---
title: ID Cards
slug: id-cards
docTags: 
createdAt: 2025-03-23T18:20:45.928Z
---

You can use **ampEducator** to generate ID cards for **Students**, **Staff**, and **Educators**. These can be printed or emailed digitally, and used for identification or with the **Hour Tracking** system. To get started, go to **Institution Config / General / ID Cards**.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/dAaYdF15xm67t_NLKoQQv/DakF_A36ObvTi0_kGWEDU_screen-shot-2025-03-30-at-84127-am.png)

**Key Features:**

- Customize layouts with merge text and optional background artwork
- Generate physical or digital ID cards for Students and Staff
- Enable barcodes for Hour Tracking and Attendance integration

## Designing ID Cards

To design your ID cards, go to **Institution Config / General / ID Cards**. Each field in this section controls how your ID cards will look and print. Here’s how to configure them:

### Rich Text Editor

Each card (Student, Staff, and Instructor) includes a **Rich Text Editor** where you can enter and format the layout of the card content. You can style and position the text using the formatting tools to match your layout preferences.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/dAaYdF15xm67t_NLKoQQv/ZfmrWXZK8z-TnNd6NrUHe_screen-shot-2025-03-30-at-90951-am.png)

You can also use **merge text **(also referred to as dynamic fields) to automatically populate information such as a Student's name, program, or ID (*e.g., \~Student.FirstName\~, \~Student.LastName\~*). These fields will dynamically pull in the correct details for each Student, Staff member, or Instructor. 

### Artwork & Display Options

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/dAaYdF15xm67t_NLKoQQv/5b0VyPKvI_ABxZbC6E0ur_screen-shot-2025-03-30-at-93834-am.png)

**PDF Template**: Upload a pre-designed PDF template to serve as the background for your ID cards. The PDF must match the exact size of your final card (e.g., 3.38" x 2.14" for plastic cards).

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/dAaYdF15xm67t_NLKoQQv/JILqUh4D5g-KL1aF1JB8Z_pdf-template-example.png" size="50" width="1560" height="992" position="center" caption="Example of PDF Template" showCaption="true"}

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/dAaYdF15xm67t_NLKoQQv/CoeJKx2ctfCFc9P7FVfjJ_pdf-template-example2.png" size="50" width="1526" height="960" position="center" caption="Example ID Card Using PDF Template" showCaption="true"}

**Image**: Uses the image associated with the Student in their profile. In the dropdown, you can choose how to align the image on the card.

**Draw Image Border**: Select **Yes** if you want a border around the image.

**Draw Barcode**: Select **Yes** to include a barcode on the card. Barcodes can be used for scanning and Hour Tracking if enabled in your setup.

### Card Dimensions

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/dAaYdF15xm67t_NLKoQQv/EazLAg-BkrTL5xF4VOBP4_screen-shot-2025-03-30-at-93856-am.png)

- **Card Width**: Enter the width of each individual card (e.g., 3.50 inches).
- **Card Height**: Enter the height of each individual card (e.g., 2.00 inches).
- **Number Cards Across**: Set how many cards will appear across a single page.
- **Number Cards Down**: Set how many cards will appear vertically on a single page.

### Page Layout Settings

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/dAaYdF15xm67t_NLKoQQv/hXtSKtM-AUf9Er6E-JLUU_screen-shot-2025-03-30-at-93914-am.png)

- **Page Width**: Set the total width of the page layout (e.g., 8.50 inches for standard US Letter).
- **Page Height**: Set the total height of the page layout (e.g., 11.00 inches).
- **Top Margin**: Set the top margin spacing from the edge of the page.
- **Left Margin**: Set the left margin spacing from the edge of the page.
- **Vertical Pitch**: Defines the space from the top of one card to the top of the next row.
- **Horizontal Pitch**: Defines the space from the left edge of one card to the left edge of the next column.

### Printing with Avery Templates (Optional)

The settings in this section can be aligned with pre-printed products such as Avery Business Card Templates.

If you're using Microsoft Word to preview and match your layout, go to **Mailings > Labels > Options**, and under **Label Products**, select **Avery US Letter**. Choose your Avery product number (e.g., 18820 Clean Edge Business Cards), then click **Details** to view its layout information.

You can copy those details—such as **Vertical Pitch**, **Horizontal Pitch**, and **Margins**—into ampEducator to ensure everything aligns properly when printed. ampEducator will generate a PDF file based on your ID card settings, which you can then send to the printer of your choice.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/dAaYdF15xm67t_NLKoQQv/YC7tk1fsCh5lW5xic4gLd_idcards.png)

If you’d like to learn how to generate and distribute ID cards, see the [Students / More Actions / Generating and Distributing Student ID Cards](docId\:XiixRXotiYplvPtwsDkE8) section of this guide.