Printable name badge templates at true size
The four boxes below print at actual badge size when you print this page at 100 percent scaling. Use them to check type size and how much text really fits before you order, or follow the six steps to build the same layout in Word or Google Docs.
Print, then hold it against a shirt
Set your print dialog to 100 percent or Actual size. Scale to fit will shrink these boxes and defeat the point.
How to build a badge layout in Word or Google Docs
- Step 1
Set the page and turn on the ruler
Open a blank document, set margins to 0.5 inches on all sides, and switch measurement units to inches so the box sizes below match what you type.
- Step 2
Insert a rectangle at the exact badge size
Insert a shape, then open the size panel and type the width and height from the size you picked, for example 3 inches wide by 1.5 inches tall. Do not drag the corner to size it.
- Step 3
Add a safe margin guide
Insert a second rectangle 0.25 inches smaller in both directions and center it inside the first. Keep all text and logos inside that inner box so nothing sits on the cut or the edge radius.
- Step 4
Type the name at production type size
Set the name line to 28 to 32 pt and any second line to 14 to 16 pt. If your longest name does not fit at those sizes, move up a badge size rather than shrinking the type.
- Step 5
Place the logo
Put the logo on the left at about one third of the width, or across the top on a 2 x 3. Use a vector or high resolution file so it stays sharp at this scale.
- Step 6
Print at 100 percent to check
Print the page with scaling set to 100 percent or Actual size, then hold the sheet against a shirt. This is the step that catches type that looked fine on screen and reads small in a room.
A printed sheet is not a badge, and that is the point
Paper badges are useful for a dress rehearsal: checking whether a long title reads at counter distance, whether the logo is big enough, whether the name should be first name only. They do not survive a shift. Once the layout is right, order the real thing and the same layout gets proofed before anything runs.
If you plan to print inserts on an office printer long term, use a window badge or a holder with a printed insert instead of taping paper to a blank. It looks produced and the shell lasts for years.
Ready to design your badges?
Use the online designer to build your badge, or send us your list and we will quote it today.