Vertical ID card maker

When a vertical card beats a landscape one

If the card will be worn, portrait usually wins. A lanyard clips to the top edge, so a vertical card hangs the right way up and the photo and name stack in a natural top-to-bottom read. That is why most access badges, conference passes and visitor cards are portrait. A landscape card is the better choice when it lives in a wallet or a card slot, like a staff card or a membership card that is tapped at a reader.

The worn-versus-stored split is the quickest way to decide. Worn on a lanyard or a clip, where someone reads it across a room, go portrait. Carried in a wallet and shown at a desk, go landscape. The same details work in either, so you can switch orientation here and compare before printing.

Portrait sizes that fit a holder

This generator carries the portrait sizes that match real holders: portrait CR80 at 54 by 85.6 mm for a slim lanyard card, the portrait badge sizes for clip-on holders, and the larger lanyard and XL sizes for a conference. Each is rendered at the true millimetre size at 300 DPI, so a printed card fills the sleeve rather than floating in it. Picking a portrait size rotates the whole layout automatically.

If you are buying holders to match, measure the clear window rather than the card, since holders quote the insert size. Once you know the size you need, the ID card size guide lists every option in mm, cm, inches and pixels so the print comes out crisp.

Designs built for portrait

Several designs here are drawn portrait-first, with the photo centred at the top and the name directly beneath: a premium gold-on-green membership card, a clean tech access badge, a playful student card, an official lanyard pass, and a large modern event badge. Recolour the accent to your brand and toggle the decorative details to taste.