What is the Best ID Card Software?

At ID Wholesaler, we carry and support all of the major ID card design software brands, and we are experts in each brand! We also carry tracking software, but today, we’ll focus specifically on the design software. Customers who are new to ID card printing often ask: “What’s the best ID card software to use for great-looking and professional-grade IDs?” Well, first things first.

Regardless of which brand of ID card design software you choose, it’s important to know is that there are three main categories that offer different features to consider:

Entry-Level Software (also called “Design Software”) – This level is very limited and ideal for printing basic cards with no need to maintain a card record database.

• Single workstation installation (no networking)
• No outside database connections; data needs to be manually typed in
• Batch printing not available; cards will need to be printed one at a time
• Limited to a database of only 200 records
• Add a 1D barcode or encode magnetic stripes

Mid-Level Software (also called “Design & Save” Software) – Our most popular software level and an optimal choice for organizations requiring external database capability, including the ability to save and search cardholder records.

• Single workstation installation (no networking)
• Print cards in batches or one at a time
• Connect to an outside database
• Add a 1D or 2D barcode
• Encode magnetic stripes
• Work with unlimited record storage

Choosing the Right Photo ID Card Software

All ID card software programs have the ability to design and print cards, but some offer more advanced features than others. To help you decide which ID card software package is right for you, consider the four questions below.

1. What are your database requirements?

If you want to easily reprint lost cards without having to re-enter information or re-upload images, you will need software with an internal database. Most entry-level software packages do not include an internal database. If you need to share card data with an outside database, you will need mid-level or fully-featured software with open database connectivity (ODBC).

With database capability also comes the ability to batch print a number of badges in one step. Additionally, database-capable software provides the ability to make global changes to your ID card files, rather than update each card file by hand. This is important if you anticipate making changes to large quantities of cards.

2. Will you be installing your software on a network?

If you will be sharing card data or printing over a LAN or WAN, you will need software that supports network connectivity. Most software providers offer master licenses that support network connectivity via additional software licenses. Only fully-featured software is network compatible, however, not all network-capable software is ODBC and vice versa.

3. Will you be encoding, or writing data, to your cards?

All card software packages enable you to print one-dimensional or traditional barcodes in various formats. If you need to print a 2D barcode (e.g., PDF417), you should choose mid-level or fully-featured software that provides this specific capability. Some software also enables contact and/or contactless card encoding. Contact smart cards have a visible memory chip embedded on the card surface. Contactless smart cards have a chip and antenna within the card.

The Benefits of Purchasing a Software Support Plan

While choosing the right ID card printer is very important for your company, it’s equally as vital to choose the right software program for your organization and protect that investment.

One of the most common phone calls we receive from our customers pertains to troubleshooting and supporting their ID card software program. There are many benefits to selecting a one, two, or three year Software Support Plan by ID Wholesaler, including:

• Total peace of mind – If software problems occur, priority help from our technicians is just a chat, email, or phone call away.
• End-to-end service – Instead of having to call a third party for support, our support plans offer you the convenience of a single point of contact for your software needs.
• Unlimited contact – Reach out to our knowledgeable Tech Support Team to answer all of your ID software questions and provide timely issue resolution.
• Guaranteed inquiry response time – When received during normal business hours, our technicians will get back to you with an initial diagnosis within 2 hours or less.
• Flexibility – Even if you purchased your ID card software elsewhere, our Software Support Plans will be able to assist you if it’s a software we offer on our website.

Common ID software problems may include:

• A saturated database
• Transferring software program from old to a new PC
• Problems opening a software program
• Issues with software crashing or failing upon launching
• Inability to print or integrate a photo or image
• Barcodes not reading properly
• Error messages or problems batch printing