Depending on your chosen style, you may be limited to 3/8 of an inch to 1 inch of design space for your lanyards. However, don’t let this small surface area stop you from getting as creative as you want. Here are some design tips to keep in mind for customizing lanyards.
Think of the Space First
Don’t start creating the design without knowing how much space you’re working with. For example, if you opt for polyester lanyards from Wristband Creation, you will have either a 5/8-inch, a 3/4-inch, or a 1-inch wide canvas. Once you know these specific measurements, it becomes easier to create a design that will fit in those dimensions. It’s more complicated to resize an existing design; you may have to crop or remove some elements completely or end up redesigning everything, putting hours of work to waste.
Keep It Simple
Take a cue from big brands with iconic designs, such as Google and its multi-colored round G, Facebook with its white lowercase f on a blue rounded square, or Apple’s well, apple. Modern designs are straightforward and clean, which translate very well to the narrow space afforded by lanyards. Remember: when it comes to design, simple doesn’t mean plain.
Stick to One or Two Fonts
In line with keeping it simple, it’s also best to stick to just one or two fonts to make the design look more polished. Here are some font suggestions from the Wristband Creation team. As a general rule, solid lines without too many flourishes work the best, especially for tubular lanyards and woven lanyards. If your logo already uses a specific font or if your logo is largely typographic and you want to add text, say a short slogan, use a contrasting typeface or a member of that font’s superfamily to make a distinction.
Apply Some Color Psychology
Apart from using basic color principles like complementary, analogous, monochromatic, and triadic color schemes, you should also consider the overall effect of colors to a person’s psyche and perception of your brand. For example, red is a passionate color and commands attention; however, it may also be associated with rage. On the other hand, light blues evoke calmness and creativity but darker blues are sometimes linked to lack of emotion. Figure out what you want to communicate and make your color selections from there.
You don’t have to worry about getting the exact same shade reproduced, whether on the fabric itself or on design. Wristband Creation uses the Pantone Matching System so you can rest assured that whatever your desired color can be replicated onto the lanyard of your choice. However, do note that if you choose polyester or nylon lanyards, the final product will have a slight sheen due to the nature of the material.
Use Contrast to Your Advantage
Good contrast makes your design easy and pleasurable to read and look at, especially when it’s on a confined space like a lanyard. Light text or images on dark backgrounds and vice versa makes the design immediately visible. If you are working with images that have both light and dark areas or designs with color gradients, you can try applying a translucent overlay to achieve contrast. You may also want to consider surrounding the text with an outline to make sure it is readable.
Think About Your Audience and Your Purpose
Who will be using your lanyards? Students? Hardcore gamers? Healthcare professionals? Top-level business executives? You should also determine the purpose of the lanyard for your brand. Is it going to be a fundraising material or is it more of a promotional tool because your company is undergoing a rebranding campaign? Knowing your audience and the purpose of the lanyard will help you make the most effective design choices.
Remember the next time you’re using designing lanyards to make the most of the small space. If you need help, Wristband Creation has a team of experts to help you out from start to finish! We have experience designing all sorts of promotional items, from lanyards to a customized company debossed wristband set, so you can rest assured that your lanyards will look exactly how you envisioned them.
