ID Badge Design Service Levels and Related Project Services

How to select the right level of badge design, template configuration, proofing, and project support

Choosing a design service level is one of the first steps in a new ID badge project. The correct level depends on the design starting point, number of badge designs, variable data fields, design logic, required testing, and amount of project coordination—not only on how the finished badge looks.

This article compares the five eXpress badging® design service levels and explains when separate setup, proofing, testing, production-data review, or change services may also be required.

For help planning the badge itself, review the ID Badge Design Guide. For approval responsibilities and the differences among a Virtual ID, formal proof, physical sample, and P3—Production Print Preview, review ID Badge Proofing and Production Approval.

Important: A design service level defines the included design, configuration, revision, and project-support scope. It does not replace formal proof approval, production-data review, or required technology testing.

Index

1. Quick Selection Guide
2. Design Service Level Comparison
3. Basic Design Service
4. Standard Design Service
5. Custom Design Service
6. Professional Design Service
7. Enterprise Re-Badge Project Services
8. Additional Services to Consider
9. Design Service, Proofing, P3, and Testing Are Different
10. Customer Preparation Checklist
11. What Counts as a Revision?
12. Final Selection Questions
13. Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Selection Guide

Choose the first statement that accurately describes the project:

• Basic — $60: We qualify for nonprofit or discounted-project pricing, will select an existing template, need only first name, last name, and title, and will provide one company logo.
• Standard — $100: We will select an existing template but need our supplied artwork, backside text, and required data fields incorporated into it.
• Custom — $200: We want eXpress badging to create a custom front-and-back design from our approved artwork and design direction.
• Professional — $400: We need a very complex design, multiple badge designs, and/or data-driven design logic.
• Enterprise Re-Badge Project Services — $5,000: We are planning a full-scale badge reissuance requiring Veonics® Portal configuration, test data and photo support, design and production proof sets, data verification, sorting, shipping planning, and multi-system testing.

If more than one statement applies, select the highest applicable level and have eXpress badging confirm the final scope before work begins.

Design Service Level Comparison

Service level	Best fit	Design starting point	Included revisions	Primary proof or test deliverable	One-time fee
Basic	Eligible nonprofit or discounted project with minimal badge content	Existing design-library template plus one company logo	No revision allowance is stated; changes must remain within the limited template scope	Virtual ID for customer review; formal production approval remains required	$60
Standard	Existing template requiring customer artwork, backside text, and additional required fields	Existing design-library template	1 revision	Design proof for sign-off	$100
Custom	A new, coordinated front-and-back badge design	Customer artwork and design ideas	3 revisions	Formal proof	$200
Professional	Very complex design, multiple designs, and/or logic parameters	Customer artwork, design ideas, and documented logic	3 revisions	Formal proof	$400
Enterprise	Full-scale re-badge implementation involving design, data, testing, sorting, shipping, and project coordination	Customer requirements, source data, photos, artwork, technical specifications, and implementation plan	2 design-revision rounds	One Design Proof Set and one Production Proof Set	$5,000

Prices shown are the current one-time service fees for the described scope. The approved quote or proposal controls the final scope, inclusions, shipping, and charges.

Basic Design Service

One-time fee: $60

Choose Basic when

• The project qualifies as a nonprofit and/or discounted project.
• The customer will select a template from the eXpress badging design library.
• The only variable data fields are first name, last name, and title.
• The customer will supply the company logo.
• The badge does not require custom design development, additional fields, design logic, or multiple designs.

Customer provides

• Selected template
• Approved company logo
• Confirmation that the required fields are limited to first name, last name, and title

Included

• Setup of the selected template within the Basic scope
• Placement of the supplied company logo
• Virtual ID for customer review

Not appropriate when

• The project does not qualify for nonprofit or discounted-project pricing.
• Separate preferred-name and legal-name fields are required.
• Department, employee number, credentials, classifications, or other data fields are required.
• The customer wants a custom layout, multiple badge designs, backside development, or design logic.

Physical samples may be requested for an additional $45, including USPS Ground Advantage shipping.

Standard Design Service

One-time fee: $100

Choose Standard when

• The customer will select a template from the design library.
• The selected template must incorporate supplied company artwork.
• Back-of-badge text is required.
• The design uses required data fields beyond the Basic limitation.
• The requested work remains a template customization rather than a new custom design.

Customer provides

• Selected template
• All approved company artwork
• Exact backside wording
• Complete list of required data fields
• Clear placement or presentation requirements

Included

• Creation of the badge design from the selected template and supplied materials
• Proof for customer sign-off
• One revision

Upgrade to Custom when

• The customer requests an original front-and-back composition instead of a template-based design.
• The requested changes materially restructure the selected template.
• Multiple creative concepts or advanced design development are requested.
• The work cannot reasonably be completed within one included revision.

Physical samples may be requested for an additional $45, including USPS Ground Advantage shipping.

Custom Design Service

One-time fee: $200

Choose Custom when

• The customer wants a custom front-and-back badge design.
• The customer can provide approved artwork and meaningful design direction.
• One coordinated badge design can satisfy the project requirements.
• The project needs more creative development and revision capacity than Standard provides.

Customer provides

• Approved logos, brand assets, colors, and fonts
• Required frontside and backside content
• Required variable data fields
• Design ideas, examples, or written direction
• Any applicable brand or marketing standards

Included

• Custom design development for the front and back of the badge
• Formal proof for customer review
• Three revisions

Upgrade to Professional when

• The project includes several distinct badge designs or badge populations.
• Data values must control colors, fields, graphics, layouts, or template selection.
• The design or production rules are very complex.
• Significant coordination is required to document and test design logic.

Physical samples may be provided upon request. Any applicable sample charge and shipping method should be confirmed in the quote.

Professional Design Service

One-time fee: $400

Choose Professional when

• The badge design is very complex.
• Multiple different badge designs are required.
• Data-driven logic controls design elements or template selection.
• The project includes several badge types, classifications, color rules, layouts, or other conditional requirements.

Customer provides

• All approved artwork and brand standards
• Design ideas and required content
• Complete list of badge designs or badge types
• Exact data fields and permitted values
• Written logic parameters describing how data controls each design outcome

Example logic: If Badge Type = Employee, print a green classification bar; if Badge Type = Security, print a red bar; if Badge Type = Student, print a blue bar.

Included

• Development of the approved complex or multi-design configuration
• Implementation of the design rules included in the approved scope
• Formal proof for customer review
• Three revisions

Physical samples may be provided upon request and are sent by UPS Ground. Any applicable sample charge should be confirmed in the quote.

Logic scope: Professional is the appropriate design level when logic is a defining part of the initial project. A separate Design Logic Setup may be used when logic is added to a lower-level or previously approved design, or when it falls outside the approved Professional scope.

Enterprise Re-Badge Project Services

One-time fee: $5,000

Enterprise is a project implementation service for a full-scale ID badge reissuance. It combines design, Veonics Portal configuration, sample-data preparation, proof sets, production-data planning, and multi-system testing.

Choose Enterprise when

• The organization is reissuing badges to a large employee or member population.
• A customer-specific Veonics Portal account must be configured.
• Test badge-holder data and photographs must be imported and linked.
• The project requires a coordinated Design Proof Set and Production Proof Set.
• Badge data, sort logic, shipping plans, and multiple systems must be tested together.
• The project requires managed coordination across stakeholders, data, design, production, and delivery.

Included service capacity

• 45 hours of tracked eXpress badging team services
• Customer-specific Veonics Portal configuration
• Support for one initial test-data import and photo-linking setup
• Badge template creation
• One Design Proof Set
• One Production Proof Set for multi-system testing
• Data verification support
• Sort-logic validation
• Shipping-plan setup
• Two rounds of design revisions

The 45 included hours are project capacity, not an unlimited-service commitment. The approved Enterprise scope should identify which related setup and testing services are included so those services are not quoted twice.

An Enterprise Production Proof Set supports the physical and multi-system testing defined in the approved project scope. It is not automatically the same as a full-population P3—Production Print Preview. When review of the complete Live production population is required, the P3 must be expressly included in the Enterprise scope or added as a related service.

Customer responsibilities and timing

• Provide complete, accurate, and current artwork, requirements, data, photos, encoding specifications, logic, and shipping instructions.
• Respond to proof reviews and data requests within three business days.
• Identify authorized reviewers and provide consolidated feedback.
• Approve the proof sets and employee data before production.

The estimated setup period is four to six weeks from project kickoff. Timing depends on complete customer deliverables, timely responses, revision activity, and successful testing.

Billable change requests may include

• Design revisions beyond the two included rounds
• Re-encoding or redesign caused by incorrect or outdated customer input
• Multiple test-data imports
• Changes requested after initial approval
• Work exceeding the included 45 hours or approved scope

Production is authorized only after the required proof sets and employee data have received final approval. Changes requested after approval may require additional fees, testing, proofing, and production time.

Additional Services to Consider

The following services are not additional design levels. They solve a specific configuration, testing, file preparation, production data review, or post-approval need and may be added to a design service level.

Related service	Fee	Use it when	Service outcome
Barcode Setup and Testing	$50	A barcode must work with the customer's current systems	Test samples are produced from customer-supplied technical specifications, followed by customer testing and a sign-off form; samples ship by USPS Ground Advantage
Veonics CELLfie™ Setup	$85	The project will use photo requests and automated photo-quality workflows	Veonics CELLfie and Photo Reject templates are created, and photo-request frequency is established
Design Logic Setup	$50	Data must control a color, graphic, field, or design assignment outside the included design-level scope	Customer-defined logic parameters are implemented; optional physical samples are an additional $45 including USPS Ground Advantage shipping
Design Change and Reproof	$50	An already approved badge design must be changed	The approved design is updated and reproofed; optional physical samples are an additional $45 including USPS Ground Advantage shipping
File-to-Print Setup	$50	The customer supplies a complete ID graphic for each badge instead of using a variable-data template	eXpress badging reviews the supplied files for CR80 specifications and imports them for direct printing; no proofing form is provided; optional physical samples are an additional $45 including USPS Ground Advantage shipping
Magnetic-Stripe Setup and Testing	$50	A magnetic stripe must work with the customer's existing systems	Test samples are produced from customer-supplied technical specifications, followed by customer testing and a sign-off form; samples ship by USPS Ground Advantage
P3—Production Print Preview	$100–$500+	The customer wants to review representative test records and the complete Live production population before printing	PDF renderings are used to review submitted records, photographs, variable data, assigned designs, front-and-back pairings, quantities, and production order before physical production
RFID Setup and Testing	$50	An RFID credential must work with the customer's existing systems	Test samples are produced from customer-supplied technical specifications, followed by customer testing and a sign-off form; samples ship by USPS Ground Advantage

P3—Production Print Preview pricing and scope

A P3 is especially valuable for large production orders, multiple badge designs, design logic, duplex printing, expensive card stock, re-badge projects, and other projects where customer review of the rendered production population can reduce avoidable reprints.

P3 pricing is based on the number of records in the Live production population:

Live production population	P3 service fee
Up to 100 records	$100
101–1,000 records	$250
1,001–10,000 records	$500
Each additional block, or partial block, of up to 10,000 records	$500

The initial P3 service includes:

• One Test P3 using a small representative data set, when qualifying test data is provided
• One initial Live P3 containing the submitted production population
• One revised Live P3 following one consolidated correction cycle

The representative Test P3 should include at least one record for every badge design or logic outcome, along with short, typical, and unusually long field values that test variable-field presentation and automatic font-size reduction. Representative photographs, front-and-back combinations, and unusual or blank values should also be included when applicable.

If representative test data is not provided, the Test P3 is skipped and the project proceeds to the initial Live P3.

The customer is responsible for reviewing and correcting source data, photographs, and customer-managed Veonics® Portal records. Customer-requested data or photograph corrections performed by eXpress badging® require approved Professional Services. Additional P3 cycles are quoted and billed separately as approved and required.

A P3 verifies production data and presentation. It does not replace design-proof approval, physical samples, or technology testing. Only approval of the final Live P3 authorizes physical production of the records shown in that P3.

For the complete review process and customer approval responsibilities, see Production Print Preview (P3): Review and Approval.

How related services are quoted

• For Basic, Standard, Custom, or Professional projects, add the applicable related service unless it is expressly included in the approved scope.
• For Enterprise projects, list every included related setup and testing service in an attached scope or inclusion schedule.
• Do not assume that selecting Professional or Enterprise automatically includes every possible technology setup or test.
• Do not charge separately for a related service that is already expressly included in the approved project scope.
• Add the applicable P3 service when production-population review is required and it is not expressly included in the approved Enterprise scope.
• Services requested after approval may require a Design Change and Reproof fee, another specialized setup, or a revised project quote.

Design Service, Proofing, P3, and Testing Are Different

These terms describe different parts of the project:

Project component	What it establishes	What it does not establish
Design service level	How much design, configuration, revision, and project-support work is included	Accuracy of every live production record or performance in the customer's systems
Veonics Virtual ID Preview	Preliminary on-screen review of layout, artwork, fields, photos, and readability	Exact printed color, physical construction, or technology performance
Formal proof	Official approval of the badge design and documented production specifications	Every live record unless complete production data is specifically included
Physical sample or Production Proof Set	Physical print, material, finishing, slot, and applicable technology characteristics	Accuracy of the complete production population
P3—Production Print Preview	Imported people, photos, variable data, design assignments, pairing, and production population	Underlying design approval or physical technology performance
Technology testing	Compatibility with intended barcode scanners, magstripe readers, RFID readers, or related systems	Overall design approval or production-data accuracy

A project may require several of these controls. One does not automatically replace another.

Customer Preparation Checklist

Before design work begins, provide or approve the following items that apply:

• Selected design-library template, if using Basic or Standard
• Frontside and backside orientation
• Approved logo and original artwork files
• Brand colors, fonts, and marketing standards
• Exact fixed wording for the front and back
• Complete list of variable data fields
• Preferred-name and legal-name display policy
• Short, typical, and unusually long sample values
• Badge types, classifications, or populations
• Written design-logic rules and permitted controlling values
• Approved sample photographs in the required crop and orientation
• Card stock, slot, lamination, and printed-side requirements
• Barcode, magnetic-stripe, RFID, encoding, or reader specifications
• Authorized reviewers and approval authority
• Required project date, production quantity, sort plan, and shipping plan

Incomplete or changing inputs can delay the project, consume included revisions or service hours, and require a higher service level or billable change request.

What Counts as a Revision?

A revision is a consolidated round of changes to the current proof within the approved design scope. The customer should combine feedback from all authorized reviewers into one clear list before submitting it.

The following may be treated as added scope instead of a revision:

• Adding a new badge design or badge population
• Changing from a selected template to an original design
• Adding new data fields that require substantial layout changes
• Adding or changing design logic
• Replacing approved artwork or brand direction
• Adding a new backside design
• Changing orientation, card construction, or technology
• Revising requirements after formal approval
• Repeating test-data imports or technology tests because customer inputs changed

eXpress badging will identify work outside the approved scope and disclose any required upgrade or additional charge before billable work proceeds.

Final Selection Questions

Use these questions to confirm the design service level:

1. Does the project qualify for nonprofit or discounted-project pricing?
2. Are first name, last name, and title the only required variable fields?
3. Will the customer select an existing template, or is an original design required?
4. Is a back-of-badge design or supplied backside wording required?
5. How many distinct badge designs or badge populations are required?
6. Will data values control colors, fields, graphics, or template selection?
7. How many revision rounds are likely to be required?
8. Are barcode, magstripe, RFID, CELLfie, file-to-print, or other specialized setups required?
9. Is a physical sample or Production Proof Set required?
10. Is this a full-scale re-badge project requiring Portal configuration, test-data imports, sorting, shipping planning, and multi-system testing?

If any answer is unknown, document it before the service level is finalized. eXpress badging will confirm the appropriate design service level and any related setup or testing services in the approved quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we select the lowest-priced level and add requests later?

The selected level must match the known project requirements. If the work exceeds that level, the project may require an upgrade, a related setup service, or a billable change request before work continues.

Is a physical sample included?

For Basic and Standard, an optional physical sample is $45 and includes USPS Ground Advantage shipping. Custom and Professional samples may be requested; applicable charges should be confirmed in the quote. Enterprise includes one Production Proof Set within the stated project scope.

Does a formal proof confirm every employee record?

No. A formal proof approves the design and documented production specifications. A P3 or other approved production-data review is used to review imported people, photographs, variable data, design assignments, and the production population.

What is included with the P3 service?

The initial P3 service includes one Test P3 using a small representative data set when qualifying test data is provided, one initial Live P3, and one revised Live P3 following one consolidated correction cycle. Additional P3 cycles and customer-requested data or photograph corrections are separate billable services.

Is a P3 automatically included with Enterprise Re-Badge Project Services?

Not automatically. Enterprise includes the Production Proof Set and other services expressly listed in the approved scope. If the project requires PDF review and approval of the complete Live production population, the P3 must be included in the Enterprise scope or added as a related service.

Does Professional include all design logic and technology testing?

Only the work expressly listed in the approved scope is included. Design logic that defines the initial Professional project may be included, while added or later logic may require a separate Design Logic Setup. Barcode, magnetic-stripe, and RFID testing remain separate unless expressly included.

What happens if we change an approved design?

A change to an approved design generally requires the Design Change and Reproof service. Additional design, data, technology, sample, or testing changes may also require a revised quote.

Does File-to-Print replace a design service level?

File-to-Print is a different production workflow. The customer supplies a complete graphic file for each badge, and eXpress badging reviews it for CR80 specifications and imports it for printing. It is not template development, custom design, or a substitute for a required production-data or technology review.

Related Resources

• ID Badge Design Guide
• ID Badge Proofing and Production Approval
• Production Print Preview (P3): Review and Approval