How To Order Custom Lanyards

Until recently, the job of ordering custom lanyards could be a long and drawn out process requiring special quotes and an extensive design process. But lanyards have come of age and have become integral to so many activities that the process of ordering personalized lanyards has become far simpler and far quicker too. With the presence of so many services on the internet, it is even possible to use a website to design and order your own custom lanyards. How things have changed! But however simplified the process of creation has become, and however greater the choices have become regarding lanyard materials and accessories, there are still some basic decisions you will need to make when ordering custom lanyards for your business or organization, or even for yourself.

Order Custom Lanyards: Large or Small Quantity

A general rule of thumb is that custom lanyards should be ordered in large quantity. In fact, it always works out far cheaper when you make a large order because costs per unit go down. But if you are certain you really only want a small quantity then most printers will suggest a minimum quantity of about 100. Some go as low as 50, but the reality is that if the difference in price between 50 and 100 is usually very small so you are better off buying the larger amount every time. Some printers offer custom lanyards no minimum order, which means they will do as few as you wish, but you will still end up paying the price of more than you ordered. So be sensible in your assessment, and always look at your long term needs when ordering custom lanyards.

Custom Lanyard Design: Width and Color

Lanyards come in certain standard sizes. Unless you have a specific reason, it is unlikely you will want or need a lanyard which is a different size to the common sizes available. These sizes have proved themselves to be the most useful and the most comfortable for the user. The standard length of a lanyard is about 3 feet long, or 36 inches. Of course, lanyards are doubled around in a loop so they tend to hang just over a foot below your neck. There are some standard thicknesses too, depending upon whether you are ordering a ribbon, tubular or beaded lanyard, these widths will differ. But the range is about 3/8th to about an inch wide.

Again, depending upon what type of lanyard you choose to order, there are many different colors available to you. Most printers will offer some standard colors which they have already set up, and using those standard colors will be the cheapest option, but in theory you can order a lanyard in any color you like. Most printers use the Pantone color standards (also referred to as PMS colors) which are a very broad range of special colors. So you could also order your lanyards in specified PMS colors although this is always a more expensive option.

Lanyard Functionality: Break-away or no break-away?

If safety is an issue for you, especially if the lanyard is likely to be worn in an environment where snagging might occur, it is possible to order your lanyards with ‘break-away’ buckles. These allow the lanyard to release itself if pressure is applied to it. This is especially useful if you are using lanyards in an outdoor or sporting environment or a construction area, where a snagged lanyard might lead to choking or other hazards. It’s also good if your users are children. The opposite is a non-break-away lanyard which has no such device.

Lanyard Accessories: Choose An Attachment

The attachment you choose will depend upon the end use of your lanyard. For example, if you are ordering lanyards to serve as ID card holders, then you can order ID card cases as attachments. There are a wide variety of attachments intended for a wide range of uses, whether you wish to hold keys, cameras, USB sticks, ID cards or anything else, chat with your printer and tell them what you wish to use the lanyard for and they will suggest an appropriate attachment for you such as swivel hooks, badge clips, split rings, or badge reels. Finally, there are three finishing options: sewn, crimp, or plastic.

Custom Lanyard Printing

There are a wide range of fabrics and materials used for creating lanyards, and that means there is the widest range of possibilities when it comes to printing on them. The truth is, the options are only restricted by your imagination. You can print your logo, your company brand colors, an image, photo, illustration or any other kind of graphics on a lanyard. In conjunction with the color of the lanyard and the other elements outlined here, you can see that there are very many ways in which you can completely personalize your custom lanyard design.