A custom lanyard is a printed neck strap that holds a badge, and choosing one comes down to four decisions: width, material, assembly, and attachment. Get those right and you've a comfortable, on-brand lanyard that arrives on time. This guide covers all four, plus real lead times and what it costs to order in bulk.
Lanyards are the most visible thing every attendee wears, all day, at eye level. They're also the cheapest branded item at most events on a per-impression basis. That combination is why they're worth specifying properly instead of defaulting to whatever is fastest.
What is the standard lanyard size?
The standard lanyard width is 3/4 inch, and the standard length is about 36 inches in a loop, which sits a badge at mid-chest on most adults. 3/4 inch is wide enough to print a logo and text clearly, narrow enough to feel light over a full day, and it's the width most conferences choose.
Width is the first decision because it sets how much design you can fit and how the lanyard feels.
| Width | Best for | Design room |
|---|---|---|
| 5/8" | A middle ground. Clean logo plus a short URL or hashtag. | Moderate. Logo and one line of text read well. |
| 3/4" | The standard. Conferences, conventions, trade shows. | Comfortable. Full logo, text, and repeating pattern. |
| 1" | Sponsor lanyards, premium events, bold branding. | Maximum. Multiple logos, large artwork, full-bleed graphics. |
If you're putting a sponsor logo on the lanyard, go 3/4 inch or 1 inch. A sponsor paying for the placement wants it seen, and a narrow 5/8 inch strap doesn't do their logo justice.
What material should a lanyard be?
Material is where comfort, print quality, and sustainability get decided. There are two main options, and they print and feel differently.
| Material | Made from | Feel and finish | Design limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polyester satin | Premium woven polyester | Smooth, vibrant, takes full-color artwork beautifully | None. Full-color, full-bleed, photographic detail all work. |
| rPET (recycled) | Recycled plastic bottles | Same smooth feel and quality as polyester, lower footprint | None. Full-color capable, an easy sustainability win. |
rPET is the easy sustainability win. Recycled-bottle lanyards feel identical to standard polyester and carry a real environmental message, with no compromise on full-color printing. You get the eco angle without limiting your design, which is why it's the material to reach for when sustainability matters to your event or your attendees.
How is a custom lanyard printed?
The best full-color lanyards are printed with dye-sublimation, which infuses the ink into the fabric rather than sitting on top of it. The result is a vibrant, full-bleed print that won't crack or peel, and it can carry photographic detail, gradients, and a repeating pattern edge to edge.
Two things to know when you build the artwork:
- Extend your background 0.125 inches past the edge to fill the bleed, so you don't get a thin white line along the border.
- Keep logos and text out of the outer safe zone. The seam and the attachment fold can clip anything placed too close to the ends.
Full-color, full-bleed CMYK printing is standard on both polyester and rPET, so your material choice never limits your artwork.
The simplest way to get the bleed and safe zone right is to start from the correct file. Our artwork templates are set up per width with the bleed and safe area already marked, so you can drop your design in and know it will print the way you expect.
Which lanyard attachment do you need?
The attachment is the hardware at the bottom that connects to your badge or holder. The wrong one means badges that fall off or holders that don't clip, so match it to what you're hanging.
We offer four:
| Attachment | Holds | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bulldog clip | Badge holders, punched badges, plastic sleeves | The most common choice. A spring clip that grips almost anything. |
| Double bulldog | The same, held at two points | Keeps a badge from swinging and twisting. Good for larger badges. |
| Lobster claw | Punched badges and holders with a hole or slot | A swivel hook that lets the badge rotate flat. Clean, secure, easy to detach. |
| Double lobster | The same, at two points | The most stable option. Holds a badge square and stops it flipping backwards. |
You'll see other hardware in the market, including split rings and plastic hooks. Split rings are secure but fiddly to load and unload at scale, which matters when you're assembling several hundred badges the night before a conference. The four above cover the situations that actually come up at events.
For most conferences with a badge holder, a bulldog clip is the right default. If you're running larger 4 x 6 badges that tend to swing, a double bulldog or double lobster holds them steady. Make sure your attachment matches your badge holder, since the two are bought as a set.
Crimped or sewn assembly?
Assembly is how the lanyard is closed into a loop and joined to the attachment, and it's the decision most planners never think about until they see the two side by side.
| Assembly | How it's made | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Crimped | The ends are joined with a metal crimp that holds the attachment in place | The standard. Fast, economical, and secure for typical event use. |
| Sewn | The ends are stitched together, with no visible metal at the join | A cleaner, more finished look. Worth it when the lanyard is part of the brand experience. |
Crimped is the practical default and what most conferences use. Sewn costs a little more and looks more considered, which suits executive events, galas, and anywhere attendees are in nice clothes and the lanyard is on show all evening.
How long does it take to get custom lanyards printed?
Production time depends on the material. From artwork approval, plan for:
- Polyester satin: about 10 business days, plus transit.
- rPET (recycled): about 14 business days, plus transit.
The clock starts at artwork approval, not at order, so the faster you approve the proof, the faster you get lanyards. Build in a few days for proofing and revisions on top of the production window.
Tight on time? Custom printing has a real lead time, and rushing artwork approval is where mistakes happen. If your event is close, quick-ship blank lanyards in a solid color ship far faster and still look clean paired with a well-designed badge. It's a common and sensible fallback when the calendar is against you.
How much do custom lanyards cost in bulk?
Lanyards are priced per unit, and the per-unit price drops sharply with quantity. The variables that move the price are width, material, attachment, and whether the print is one color or full color.
- Quantity is the biggest lever. Bulk orders in the thousands cost dramatically less per lanyard than an order of a few hundred. Most of the cost is setup, which spreads across the run.
- Width and material matter. A 1 inch rPET lanyard costs a little more than a 5/8 inch polyester one.
- Full color and one color price differently, though dye-sublimation makes full color far more affordable than it used to be.
For an accurate number on your specific spec and quantity, request a quote or a sample pack to feel the materials before you commit to a run.
Ordering lanyards and badges together
Lanyards, badges, and holders are bought as a set, and ordering them together saves a coordination headache. The lanyard attachment has to match the holder, the badge has to fit the holder, and the colors should work as a system. Speccing all three at once means they arrive compatible and coordinated.
See our guides to designing custom event badges and choosing badge holders to spec the full set.
Four decisions, in order: width for how it feels and how much it holds, material for comfort and sustainability, assembly for how finished it looks, and attachment to match your holder. Nail those and the lanyard does its job for eight hours without anyone thinking about it.
Design custom lanyards Get a sample pack
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard lanyard size for a conference?
The standard width is 3/4 inch, with a loop length around 36 inches that sits a badge at mid-chest. 3/4 inch is wide enough to print a logo and text clearly and light enough to wear all day. A narrower 5/8 inch width suits minimal designs, and a full 1 inch is common for sponsor lanyards and bold branding.
What is the difference between polyester and recycled lanyards?
rPET lanyards are made from recycled plastic bottles and feel and print identically to standard polyester satin, so they're an easy sustainability win with no design compromise. Both take full-color, full-bleed dye-sublimation printing, so choosing the recycled option never limits your artwork.
How much do custom lanyards cost in bulk?
Lanyards are priced per unit, and the price drops sharply with quantity because most of the cost is one-time setup spread across the run. Orders in the thousands cost far less per lanyard than a few hundred. Width, material, attachment, and one-color versus full-color print also affect the price. Request a quote for your exact spec.
How long does it take to get custom lanyards printed?
From artwork approval: about 10 business days for polyester satin and 14 for recycled rPET, each plus transit. The clock starts when you approve the proof, not when you order, so approving quickly speeds delivery. If your event is close, quick-ship blank lanyards ship much faster.
Which lanyard attachment works with a badge holder?
We offer four: bulldog, double bulldog, lobster claw, and double lobster. A bulldog clip is the most common and works with badge holders, punched badges, and plastic sleeves. A double bulldog or double lobster holds a badge at two points to stop it swinging, which helps with larger badges. Lobster claws swivel so the badge sits flat. Match the attachment to your holder, since the two are bought as a set.
What is the difference between crimped and sewn lanyards?
Crimped lanyards are joined with a metal crimp that holds the attachment in place. It's the standard, and it's fast, economical, and secure for typical event use. Sewn lanyards are stitched at the join with no visible metal, giving a cleaner, more finished look for a little more cost. Crimped suits most conferences; sewn suits executive events and galas where the lanyard is part of the brand experience.
What size lanyard is best for a sponsor logo?
Go 3/4 inch or 1 inch for sponsor lanyards. A sponsor paying for the placement wants the logo clearly visible, and the wider strap gives their artwork room to read across a room. Full-color dye-sublimation on polyester or rPET reproduces a logo cleanly, including gradients and photographic detail.