Designing Professional ID Badges in Affinity Designer

Designing Professional ID Badges in Affinity Designer: A Practical Guide

Affinity Designer is a brilliant tool for creating custom ID badges – whether that's staff cards, membership passes, or visitor badges. It gives you sharp, scalable designs that look great when printed on plastic or laminated. Best of all, it's straightforward to use once you know a few key tricks, and you can quickly make variations for different people.

This guide walks you through the process step by step, with tips we've picked up from helping people prepare files for professional printing. It's written for anyone new to Affinity Designer, but there's plenty here for more experienced users too.

Why Choose Affinity Designer for ID Badges?

Affinity Designer stands out for small, detailed projects like badges because:

Everything is vector-based, so text, logos, and lines stay perfectly crisp no matter how much you zoom in or how they're printed.
You can work on the front and back of the card in the same file using artboards, which keeps things organised and consistent.
Features like symbols let you reuse elements (such as a company logo) across multiple badges and update them all at once – a real time-saver for batches.

Getting Started: Setting Up Your Document

The first few minutes make all the difference to how your badge prints.

Go to File > New.
Choose the "Print (Press-Ready)" preset – this automatically sets CMYK colour mode and 300 DPI, both essential for accurate printing.
Set units to millimetres.
Enter Width: 92 mm and Height: 60 mm (landscape orientation). This size includes space around the edges for trimming.
Add 3 mm bleed on all sides – crucial if you want backgrounds or colours to reach right to the edge without white borders.
Tick "Create artboard" to keep things tidy.

Give the file a clear name, like "Staff ID Badge Template", and save early. Enable snapping (the magnet icon in the toolbar) – it helps everything line up perfectly as you work.

Marking Out Safe Areas and Trim Lines

Printers cut badges to the standard CR80 size (86 mm × 54 mm), so you need to know where the edges will be.

Draw a rectangle 86 mm wide by 54 mm high using the Rectangle Tool.
Centre it on the artboard with the Align panel (View > Studio > Align).
Turn it into guides: select the rectangle, then View > Guides > Make Guides. These cyan lines won't print but show the final card size.
Add an inner safe zone guide: about 4–5 mm inside the trim line – keep all important text and photos well within this area.
Lock guides in the Layers panel to prevent accidental movement.

Adding Photos and Logos

A clear photo or logo often becomes the main focus of the badge.

Place an image: Go to File > Place and select your file. Hold Shift while dragging the corners to resize without distortion. Position it where it looks balanced – usually on the left side or in a corner.
Create a professional portrait cut-out: Draw an ellipse or rounded rectangle for the frame. Place the photo layer above the shape, select both, then use Layer > Geometry > Subtract. Add a thin stroke or subtle drop shadow if needed.

Tip: Always use high-resolution photos (at least 300 DPI at the size they'll print). Phone selfies can work if sharp and against a plain background.

Working with Text

Clear, easy-to-read text is vital on a small card.

Add text: Use the Artistic Text Tool for names and job titles, and the Frame Text Tool for longer details.
Choose clean fonts: Inter, Roboto, or system sans-serifs. Activate more options through the built-in font manager if needed.
Typical sizes: names 16–20 pt, roles 12–14 pt, smaller details 10–12 pt.

Tips:

Use bold sparingly for key information.
Adjust letter spacing (tracking) for even balance.
Align neatly using snapping or alignment tools.

Building a Clear Layout

A good layout lets people find information quickly.

Place the photo on the left third of the card.
Put the person's name and job title in larger text to the right of the photo, centred vertically.
Add supporting details (department, ID number, expiry) below or in a column on the far right.
Leave plenty of space around elements.
Use grids or extra guides to keep symmetry. Group related items in the Layers panel.

Choosing Colours That Print Well

Colours need to look vibrant but predictable.

Stick to 3–4 colours for a clean appearance.
Work in CMYK from the start.
Sample exact shades from your company logo.

For backgrounds:

Draw a rectangle that fills the artboard including bleed.
Apply a solid colour, gentle gradient, or subtle pattern, then send it to the back.
Mid-tone colours usually print more reliably than very pale or dark shades.
Print a test page if possible.

Adding Extra Details

Small touches can enhance usability or security.

Include a QR code in a corner (link to website or contact).
Add small icons for phone numbers or emails.
Low-opacity patterns or geometric overlays suggest security features.
Use the Corner Tool to round rectangles or add curved elements.

Creating the Back of the Card

Double-sided badges look more polished.

Use the Artboard Tool to insert a new artboard.
Rename artboards "Front" and "Back" for clarity.
Use matching colours and fonts.
Turn shared elements like logos into symbols so updates propagate automatically.

Final Checks Before Export

Review everything at actual size.

Zoom to 100% and check that text and images are inside the safe zone.
Verify spelling, dates, and alignment.
Confirm colour contrast works.

Export options:

File > Export > PDF (PDF for Print) for professional printing.
PNG at 300 DPI for quick previews or digital use.
Export each artboard separately if required.
Save a template for future use.

Handy Affinity Designer Tips for Badges

Turn recurring elements into assets for reuse.
Use the Contour Tool for instant borders or offsets.
Duplicate artboards before major changes.
Print a paper proof, cut to size, and check layout visually.

With these steps, you'll create clean, professional ID badges ready for printing. Affinity Designer makes the process straightforward and flexible, so experiment until it looks right. When your front and back artboards are complete, export them as separate PDF files (using the PDF for Print preset) or high-resolution PNGs. Name them clearly, like "ID_Badge_Front.pdf" and "ID_Badge_Back.pdf". Then simply head to our website and upload the files. And that's it – from a blank Affinity Designer file to professional, eco-friendly plastic ID badges in just a few steps.