ⓘ This article is for Event Organizers
To ensure a seamless onsite check-in and printing experience, it is crucial to review your badge layout before your equipment arrives. Taking a few minutes to validate your design now prevents printing errors, overlapping text, and data alignment issues on game day.
Follow this 5-step checklist to confirm your badge is 100% ready for onsite printing.
1. Ensure Attendee Data Fields are "Merge Fields" (Not Text)
When adding attendee details (like Name, Company, or Title), make sure you are pulling them in as Merge Fields rather than typing them as static text blocks.
Why it matters: Merge fields dynamically pull unique information for each individual attendee from your data sheet. If a field is accidentally saved as a static text block, every single printed badge will display the exact same name!
What to check: Click into your name and company blocks within the designer to verify they are mapped to your registration data fields.
2. Verify Custom Attendee Fields (If Applicable)
If your event requires data beyond the standard Expo Pass fields (such as dietary restrictions, specific ticket types, or booth numbers), you need to make sure those custom fields exist and are mapped correctly.
What to check: First, confirm that your Custom Attendee Fields have been successfully created in your event settings. Second, ensure those specific custom fields have actually been dragged onto your physical badge layout.
Why it matters: If you collect custom data during registration but forget to add the corresponding merge field to the badge canvas, that information won't print.
3. Verify QR Code Requirements (Session Tracking & Lead Retrieval)
If your event utilizes Session Tracking or if your exhibitors are using Lead Retrieval, every badge must feature a scannable code.
What to check: Ensure your badge design includes the official Expo Pass QR Code element.
Placement tip: Leave a small amount of breathing room (white space) around the QR code so that scanning hardware or mobile devices can quickly lock onto it without picking up nearby graphics or text.
4. Check for Overlapping Fields
Attendee fields look perfectly fine when displaying short sample names like "John Doe," but they can easily collide if an attendee has a long name or a lengthy company title.
What to check: Look closely at the boundaries of your bounding boxes. Ensure there is vertical and horizontal spacing between elements like First Name, Last Name, and Company.
Best Practice: Give the First Name field its own line, or ensure the bounding box is wide enough to handle longer text strings without wrapping directly into your logo or QR code.
5. Keep All Elements Within the Dotted "Safe to Print" Area
The badge designer features a dotted outline representing the physical limitations of the printer mechanisms.
What to check: Look at the margins of your design. All text, barcodes, QR codes, and essential graphics must live entirely inside that dotted boundary.
We suggest leaving about 1/8" between the dotted line and your field box.
Why it matters: Any element bleeding past the dotted line will be physically clipped or entirely cut off by the printer during the onsite check-in process.
🚀 Final Steps to Test
Before you consider your badge complete:
Preview with Real Data: Use the preview tool in the Badge Manager to cycle through a few different attendee profiles (especially those with long names or titles, or those with custom field data) to see how the layout handles the data dynamically.
Save Your Changes: Don't forget to hit Save on your layout!
Your badge layout is now locked, loaded, and ready for your onsite setup. If you run into any formatting snags while adjusting your elements, click the red chat bubble in the platform to connect directly with an Expo Pass Specialist!