Step 1. Add a shape element to your card design

To add a gradient background to your card design, select the shape tool and click on the card. Resize the shape to cover the complete background of the card. Go to the “Style” tab in the element properties and set the line thickness to “0”.

Step 2. Change the Shape color to a linear multi-color gradient

The background color of an element can be one color or a multicolor gradient color linear or radial. Click on the linear gradient icon to create this gradient, set the angle of the linear gradient in degrees and click on the “+” button to add more colors to the gradient. To select a different color click on the color box you want to change.

Step 3. Change shape color to a radial multi-color gradient
Click on the radial icon to change the gradient to a circle. Select how you would like to stretch the gradient using the stretch mode.

Start creating Badgemaker design gradients now.

Step 1. Add an ID photo placeholder

To personalize a card, you can add a placeholder for an ID photo, that is automatically linked to the card holders’ ID photo’s in your BadgeMaker Identity project.

Click on the ID Photo tool in BadgeMaker Design and click on the front of the card. Resize the ID photo element to your liking. You can add a border to frame the photo. Go to Element Properties, click on the style tab and change the border thickness.

Step 2. Add a Signature placeholder

A signature placeholder can also be added to your card design. The signature placeholder is also linked to the cardholders’ signatures in your BadgeMaker Identity project. The placeholder shows a dummy signature. Click on the signature tool and then click on frontside of the card. Resize the placeholder to the needed size and drag it to the correct location for your card design.

Step 3. Add a Dynamic logo

Click on the Dynamic logo tool in the BadgeMaker Design toolbar, click on the card in the canvas and go to the first tab of the “Element properties”. Select the dynamic field representing the needed data for the dynamic logo.

Keep the aspect ratio and keep the interpolation mode set to default. Now add the dynamic logos, the images need to represent four countries so add four images. Click on the “…” button to select the flag images.

To get the correct flag to appear with the correct card holders’ country, add the associated value. This value needs to be the exact value corresponding with the data in the project. We will add USA, CA, UK and NL.

Do not forget to save the card design. You are now ready to use your card design in BadgeMaker Identity and create a project with card holders.

Thank you for choosing id card maker: BadgeMaker

Step 1. First step of your card creation is to choose a background

Open BadgeMaker Design and start a new card design. The next step of creating a card design is to create a background. Choose a blank background or use the shape or image tool to create a background. For the card design in this blog we use an image as background.

Select the Image tool and then click on the card on the canvas. Resize the image-element to cover the card. Now go to the element properties and select an image. Click on the “Select Image” button, select the background image for your card design and click the “Open” button. When your image has the correct size and you do not want the image to stretch, check the aspect ratio box. This will keep the original ratio of the image intact. If you want the same background image on the backside of the card you can copy and paste the image.

Step 2. Add your company logo to the card design

Add a logo image to the front of the card, so the card represents your companies identity. Click the image tool again, click on the card and select your logo image. Do not forget to select the aspect ratio box. Resize the logo to fit the card using the handlers at the corners of the image.

Step 3. Use the shape tool to create a shaped layer

Now use the shape tool to create a lighter area as part of the design. Click on the Shape tool, click on the card and resize the shape element to your liking.

To adjust the color and border go to Element properties and click on the Style tab. Set the border thickness to zero. Click on the background color to select another color or change the transparency of the shape.

We will make this shape slightly transparent and click on ok.

A great start of a card design using shapes and images.

Step 1. Start BadgeMaker Design and a new card setup

First step is to click on the BadgeMaker design icon to start the software for card design. DesignStudio offers three menus, the main menu, the quick menu and the toolbar. Click on “File” in the main menu, followed by “New Card Design” or use the quick menu and click the New Design icon to start a new design.

Step 2. Set the configuration of the new design

Use this pop-up window to set the configuration of the new card. Name your card design. Select a size format from the dropdown or select “custom” to manually enter a size. The CR80 card is used for most card designs and the ZC10L is the large card format for the Zebra ZC10L printer. A new design is double-sided by default, check the single-sided box to create a single-sided card design. Check the Magstripe box to add a Magstripe to your design.

In this example we will setup a double-sided card with Magstripe, portrait mode for the front and back with a specialty layer on the front side. Be aware that you need a printer and ribbon that support the specialty layer to be able to print a card design with specialty layers. Now click on the create button to get started with this layout.

Step 3. Start designing this card

Ok, the card setup is done, we are now ready to start designing this card. You can work with the canvas in different views, showing for example only the front side or back side.
Click on this second tab in the top right corner to change the card settings if needed. You are now ready to use the toolbar and start a great design.