Ordering professional quality photo ID badges for your organization no longer means investing in expensive plastic card printers. If you have a Windows PC and an Internet connection, you already have everything you need to create and order ID cards today. So how you get started?

The first step is to setup a user account. Registration is free, and only takes a few seconds. Once you have registered, you will be able to login and access the card design center and other features of the site.

Next, you will need to create your card design template. The template contains all the elements of your card design, including background color or image, logos or other graphics, placeholders for the cardholder photo and signature images, text, barcodes, magnetic stripe encoding data, etc. The template can be reused again and again for each person in your organization. You do not need to create a new template for each cardholder. Our template-based system allows you to create one or more common templates which you can then populate with each individual's information and photo.

We have created a library of pre-designed card templates from which you may choose. You may browse our selection of card designs and select the one best suited for your needs. You can then personalize it by adding your organization's name or logo to the template. Or, if you would like to create your own custom design, we give you the design tools to create a custom template from scratch.

Our system will guide you step-by-step through the design process. Along the way, you will be asked which options to include with your template. Options include back side printing, card type (PVC, PolyCard, Prox Card, etc.), magnetic stripe encoding, laminate, and slot punch. You will also be prompted to assign a name to your template, so that you can differentiate the different designs, should you decide to create multiple templates.

Now that your card template is created and configured, you can begin personalizing cards for each individual cardholder. Fill in the on-screen text fields for each individual. If your card design includes a photo and/or signature, you can upload the image files for those items. You will need to have a digital photo for each cardholder. If you are including a signature in your design, you should have a scanned copy of the signature. Both of these images should be saved in a common image format, such as .jpg or .bmp. You can then upload and crop the images using our on-screen tools. When you have finished personalzing the card for each person, you can send the saved record to your shopping cart. You can then repeat the process until you have everyone's records completed.

Now that all cardholder records have been completed and sent to the shopping cart, you can now go to your cart to checkout. In the cart, you will see a list of the names for each cardholder, with a checkbox next to each name. You can select all records to checkout, or only the names you want to checkout now. The unchecked records will remain in your cart until you check them out, or delete them.

During the checkout process, you will be shown a screen with all the available badge accessories we offer, such as clips, lanyards, badge reels, badge holders, etc. If you would like to add any of these items to your order, you can do so on this screen.

As you complete the checkout process, you have the option to select "Standard" or "Rush" order processing. Our standard order processing time is 3 business days from receipt of order. For an extra fee, you can select "Rush" processing, which will guarantee that we will place you at the head of the line, and process your order within one business day. You can also select which shipping method you would like us to use, from US Postal Service 1st Class Mail to UPS Overnight. Please note that all orders are shipped from our offices near Portland, OR. So take that into consideration when selecting your shipping method.

We accept payment by credit card (American Express, Visa, or MasterCard). If you are unable to pay by credit card, in some cases, it may be possible to arrange alternative payment methods. Please contact us for information.

Once you have placed your order, our production staff will retrieve and process the order. After your order has been shipped, you will receive an email indicating the ship date and tracking number, if available. Please note that US Postal Service shipments are not trackable. We can only provide tracking numbers for orders shipped by UPS.

The next time you need to order ID cards (for new employees, new members, or to replace lost cards), just return to EZBadges.com and login to your account. Your design templates are saved with your account, and are available to use again indefinitely. If you are reprinting cards that were ordered previously, you can retrieve the cardholder's record without needing to reenter their information or photo.