Printing photo ID cards is one of the most common uses for ID card systems – from education to healthcare to hospitality, many organizations and businesses include employee photos in their ID cards. But do you know the essential tips and equipment you’ll need for taking clear ID card photos?
Lighting
The lighting in your cardholder photos is extremely important. A photo that’s too dark because you took it in a poorly lit hallway, or a photo that’s too bright because the person was next to a window, will both make it hard to identify the cardholder.
If possible, you should avoid having overhead lights as your only light source. While unavoidable in many office buildings, putting a lamp near the subject will help balance shadows caused by harsh overhead lights. A camera’s built-in flash may also help as long as it isn’t so bright it washes out the person or causes them to squint.
Photo ID Cameras
Whether you use one of the cameras that comes in our Complete ID Systems or a digital camera your business already owns, you will need a digital camera to take and add cardholder photos to your ID cards. Designed to work with card design software, the cameras bundled with our systems are easy to use and make it a quick process to take photos and import them into your software.
When shopping for photo ID cameras, pay attention to the image resolution. You’ll want photos that come out clear and show identifying details, so your ID cards can be used to correctly identify cardholders.
Camera Tripods
If your camera isn’t attached to a computer or other object, you should consider investing in a tripod instead of holding the camera. A tripod prevents the camera from tilting sideways or shaking, so the cardholder is centered in the frame and not blurry.
Many tripods are small and easily packed up, making them popular choices with ID card printers who travel such as school photographers and conference registration booths.
Photo Backdrops
If you want all your photos to appear uniform, you should use a photo backdrop. This allows you to have the same background in every cardholder photo no matter where you take it – even if you move buildings, or paint the office, the background color won’t change.
This uniformity makes it easy to spot fake cards if they use a different background in the photos. It also makes it easier to focus on the face in the photo, because a busy background won’t be competing for attention.
