ID Card Printing Software For Mac and Windows (Free And Paid)
For any business, no matter how big or small, security remains one of the biggest concerns. Any company can be the target of malicious intruders who either cause havoc or steal valuable information. An effective way to keep the business safe from such intruders or imposters is to issue a valid ID card to each employee.
This is where an ID card printing software plays a crucial role. Depending on your software choice, the card can prove to be effective or in vain. So we are here to introduce you to some of these applications which make employee identification easier.
Also Read: Most Popular Id Card Size.
Table of Contents
Free ID Card Printing Software
1. ID Flow
ID Flow is the free software designed and developed by Jolly Technologies Inc. This company has been in business since 2000 and is now thriving with over 20,000 clients across more than 120 countries. They are best known for developing one of the top favorites of ID card businesses - ID Flow.
It is currently on the top of most people’s free ID card printing software list because it comes with a ton of cool features!
First of all, it supports both QR codes and traditional one-dimensional barcodes. So you can go old-fashioned or modern based on your company objectives or customer groups. It has room for signature and fingerprint as well to make the badges as secure as possible.
You can use ID Flow to design the photo badges while maintaining the branding. Any printer that can handle plastic cards will be compatible with it.
In addition to designing them, this software enables you to enroll the respective employees and manage their records by automatically merging the information with database!
Features:
This software for printing ID cards is also free but it comes with some restrictions in use. Card Desiree CS was developed by the Taiwanese tech company called HiTi.
They designed it specifically to complement their printers of the CS series. So if you don’t own the printer, this application may not work for you.
Moreover, the compatibility of this software in regards to operating systems is limited to Windows. There is no version of Card Desiree CS that works with iOS, Linux or any other system yet.
However, regardless of these limitations, you can do all the required modifications with this application. After launching it on your device, you will notice a simple and compact window displaying all the features in a clean organized interface.
You will be able to insert the necessary items on both front and back of the ID card!
These components include design elements like photo, fonts, background colors and more. To ensure safety of your employees and company, you can also add authorized signatures and barcodes on the cards.
Features:
While both of the options we just discussed above are fully free, this one unfortunately offers freedom only for a time being. Nevertheless, you can try out the interesting features of Clickable Card through its free trial.
This is one of the veterans in this field since it has been active for longer than a decade. That is why it even supports old Windows versions like 98, XP, NT, Vista and more.
However, don’t assume that its features are not useful for the newer editions! You can download it and use the software on the 2013 version and later.
One of its limitations is that the only operating system it works with is Windows. So if your company uses iOS or Linux, Clickable Card will fall short.
For those of you who are always on the run, this software can be a good solution because of its portability. You can carry it with you anywhere by keeping it on a USB flash drive or something similar. There is no need to install it on any device. Just click and open up the simple user interface to get started.
Using the features offered on this interface, you can turn the background of your ID card transparent or solid. Manipulate the card objects back or front as you like. You will also get to pick the font, color and size of its text. Along with basic information, it allows adding URL and comments on the card.
All the ID card models or images you make here can be saved on your online account of Clickable Card. As a result, you can access them from anywhere and print soon after. These images can be saved in many formats like JPG, GIF, BMP, ICO and EMF.
Features:
If you are looking for a single software to make all the professionally used cards, Formtec Design Pro should fit your requirements perfectly.
This was developed by the label manufacturer company called Formtec Korea Limited. Since they specialize in the field of producing labels and adhesive materials, you can expect a number of highly useful features from their popular ID card printing software.
For instance, it comes with 1800 clip arts and 200 application sample forms. You can make the most of this enormous range of designing elements for any kind of card. Besides, there are the usual components like barcode, fonts, colors and alignment adjustments.
There are already multiple card categories included in this software to make the choice even easier for you. Along with making ID cards, you can also prepare business cards, postcards, media labels and photo stickers!
You will need a device running on the Windows system to use this software. After designing the ID card, you can save it in the file formats of PDF, DGT and DGF. In order to keep it as PDF, you will need to go directly to the printing option.
Features:
Adobe needs no introduction in the world of digitally created or modified designs. One of its many successful products is the Adobe Spark Post - a simple software dedicated to designing effective ID cards efficiently.
The major aspect that sets it apart from others is the collection of aesthetically pleasing templates. By gaining access to all these, you will get to extend the limits of creativity for designing your ID cards. Instead of the usual blank, transparent or solid background, you can incorporate more colors and motifs for a modern twist.
Additionally, it offers professionally designed fonts in order to guarantee stylish typography. There are thousands of images readily available on Creative Commons to insert in the ID card.
Besides, you can always add photos from your personal collection. Share the design with others in a second with its unique URL.
There are free and paid versions of this software. So you can choose either based on your budget flexibility. Another highlight of Adobe Spark Post is its availability on both MacOS and Windows platforms. Unlike most of its competitors, Apple users can rely on this software.
Features:
Paid ID Card Making Software
1. AlphaCard ID
AlphaCard ID has proved itself to be truly one of the alpha options when it comes to ID card making software. It comes equipped with a complete package of all the features you would need to design an ID card.
For starters, you don’t have to brainstorm a random layout for arranging all the required information on the card. Just browse through the built-in templates to find one that you like the most. You can then customize it to suit the specific needs of your project or company.
AlphaCard ID can help you to make the whole process more efficient and error-free with its built-in database. This will take care of the data management necessary to get all the relevant information right.
It should not take you long to get familiar with these features and functionalities of AlphaCard ID since its interface is very user-friendly. The software can work with any printer supporting ID cards. It is compatible with both Windows and MacOS operating systems.
If you are not sure about it, you can just take the free trial. It continues from 30 days to 6 weeks based on the package you choose.
Features:
2. CardExchange
CardExchange prides themselves in being one of the most reliable names in the niche industry of ID cards. They have garnered a loyal customer-base by delivering innovative high-quality products related to designing and printing ID cards.
So it comes as no surprise that they could come up with three different softwares dedicated to specific use cases. The most popular among them is CardExchange Producer which comes in five distinct editions to suit each consumer group. It includes the entire range starting from entry-level all the way to enterprise!
Among the many features of CardExchange, there is scripting which can adapt the involved data automatically. As a result, customizations become easier and less time-consuming.
You don’t have to worry about running out of storage space either since it lets you establish connections to unlimited databases. Identifying an employee will become easier as it allows looking up on biometric records.
The most lucrative aspect of this software is the security measures it has implemented. Its sophisticated encoding ensures that the data you have entered stays safe from potential malware and cybercriminals. You can even limit the access of users by customizing their permission.
Features:
Take a step in the direction of cutting-edge technologies with CardPresso. For those of you who are not satisfied with the features of our previous options, this software may finally quench your thirst for the latest innovations in ID card printing.
Make the perfect card that stands out from the rest without jeopardizing your company values and branding.
There is a comprehensive array of tools in its simplistic interface which makes image processing quite fun! You can insert or delete elements, scale or rotate, play with the contrast levels and more.
Rely on the FaceCrop feature to fill up the vacant image holder by automatically cutting out faces from existing images. As a result, a lot of your valuable time will be saved each round of printing.
The interface also includes an ODBC database to access the updated information in connected databases.
There are features like autoprint, seriesprint and the print dependent on parameters which makes bulk production much easier.
Using these, the software can dictate the printer to continuously print out the cards, while maintaining their individual attributes like gender and designation.
Features:
Conclusion
As you can see, there are several options of ID card making software you can choose from. But you should choose a software that will compatible with your ID card printer.
There are free ones that you can use if you have no budget to spare. Also, you’ll often find free trials given by the premium software companies.
In order to find the ideal one, you can first put your requirements in a priority list. Then depending on the significance of those factors, evaluate each option and see which one works the best for your business.