Staff ID cards and lanyards: what to order for a company or school

An ID card does three jobs at once. It tells visitors who works here, it tells security who belongs here, and it carries your logo around all day. Getting it right is mostly about a clear layout and choosing the right way to wear it.

The standard ID card

A printed PVC ID card is the same size as a bank card: 85.6 × 54 mm. It is plastic, so it does not bend or fade like a paper card in a pocket. It can be printed on one side or both.

What to put on the card

• Photo. Plain light background, face clear, recent.
• Full name, large enough to read at arm's length.
• Job title or department. For schools: class and section.
• Company or school logo and name.
• ID or staff number.
• On the back: a contact number and a line such as "If found, please return to", with the address. Schools often add a parent contact and bus number.

Keep the front simple. A photo, a name and a logo are read in one second. Everything else belongs on the back.

Portrait or landscape?

Cards worn on a lanyard are easiest to read in portrait, because they hang that way naturally. Cards kept in a wallet are usually landscape. Decide before the design starts, because the holder must match.

Printed card or card holder?

You can punch a slot in the card and clip it straight to the lanyard, or put it in a holder.

• A soft clear holder is the low-cost choice and protects the print from scratches.
• A rigid holder looks smarter and lasts longer.
• A reel badge pulls out on a cord, which helps staff who tap an access card on a reader many times a day.

We keep ID card holders in horizontal and vertical styles.

Lanyards

A plain lanyard in one colour is ready from stock. A printed lanyard repeats your logo or name along the strap and makes a team look like a team.

Ideas that work well:

• Different lanyard colours for staff, visitors and contractors.
• Different colours for each school section or bus route.
• Event name and year for conferences, so the lanyard becomes a souvenir.

What we need from you

• A list in Excel with one row per person: name, title, ID number.
• Photos named with the ID number, so each photo is matched to the right person.
• Your logo as a vector or high-quality file.
• For Arabic names, send the text typed so nothing is retyped by hand.

We prepare one sample card for your approval, then print the full list.

New staff later?

Keep the approved design on file with us. When someone joins, send the name and photo and we print one more card that matches the rest.

Get a quote

See ID card printing on our website, or send your quantity and logo on WhatsApp. Holders and plain lanyards are in ID Card & Lanyards in the shop. If you are also ordering company stationery, read our business card guide.