Here are the basic requirements required for us to prepare your paper badge designs / badge templates:


Submittables

We will require the following submittables to prepare your badge template:

1. Final Artwork in either Illustrator (AI) or Photoshop (PSD)

Please ensure that your artboard (illustrator) / canvas (photoshop) is in the correct badge size. We typically use 90mm by 135mm / 90mm by 130mm / 4” by 6”

2. PDF export of badge design only (for pre-printing design onto the badges; without attendees’ details) - this requirement depends if you are ordering the badges from us.

3. Documentation/deck of your badge requirements;

  • Point form what needs to be printed on the badges (i.e, attendees’ first name, last name, name on badge, badge category, and other elements that are linked to the attendee form; workshops, dietary requirements,...)
  • Such elements have to be visible in the final artwork (in layers)

4. If the badge requires the text to be a font other than Arial, please send in your fonts as well (in .ttf format only). By default, Arial will be used as less configuration is needed.

5. Logic sheet (for complex badging requirements) - this can be downloaded here.

  • The logic matrix enables us to understand what elements to print when certain criteria are met.
  • For example, all badge category with ‘VIP’ has the tag ‘Dinner’ printed.


Design

Your design has to allocate space for the elements that are to be printed on demand (during the day itself; i.e attendees’ details).

See samples below:


The below sample shows a name badge that will be printed on paper using a consumer-based Inkjet printer. The dimensions an inkjet printer can print is from B7 (smallest) to A4 (biggest) size.




It is recommended to have the background design faded (or at least not pronounced) as it would help with the eligibility of the attendee’s name.


It is also recommended to use dummy names in your artwork to help you / your designer allocate the correct amount of space needed for them; as lengthy names and company names get pushed further down the badge the longer they are.


Elements such as a workshop, badge category and tags are printed onsite. As it is a part of the attendee’s details when they have filled up their registration form, they too are printed together with their name and company name.

In conclusion, the artwork should consist of 2 main ‘portions’. 

1. The background design (event logo, branding, etc)

  • mainly this is to be pre-printed onto the badge paper.

2. The attendee’s details (name, badge category, tags... etc; data that is taken from the registration form)

  • This is to be printed on-demand (event day itself)


Printing

For on-demand printing, there will be a 3 to 5mm margin from the sides of the badge; hence, edge to edge printing is not available.

In the first badge sample above (leftmost), the badge category ‘ATTENDEE’, is printed edge to edge, this is because it is part of the background design that was sent for mass pre-print. The client has informed us that only ‘Attendees’ is required, hence, it was decided that the badge category bar can be printed together with the pre-printing process.


More readings

Here’s how a typical workflow is progressed.

1. Onsite personnel receives the files from the client (Artwork, documentation, Logic Sheet)

2. He then opens the badging documentation to understand what is required of the badge.

3. Next comes the artwork, he then opens and checks the work file if things are acceptable.

4. For complex badging requirements, he will open the logic matrix, if it isn’t available, the onsite personnel will request for one to be filled. This enables him to understand how each element reacts to variables.

5. Once everything is in order, the onsite personnel will then prepare files for the programmer to generate a print template.

6. If there is a need for us to pre-print the designs onto the badges for use during the event itself, the onsite personnel will then open the PDF document to see if it is ok. Once confirmed, he will then send the file to an external vendor to mass print the badges.

7. Testing the print template commences once the onsite personnel receives the ‘lines of code’. Along with the logic matrix and the documentation he has received, he will begin testing.


The Print Template is basically lines of code that tells the printer how the attendee’s data (that is on GEVME) is to be printed onto the badges. If there is logic involved, that too is in the lines of code that is the Print Template.


Print Templates are only editable by Gevme. To make changes or inquire more information, please contact [email protected].