Will My Badge Fit? How to Check a Badge Wallet Template Before Ordering
Two badges can look similar in a photograph and still need different wallet cutouts. A few millimetres at a shoulder, crown or lower edge can change how the badge sits in the leather.
Our Badge Library contains printable outlines so you can check your own badge before ordering a custom badge wallet. The process takes a little time at a printer and helps you choose the cutout with more confidence.
1. Choose the file for your badge version
Find your agency in the library and look carefully at the available versions. Some agencies have separate files for an older badge, a new outline, a hat badge or a badge-and-rank-pin arrangement.
Match the file to the badge you intend to put in the wallet. If you have two badges from the same agency, check the one you will actually carry. A department name is the starting point, rather than proof that every version shares a cutout.
Do not see your agency? Contact us before ordering and describe the badge. We can explain what is needed to review a new outline. Photographs can help us identify it, and we will tell you if a physical sample is required for the fit work.
2. Print at Actual Size or 100%
Open the PDF and choose Actual Size or 100% Scale in the print settings. Turn off Fit to Page, Shrink to Fit or similar resizing options.
Those options can make a page look tidy while quietly changing the outline. The print can appear convincing and still be too small for the real badge. If your printer has an extra scaling setting in its advanced options, check that too.
3. Measure the reference before the badge outline
Our template sheets include a 100 mm reference. Measure it with a ruler or caliper. It needs to measure 100 mm before the badge outline can be used as a reliable comparison.
If it is shorter or longer, return to the print settings and correct the scale. Do not compensate by assuming the badge panel will stretch or by selecting a larger wallet. The file needs to be printed correctly first.
4. Compare the whole perimeter
Place your badge directly over the outline. Check the top, sides and bottom, along with any projecting crown, points or side details. The shape should align without rotating the badge into an unnatural position.
What you see | What to do next |
The outline looks evenly too small or too large | Recheck the printed 100 mm reference |
One edge differs while the scale is correct | Check the badge version and contact us |
The front outline matches but the back hardware projects | Review the attachment separately |
If an edge does not match, note where the difference occurs. A clear photograph of the badge against the correctly scaled sheet can help explain the issue when you get in touch.
5. Check the attachment and model dimensions
The template confirms the front outline. It does not measure the depth of pins, posts, clips or other hardware behind the badge. Check our Badge Attachments page and select the system that matches the badge you own.
Then compare the model's listed badge-size limit and closed dimensions. The Moonlighter family has a narrower badge limit than the Core, Outlook and Billfold. Some agency pages also identify compatible models directly.
A larger model may provide the room a badge needs, but it will not correct a different outline or an unsuitable mounting arrangement. Those are separate decisions worth resolving before checkout.
From a checked template to your finished wallet
Once the outline, attachment and model are settled, choose the exterior leather, interior colour, thread and personalisation. That is when you can focus on how you want the wallet to look and how you want to use it.
For a crew or class order, have the organiser confirm whether everyone has the same badge version. It is easier to identify an exception before the order is final than to assume every member needs an identical cutout.
Start with the Badge Library, then build your badge wallet. If the comparison leaves you with a question, send it to us before ordering so we can help you choose the right fit.
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