Free Press Pass Template to Download and Edit in Word

Our free press pass template is a Word file (.docx) with a blank wallet card front and back, a 3 by 4 inch lanyard badge and a letter of assignment, and you can edit it in Word or Google Docs. It's unbranded, it shows no verification, and it isn't an ID. The wallet card is set at the standard CR80 size of 3.375 by 2.125 inches, the same size as most ID cards¹.

This page shows what's in the file, how to edit it in Word and Google Docs, which paper, sizes and lamination work, what to put on the card and what to leave off. It's also clear about what a free template can't do, so you don't count on it for more than it is.

Facts and prices checked November 13, 2026. See something wrong? Tell us.

Key takeaways

• The free .docx has four pages, a how-to page, a wallet card, a 3 by 4 inch lanyard badge and a letter of assignment.
• The wallet card uses the CR80 size of 3.375 by 2.125 inches, so it fits standard card sleeves¹.
• Google Docs can open and edit the .docx directly and saves your changes back in Office format².
• For a card that clips to a lanyard, a 10 mil laminating pouch gives it the stiffness of a credit card³.
• Nobody checks a template, so it grants no access, and it must never look like a police or government ID⁴.

Download the free press pass template

The template is one Word document you can open in Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Download it below, save a copy, and edit the copy so you always have a clean original.

Here's what the file is and isn't. It's a blank design with a PRESS header, bracketed fields for your details, a photo box and a disclaimer printed on both sides of each card. There's no Media List name or logo on the card faces, and no seals, badge shapes or words like OFFICIAL, AUTHORIZED, ACCREDITED or CREDENTIAL. Nobody checks what you type into it, and it shows no verification.

That makes it good for one job. It gives you a tidy, readable card or badge with your name, photo, outlet and contact details, so people at a check-in desk or a press table can match you to your application. If you're new to how passes work, read what a press pass is and how it works first.

What's inside the template

The file has four letter-size pages. Each one prints on its own.

Every field is in square brackets, like [Full Name] or [Outlet or publication]. Replace the brackets with your details and delete any line you don't need. A blank line looks better than a made-up one.

About the letter of assignment

The letter on page 4 is for the editor or client who gave you the work. They fill it in and sign it. You don't sign it for them, and you don't use the name of an outlet you don't work for. Events take this letter seriously. SXSW requires one for each attendee, on company letterhead⁵. Our letter of assignment template guide has sample wording.

How to edit the template in Word

Word is the easiest way to edit the file, because it opens with the exact layout it was built in.

1. Open the .docx and save a copy with your name in the file name.
2. Click each bracketed field and type your own details. Keep names short so they fit on one line.
3. Add your photo. Click the gray photo box, then use Insert, Pictures. On the wallet card you can also right click and pick Change picture.
4. Check the back of the card. Add your editor's name and email, your outlet's website and a link to your author page.
5. Print one test page on plain paper and hold it against a card you already own to check the size.

When you print, choose 100 percent or Actual size, not Fit to page. Fit to page shrinks the card so it no longer matches standard holders.

How to edit the template in Google Docs

You don't need Word. Google Docs can edit Word files directly.

Google's help page says you can double click a Microsoft Office file in Google Drive and it opens in Google Docs, Sheets or Slides². Word files in .doc, .docx and .dot are supported². Your edits save back to the original file in Office format, so it stays a .docx².

1. Upload the .docx to Google Drive.
2. Double click it to open it in Google Docs.
3. Replace the bracketed fields with your details.
4. Add your photo with Insert, Image.
5. Print from File, Print, at 100 percent scale.

Two things to watch

Some Word features may not show or may not be editable in Docs, and Docs warns you when a feature will be lost or changed². Check the card borders and photo box after you open it. Also, password-protected files open only in a viewer². Our template has no password, so this only matters if you add one.

The honest limit of a free template

A template is a design file. It shows what you type into it, nothing more. That's fine for a name badge, but it's worth being clear about what it can't do.

• It doesn't prove you're a journalist. Nobody has checked your work.
• It doesn't get you in. Organizers issue their own badges after reviewing your application, and they decide.
• It doesn't replace a letter from your editor. The NCAA, for example, won't credential freelancers unless they're working under a specific assignment⁶.
• It doesn't travel. An event's own credential is the only pass that matters at that event, and NCAA credentials must be worn where people can see them⁶.

So the real question is what you'll send when you apply. Organizers want proof you publish and proof the bylines are yours. If no editor is vouching for you yet, a card you designed yourself won't fill that gap.

For the full application process, read how to get a press pass.

Print sizes that fit standard holders

Size matters more than people expect. A card that's a little too big won't fit a wallet sleeve, and a badge that's too small floats in its holder.

A CR80 card also has 1/8 inch rounded corners and is usually 30 mil thick when printed on plastic¹. You can round the corners of a paper card with a corner punch, or leave them square.

Badge holders

For the lanyard badge, look for a vertical 4 by 3 inch holder. Avery's vertical 4 by 3 inch holders, for example, are top loading and pre-punched for clips, lanyards or reels⁷. Check whether a listing gives the insert size or the outside size before you buy, because they differ.

Paper, cutting and lamination

Print on heavy card stock rather than plain paper. It holds up better and feeds through most home printers. Cut along the outer border with a paper trimmer or a sharp craft knife and a ruler.

Glue, then laminate

Print the front and back, glue them back to back, then laminate. Leave at least a 1/8 inch border of clear film around every edge so the pouch seals³. Match your laminator's heat setting to the pouch. A 10 mil pouch run at the 3 mil setting will under-seal³.

No laminator? Slide the printed badge into a clear holder instead. It's cheaper, and you can swap the insert for each event.

What to put on your press pass

Keep it short and true. Every line should help someone confirm who you are and who sent you.

• Your full legal name. Use the name on your photo ID. City press offices like New York's require it on their own cards⁹, and press desks match names the same way.
• A recent photo. Head and shoulders, plain background, face clearly visible.
• Your role. Reporter, photographer, editor, producer. Pick one.
• The outlet you actually work or write for. Only one that will confirm it if asked.
• A contact. Your work email or phone.
• Dates. The event or assignment dates, so the card doesn't look open-ended.
• On the back. Your editor's name and email, the outlet's website and a link to your author page.

For layout, fonts and color choices, see our guide to press pass design.

What never to put on it

A press card should look like what it is, a name badge for a working journalist. Some additions can turn it into something that misleads people, and some can break the law.

Leave these off

• Police, sheriff, fire, rescue or emergency services wording or colors.
• Seals, crests, shields, stars or badge shapes.
• The words OFFICIAL, AUTHORIZED, ACCREDITED or CREDENTIAL.
• Any government agency's name or logo.
• The name or logo of an outlet you don't work for, or an organization that hasn't given you anything.
• Someone else's signature.

What the law says

Federal law makes it a crime to make or possess a badge or ID card of the design a federal agency prescribes, or a colorable imitation of one, with up to six months in prison⁴. Pretending to be a federal officer or employee and acting as one carries up to three years¹⁰. States have their own impersonation laws and they vary, so check the rules where you work. This isn't legal advice.

A real warning

Cards that borrow a real outlet's name end badly. In 2021 the PA news agency won a High Court injunction in the UK against a group that sold cards claiming holders belonged to an English Press Association, and the group agreed to ask its 17 buyers to return them¹¹.

When you need more than a blank card

The free template is enough when all you need is a clean badge with your name and photo. It's not enough when an organizer wants to know that your bylines are real, and that's the question most media pages ask.

The Media List Press Pass is a verification of your published work, based on what you send us, plus print-ready design files. We check for at least 5 articles with your name as the author from the last 24 months, proof the bylines are yours, a site registered 5 or more years ago (or 2 or more years of your work on Substack, Medium, beehiiv and similar), and a site that mainly publishes news, reviews, analysis or commentary. Most checks finish in minutes.

Compared with the template, the paid pass adds the check itself, a public verification page on medialist.com with a QR code on every file that opens it, your photo laid out for you, and more designs. You get a wallet card front and back in 4 styles (Classic navy, Green stripe, Minimal white and Dark), a 3 by 4 inch lanyard badge, a letter of verification, a certificate and a vehicle placard, with new files any time during your term.

It still isn't an official or government ID, a credential, a license or proof of employment, and it grants no access. You can show it or attach the letter when you ask, and organizers decide. The template stays free either way. If you buy the pass and don't qualify, you get a full refund. See the Media List Press Pass page.

Questions, answered

Is there a free press pass template?

Yes. Ours is a free .docx with a blank wallet card front and back, a 3 by 4 inch lanyard badge and a letter of assignment. It's unbranded, nobody checks what you type, and it isn't an ID.

Can I edit a press pass template in Google Docs?

Yes. Upload the .docx to Google Drive and double click it, and it opens in Google Docs². Your edits save back in Office format, though some Word features may not display exactly the same².

What size is a press pass card?

A wallet-size card is usually CR80, 3.375 by 2.125 inches, the standard ID card size¹. Our lanyard badge is 3 by 4 inches, sized for 4 by 3 inch vertical badge holders like those sold for name badges⁷.

What thickness laminating pouch should I use for a press badge?

Use 10 mil for a badge that clips to a lanyard, which gives it about the heft of a credit card³. Leave at least a 1/8 inch border so the pouch seals³.

What should a press pass template include?

Your full name, a recent photo, your role, the outlet you actually work for, a contact and the dates. On the back, add your editor's contact, the outlet's website and a link to your author page.

Is it legal to print my own press pass?

Laws vary by state and country, so check the rules where you work. Federal law bans making badges or ID cards that imitate a federal agency's design, and pretending to be a federal officer⁴¹⁰. Keep your card plain and truthful, with no government or police look.

Will a printed press pass get me into events?

No. Organizers review your application and issue their own badges, and freelancers often need a letter of assignment⁶⁵. A template only shows what you typed on it.

Related guides

• What Is a Press Pass, Who Issues One and How It Works
• How to Get a Press Pass, Step by Step for Every Route
• Press Pass Design and What to Put on Your Badge
• Letter of Assignment Template for Press Credentials
• Free Press Pass Options and What They Really Get You

Sources

1. NameBadge.com, What is a CR80 card and what size is it, checked 2026-11-13
2. Google Drive Help, Work with Office files using Office editing, checked 2026-11-13
3. Ceedo, Laminator pouch thickness guide, checked 2026-11-13
4. U.S. Code via govinfo.gov, 18 U.S.C. 701, Official badges, identification cards, other insignia, checked 2026-11-13
5. SXSW, 2027 Press Application, checked 2026-11-13
6. NCAA, 2022-23 NCAA Championships Media Credentials Criteria (August 4, 2022), checked 2026-11-13
7. Avery, Secure Top Badge Holders 74472, checked 2026-11-13
8. MyBinding, Are there different thicknesses available for laminating pouches, checked 2026-11-13
9. NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, Press Credentials Office FAQ (March 10, 2025), checked 2026-11-13
10. U.S. Code via govinfo.gov, 18 U.S.C. 912, Officer or employee of the United States, checked 2026-11-13
11. Society of Editors, PA wins court injunction over fake ID press cards (January 14, 2021), checked 2026-11-13