You don't need expensive photography equipment or a fancy set up to take photos for your ID cards. Most digital cameras and smartphones do the job perfectly.
We don't require a certain format, but your ID cards will look better when printed with good quality, well composed photos.
If staff aren't in the office much for you to take their photos, see if they can get a photo taken at home using their smartphone. They could even take a selfie!
It's quite common for people to work remotely or from home, so a photo or selfie taken using their smartphone can save you time.
Adding staff photos to your ID cards is a great way to put names to faces and assure customers and team members that the card holder really is who they say they are.
#1 - Check the Lighting
Bright, natural lighting works best for ID card photos. Try to avoid harsh and uneven lighting, otherwise parts of the photo might print too dark or too bright. Your photos don't need to be studio quality, but they will look better when printed if they're taken in a space with good lighting.
#2 - Steady Hands
Try to hold your camera still until the photo has been taken to avoid blur. Sometimes it can take a couple of seconds for a photo to process, especially when using a smartphone. It's good to check the photo after taking it - just in case you need to retake it before the staff member leaves!
#3 - Background
A light grey, white or other plain coloured background often works best and could be a wall or pop-up screen or banner.
We realise it's not always possible to achieve this, so if you can't use a specific backdrop for all your photos, try to choose an area that is spacious, brightly lit and quiet, without too much going on in the background of the photo.
#4 - Composition
When taking photos of your staff, it's best if they are facing the camera directly. Don't worry about image sizing and zooming in though because we will crop your photos down to the head and shoulders for you. We can even adjust the brightness and contrast of your photos, or convert them to black and white for a stylish finish - completely free of charge.
Summing up
That's pretty much all there is to it! Taking your staff ID photos is fairly easy overall, and you can find out how to send them to us in our guide: Sending your ID card data to us.
If you're ready to order ID cards for your business, head over to our ID Card Shop where you can choose your ID cards, badge holders and lanyards.
Need more help? Get in touch, we’d be happy to hear from you! hello@cardaxis.co.uk Contact Form