How to Make Laminated Event Badges

A laminated badge is permanent and looks professional.

Make sure everyone is properly identified at your next conference by making your own laminated event badges. You can find supplies to make laminated badges at any office supply store, such as heavyweight paper, self-sealing pouches and hanging cords. Creating your own badges saves you money and can be used for other purposes, such as family reunions and branch offices. All you need to get startedis a computer with a printer.

Things You'll Need

• Printer
• Printer paper
• Heavyweight printer paper
• Paper cutter
• Self-laminating pouches
• Badge hole puncher
• Hanging cords or badge clips

Instructions

1. Write the necessary information for your event badges using the word processing software on your computer, such as the company logo, event name and date, and each person's name. Choose an easy-to-read font and use as large a font as possible for easy reading. Customize each badge size to approximately 3 by 5 inches.

2. Check the information over for mistakes or misspellings. Prepare a few guest event badges for latecomers. Print out a test sheet on regular printer paper.

3. Print out the badges out on heavier paper, such as matte photography paper or presentation paper. Examine them for any mistakes. Redo any badges with problems.

4. Cut out the badges. Use a paper cutter to create even and professional-looking edges.

5. Slide each badge printout into a self-sealing lamination pouch of a similar size. Fold over the adhesive layer and press to seal for all the badges.

6. Punch out a hole at the top of each badge with a badge hole puncher to create a small horizontal opening. Clip a hanging cord or badge clip onto each badge through the hole.

Tips & Warnings

• Before customizing your badges in your word processing software, check the size of the self-laminating pouches. Create badges that fit into the pouches.

• Use a small lamination machine instead of self-sealing lamination pouches. The printed information is placed inside pouches and run through the machine to produce heal-sealed professional-looking badges.

• You can take printed-out badge information to a local laminating shop for laminating, and then punch out the holes yourself.