Font size, contrast, hierarchy, whitespace. The exact numbers we use on every proof we send out.
A badge is signage worn on a chest. It gets read in under a second, from four to eight feet away, often at an angle and under bad lighting. Design it like a sign. Not like a business card.
Hierarchy
- The name is the largest thing on the badge. Always. The logo comes second.
- Set names at 22-26pt in a medium or semibold sans-serif.
- Titles run at 12-14pt, sentence case, right under the name.
- Never drop the name below 18pt to fit something else. Cut the other thing instead.
Contrast and color
- Dark text on a light face beats light text on dark at distance.
- Keep contrast above a 4.5:1 ratio.
- Skip mid-tone brand colors behind text. Put the brand color in the border instead.
- Metallic faces cut effective contrast by about one step, so add font weight to make up for it.
Space
- Leave a 2mm quiet margin inside the badge edge on every side.
- Give the name its own horizontal band with nothing crowding it.
- Put the logo above or to the left of the name. Never behind it as a watermark.
What to leave off entirely
Slogans, phone numbers, website URLs, marketing QR codes, decorative rules. Nobody reads any of that off a badge and every one steals space the name needed. The one exception is a QR code doing real work, like a check-in scan or a digital business card for a sales team. That earns its spot.
Proof it at real size before you approve it
Print your proof at 100%, tape it to a shirt, and walk six feet away. Takes thirty seconds. Catches almost every layout mistake before it hits a full run.