Event badge maker for every attendee, speaker and sponsor

An event badge maker is software that produces name badges for an event from your registration data, instead of designing each badge by hand. CardDeck combines badge design, bulk generation from a spreadsheet, QR codes for check-in and networking, and contact capture in one tool.

What it replaces

• Mail-merging names into a word-processor template and fixing alignment by hand
• Handwritten badges for late registrations
• Alphabetical paper lists at the registration desk
• Sponsors collecting business cards in a bowl

What CardDeck produces

• A printed badge for every registrant, in the size and orientation you choose
• A digital badge each attendee can open on their phone
• A unique QR code per badge for check-in and contact exchange
• A list of contacts captured through badge scans, tagged by event and booth

What CardDeck does not do

CardDeck is not a ticketing or registration platform, and it does not sell check-in hardware or badge printers. You export registrations from the ticketing tool you already use, and badge QR codes work with compatible check-in apps and scanners, or with CardDeck's own scanning page on any phone.

Who uses it

• Conference and summit organizers
• Trade show exhibitors and sponsors
• Universities running open days and alumni events
• Companies hosting internal offsites, kick-offs and training days
• Community meetups that want attendees to actually connect; see event badges and QR check-in

An event badge should make the first name readable from across a room, show the person's company and role, and carry a QR code for check-in and networking. Everything else is secondary.

Front of the badge, in order of importance

1. First name: the largest text on the badge, at least 24pt, ideally larger.
2. Last name: smaller, beneath the first name.
3. Company or organization.
4. Role band: a colored strip or tag reading Attendee, Speaker, Sponsor, Staff, Press or Volunteer.
5. QR code: near the bottom edge, where it is easy to scan without lifting the badge.
6. Event name and logo: small, at the top.

Optional fields

• Job title, if your audience networks by function
• Pronouns
• Session track or workshop group
• Dietary or access icons for catering and venue staff, if attendees opt in
• Sponsor logos, usually as a row on the back or bottom

Role colors

Give each role a distinct, high-contrast color so staff and attendees can tell roles apart instantly. In CardDeck, ticket types map to role variants of one template, so the layout stays identical and only the color band and label change.

Print on both sides

Lanyard badges flip around. Print the name and QR code on both sides, or put the schedule, WiFi details and venue map on the back if you prefer.

The most common event badge size is 4 × 3 in (102 × 76 mm) in landscape, followed by 3 × 4 in portrait and A6 (105 × 148 mm) for lanyards. CardDeck supports these sizes and custom dimensions.

Common sizes

• 4 × 3 in (102 × 76 mm), landscape: the standard for badge holders and most conference lanyards.
• 3 × 4 in (76 × 102 mm), portrait: fits more text vertically and suits clip holders.
• A6 (105 × 148 mm): larger lanyard badges with room for a schedule or map on the back.
• CR80 (85.6 × 54 mm): PVC cards for staff, crew or multi-day passes.

Readability specs

• First name at 24pt or larger is readable at about two metres.
• Use a bold, simple sans-serif font. Avoid script and condensed fonts.
• Keep strong contrast; no names over photos or busy patterns.
• QR code at least 2.5 × 2.5 cm for comfortable scanning at badge distance, with a clear quiet zone.

Printing options

• Pre-perforated badge sheets on A4 or Letter for office laser printers
• Pre-cut badge stock for on-site badge printers
• Professional printing of the main batch, with on-site reprints for changes

CardDeck exports print-ready PDFs imposed for your sheet layout, so badges line up with the perforations. Print one test sheet on plain paper and hold it against the badge stock before printing the full run.

To make event badges in bulk, export registrations from your ticketing tool, import them into CardDeck, map ticket types to roles, proof, and print or send. A conference of 1,500 attendees can be generated in minutes once the export is clean.

1. Export registrations as CSV or XLSX with first name, last name, company, title, email and ticket type.
2. Clean the data. Fix capitalization (ALL CAPS names look shouty on badges), remove test registrations and check for duplicates.
3. Choose a badge template and set your event branding, size and orientation.
4. Create role variants: Attendee, Speaker, Sponsor, Staff, Press, each with its own color band.
5. Upload to the [batch generator](/batch-generator) and map columns to fields. Map the ticket type column to the role, so each badge picks the right variant automatically.
6. Review flagged rows. Names too long for the layout, empty required fields and duplicate IDs are flagged before anything is generated.
7. Proof a sample from each role, especially the longest names and company names.
8. Export print-ready PDFs in alphabetical order for fast pickup, and send digital badges by email if attendees should have them on their phones.

Codes only

If you only need QR codes, for example for wristbands or tickets printed elsewhere, the bulk QR code generator creates one code per row without a badge design.

Re-importing

Re-import an updated registration export with the same ID column to add new attendees and update changed ones without duplicating badges.

Each badge carries a unique QR code tied to the attendee's record. At the door, staff scan the code to check the attendee in, which is faster and more accurate than searching a printed list.

At the registration desk

1. The attendee shows their digital badge or picks up their printed one.
2. Staff scan the QR code with a phone or a compatible scanner.
3. The attendee is checked in, and staff hand over the printed badge if needed.

Scanning options

• CardDeck's scanning page: works in any phone browser, records scans in CardDeck.
• Compatible check-in apps and scanners: badge QR codes can be read by tools that accept standard QR codes. Check with your vendor what data format they expect.

CardDeck does not sell check-in hardware.

Session and room scanning

Scan badges at session doors to see which talks were full. CardDeck records scans made through its own scanning page; other session-tracking tools can read badge QR codes if they are compatible.

Tips for a fast door

• Send digital badges by email the day before so attendees arrive with a code ready.
• Set up separate lanes for pre-registered and walk-in attendees.
• Keep one laptop and badge printer at a help desk for reprints, away from the main queue.
• Test scanning with the actual venue lighting and Wi-Fi or mobile data before doors open.

Every CardDeck badge links to the attendee's mini profile. When another attendee or a sponsor scans it, they can save the contact, and the exchange is recorded in Contacts with the event and booth as its source.

For attendees

• Scan another attendee's badge with the phone camera; no app is needed.
• Their profile opens with name, company, title and the links they chose to share.
• Tap Save contact to add them to the phone.
• Optionally share your own details back in the same step.

This replaces swapping paper cards that rarely get typed in. After the event, the badge link keeps working as a networking card, so attendees can still find each other.

For sponsors and exhibitors

• Booth staff scan attendee badges to capture leads.
• Each lead is tagged with the event and booth automatically.
• Staff add notes right after a conversation, such as "wants a demo in Q3".
• Leads are exported to CSV, or to a CRM on Team and Business plans.

Captured contacts are managed in CardDeck contact management, with consent and timestamp recorded when attendees share their details.

For organizers

See which booths and sessions drove the most scans, and give sponsors a clear count of the leads they collected. Card and QR analytics show scans over time and by placement.

Attendee privacy

Profiles show only what each attendee chooses to share. Let attendees opt out of being scannable for networking while still using the badge for check-in.

Edit the attendee's record in CardDeck and reprint one badge. You never need to reprint a whole batch for a misspelled name, a change of company or a substitute attendee.

Common last-minute changes

• Misspelled names: fix the record, reprint the badge.
• Substitutions: a colleague attends instead. Update name and title on the same registration so the check-in code stays valid.
• Role changes: a speaker is added late. Change the role and the badge uses the speaker variant.
• Walk-ins: add a new row on site and print a badge in under a minute.

On-site setup

• A laptop with access to your CardDeck workspace
• A badge printer or office printer loaded with the same badge stock
• A short queue sign: "Badge corrections here"

Before the event

• Freeze the main print run 24–48 hours before doors open.
• Print everything after the freeze on site.
• Keep a few blank badges per role for emergencies.

Digital badges update themselves

Attendees who received a digital badge by email always see the corrected version, because the badge is a live page rather than an attachment. Only the printed copy needs reprinting.

After the event

Badges keep working as profile links. Export contacts and scan counts, then archive the event or reuse the template next year.

Event badges are part of CardDeck's Business plan, from $199 per month or $149 per month billed yearly. If you run a single event, ask about per-event badge runs without an annual commitment.

What Business includes for events

• Batch jobs of up to 25,000 rows
• Unlimited contacts captured and unlimited dynamic QR codes
• Multiple brands and workspaces, useful for agencies running several events
• Advanced analytics with export, SSO, custom domain, API and priority support

Keeping attendee data safe

• Put only the data needed on the badge: name, company, role and a code.
• Keep emails and phone numbers off the printed badge.
• Do not encode personal details directly in the QR code; let it point to a record or profile instead.
• Let attendees choose what their networking profile shows, and whether sponsors can scan them.
• Contact exchange records consent and a timestamp with each contact.
• Limit who in your workspace can export attendee lists.

Before you print

Check your registration terms tell attendees how badge scans and lead capture work, especially if sponsors will scan badges. Clear consent at registration avoids awkward conversations at the booth.