Photo ID badges can be an indispensable part of your company's operation. Easy to make, colorful badges can easily identify your employees, secure your building, and foster a hospitable environment for customers and other visitors. There are many different types of ID makers, each creating a variety of photo ID badges with different design and security features.

This card for Sunrise Construction is the perfect example of a single-sided photo ID badge. This kind of ID card can be made with any ID card printer. The most economical choices for this single-sided card would be the Zebra P110i or the Persona C30. The card has a simple design, with a clear picture of the operator and his name, job title and employee number. This kind of information on a photo ID badge helps to secure an office or work area, especially in a field like construction where dangerous equipment and volatile materials are involved. The bar code on the bottom of the card is another great feature of this ID badge - bar codes can be used for timekeeping purposes, equipment monitoring, or for access control. For example, Steve may swipe or scan his card when arriving for work. He may use his ID badge to check out the backhoe or pneumatic drill he might have to use that day, or to enter a break room.

This double sided card for a casino manager is an example of a card that requires just a bit more security. The magnetic stripe on the back of the card is more secure than a bar code, which makes it perfect for strict access control or financial issues. Magnetic stripes, like bar codes, can be used for access control and identity verification. The picture on the front of the card identifies Ms. Addison's name and her position clearly. Not all card printers have the ability to encode magnetic stripes onto photo ID badges, but the technology is widely available. Nearly all ID makers can be upgraded to include magnetic stripe technology. Popular ID machines with magnetic stripe capabilities are the Zebra P120i or the Fargo DTC400. The design for these kinds of cards is as easy as a single-sided card. On most two-sided cards, the information on the back is uniform from card to card, like Ms. Addison's card. With these kinds of photo ID badges, you can pre-print the backs of the cards ahead of time and then print the fronts of the cards, with the user photos and information, as you need them. This is a cost-efficient way of maintaining security and having professional looking cards. If information does vary on both sides of a two-sided cards, a double-sided printer is the most efficient option.