Making name tags with the Backpack Tag Generator

Difficulty: easy. Time: 10 minutes to design, under an hour to print. Methods: 3D printing or laser cutting.

A backpack tag is the perfect personalization project: small, fast, instantly recognized as theirs by the kid (or gym-bag owner) it belongs to. This tool builds the whole tag from the text itself: the name becomes the body, wrapped in a smooth outline with a reinforced hanging ring, so the tag's shape is the name.

It is genuinely dual-format. The 3MF export carries base and text as separate colors for multi-material printers, and the SVG export gives you the same outline-plus-text design as layers for laser cutting in contrasting materials.

Open the Backpack Tag Generator

What You'll Need

3D printing: any FDM printer; two filament colors make the name pop
Laser: scraps of laser-grade plywood or acrylic in two colors
Keychain snap clips or split rings to attach the tag to the zipper

Step 1 - Type the name

Open the tool, set your Units, and type Your Text. Pick a Font; rounded, chunky fonts survive playground life best. Toggle Connect Text to merge script letters into one continuous shape, which is what keeps a cursive tag from falling into pieces.

Step 2 - Symbol, shape, and colors

Add a Symbol (heart, star, dino, and more) before, after, or on both sides of the name, then tune Symbol Size and the X and Y offsets to nest it into the lettering.
Tag Width sets the finished size; 70-90 mm reads clearly on a backpack. Outline Size controls the border wrapped around the text, and Thickness the overall depth.
The hanging ring has its own Hole Offset, Hole Size, and Inner Hole Size controls; make sure the inner hole clears your snap clip or split ring.
For printing, set Background Colour and Text Colour plus Base Depth and Text Raise, which is how far the letters stand proud of the base.

Step 3 - Export

Download 3MF (preferred, carries both colors) or STL for printing, or SVG for the laser.

Choose Your Build Method

Print a two-color tag

Open the 3MF in your slicer; base and raised text import as separate parts. Assign each its filament on a multi-material machine.
Single-color printer? Pause at the layer where the text starts (Base Depth height) and swap filament for a perfect two-tone tag.
Print flat at 0.2 mm layers, no supports; a tag takes 20-40 minutes.
PETG handles being slammed in lockers better than PLA.
Clip it on with a snap clip through the ring; print a spare, because favorite tags travel.

Make It Yours

First-day-of-school batch: one tag per kid in their favorite color with a symbol that matches their obsession.
Team sports set: every player's name with a ball symbol in club colors.
Luggage version: bump the tag width up and use a high-contrast color pair you can spot on a carousel.
Dog leash tag with a bone or paw symbol on both sides of the name.
Glow-in-the-dark text filament makes a tag findable in a dark tent at camp.
Match a tag to the 3D Print Box Generator lunchbox label for a coordinated school set.
Teacher gifts: a tag per student on a classroom job board.

Open the Backpack Tag Generator

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