ID Badge Template (CR80, 85.6 × 53.98mm)
Make employee ID badges, staff passes, volunteer and membership cards in the standard ID card size. Upload a photo or a design, add a name and a role, choose a lanyard slot or a round hole, and download a print-ready sheet. In your browser, nothing to install.
The ID card size: CR80
Nearly every ID badge, access card and membership card is the ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1 size, usually called CR80: 85.60 × 53.98mm, or 3.370 × 2.125 inches, with 3.18mm (1/8 inch) rounded corners. It is the size of a bank card, so it fits standard badge holders, card sleeves and badge reels.
A sheet holds 8 badges on A4, 6 on US Letter and 18 on A3, in either orientation. The grid leaves the sheet corners clear, where Cricut, Silhouette and other print-then-cut machines print their registration marks. Cutting by hand? You can add rows or columns in the studio.
Portrait or landscape
Portrait (vertical, 53.98 × 85.6mm) is the usual choice for employee and event badges on a lanyard: there is room for a photo with the name underneath. Landscape (horizontal, 85.6 × 53.98mm) suits membership cards, wallet cards and badges worn on a clip, with the photo beside the text. Both are in the studio; the hole always sits in the middle of the top edge, so a portrait badge hangs from its short edge and a landscape badge from its long edge.
Slot, round hole or no hole
- Lanyard slot: The standard 1/2 × 1/8 inch (12.7 × 3.2mm) slot with rounded ends, 3.5mm below the top edge: the slot that strap clips, badge reel clips and lanyard hooks are made for, and the size a slot punch cuts.
- Round hole: A 5mm hole, 3.5mm below the top edge, for a ball chain, a key ring or a split-ring lanyard.
- No hole: For badges that go into a holder or sleeve, which has its own slot, or that you will punch later.
You pick the hole in the studio, under “Lanyard hole”. It is a real cut line: it prints as part of the outline and it is in the cut file, so a cutting machine cuts the slot as well.
What to put on an ID badge
A badge is read in a second, often from a metre away, so keep it simple:
- A recent head-and-shoulders photo, front-facing, on a plain background.
- The name, as big as the card allows: the first name larger than the surname works well.
- The role or department, smaller, under the name.
- The company or organisation logo, and a colour band if you use colours for teams or access levels.
- An ID number, an expiry date or a QR code if your entry system needs one.
- Nothing important in the top 10mm: that is where the slot or hole goes.
In the studio, dashed boxes show where a photo, name, role and QR code usually go. They are only a guide: they show on screen and never print. Each badge holds one picture plus any text you add in Edit Badge, so you can make a whole team’s badges on one sheet.
How to make ID badges
- Open the template in the studio: it is in the ID & Event Badges group of the template menu. Choose portrait or landscape, then the lanyard hole.
- Upload a photo or a finished design for each badge. In Edit Badge, move and zoom the picture, and add the name and role as text.
- Download the PDF and print it at 100% / “Actual size”, never “Fit to page”.
- Cut the badges out: with a Cricut or Silhouette, use Print Then Cut with the cut file, which cuts the outline and the slot; by hand, use a craft knife and ruler, a 1/8 inch (3mm) corner rounder and a slot punch.
- Laminate, if you like, then add the clip, the lanyard or the badge holder.
Not sure your printer prints true to size? Read how to print at actual size.
Cardstock or PVC sheets
- Heavy cardstock, about 250–300gsm (90–110lb cover), is the simplest choice. Laminate it to make it last.
- Printable PVC or synthetic “ID card” sheets for inkjet or laser printers feel like a plastic card and need no laminating. Check that your printer takes them.
- Real PVC cards printed one by one need a dedicated card printer; this template is for sheets printed on an ordinary printer.
Laminating pouches and badge holders
ID-size laminating pouches leave a sealed clear edge round the card, so the badge resists water and bending; laminate first, then punch the slot through the pouch. If the badge goes into a rigid or soft badge holder, choose “No hole”: the holder has its own slot, and a CR80 card fits standard ID card holders, vertical or horizontal.
Business plan and above
ID badges are part of the Business plan and above, which also gives you unlimited prints and PDF downloads with no watermark, and the cut files for Cricut and Silhouette.
ID badge template FAQ
What size is an ID badge?
The standard ID badge is the CR80 card size (ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1): 85.60 × 53.98mm, or 3.370 × 2.125 inches, with 3.18mm (1/8 inch) rounded corners. It is the same size as a bank card, so it fits standard badge holders and card sleeves.
Should my ID badge be portrait or landscape?
Portrait (vertical) is the most common for staff and event badges on a lanyard, with the photo above the name. Landscape (horizontal) suits membership and wallet cards and badges worn on a clip. The template has both; the hole is always centred on the top edge.
What is the difference between the lanyard slot and the round hole?
The slot is the standard 1/2 × 1/8 inch (12.7 × 3.2mm) slot with rounded ends, for strap clips, badge reels and lanyard hooks. The round hole is 5mm, for a ball chain or a key ring. Both sit 3.5mm below the top edge and are cut lines in the cut file. Choose no hole if the badge goes into a holder.
How many ID badges fit on one sheet?
8 per A4 sheet, 6 per US Letter and 18 per A3, in portrait or landscape. The layout keeps the sheet corners clear for print-then-cut registration marks; if you cut by hand, you can add more rows or columns in the studio.
What should I print ID badges on?
Heavy cardstock (about 250–300gsm, 90–110lb cover) that you then laminate, or printable PVC or synthetic ID card sheets made for your inkjet or laser printer, which need no laminating.
Can I laminate the badges?
Yes. Use ID-size laminating pouches, or laminate the whole printed sheet before cutting. Punch the slot after laminating, through the pouch, so the hole has a sealed edge.
Can I put a QR code on an ID badge?
Yes. QR codes are a Business Plus and Business Pro feature: add one in Edit Badge, on the QR tab, and the dashed guide shows where it usually goes.
Which plan do I need for the ID badge template?
ID badges are part of the Business plan and above, alongside unlimited prints and PDF downloads with no watermark and the cut files for Cricut and Silhouette.