How to create a certificate template
A certificate template is a one-page .docx file, containing special tags which Workshop Butler understands and replaces with relevant values when generating certificates for events. After you create a template, you need to add it to Workshop Butler and set parameters when this certificate should be generated: event type and category, event language, free/paid event. Additionaly, you can set the date format for certificates
To create a template, use Microsoft Word or LibreOffice.
Text tags
Workshop Butler knows how to populate your template with different text values like the title of an event or the name of an attendee. You find the full list of supported tags below.
You can add a tag right into the body of the Word document. However, we recommend using Text Boxes for that purpose. They are highly configurable and easy to position correctly.
Pro Tip: we highly recommend entering tags in one go. If you make a mistake while typing a tag, erase it completely and start from the beginning. Or copy-paste it. Why is that?
docx is a complex format that stores a myriad of parameters. In some cases, it includes information about cursor movements and word editing. As a result, the tag tag_event_title got split into three parts: tag_, event, _title. Workshop Butler does not identify such splits and does not replace the tag with real value.
A common mistake is to copy tags for one trainer and then edit them. For example, you have a tag tag_trainer_1_full_name. If you copy it and edit by replacing 1 with 2 to get tag_trainer_2_full_name, Microsoft Word adds several additional parameters like GoBack and Replace, splitting the string into several parts. Workshop Butler won't be able to identify the tag in this case. Just create a completely new text field and type tag_trainer_2_full_name in one go.
List of supported text tags
| Tag | Description |
| tag_attendee_full_name | Full name of the attendee |
| tag_attendee_first_name | First name of the attendee |
| tag_attendee_last_name | Last name of the attendee |
| tag_event_title | Title of the event |
| tag_event_dates | Start and end dates of the event, without time. For example, January 10-11, 2018. You will be able to exactly define the date format (month-year or day-month-year) when adding the template to Workshop Butler. |
| tag_event_start_date | Start date of the event, without time. |
| tag_event_end_date | End date of the event, without time. |
| tag_event_duration | Duration of the event in hours (available for licensed events with licensed fee per hour or with PDU support) Licensed Workshops Only |
| tag_event_location | City and country of the event. For example, Berlin, Germany. If the event is online, then the location is online |
| tag_event_city | City of the event. If the event is online, then the city is online |
| tag_event_country | Country of the event. If the event is online, then the country is online |
| tag_certificate_number | A unique number of the certificate |
| tag_certificate_date | Issue date of the certificate |
| tag_type_name | Name of the event type |
| tag_trainer_1_full_name | Full name of the first trainer |
| tag_trainer_1_first_name | First name of the first trainer |
| tag_trainer_1_last_name | Last name of the first trainer |
| ... | ... |
| tag_trainer_5_last_name | Last name of the fifth trainer |
| tag_trainer_1_license_name | Name of the license, owned by the trainer. The license name is identical to the name of the license type. Licensed Workshops Only |
| tag_trainer_1_license_start_date | A date when the trainer acquired the license. Licensed Workshops Only |
| tag_attendee_organisation | An attendee's organisation if it's specified. If it's not specified, there will be a blank space. |
You can add up to five trainers to each template.
Important note: after you have uploaded a file to WSB, the system will show you the tags it has recognized from your file. Make sure that all the tags you have added are shown. If some tags are missing, check if they have been added to the file correctly.
Signatures
Signatures of trainers can also be incorporated into a template. To do that, create a stub image with name tag_trainer_[index]_signature.[ext] and add to the template. For example, an image for the signature of the first trainer may have a name tag_trainer_1_signature.png.
Workshop Butler finds the stub and replaces it with a trainer's signature if it exists. If not, it erases the initial image during the generation of a certificate. The signature is scaled to match the width and height of the stub.
To simplify the process, we created a set of stubs for you to download and add them to your templates.
Important note: Some later versions of Microsoft Word do not recognize signature filename. As a result, a signature is not added to a certificate. If you encounter such a problem, try checking and editing tags in some other text editor (e.g. LibreOffice) or in the older versions of Microsoft Word.
Custom Fonts
Fonts are an important part of any design, and certificates are not an exception. However, there is a high chance Workshop Butler knows nothing about a selected font. In this case, it needs some help from you.
If you decide to use a font that is not a default one, embed it into a template's file. Follow these guides to learn how to do that:
- Microsoft Word for Windows
- Microsoft Word for Mac. The article is about PowerPoint but the process is the same.
Giving a choice between embedding all characters and only characters used in the document, select the first one.
Example
One example is better than hundreds of words. We prepared a couple of samples for you to use.