Design an event badge that works at three metres
Pick a template, type the details, drop in a logo and a real QR code, and download a watermark-free badge — print-ready PNG or PDF. No account, no cost.
How to make a badge
- 01
Pick a template
Start from a conference, minimal, expo or corporate layout — each sized to holders you can actually buy.
- 02
Add the details
Type the name, title and company, drop in a logo, and set the QR code to any link.
- 03
Check it at a glance
The live preview shows the badge at real proportions, so you can read the first name from across a room.
- 04
Download and print
Export a watermark-free PNG or a print-ready PDF and send it to any printer, or print it yourself.
Badge sizes that fit real holders
There is no single universal badge size. The rule that beats any aesthetic preference is to match the badge to lanyards and holders you can source in quantity — an exotic size is a supply-chain problem wearing a design award. Portrait hangs better on a single-clip lanyard; landscape badges seesaw. These are the de-facto standards and where each one fits.
| Size | Dimensions | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 4 × 3 in | 102 × 76 mm | The classic landscape corporate badge; fits standard holders everywhere. |
| B7 | 88 × 125 mm | The conference sweet spot — room for a name at distance, a QR and a role colour. |
| A6 | 105 × 148 mm | Multi-day conferences that print the agenda on the back. |
| 4 × 6 in | 102 × 152 mm | Large-format festival and expo badges, readable far away — needs sturdy stock. |
Double-clip or double-side the badge: a single-point badge spends half its life backwards, so printing the name on both sides is often the most useful design decision you can make.
The specs that make a badge actually work
Legibility — the math behind the font-size debates
Signage practice uses roughly 25 mm of letter height per 3 m of reading distance. At normal conversation distance that means a 30–40 pt bold first name, 16–20 pt last name, and 12–16 pt company. First name biggest, because that is what a conversation uses; company above title, because “who do you work for” is the second question. Keep dark text on a light ground — text over photos or gradients fails at the distance of one lobby.
The QR code — engineering, not decoration
Print the code at 20 mm minimum; a rough guide is code width ≈ scan distance ÷ 10. Leave a quiet zone of four empty modules on every side — trimming that margin is the most common badge-QR failure. Use error-correction level M (about 15% damage recovery) as the default, and encode a short link rather than a data dump, so the modules stay large and scan first-time.
Stock and print production
Export artwork at 300 DPI with 3 mm of bleed and a 3–5 mm safe zone inside the trim. 300–350 gsm coated cardstock is the workhorse — stiff enough not to curl on a lanyard; synthetic stock suits outdoor or multi-day events. Matte finishes beat gloss, which glares under stage lighting and hurts QR scans.
Badge design questions, answered
What is the standard conference badge size?
There is no single universal standard. 4 × 3 in (102 × 76 mm) dominates corporate events, while B7 (88 × 125 mm) and A6 (105 × 148 mm) are the common conference portrait formats. Pick based on what must be readable at distance and which holders you can source in volume, then keep it consistent year to year.
What font size should a name badge be?
Derive it from reading distance: roughly 25 mm of letter height per 3 m. For normal conversation distance that means a 30–40 pt bold first name, 16–20 pt last name and 12–16 pt company. Claims like “always 72 pt” buy across-the-room legibility at the cost of everything else on the badge.
What should be on a conference badge?
First name (large), last name, company, an optional role colour band and a QR code of at least 20 × 20 mm with a four-module quiet zone. Leave off email, phone and anything sensitive — the badge is public, and contact exchange is the QR code’s job.
Is this badge maker really free, and is there a watermark?
Yes. The badge face has no watermark — the PNG and the badge on the PDF are clean. Only the PDF trim margin carries a small “Made with Novex” line, which sits outside the badge and gets cut off when you trim to size.
Does my logo get uploaded anywhere?
No. The logo you add stays in your browser and is drawn into the badge on your device. Nothing about your design is sent to a server unless you choose to email yourself the batch template.
Can I print a whole event’s badges at once?
This tool makes one badge at a time. For a full event, Novex generates every attendee’s badge from one template and prints name and QR at check-in — start free to set that up.
One badge here. Every badge at your next event.
Novex turns a single badge design into the emailed eBadge, the bulk pre-print run and the kiosk print at the door — all from the same template.