How to Make Free Photo ID Cards With Software

Whether you’ve been tasked to create ways to identify your employees or want to give your children a photo identification card, look to your computer as a way to help you. By using programs already installed on your computer or with free downloadable trials, you can make custom photo ID cards with just a couple of quick clicks. Use cards as an extra layer of security or just to keep track of who’s who at your next meeting or event.

Things You'll Need

• Windows Paint
• Digital images
• Adobe Photoshop
• Microsoft Publisher

Instructions

Using Paint

1. Open Paint. Pull down the “File” menu and click “Open.” Browse to a digital photo closeup or headshot and double-click the file name to open it in Paint. Click the “Select” icon, which looks like a box made of dotted lines. Draw an outline around the photo. When you see the dotted frame, press the “Ctrl” and “C” keys on the keyboard to copy the picture.

2. Pull down the “File” menu, click “New,” pull down the “Image” menu and select “Attributes.” Set your preferred ID card size, such as 3.5 inches by 2.5 inches, and click “OK.” When the white card space appears, press the “Ctrl” and “V” keys to paste in the picture. Drag it into place on the left side of the card.

3. Click the “Text” tool, which looks like an “A” and click the white space of the card. If a toolbar doesn’t open, pull down the “View” menu and click “Text Toolbar.” Type the person’s name. Press the “Enter” key to get to a new line, then type additional information for the card, such as assigned building, security clearance level, job title, company and office number.

4. (Optional) Switch to a red paint color and click at the bottom of the card. Type the words “CLEARANCE” or “VIP” and center them at the bottom of the card.

5. Pull down the “File” menu and click “Save As.” Name the file with the person’s last name and save the card to your computer.

Using Photoshop

1. Open Photoshop or download a free trial, pull down the “File” menu and click “New.” Name the card with the last name of the person and the word “card,” such as “SmithCard.” Set the ID card dimensions, such as 3.5 inches by 2.5 inches, and click the “OK” button.

2. Click the “File” menu again and select “Open.” Navigate to a photo of the person for the card and double-click the file. When it opens in Photoshop, press and hold down the “Ctrl” key and drag the image into the card box. If it opens too large, pull down the “Edit” menu, click “Transform,” click “Scale” and shrink the image down to size.

3. Click the “Type” tool, which looks like a “T” on the “Tools” palette. Select a font, size and color from the text toolbar at the top of the screen. Click into the card box and type the person’s name, age, contact information for a parent, allergies, health issues and any other information.

4. Give the photo ID an eye-catching background by double-clicking the top left box of the “Color Picker,” which is the two overlapping colored squares on the “Tools” palette. Select a color and click “OK.” Click the “Paint Bucket” tool and click inside the white space of the card box, which fills with color.

5. Click the three small lines icon or the triangle in a circle icon on the top-right of the “Layers” palette on the right side of the screen. Select “Flatten Image.” Pull down the “File” menu, click “Save As” and save the card to your computer.

Using Publisher

1. Open Publisher or download a free trial, click “Blank Publications” and double-click “Business Card.” This opens a 3.5-inch by 2-inch page on the screen. To alter the size, click “File,” click “Page Setup,” click “Custom” and type in your new dimensions.

2. Pull down the “Insert” menu, click “Picture” and select “From File.” Browse to the photo for the card and double-click the image, which opens on the Publisher workspace. If it opens too large, press and hold down the “Shift” key, grab a corner of the photo and shrink it down to size. Drag it into place on the card.

3. Click the “Text Box” icon, which looks like an “A” on an index card on the very left side of the screen. Draw a text box on the card, then type the person’s name and other card details. Highlight the words and use the text toolbar at the top of the page to change their font, increase their size and change their color or position. Options include using a bright, bold color to list a person’s security clearance or food allergies.

4. Click the “File” menu, select “Save As,” type the person’s name as the file name and save the card to your computer.

Tips & Warnings

• All Windows computers come with the Paint software already installed. If you’ve got the Adobe Creative Suite, you’ll have access to the Photoshop graphics program. If not, download a free trial to experiment with making photo ID cards. Your computer’s installation of the Microsoft Office Suite may have come with Publisher. If you have a very early version, or bought a stripped computer, download a free trial of the Office Suite and try out Publisher’s ease for making ID cards before spending money to purchase any software.

References

• Windows: Using Paint
• University of Washington: Photoshop Type Tool
• In Pictures: Microsoft Publisher

Resources

• Adobe: Photoshop Trial
• Microsoft: Office Trial (Publisher)