Setup Badge Template

Table of contents:

1. Create a Badge Template
2. Rotate badge assets
3. Configure Badge Settings

 

Create a Badge Template

If you have not yet created badge design assets, read more about the badge design process for designers.

Once your badge assets have been designed, you can upload these to the Core for use with dynamic fields, show/hide rules, and a range of other features. 

  

To create a badge template

1. Navigate to Badges > Badge Templates from the Navigation Menu
2. Click + to create a new badge
3. Input a descriptive Name eg. Main Badge: Kiosk Badge
4. Select relevant badge Size eg. Kiosk Stock 100mm x 152mm
5. Click on the name of your newly created badge to open the editor
6. Add the guide version of the background pdf and position all text and other elements such as text, colour blocks and QR codes accordingly. Elements can be dragged, nudged with the arrow keys or aligned using the centring buttons on the top and right of the badge preview.
7. Delete the Guide version of the background and add the Blank version of your background. Use the re-order layers button (indicated by two arrows) to position this layer behind the other layers (the back layer is at the top of the list and the front layer is at the bottom)
8. Setup Display and Colour rules to automatically change elements such as colour blocks, attendance icons for optional activities. All Profile Fields used in display rules must be multiple choice and must be setup prior to completing this step. Read more about profile fields
9. Test your badge. Generate a pdf with several badges using all profile types. Double check for errors in rules, positioning or colours. It is easiest to open the pdf in a new tab or window in your browser – this will allow you to easily adjust the design in the editor then refresh the window/tab with the pdf to see updates quickly

A note on Colours. For printed badges it is important that you add all colours using their CMYK values. Colours may display incorrectly in the designer but will be generated correctly in the final files. It is recommended that you export a pdf using profiles which utilise all data (eg different attendee types) once you have setup your badge to ensure colours will be exported as intended.

Optional Events/Activities Icons

It is recommended that icons are included on the background layer and hidden using colour blocks. Aligning multiple icons individually in the badge designer is imprecise and time-consuming. These are the ‘best practice’ methods for adding icons to your badges.

Option One: Easy - Show and hide icons

1. Include the ‘active’ version of the icon on the uploaded badge PDF background
2. Add a colour block set to the same colour as the background, covering each icon. Name each colour block to indicate which icon it is covering
3. Add a “Show Layer” rule to each colour block if the corresponding profile field is set to ‘no’

Option Two: Advanced - Change icon colours

1. “Knock out” the icon from the background in your design software and upload to the badge creator.
2. Add a colour block in the desired inactive colour and change the order of the badge layers so this colour block is behind the background layer. You may be able to use one ‘inactive colour’ block behind multiple icons. Name this layer accordingly.
3. Add a new element for the ‘active’ state of each icon. This can be an image or colour block. Be sure to give each a descriptive name
4. Add a “Show Layer” rule to each colour block if the corresponding profile field is set to ‘yes’

 

Rotate badge assets

Assets on your badge include images, text, QR codes etc. These assets may need to be rotated in the badge design to meet printing requirements or to generally match a badge design.

Particularly when using butterfly stock, it is important to rotate the assets on your badge, so they will display correctly when the badge is folded in half. For example, if displaying First Name on both sides, this will need to be rotated 180 degrees on one side. This will ensure the text is readable when the badge is folded in half.

To rotate badge assets:

1. Navigate to Badges > Badge Templates from the Navigation Menu
2. Select an existing badge template from the list
3. Hover over the + and select an asset from the list (e.g. Text Box)
4. Enter the required details
5. Navigate to Rotate by and select from the following options:
1. 0 degrees - this will leave the asset in its original form with no rotation
2. 90 degrees - rotate the asset 90 degrees clockwise from its original rotation of 0 degrees
3. 180 degrees - rotate the asset 180 degrees clockwise from its original rotation of 0 degrees
4. 270 degrees - rotate the asset 270 degrees clockwise from its original rotation of 0 degrees
6. Click Save

Asset rotation restrictions

While assets such as text boxes, images and profile images can all be rotated, there are some assets which cannot be rotated:

• QR Code - it does not matter what orientation the QR Code is in - it will scan
• PDF Background - if you are wanting to rotate the PDF background, this will need to be part of your original design and part of the PDF
• Colour Block - this can be overcome by changing the shape of the block by clicking and dragging

 

Configure Badge Settings

The Badge Settings allow you to set various options for user’s badges created from the profile system.

Badges Enabled – Here you may simply choose whether badges will be able to be generated for profiles from the system or not.

Default Bleed – The bleed ensures that no unprinted edges occur in the final trimmed badge. This is a measurement to determine how far beyond the edge of the badge colours extend to cater for any slight inconsistencies in trimming etc. The measurement is in millimetres with a default of 5.0 mm.

Use Crop Marks – Crop marks are used to help line up a guillotine or other cutter when trimming badges. If they are not required they can be disabled here.