Creating Name Tags and Race Bibs
THIS_HELP_ARTICLE_URL: https://raceapp.nethelp/create_name_tags
Note: As the app has matured, we’ve found it more convenient to use Tyvek wristbands with assigned race numbers. You can use these with printed labels or hand written numbers on the bands, then scan in the QR codes on the labels or scan in handwritten results for each race.
[TOC] In this article:
Choosing Materials
Choosing A Size
Tips & Tricks
How To Print
Name tags and race bibs are the critical component for bringing your meet results into the digital realm. RaceApp's QR code system is the fastest way to enter results during the meet.
You have several options on how to print the name tags or race bibs on your home printer. This takes some time and prep work, but the tags can be re-used. The time spent pays huge dividends during the meet.
Ordering Prints If you do not have the ability/capacity to print the tags yourself, we can print them for you at a cost of $1/page*. They will be laser printed on 8.5x11" waterproof vinyl sticker paper. You will need to cut out the individual tags/bibs yourself.
*There is a minimum order of $10.
Choosing Materials
First, you'll need to choose your materials. The two main qualities to weigh out are sweat-resistance and durability. Here are some possibilities:
Material | Notes | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
Waterproof printable materials | If you search Amazon "printable waterproof paper" there are lots of options at various costs. Printable vinyl sticker sheets are the most inexpensive of the group and can be purchased for around $.30/sheet. If you leave the backing on them and attach with safety pins, they can be re-used for multiple meets. We tested some matte vinyl sheets on a laser printer and they came out excellent - very durable and waterproof, and even remained flexible with the backing still on them. | - Fastest to make: print, cut, done! - Waterproof and tear resistant. - Reusable if you do not remove the backing material. | - Most expensive option. - Not quite as durable as tape over Tyvek. |
Card stock + packing tape | Good for smaller name tags that will be used only once, like for a single cross country meet. It is a good way to try out the RaceApp system with the least cost and effort. Print the small tags with 12 per page and cover the QR codes with a strip of tape to protect them from sweat. | - Fast to make - Least expensive - Easy to find materials. | - Not very durable for long races or multiple-event meets. - Will need to fully cover both sides with tape if you want to make them more durable. - This was our go-to for Cross Country during our '22 season, but not quite as durable as we would have liked. |
Tyvek + plain paper + packing tape | Good for any size tag or bib with excellent durability. You can pick up rolls of tyvek at any home improvement store. A $75 roll of 3x100ft will make thousands of tags. Pre-made race bibs can be purchased on Amazon for about $20 per 100 (20-25 cents each with tax & shipping). | - Excellent sweat and tear resistance - Most durable option - enough to hold up for an entire season. - Medium-cost option - a little cheaper than printable vinyl. - Tyvek can be re-used almost indefinitely by peeling off the tape and adding new printed tags. | - Most labor intensive option - Requires more effort to cut out the paper tags and tape them to the Tyvek - Requires more up-front cost to buy a large roll of Tyvek. - You cannot print directly on normal Tyvek. |
Choosing A Size
Next you need to choose a size.
Name Tags:
Are much faster and less expensive to produce.
The smallest tags are sized so a single strip of packing tape will cover the entire tag.
Can be attached with a single small binder clip for quick removal.
Good for single-event meets like Cross Country if you want to collect the tags at the finish line.
Race Bibs:
Are quicker to scan because you don't need to be as close.
Can be read much further away, which is great for cheering-on athletes.
Are more expensive and take more time to make.
Recommend if you only need to make them for your own team and will re-use them.
You can purchase small, generic race bibs online and then tape them to the top. Medium sized 4x7" bibs run about $20 on Amazon for a pack of 100.
Tips & Tricks
Cover at least the QR code with packing tape to protect if from sweat (if using normal printer paper)
Apply tape before cutting out the individual tags.
Use a paper cutter instead of scissors if possible - things go much more quickly.
In your pre-meet coaches' meeting, tell the other coaches that consistent placement of the tags is important for the speed of scanning at the finish line.
Have them tell their athletes exactly where and how to attached them and that they must all have the tags attached before getting to the starting line.
Demonstrate it to the coaches.
Remember, athletes are going to be out of breath when they finish a race. They may be bent over, making it hard to see tags/bibs attached to their chest. You may want to consider having them attach tags/bibs to their back or hips for easier scanning.
For single-event meets like Cross Country where each athlete only competes once, try using the smaller name tags and collect them at the end of the race:
Hand out tiny binder clips (like these 0.6"/15mm ones) and have athletes clip the tags to the neck-line seam of their jersey with a single clip. This makes for quick removal at the finish line and keeps the line moving.
Have a small container at the finish line table to collect the binder clips for re-use.
Use a standard hole-punch to add a small hole to one corner of all tags before the meet.
Bring a metal rod or string to collect the tags - A shoe string with a large knot at the end will work. Bending a coat hanger and clamping it to a table at the finish line also works very well.
Bonus tip: bend a hook into the top of the rod to prevent them from blowing off in the wind.
Have a helper at the finish line collect the tags and slide them onto the string or rod in the finish order. This ensures that the tags won't get jumbled up.
This allows you to scan the results into RaceApp without holding up the finish-line chute.
Have one helper hold all the race tags and present one-at-a-time while another scans them into RaceApp. When you get this 'dance' down, you can get through scanning dozens of tags in just a couple minutes.
Keep several blank pieces of paper or tyvek around and a Sharpie to create new tags on the fly. You'll end up needing a couple per meet (most often for middle school or Frosh/Soph boys ;-) ). It *will* happen that a tag or two gets lost during a Cross Country meet.
If you plan to do a lot of printing, we recommend getting a low-cost black-and-white laser printer. You'll save a lot of time and money in the long run.
Tyvek Bonus Tip: Cut a few 6-8ft lengths and bring with you to meets instead of tarps. They are much lighter than standard tarps and can roll up to a fraction of the size. I keep 4 of them in my backpack at all times for sitting on wet grass. They can go in your washing machine as well.
How To Print and Assemble Tags
There are two different groups to print: Your team's athletes, and any guest athletes that may be attending your meet. The process is the same for both:
Navigate to your team's page then click either 'Athletes' or 'Temp Athletes'.
Select the checkbox next to the names of the athletes you wish to print, or leave them all blank to print all.
Select the size in the drop-down box
Click 'Print Tags'
Adjust the zoom as needed. Every printer is different.
We recommend doing a test print of 1 page to start.
Print the rest of the pages.
If using card stock:
Apply packing tape - at a minimum cover the QR codes.
Cut out the tags - using a paper slicer if available.
If attaching paper to a backing material such as Tyvek:
Cut strips long of the backing material about half an inch wider than your tags/bibs.
Apply as many tags/bibs as you can to the strip of backing, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch between each tag.
Ensure the packing tape goes all the way around the paper. It's best if it fully covers the paper (with multiple strips of tape if needd), but covering the QR code at a minimum.
Cut the individual tags, leaving 1/8 to 1/4 inch around the paper to ensure it stays attached to the backing.
Use a hole-punch to add as many holes as desired. If making a lot of tags, this is going to give you a good grip-strength workout!
We recommend that you only add holes to materials that can take a bit of punishment (i.e. not paper or card-stock unless it is covered with at least one layer of packing tape)
Have any questions or tips to share? Send them to info@raceapp.net.
Next: Create your meet
Previous: Add athletes to your team