Custom Lanyard Buyers Guide |
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The lanyard has come a long way from its original purpose of being a cord with a hook used to fire a cannon. It has evolved into cord or a ribbon which is worn around the neck to carry everything from ID badges to cell phones. (Sometimes called cellphone leashes.) |
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The lanyard has been used so often as a means to carry an name badge that the lanyard itself has become a positive identifier. |
| Custom lanyards can also be used for gift, souvenir, or promotional purposes embellished with specific motifs and themes to make them stand out. Lanyards can achieve an even greater degree of personalization quite simply by using them for displaying or storing your custom lapel pin collection. Many of today’s popular theme parks sell custom lapel pin lanyards and offer a huge variety of tack pins which can be added, a concept similar to the charm bracelets of the 1950’s and 1960’s. |
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| A recent issue of Women’s Wear Daily shows a photograph of a Lacoste Runway model wearing a nametag style lanyard as fashion accessory. |
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Swivel lanyard hooks are also becoming more elaborate as shown here. Note the various means of detaching and attaching different parts for the wearer’s convenience. This example includes a lanyard key chain.
When approaching your prospective lanyard supplier, it is good planning to have devised a checklist of your needs. We hope these questions provide you with a basis to build your own custom lanyard buying guide.
- Will the lanyard be used or worn in an environment where a safety lanyard or break-away lanyard are essential? Such an environment would include, but is not limited to, high security areas or areas around machinery that may unexpectedly catch a loose lanyard.
- Do you want a cord or ribbon type of lanyard?
- If a cord type of lanyard is your choice, what kind of material are you considering? Basic cord materials include leather, nylon, braided cotton, and rubber.
- If you are selecting a ribbon type of lanyard, along with type of material selected you must consider the width. Standard widths are 3/8, 5/8, 3/4 and 1 inch.
- Will your lanyard be customized with a name,
slogan or logo?
- Are you looking for a themed lanyard ?
- If so, do you want to have it embroidered as an imprint? This is best suited for a lanyard that in itself is an identifier and used in high security environments such as airports, research laboratories and hospitals.
- Will a simple silk screening suffice? -- ideal for custom promotional lanyards, as well as gift and souvenir lanyard applications.
- Most lanyards come in standard 36" lengths. Will yours need to be adjustable? If so, what type of lanyard adjustment attachment will you want to use?
- What other types of lanyard attachments are avaialble ? These can range from the standard lanyard hook, swivel lanyard hook or a really special lanyard clip for holding simple ID badges to key holders, detachable quick release lanyard couplings for cell phones to retractable reels for ID badge lanyards or any combination of the above.
As you can see, the custom lanyard has indeed come a long way, and at first can be a little intimidating to purchase. We hope this guide and these questions will help you in making your custom lanyard purchasing decision.
For your convenience,
may we suggest you continue your
custom lanyard search here.