing and print production Cardworx ID Solutions is able to recommend the very best materials available to create the optimum level of card security as demanded by your organizational environment.
Key objectives in secure id card design
Cardworx applies a logical step-by-step approach to secure ID card design with total focus on key objectives.
- Enhance physical and logical security
- Increase efficiency and productivity
- Reduce vulnerability to fraud
- Promote the organizations brand identity
Welcome to our step-by-step quide
If you have been charged with designing ID cards for your organization, you have an important responsibility.
Creating an effective ID card design involves more than meets the eye. However, with a little planning and consideration of the best practices discussed in this guide, it will be an enjoyable experience.
After reviewing this simple step- by-step overview and our gallery of existing ID cards, you’ll be ready to begin — or enhance — your own design. Creating dynamic, effective and secure ID cards has never been easier.
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THE ANATOMY OF A SECURE ID CARD
A secure ID card is more than a name and a photo. It requires visual security elements to protect itself from tampering and forgery. Technology cards include embedded electronics, antennas and smart chip contacts that usually affect card design.
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HOW TO DESIGN AN ID CARD
STEP 1 Define the parameters of your ID card design
Creating an effective ID card design involves more than meets the eye.
That’s why this first step is so important. You need to understand the objectives of your organization’s entire ID card program.
While designing a visually attractive card is also important, it’s secondary to designing a card that helps:
• Enhance physical and logical security
• Increase efficiency and productivity
• Reduce vulnerability to counterfeiting
• Reflect the organization’s brand identity
These objectives will later help determine the parameters of your card design.
At the beginning of your process, consider talking with an expert in card identity systems. Whether your cards are designed to protect your organization or promote it (or both), authorized Fargo integrators are an excellent resource to help you define and achieve your objectives.
Here are a few questions about ID card objectives to help you start defining the parameters of your ID card design:
• How many employees, contractors and visitors do we have? Will we have separate card designs for each?
• How many different areas of our organization will interact with the cards? Will we need different levels of security clearance for each?
• Does our card design need to comply with any government regulations?
• How will we verify and authenticate the identity of each cardholder? Top ^
STEP 2 Determine the level of visual security you will need on your card
A color photo on a plain white card just isn’t enough anymore. Today, anyone with a computer can create a legitimate-looking ID card with ease. Proper card design can help reduce your vulnerability to counterfeit ID cards. Incorporating holographic
security elements that are difficult to forge, yet easy to authenticate, should be the first consideration in a secure card design. There are choices for every need and budget, from basic elements such as a simple foil to sophisticated solutions such as custom designed holographic overlaminates.
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STEP 3 Determine the technologies that your ID card will have
The card technologies your organization uses will influence your card design.
They will also affect the selection of the card printer/encoder you’ll use. But you can still create a great-looking card, if your design
accommodates technologies such as:
• Bar codes
• Contact and contactless smart cards
• Proximity antennae
• Magnetic stripes
Whether on the inside or outside of the card, these technologies can alter surfaces and make printing any design more challenging.
HOW-TO STEPS
Achieving an effective ID card design involves three layers: functionality, security and graphics. When making decisions about these elements, it is smart to involve the experts, whether they are your security personnel, ID card system integrators or graphic designers.
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STEP 4 Determine your ID card’s orientation and layout
For maximum effectiveness, explore both portrait and landscape orientations.
There is no one right answer. As you arrange the graphical elements of the card around the technology elements (which usually can’t be moved), ask yourself questions such as:
• How will the card be best displayed and most used?
• Where do the electronics on the card fall?
• Will the card need a hole punch for a clip or lanyard?
• Is there critical information printed on the card that, over time, might be rubbed off because of swipe abrasion? If so, consider
adding a protective overlaminate.
HOW-TO STEPS
Many companies utilize both orientations as an at-a- glance verification aid. Fully functional vertical cards are worn by full-time employees. Less functional horizontal cards are worn by visitors and short-term contractors.
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STEP 5 Select graphics and a type face for your card
When designing your ID card, keep in mind that it’s more than just a security device and functional tool — it’s also an extension of your organization’s image and brand. An attractive and professional card will reinforce the right message about your organization and its employees. And because a well-designed card is more likely to be worn, it will go a long way toward ensuring the effectiveness of your entire card program.
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STEP 6 Print, encode and laminate your ID cards
Now that you’ve invested the time to develop a custom design for your ID cards, it’s important to choose the right card printer/encoder to help bring that design to life. If your card has simple magnetic stripe technology, or no electronics technology
at all, consider traditional direct-to-card (DTC®) printing technology. If your card has embedded electronics, or if image quality
is of the utmost importance, consider High Definition Printing™ (HDP®) technology.
Regardless of your card design, there are numerous printing, encoding and laminating options available to meet your on-demand needs.
HOW-TO STEPS
Knowing the components and capabilities of your card identity system will help you design a card that uses the system to your best advantage.
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STEP 7 Test the image quality and functionality of your ID cards
Ensure a successful introduction by performing comprehensive testing prior to a large-scale implementation.
Identifying any performance issues at this point will save significant time and money.
Things to double-check:
• Is the image quality consistent?
• Is card data successfully read at all checkpoints?
• If you’re using the cards to track activity, is that data being accurately transmitted to your systems?
Congratulations. Once you’ve tested your ID card system at all points in the process, you can proceed with confidence.
HOW-TO STEPS
Testing your card design with the printer you intend to use will ensure that it won’t present any surprises during mass card production.
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ID CARD GALLERY
Creating dynamic, effective and secure ID cards is something every organization can do.
While no two organizations are exactly alike, many share similar goals and challenges when it comes to securing assets and increasing productivity. Let’s take a look at some sample cards in the ID Card Gallery. They may offer the creative spark you need to improve upon your own unique solution. . Top ^
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