ID Cards

Sep 02, 2025

ID cards are your ultimate source of identification for easy introductions, whether you’re in a small or startup company or a big and well-established business. Allow the student, employee, manager, or person to recognize you immediately with an ID cards that displays your identifying data.

ID Card Definition and Meaning

An ID card templates is a portable display card bearing an individual’s identification data.

That means the ID card showcases a person’s profile photo, full name, physical address, email address, contact number, and other basic information.

What Is an ID Card?

An ID card is an alternative name for an identity document or identification card. These cards are important for organizations to identify the name, role, or any identity datum of every member in a school, office, hospital, etc. Besides identifying one’s background, ID cards are also used in transacting payments, accessing secret files, experiencing company perks, and preventing security breaches.

10 Types of ID Cards

Employee ID Card

An employee ID card is proof that an employee is officially registered with a company.

School ID Card

Besides students, school ID cards are also worn by teachers, school security personnel, school janitors, visitors, and the rest of the school staff.

Business ID Card

ID cards that belong to employees, executives, and the rest of the business staff fall under business ID cards.

Medical ID Card

Doctors, nurses, medical students, and the rest of the medical staff deserve to be known with medical ID cards for display.

Visitor ID Card

Visitor ID cards exist to identify every single visitor expected to be at specific premises.

Vertical ID Card

Any ID card that is presented in portrait orientation is called a vertical ID card.

Horizontal ID Card

The opposite of a vertical ID card is the horizontal ID card, wherein the card’s orientation is in landscape format.

Modern ID Card

Avoid generic-looking designs, and be open to fresh personalized ones using modern ID cards.

Simple ID Card

Simple ID cards are the right way to produce smooth, customized, and minimal, yet chic ID cards.

Creative ID Card

Be sure to get inspiration from creative ID cards on how to display art and creativity into these identification cards.

ID Card Uses, Purpose, Importance

Thoughtful Branding

Besides visual identification and security control, ID cards are useful for branding and marketing strategies. Maybe you want to use healing green motifs in a card to brand your health business, a chic and elegant style for your fashion company, or simply display your company’s official logo and signature colors.

Organized Set of Data

Don’t just feed audiences with jumbled identity information on an ID card. With a professionally designed ID cards, every arrangement from the photo’s placement, font size or style, and the rest of the details are organized meticulously for an excellent presentation and quick readability.

Showcase Creativity

ID cards with designs are much more creative compared to standard IDs. They can be customized so you decide how creative you can be. Examples of how to design ID cards creatively are adding a personalized cardholder or coming up with a smart recyclable ID card to apply a low-price replacement.

Format Flexibility

The formatting options for making ID cards are endless. So what would you want your ID card’s output to look like? You may opt for a single-sided ID card, double-sided ID card, plastic print ID card, rectangular size ID card, vertical size ID card, digital ID card, and more.

Striking First Impressions

How do you want your company to be remembered? A single ID card reflects a lot about your organization. Similar to branding, the info, design, and content of an ID card leave an impression on people who see it. Admit it, you would have high expectations about a company with professionally designed ID cards compared to those with ID cards in cheap and uninspiring styles.

What’s in an ID Card? Parts?

Organization Logo

Which company or organization do you belong to? The organization logo is essential to an ID card for identification, marketing, and branding.

ID Card Design

ID cards also come with style. You can customize the ID card’s color, font size, font style, and other formatting features.

Profile Photo

A staple in every ID card is the profile photo. Anyone can wear an ID card but with a picture on the card itself, it is easy to tell whose information it belongs to, especially if the photo matches the face of the person wearing the card.

Personal Information

Besides the photo, the employee’s personal and professional information is required, such as the name, birthday, address, contact number, job position, and signature.

Data Encoding

Make the most out of ID cards by incorporating encoded information, such as barcodes, smart chips, and magnetic stripes. Data encoding will be useful for tracking people in terms of attendance, building access, transaction, etc.

What’s in an ID Card Parts

How to Design an ID Card

1. Choose an ID Card Size

2. Decide the Purpose of the ID Card

3. Select the ID Card Template

4. Insert the Key Identifying Data

5. Customize and Design Your ID Card

6. Produce the ID Card in Your Preferred Format

How to Design an ID Card

ID Card vs Card

An ID card specifically displays identity information, is made to recognize a person’s identification or improve access control, and has a strict format in keeping a uniform display of the ID card details.

A card covers anything besides identity information, is made for various purposes not limited to access and personal identification, and has enough freedom in formats, such as greeting cards and playing cards.

What Is the Difference Between an ID Card, Verification Card, and Smart Card?

An ID card is simply a card that displays the name and other personal information for identification purposes.

A verification card or card verification value (CVV) is used to verify a cardholder’s payment, and it uses a series of features among debit, credit, or ATM cards to lessen identity fraud.

A smart card is a card containing a built-in microprocessor to streamline electronic transactions and identification.

ID Card Sizes

When it comes to the preferred sizes of ID cards, you may choose from CR80, CR79, and CR100. Picking the right ID card sizes would depend on how much info should be inside the ID card or what the ID card is used for.

ID Card Sizes

ID Card Ideas and Examples

Besides knowing what the ID card is for, how about how you design your ID card? There are tons of creative ID card ideas and examples you can try out from professional business ID cards down to personal visitor ID cards.

Business ID Card Ideas
School ID Card Ideas
Security ID Card Ideas
Event ID Card Ideas
Advertising Agency ID Card Ideas
Church ID Card Ideas
Service Animal ID Card Ideas
Healthcare ID Card Ideas
Sports ID Card Ideas
Visitor ID Card Ideas

FAQs

What is an ID Card?

ID card bears personal information and can be used for any purpose, such as college enrollment, national military application, passport appointment in Florida, voter ID for election in Zambia, or any form of citizen information.

What is a real ID card?

A real ID card is an ID card that has been verified and federally accepted, such as the driver’s license ID card.

What is a government-issued ID card?

Government-issued ID cards refer to identification documents where the local or federal state government in the US is the main ID card maker, and any citizen can use these cards for identification purposes.

What do I need to get an ID card?

All you need is an ID card maker, an ID card templates, ID printing materials, and your confirmed identity information.

What is a federal ID card?

These ID cards are issued by the federal government rather than being downloaded or created anywhere.

What to do if I lost my ID card?

Report to the right authorities that your ID card is lost so that you can buy and reapply for an ID card again.

What do you need to get a replacement ID card?

You need a replacement form and complete the requirements until you get to track your ID card status online or with a QR code.

What does ID card stand for?

ID card stands for identification card or identity card.

What do I need to renew ID card?

Just bring your old ID card to prove that it needs to be renewed and follow the requirements given next.

What is a digital ID card?

A digital ID card is an online or mobile ID card where it isn’t printed as most ID cards.

How to make ID Card?

Use and edit a template to make an ID card, such as the free editable ID card templates on Template.net.

How can I get my ID card online?

Head to an online ID card maker, such as Template.net, and craft an ID card in no time using downloadable, editable, and printable templates.

How to verify ID card?

Check if the personal information, company branding, and overall details instead are accurate and spot if the ID card is original or fake.

Main purpose of ID card?

ID cards are mainly used for identifying a person’s background and to officially make them part of the organization.

Why companies need ID card?

Companies need ID cards to identify the company members, market the company brand, and enhance security in the office.

How to check ID card status?

Look for the official tracking website of where you applied to make an ID card and check if your ID card is already produced.

How to make ID card in Photoshop?

Making ID cards in Adobe Photoshop format is certainly possible using ID card Photoshop templates.

How to make student ID card in Microsoft Word?

To create student ID cards or any ID card in MS Word format, simply use ID card Word templates.

How to make temporary ID card?

The key to making a temporary ID card is to be resourceful, you can make use of a simple ID card using cutout folders, cartons, or any printed material, which you can write personal information with.

Why do I need an ID card?

With many possible reasons to need an ID card, the most common example would be to help strangers or team members familiarize your basic information without having to ask endless questions.