Badge Printing

Create and manage badge presets to print physical visitor badges directly from HqO Admin.

Overview

Badge Printing lets your front desk staff print professional visitor badges at check-in. Admins configure presets that define what information appears on the badge and how it is laid out. One preset is designated as active and used for all badge printing. Navigate to HqO Admin > Operations > Visitor Management and select the Badge Printing tab to manage presets.

How presets work

A badge preset is a saved configuration that controls the layout and content of a printed visitor badge. You can create multiple presets (for example, different layouts for different buildings or visitor types), but only one preset can be active at a time.

When a staff member prints a badge at the front desk, HqO uses the currently active preset to generate the badge automatically from the visitor's check-in data.

Create a preset

Go to HqO Admin > Operations > Visitor Management > Badge Printing.
Click Create preset.
Enter a Preset name to identify the configuration.
Select the badge fields to include (see Customize badge fields below).
Click Save preset.

Edit a preset

On the Badge Printing tab, locate the preset you want to update.
Click the Edit icon (pencil) next to the preset name.
Update the name or fields as needed.
Click Save preset to apply your changes.

⚠️ Note: Editing the active preset takes effect immediately for all future badge prints. In-progress check-ins are not affected.

Customize badge fields

When creating or editing a preset, choose which fields appear on the badge. The fields offered depend on the selected badge template:

Field	Description
Visitor name	The visitor's name. Always shown.
Badge title	Title printed on the badge. The default text is "VISITOR BADGE", and you can change it.
Company	The visitor's company name
Host	The employee the visitor is meeting, after an editable label (default "Host:")
Location	Floor and suite of the visit, after an editable label (default "Location:")
Date	Date of the visit, after an editable label (default "Date:")
Time	Time of the visit, after an editable label (default "Time:")
QR code	Scannable QR code linked to the visitor pass. Only offered in buildings with an access control integration.
Divider	A line that separates sections of the badge

Turn any field other than Visitor name on or off, and edit the label text where a field has one. The Preview panel updates in real time as you make changes.

Preview and test print

Before activating a preset, preview exactly how the badge will look:

Open the preset in edit mode.
Review the live Preview panel on the right side of the editor — it shows a sample badge with placeholder data.
To test with real data, click Test print and select a recent visit from the list.
Confirm the badge looks correct on your printer before setting the preset as active.

Set the active preset

Only one preset can be active at a time. The active preset is used for all badge printing at the front desk.

On the Badge Printing tab, locate the preset you want to activate.
Click the Set as active toggle next to the preset name.
The toggle turns on and the preset is marked Active. Any previously active preset is automatically deactivated.

💡 Tip: Archive unused presets instead of deleting them so you can reactivate them later if needed.

Print a badge at the front desk

Once a visitor has checked in, front desk staff can print their badge in one click:

Go to the Visits tab in Visitor Management.
Locate the checked-in visitor in the list.
Click the Print badge button (printer icon) in the visitor's row.
HqO renders the badge with the active preset and opens your browser's print dialog. If your browser blocks pop-ups, allow them for HqO Admin.
Choose your label printer, print, and hand the badge to the visitor.

⚠️ Note: Badges print through your browser's print dialog, so any printer your workstation can reach will work. Badge presets are sized for Brother QL series label printers, the same models supported for the Visitor Kiosk. See Kiosk Hardware Recommendations for the list. An access control integration is not required to print badges. When the building has one with visitor passes enabled, the badge also carries the visitor's QR code.

Print status messages

After triggering a badge print, HqO displays a status message:

Message	What it means
Badge printed / N badges printed	The badge was rendered and handed to your browser's print dialog. Check the printer for output.
Access system delayed	The building's access control system has not returned the visitor's QR credential yet. The visit is confirmed. Print again when it responds, or hand out a paper badge.
N printed · N failed	A bulk print partly succeeded. Use View failed badge(s) to see which visits need a reprint.
N badge(s) failed to print	Shown on the Visits tab. Retry printing from each row's ⋯ Actions menu, or clear the filter.
Pop-up blocked	The browser blocked the print window and downloaded the badge PDF instead. Allow pop-ups to open it in a new tab.

FAQ

Can I have different presets for different buildings? Yes. Create a separate preset for each building and switch the active preset when needed. Only one preset can be active at a time, so coordinate with your team if multiple buildings share the same admin account.

Can I reorder the fields? No. The badge template sets the layout and the order of the fields. You can show or hide fields and edit their label text.

What printer do I need? Any printer your front desk workstation can print to, since badges print through the browser. Badge presets are sized for Brother QL series label printers, and the QL-820NWB is the recommended model. See Kiosk Hardware Recommendations for the models HqO supports.

Do I need an access control system to print badges? No. Any building can print visitor badges. The QR code field only appears on the badge when the building has an access control integration with visitor passes enabled, because the QR code is the visitor's access credential.

Can visitors print their own badges? No. Badge printing is a front desk action performed by building staff after a visitor checks in.

What happens if I deactivate a preset without setting a new active one? Badges keep printing with HqO's default layout and fields until you activate a preset.

Need help?

Contact your HqO account team or email appsupport@hqo.co.