Name badges identify people. That sounds obvious, but the implication is that the badge is read at a distance, by someone who does not already know the wearer’s name, in a setting where the wearer’s hands are usually busy. Conferences, training events, retail floors, healthcare staff, networking dinners and corporate visitors all use the same basic format: a clear holder containing a printed insert with the wearer’s name, organisation and role.

Templates make the printed insert. The holder, clip or lanyard is bought separately and reused.

Common sizes

Three insert sizes account for most name badges in use.

  • 3 x 4 inches (76 x 102 mm) — the larger conference and event size; readable across a room
  • 2.25 x 3.5 inches (57 x 89 mm) — the standard clip badge size used in offices and retail
  • 3.375 x 2.33 inches (86 x 59 mm) — the credit-card-adjacent size for lanyards and visitor passes

Lanyard inserts vary more widely depending on the holder, but most fit a printable area between 3.5 x 2.25” and 4 x 3”. Always check the holder’s printable area before sizing the insert — a few millimetres of mismatch shows immediately on a printed badge.

Software options

Microsoft Word has built-in name badge templates accessible via File > New > “name badge”, including a range of Avery layouts. Word also handles the mail merge from Excel that turns a spreadsheet of attendees into a fully populated set of badges.

Google Docs has a smaller selection of name badge templates in its template gallery, and you can build a badge layout from scratch using a table. Mail merge in Google Docs requires an add-on (Autocrat is the most common) and a Google Sheets source list.

LibreOffice opens Avery .doc and .docx templates and runs mail merges against a Calc spreadsheet. It is a credible free alternative when Word is not available.

For a one-off small batch, manual editing is faster than a mail merge. For 30 or more badges, the mail merge always wins.

Mail merge basics

A mail merge prints a different piece of data on each badge from a single template. The standard workflow:

  1. Build the attendee list in Excel or Google Sheets — one row per person, one column per data point (first name, last name, organisation, role, badge category).
  2. Open the badge template in Word and start a mail merge under Mailings > Start Mail Merge > Labels.
  3. Connect to the spreadsheet, insert merge fields into the badge layout, preview the merged set and check for truncation or formatting issues.
  4. Print to a test sheet on plain paper first, then run the final sheets.

Common pitfalls: extra spaces in the spreadsheet, all-caps names that overflow the badge field, and special characters that do not render in the chosen font.

Compatible insert sheets

Avery insert sheets cover most standard badge holders. Built-in Word templates exist for 5395 (clip badge, 8-up), 74459 (Print or Write, 8-up) and 74541 (Adapt, 8-up), with several other codes covering lanyard inserts and laminated badges. Brother makes laminated badge sheets for thermal printers, primarily for repeat-use badges in healthcare and security settings. Generic A4 and US Letter perforated badge stock is widely available from stationery suppliers and works with the same templates as long as the dimensions match.

For visitor and one-time badges, adhesive name tags (Avery 5147 and equivalents) skip the holder entirely.

Going deeper

For design principles and what to put on the badge, see how to design a professional name badge for events. For sizing and clip styles, see the name badge sizes and clip styles guide. The Word templates tutorial walks through the built-in template workflow, and setting up name badges for conferences and events covers planning, distribution and logistics. The mail merge guide handles bulk badge production from a spreadsheet, and the Avery name badge inserts guide maps SKUs to sizes and holders.