How to Make Laminated ID Badges

Do you need to create a name badge or ID Tag? You are not alone. One of the most common uses for pouch laminators is to laminate cards and ID badges. However, there are a surprising number of things to consider when you are making ID badges for your team members. Here are a few tips to get you started.

1. Plan Your Badge. First, you have to decide what information you want to include on your ID badges. Name and photo are no-brainers, but you might want to include title or department, and security clearance.
   
   Ideally, there should be some way for your security team and other employees to tell from a reasonable distance whether a badge is up-to-date and valid. You can make badges with a different color background each year or for visitors and current employees. There have been some advancements in this area, including TEMPbadges that fade to white within a specified time period, such as 48 hours. Take a look online to see what options you find.



2. Choose a Badge Type. There are several choices to be made concerning functionality and your budget, so don’t be in a hurry when you are doing your research. Options range from the simplest paper badge in a badge holder with an inexpensive plastic clip to PVC cards with magnetic strips on the end of imprinted and customized breakaway lanyards.
   
   Another factor to consider is what size badge you need. You’ll want to make sure all your desired information doesn’t just fit onto the card but is also readable. This might take some thought and editing, and if you have a design team, you might want to get them on the case.
3. Create Your Badge. There are a couple of different ways to go about this, of course. There are websites out there that can do a reasonable job with templates and color options. VistaPrint, My Simon, and Bizrate are some places to start. Your local print shop should be able to give you some guidance as well.
   
   If you are more of a DIYer, you can use programs like MS Word, Canva, or Photoshop to either create your own artwork or use their templates. It’s a good idea to save your final templates so you can quickly bring them up and update them whenever necessary. When it comes to finishing your ID badges, there are a few different options.
4. Get Them Printed. You can upload your artwork to the sites mentioned in step 3 or send the job to your local printer for printing and laminating. However, to save money in the long run, you can print and laminate your own ID badges in the office.



5. Protect Your Badges. After you have printed out your IDs you will need a way to protect them and allow them to be hung from lanyards or reels. To do this you have two options.
   • You can slot every badge into a badge holder. This is a great option if you don’t have a laminator. It is also the reusable option. If you need to replace the badge or make updates to the info you can use the same holder. However, each holder will be more costly than the pouch alternative.
   • You can use laminating pouches to laminate your badge. There are a lot of pouch laminators on the market that are all fairly easy to use and inexpensive. If you are going to be creating a lot of badges on a regular basis, or need the ability to make ID badges at a moment’s notice they are definitely a worthy investment. ID laminating pouches come with slots already punched in so you don’t have to use a punch. Just insert your badge into the pouch and run it through the laminator.

Now you should have professional-looking ID Badges to distribute across your business. Now that you have an idea as to all that is possible when creating ID badges, you are ready to begin deciding which route is right for you. Explore all that is possible and get inspired with our ID accessories.