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  • 1.  Ribbons on badges

    Community MVP
    Posted 09-07-2019 14:51
    Edited by Kameron Kidd 01-18-2024 14:05

    Work in progress, I've been meaning to write this up for some time.

    In the old days we used ribbons on our plastic badge holders.

    Export attendees to excel. Merge into word and print.

    Insert printed name badge into badge holder. Using another spreadsheet, we'd add ribbons.

    Time consuming and prone to errors.

    Now I create name badges on 30 mil plastic using pc/nametag.

    The process is known as variable data.

    Images

    Create your ribbon images and any other logos or images you may need.

    We use First Timer, National Staff, National Board, Sponsor plus a few others.

    Create a template in the badge wizard for pc/nametag to use as a reference.
    Label the images.

    I use the template from pc/nametag as a background image.

    Data file

    I use registration questions but mostly feedback questions.

    Registration question would be, First Timer? Yes.

    Feedback questions would be Sponsor, National Staff, National Board, etc. Any questions I am answering. In my attendee export I'll include confirmation number, first and last name, and the questions needed for my ribbons. That way I can import the Yes answers as necessary. My data export file starts with confirmation number, first name, last name and all fields I need to be printed on the name badge.

     

    Now the fun part.  I export my date export file.

    In the column First Timer, I find and replace Yes with firstimer.jpg; Note the semicolon.

    Sponsor column, find and replace Yes with sponsor.jpg;

    National Board, Yes, nationalboard.jpg;

    For as many ribbons as I need.

    Add a column on the right so you can add each of the image columns. Copy that column and paste back as text.

    Then use text to columns using ';'. Name the columns ribbon1, ribbon2, ribbon3, etc.

    What this does is allow your images to be stacked on the name badge.

    Replace Confirmation Number with QR Code.
    If every badge has the same logo, I have a column 'logo' with logo.jpg.

    Suggest sending images and sample data to whoever you are using so they can do their set up. That will decrease the turn around.
    Look at your proofs carefully.

     

    Below is a sample of our event last year. It was a double sided badge.
    The plate with knife and fork indicated if someone purchased the meal track.
    We use various images as a backup to session check in.

    I have an additional badge template for onsite printing. It's 2 postcards on one page to simulate double sided.
    Those paper badges go in plastic badge holders.


    #Miscellaneous

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    Steven Schlossman
    Jack of all trades. Master of none.
    BMW Car Club of America
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  • 2.  RE: Ribbons on badges

    Community MVP
    Posted 10-15-2019 08:49
    Brilliant! I would like to have a larger "paper" section and have color printers so that I could print the country flags of everyone attending my event, as well as Speaker, Sponsor, Principal, Event Staff, etc. My company is making the badges consistent across 9 or so events, so I don't have the option to order customized plastic badges. We still use a stick-on clear "window" and print the badge paper (name, other data) with the old black and white Zebra printers.

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    Brenda Ainsburg
    Channel Program Manager
    brenda.ainsburg@siemens.com
    Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    United States
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