ⓘ This article is for Event Organizers
When submitting your badge shell design for order, you want to make sure you have everything formatted properly to ensure the highest quality print.
Expo Pass Badge Manager Design Submission
If you have designed your badge in the Expo Pass Badge Designer, please reach out to your Success Specialist to let them know it is complete.
They will be able to download the design PDF from your event, which automatically includes all of the proper formatting, and submit for ordering.
❗ Important: Once your badge shell design has been submitted for ordering, it will be locked in the Badge Shell layer and no updates can be made after that point.
Badge Shell Design PDF Submission
If you designed your badge outside of your Expo Pass event, the below requirements will need to be met in order for it to be sent to print. These requirements ensure a quality print for your event.
💡 Key Terms:
PDF Print Ready File: This is the format of the PDF file that has been correctly prepared, so it can be printed by a commercial printer.
Expo Pass prints digitally, directly from the provided PDF, so this is essential
Badge Shell: the pre-printed badge design (usually color)
Full Bleed: Artwork design that extends at least 1/8" past the edge of the badge shell edge (left to right and top to bottom) to ensure a seamless print
Crop Marks: the marks added to the badge design that show the printer where to cut
CMYK colors: used in print designs.
It is essential to ensure your designs are in the CMYK color scale to ensure accurate color reproduction when badges are printed.
RGB colors: used in digital display designs
If you are using RGB for designing, it is essential to convert to CMYK before submitting for print to ensure accurate color production
DPI: stands for Dots per Inch, referring to the number of ink droplets a printer will produce per inch while printing an image. The more dots of ink per inch the picture has, the more detail you will see when printed.
PDF File Requirements for Submission
The badge shell design must be in a PDF Print Ready File
Design must be formatted to the size of the badge (4x6" or 4x3"), not full page (8.5x11")
The front of the badge design must be on page 1 and the back of the design (if applicable) on page 2 and submitted in 1 file.
The front and back cannot be on the same page in the PDF or sent in 2 separate files.
Your design must be in 300dpi to get the best print quality and not look grainy.
Crop and bleed marks must be included
If the badge design is full bleed (goes all the way to the edge of the badge), it must extend 1/8" past the edge of the badge (4.125" x 6.125" OR 4.125" x 3.125") to ensure a true full bleed and no white space when printed.
Properly Formatted PDF File Examples
See sample 4x6" formatted file HERE and screenshots below.
See sample 4x3" formatted file HERE and screenshots below.