Welcome Back Fair: Creating a Simple Nametag in TinkerCAD

Welcome! This guide will walk you through designing your very own nametag in TinkerCAD. No prior experience needed!

Mouse Controls

Before we begin, here’s how to navigate the workspace:

• Zoom in/out: Scroll wheel
• Pan the view: Middle mouse button
• Orbit/rotate view: Right-click and drag (or use the cube in the top-left corner)

Use CTRL + Z to undo any changes you make.

Step 1: Create the Base Shape

1. Drag a box into the editor.

2. Adjust the size using the white dots, or click the grey squares to type the exact dimensions:
   • Length: 40mm
   • Width: 16mm
   • Height: 2mm

Step 2: Add Rounded Edges

1. Drag two cylinders into the workspace.

2. Set their dimensions as follows:
   • Height: 2mm
   • Diameter: 16mm

3. Place them at both ends of the rectangle to create rounded edges.
4. Select everything and click the Group button to merge them.

Tip

As well as the Group / Ungroup buttons, you can also use CTRL + G to group and CTRL + LSHIFT + G to ungroup.

This is called boolean modelling, which we use to create more complex shapes by combining multiple shapes together or removing parts of one shape from another.

Caution

Make sure your cylinders are aligned with the edges of the rectangle, otherwise the nametag will look wonky and might not print properly!

Step 3: Create an Outline

1. Select, then copy and paste the shape (Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V).
2. Convert the second shape into a hole (select it and choose the “Hole” option in the Shape menu).

Tip

This is the same as the boolean operation we used to create the rounded edges, but in reverse. When we combine the two shapes, the hole shape will be removed from the other shape.

3. Resize the hole shape:
   • Length: 54mm
   • Width: 14mm (2mm smaller than the original)

4. Raise the hole shape 1mm off the ground by dragging the cone handle just above the shape (this is easy to miss, check the image below to see where it is)

5. Align the hole shape on top of the original and group them together.

Tip

Rotating around the object to check the alignment is a good idea!

Step 4: Add a Keyring Hole

1. Drag two cylinders into the workspace:

   • One 8x8mm and 2mm tall
   • One 4x4mm and 2mm tall

2. Make the smaller cylinder a hole.

3. Place the smaller cylinder inside the centre of the larger one and move them both to the left corner of the nametag.

4. Group all 3 shapes together, and this should create a hole for a keyring.

Tip

You can select multiple objects by holding down shift and clicking each object, or a quicker way is to select all objects using CTRL + A, then group them using CTRL + G.

Caution

Make sure the hole has cut all the way through the shape, otherwise there won’t be a gap when it’s printed!

Step 5: Personalize with Your Name

1. Drag a text object onto the workspace.

2. Change the text to your name (or initials if needed for space).
3. Adjust the size and font to fit within the nametag.
4. Position the text in the center of the nametag.

5. Select all objects and group them together.

Final Step: Get It Printed!

Once you’re happy with your design:

• Save the file with your name and student number.

• Ask a helper to export the file for printing.
• Come back in a couple of hours to pick up your nametag!

Happy designing! 🎨✨