Custom lanyards: how do you choose the right one?
Settle four points first: the print method your logo calls for, where the lanyard will be worn, the attachment, and how much room your logo gets.
Your logo decides the print method
Distributors describe screen printing as the most economical route for a simple mark [1][2]; according to one of them, sublimation becomes the better fit once the artwork goes beyond two colours or includes a gradient [1]. Sublimation ink maker Sawgrass explains that the dye bonds with polyester fibres, and that colours get more vivid as the polyester content rises [3]: sublimated artwork therefore calls for a polyester lanyard. For other methods, confirm the material with your quote.
According to one distributor, woven lanyards cost more and hold their look the longest, but they can't reproduce fine detail or photographic images [1]; one lanyard supplier puts them at one to three colours [4]. They suit a clean wordmark, and their durability can justify the price for a badge worn every day. For a one-day event, unit cost often matters more.
Breakaway release: it depends on the setting
A 1991 breakaway-lanyard patent starts from the risk of an ID lanyard getting caught in machinery [5]. Distributors recommend a breakaway release in schools, daycares, healthcare facilities and near machinery [1][6][7]. One gives a typical release force of 10 to 15 lb, citing no standard, and suggests checking the facility's policy, especially for clinical staff [6]. The sources consulted do not name a standard specific to lanyards (to be confirmed).
Match the attachment to what the lanyard holds
Distributors pair the swivel hook with a slotted badge holder, the bulldog clip with a card or a holder without a slot, the key ring with keys and the J-hook with a badge reel [1][6][2]. A bulldog clip keeps the card from flipping around, but it can open when pressed [2]. Name your badge holder in your request.
Width and logo visibility
Common widths run from about 3/8 in. to 1 in., and width sets the real space for your logo [1][6]: narrow for a short line of text, wide for a complex logo [6]. A lanyard twists: according to an online printer, sublimation goes through the fabric and shows on both faces [8]. Whatever the method, two-sided visibility and cost are to be confirmed with your quote.
Colours and samples
According to a lanyard supplier, RGB or CMYK values on their own can let colours drift, while Pantone codes remove the guesswork [4]. For a large woven run, one distributor recommends a sample, since a mistake costs more to redo [1]: ask whether a sample is possible and, if so, allow time for it.
Recycling and bamboo claims: ask for backing
Under the Competition Bureau's guidelines, a claim about the share of content that comes from recycling, such as 20%, must not be materially false or misleading, and an environmental claim should be clear and specific [9]. Ask for that share before promoting it. Chemically processed "bamboo" fabric should be identified as "rayon from bamboo" or "viscose from bamboo" [10].
Écran Blanc's advice
Start from the logo and the setting, then compare prices. For a conference, screen printing often works for a simple logo and sublimation on polyester for colourful artwork; in a school, a clinic or a warehouse, ask for a breakaway release.