How to Design Event Name Badges in PowerPoint: Easy Step-by-Step Guide
Updated April 1, 2025
Tired of boring name tags that look like they were whipped up in a spreadsheet five minutes before the event?
We hear you. At Terra Tag, we’re all about crafting sustainable conference badges that not only look good but do good for the planet. But if you’re designing your own PowerPoint name badge template A4, we’ve got you covered with a friendly, foolproof guide that’ll save your sanity (and hopefully the environment too).
Whether you're an executive assistant, office manager, or a very brave comms lead, this ‘How to make name badges in PowerPoint for events’ guide is for you.
Why PowerPoint?
Because it’s surprisingly powerful and it’s probably already sitting on your desktop. Plus, it gives you full control over layout, fonts, and design—and you don’t need to learn Photoshop at 11pm the night before your event.
What You'll Need Before You Start:
✅ A guest list in Excel
✅ Your organisation’s logo and event branding (PNG or JPEG)
✅ Any custom fonts your organisation uses
✅ The right badge size template (we’ll cover that next)
✅ A dash of patience and a coffee if it’s crunch time
Step 1: Choose the Right Size (and Know Why It Matters)
At Terra Tag, we support two event pass or badge sizes - these are the industry standard:
A7 (74mm x 105mm) – Best for minimalist designs or short names
A6 (105mm x 148mm) – Ideal if you're including job titles, logos, QR codes, or just want everything to breathe
These sizes ensure the badges print neatly, align with sustainable materials, and leave enough room for legible font sizes. Check out our name tag artwork guidelines to see size visuals.
Step 2: Setting Up Your PowerPoint Event Badge Template
Get started faster! Download the Free PowerPoint Name Badge Template (‘save as’ to your desktop)
Open a New Presentation: Launch PowerPoint and choose a blank presentation.
Adjust Slide Size: Navigate to the 'Design' tab, click 'Slide Size,' then 'Custom Slide Size.' Set your slide dimensions to match your preferred layout (e.g., A4 for printing 4 x A6 badges or 8 x A7 badges per sheet)
Orientation Options: Decide whether your conference badge will be portrait or landscape.
Portrait Orientation: Offers more vertical space, making it ideal for longer names or limited graphical elements. The classic layout fits traditional designs well.
Landscape Orientation: Provides more horizontal space, perfect for sponsor logos or visuals.
Turn on guidelines and rulers to keep everything aligned: Use PowerPoint’s guidelines (View > Guides) for precise badge placement.
Video: Setting Up an A4 Layout in PowerPoint for Event Name Badges
5. Create Badge Placeholders:
Create a Rectangle: Insert a rectangle (without a fill) as your badge placeholder.
For A7, set the rectangle to 7.4cm x 10.4cm (portrait) or 10.4cm x 7.4cm (landscape).
For A6, set it to 10.4cm x 14.7cm (portrait) or 14.7cm x 10.4cm (landscape).
Add a thin light 0.5 pt grey line to the rectangle as a cutting guide (if needed).
Video: Creating a Correctly Sized Rectangle for Event Name Badges
Step 3: Design One Badge, Then Duplicate Across the Layout
Create the Design on One Badge:
For inspiration and guidance, read How to Design Event Name Badges (that don’t suck) - it provides you with everything you need to make your design stand out.
Create a Rectangle: Insert a rectangle (without a fill) as your badge placeholder.
For an A7 name tag: set the rectangle to 7.4cm x 10.4cm (portrait) or 10.4cm x 7.4cm (landscape).
For an A6 name tag: set it to 10.4cm x 14.7cm (portrait) or 14.7cm x 10.4cm (landscape).
Add a thin light 0.5 pt grey line to the rectangle as a cutting guide.
Add Text Boxes: Use Insert > Text Box to create placeholders for the attendee’s name, title, and any other key details.
Insert Logos and QR Codes: Position your company or event logo and any additional elements, like QR codes, ensuring they fit neatly within the layout.
Design notes:
Branding and Logos: Insert your organisation's logo at the top or bottom. Ensure it's visible but doesn't dominate space needed for names.
Name Placement: Insert a text box in the centre or the left of each badge template. Use clear, large fonts (recommended minimum font size: 18pt).
Font and Colour: Choose high-contrast colours and LARGE readable fonts to ensure names are visible at a distance. Remember, the guest's name is the hero of a name badge, so make the font as large as possible.
Sustainability Info: Consider adding a QR code linking to planting instructions or sustainability impact info on your Terra Tag eco-friendly badges.
Duplicate the Badge Across the A4 Layout:
Once the first badge is fully designed, select all elements within that rectangle, right-click, and choose Group to lock them together.
Copy the grouped badge and paste it into each placeholder on the A4 sheet, aligning each duplicated badge within the layout guides.
Update Guest Names: After duplicating, edit each badge to add individual guest names or unique details as needed.
Video: Duplicating a Final Name Badge Design on A4 in PowerPoint
Step 4: Adding Guest Names with Excel Mail Merge
Open Excel, create a new file and layout the spreadsheet as follows:
Column A: First Name
Column B: Last Name
Column C: Job Title (optional)
Column D: Organisation
Mail Merge to PowerPoint:
Use third-party tools like "PPTools Merge" (an easy add-in for PowerPoint)
ORIn PowerPoint, go to Mailings → Start Mail Merge
Choose Labels (or custom layout), select your Excel file
Insert merge fields where the guest name and details go
Click Finish & Merge to populate your badge templates
Step 5: Save as PDF for Printing
Export the completed layout to PDF for high-quality printing.
Export as PDF: Go to File > Save As and choose PDF. This format retains custom layout settings, making it ideal for professional printing.
Print Test: Always print a test page to verify badge dimensions and cut lines before bulk printing. Adjust any elements if needed.
Step 6: Printing Your Badges
Choose Quality Paper: For best results, use sturdy, eco-friendly recycled or seed paper from Terra Tag.
Printing Settings: Select 'High Quality' in printer settings. Ensure "Scale to Fit Paper" is deselected for accurate sizing.
Cut and Assemble: After printing, cut badges along guidelines and assemble with your eco-friendly Terra Tag lanyards.
Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)
🚫 Font too small or ornate? No one wants to squint at a name badge. Use san serif fonts and maintain contrast between text and background colours
🚫 Text too close to the edges? May get trimmed during cutting
🚫 Including too much detail? Keep it clean and readable
🚫 Forgetting bleed/margin space? Leave at least 5mm on all sides
Download Your Free Badge Template
Get started faster! Download your free PowerPoint event badge template.
Want the Easy Button?
We get it. You're short on time and don’t want to mess with mail merges. Terra Tag offers fully assembled Eco-Friendly Name Badges & Lanyards—made from recycled or seed paper, fully customised, and ready to go.
