How To Make Membership ID Cards (On A Budget!)
How To Make Membership ID Cards On A Budget
It's no longer necessary to make a large capital investment in order to make membership ID cards for your customers. Due to advances in desktop printer technology you can get started for less than $100 in materials and equipment with no sacrafice in the quality of your ID badges.
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So, how is it possible to make membership badges without buying an expensive PVC card printer? Simple, mimic the process being employed by many US state goverments to make their own ID cards (you probably have one of these in your wallet right now and don't even realize it!). The process here is to print on a special, sythetic paper and then laminate this card. Do not mistake this for the ID cards you saw 20 years ago which were just paper that was laminated and had a laminate border. Once you laminate a synthetic paper such as TeslinĀ® Paper, it bonds directly to the laminate which forms a borderless, solid ID card.
What Do I Need?
A Computer
A Printer: Preferably a color printer, either inkjet or laser
A Laminator: A hot laminator is needed to bond the laminate to the synthetic paper
Software: Adobe Photoshop, or the free GIMP image editing software
ID Templates: Available for free, links below
Micro-Perforated TeslinĀ® Paper: Inkjet or Laser grade, depending on your printer type
Laminates: Butterfly pouches work best
Holograms: For added security
So, How Does This Work?
Once you have everything you need it's as simple as laying out your card design, printing it, punching the cards out of the pre-perforated sheets and laminating them using a butterfly pouch. A butterfly pouch is simply a laminating pouch that is designed to be used with synthetic paper to form a bond without leaving a border. And that's it, you're done. Check out the video below to see this in action!
How To Make A Membership Card
This video shows the entire process of making an ID card, from card layout in software, to printing, punching out and laminating.
Complete ID Card Kits
These kits include everything you need to get started and are able to be configured for your specific needs!
- ID Card Kits
Our Complete ID Kits include everything you need to make ID cards in-house at a fraction of the cost of PVC Card ID systems. All complete ID card kits include a discount on all products included in the kit.
Inkjet Printer ID Kits On Amazon
These ID kits are designed to be used only with Inkjet Printers!
Laser Printer ID Kits On Amazon
These kits are designed to be used only with Laser Printers!