ID Card Artwork Guidelines

ID card size

Standard plastic ID cards use the CR80 card format. The finished card measures approximately 86mm × 54mm.

Resolution

Supply raster artwork at 300dpi at the intended print size wherever possible. Lower-resolution files may appear blurred, pixelated or soft when printed.

Bleed and safe area

Background colours and images intended to reach the card edge should extend beyond the finished card boundary. Keep names, job titles, logos, QR codes and other important content safely inside the edges.

Accepted file formats

Supply your artwork in the highest-quality original format available.

• PDF
• PNG
• JPG or JPEG
• BMP

PDF is generally preferred for complete, print-ready card layouts. PNG is useful for logos and graphics that require transparency.

Cardholder photographs

Use the original photograph from the camera or phone wherever possible. Avoid screenshots, photographs copied from social media, heavily compressed images and images downloaded from messaging applications.

• Use a clear, well-lit photograph.
• Keep the face in focus.
• Use a plain or uncluttered background.
• Avoid strong shadows over the face.
• Do not crop too tightly around the head.

Logos

Supply logos in vector format or as a high-resolution transparent PNG wherever possible. Avoid screenshots of logos or images copied from website headers.

Colours

Screen colours are produced using light, while printed colours are produced using inks or dye. This means printed colours may not exactly match the appearance of a phone, monitor or tablet.

Where exact brand colours are important, provide your organisation's approved colour values and an existing printed reference if available.

Fonts and text

Ensure all text is readable at the final card size. Avoid very small, thin or highly decorative fonts for names, job titles, expiry dates and important information.

When supplying a print-ready PDF, embed the fonts or convert the finished text to outlines where appropriate.

Double-sided cards

Supply separate front and back artwork and clearly label each file. Check that both sides use the same orientation.

The back can include contact details, emergency information, terms, a barcode, QR code or a lost-card return message.

Spot UV artwork

Supply the Spot UV artwork as a separate solid black graphic. Black areas indicate where the clear UV effect will be applied; white or transparent areas will not receive the effect.

• Use solid black artwork.
• Avoid gradients and transparency.
• Keep fine lines and small text legible.
• Label the file clearly as Spot UV.

Artwork checking

We can review supplied files for obvious resolution, sizing and layout problems before printing. Artwork checking is not the same as full proofreading, so names, job titles, dates and other supplied information should be checked carefully before approval.