Custom Lanyards for Events: What to Order
Lanyards are the one promotional item at an event that everybody wears, all day, at chest height, in every photograph. For a conference organiser that makes them the most valuable branding surface in the room. For an exhibitor they are a cheap way to make a team look official.
They are also easy to get wrong in ways you only discover on the morning of the event — the wrong attachment, no breakaway, a print too small to read. This guide covers the full specification so you can order once.
Material
- Polyester — the standard. Smooth, takes printed artwork cleanly, cheap, and available in every colour. The right default for about 80% of orders.
- Nylon — shinier and softer than polyester with a slight sheen. Colours look richer, but printed ink sits on the surface and wears faster. A step up in feel for a small step up in cost.
- Tubular — woven into a flattened tube, like a shoelace. The cheapest option. Comfortable, but the surface is uneven so print quality is noticeably worse. Good for large volumes where the lanyard colour matters more than the logo.
- Cotton / recycled PET — a matte, natural finish. Recycled polyester (rPET) costs little more than standard and is worth specifying if sustainability is part of your message.
- Woven — the design is woven into the fabric rather than printed on it. It never wears off and feels premium, but fine detail is limited and it costs more.
Width
| Width | Impression | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 3/8 in (10 mm) | Minimal, delicate | Name only, budget runs |
| 5/8 in (15 mm) | The standard | Most events — logo and short text |
| 3/4 in (20 mm) | Confident, readable | Conferences, sponsor branding |
| 1 in (25 mm) | Bold, premium | Multi-sponsor logos, VIP passes |
Order 5/8 in unless you have a reason not to. Below that, a logo with any detail becomes unreadable; above it, cost rises faster than visibility.
Print method
- Screen print — the most common. Solid spot colours, crisp, inexpensive. Limited to a few colours and no gradients.
- Dye sublimation — full colour, photographic, edge to edge, and the ink is dyed into the fabric so it does not wear off. The best choice for multi-colour logos or repeating patterns, and worth the small premium.
- Woven — stitched into the fabric. Hard-wearing and textured, but soft on fine detail.
Dye sublimation is almost always the right answer now. The cost gap over screen printing has narrowed and the result is far better.
Attachments
This is the decision people forget until the badges arrive and nothing clips together.
| Attachment | Holds | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Swivel hook (bulldog clip) | Badges, card holders | The default. Rotates so badges sit flat. |
| Split ring | Keys, USB drives | Durable, but badges spin and face backwards. |
| Bulldog / alligator clip | Paper badges directly | Clips straight onto card without a holder. |
| Trigger / lobster clip | Heavier items | Strongest option. |
| Plastic hook | Light badges | Cheapest; fine for single-day events. |
| Cell phone loop | Phones, cards | Niche but popular as a giveaway. |
Swivel hook with a clear badge holder is the safe standard for conferences and trade shows.
Safety breakaways are not optional
A breakaway is a plastic connector at the back of the neck that separates under pulling force. If a lanyard catches on machinery, a door or a vehicle, the breakaway is what stops it becoming a strangulation hazard.
Specify breakaways as standard. They cost a few cents each. They are effectively mandatory for school and children's events, industrial sites, warehouses and anywhere near moving equipment, and no reason exists to skip them at an ordinary conference either.
Badge holders
If the lanyard is holding a printed badge, you need a holder as well:
- Vinyl pouches — cheap, flexible, water-resistant. Standard for single events.
- Rigid acrylic — keeps badges flat and readable all day. Better for multi-day conferences.
- Retractable badge reels — let the wearer pull a badge to a reader without taking it off. Essential if the badge is scanned often.
- Double-sided holders — so the badge reads whichever way it flips. Worth the extra on any event with name recognition.
Check the holder size matches your badge stock — the common sizes are 3x4 in and 4x6 in. Ordering 4x6 badges and 3x4 holders is a bad morning.
What lanyards cost
| Quantity | Screen printed 5/8 in | Dye sublimated 5/8 in |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | $1.20–2.00 | $1.60–2.60 |
| 250 | $0.90–1.50 | $1.20–2.00 |
| 500 | $0.70–1.20 | $0.95–1.60 |
| 1,000+ | $0.50–0.90 | $0.70–1.20 |
Add roughly 10–25 cents for a breakaway, and 15–60 cents for a badge holder. Typical ranges for budgeting — confirm with the supplier.
Design tips
- Repeat the logo along the strap. The cord twists constantly, so a single centred logo is visible maybe a third of the time. Repeating every 4–6 inches means something always shows.
- High contrast only. A pale logo on a pale strap disappears at two feet. Dark on light, or light on dark.
- Supply Pantone codes. Both the strap colour and the print are matched to Pantone, not to your screen.
- Keep text short. On a 5/8 in strap you have room for a name or a short URL, not both plus a tagline.
- Print both sides if budget allows — it roughly doubles the chance your branding faces outward.
Lead times
Standard production is typically 7–12 business days after artwork approval, plus shipping. Dye sublimation and woven lanyards sit at the longer end. Rush services exist but cost substantially more, so order at least three weeks before the event — the approval round trip always takes longer than expected.
Related guides
- 15 best trade show giveaways for small businesses
- How to build a trade show booth on a budget
- Custom t-shirts for business
Final thoughts
The order that works for almost every event: 5/8 inch polyester, dye sublimated in full colour, logo repeated along the strap, swivel hook, safety breakaway fitted as standard. Add a rigid badge holder if the event runs more than one day.
That specification costs around a dollar a head at 500 units and makes an event look properly organised — which is most of what a lanyard is for.