The Stockport-headquartered business, which has been owned by US-based AlphaCard Systems since 2018, said it designed and created the EasyBadge 2.0 Bundle after seeing a 45% increase in demand for in-house printing options.

It attributed this to both “a huge boost” in orders from the health and social care industry, as well as smaller/medium-sized businesses needing to take ownership of ID in-house during tougher lockdown restrictions.

Digital ID group managing director Jonathan Fell said: “The pandemic has changed the way companies want to do business in a number of ways.

“Companies are still having to print their staff ID cards during lockdown so that employees that need to continue working can prove they are critical workers quickly and easily when challenged by authorities.

“We’ve also seen a huge uplift in onsite printing from the health and social care sector. With the rapid expansion of vaccination centres and Covid testing centres, plus the changes we’ve seen within care homes, it’s hugely important that staff and volunteers are given the appropriate ID.

“Not only so that people can identify officials but also, simply seeing a lanyard and ID cards can often reassure people that they are in safe hands and gone through the correct protocols to be on-site.”

Fell added the EasyBadge 2.0 Bundle “eradicates many of the common problems with ID card printing such as clunky card design software and image capture”.

The £595 bundle, which is commercially available immediately, features the EasyBadge 2.0 printer, 100 biodegradable blank plastic cards and a colour ribbon capable of 100 prints, the EasyBadge Lite ID card software and a free download of the EasyBadge mobile app.

A full colour ID card can be created using the kit in 23 seconds, using images from either a computer or mobile phone.

“For those with extra security concerns, there’s the standard feature of an anti-counterfeit SmartMark overlay that can be customised to include text, pictures or logos for an added layer of protection against cloning,” Fell added.

“There’s [also] an optional ribbon that can, in addition, add a UV layer to the card that significantly increases the security of the issued credential.”

Established in 1990, Digital ID provides printing and personalisation in its own print bureau, as well as supplying machinery and software for clients to print their own ID cards in-house.