If you're ordering custom printed lanyards for the first time, one of the first questions you'll probably ask is, "How long will they take?"
Whether you're planning an event, welcoming new employees, preparing for a school intake or organising visitor identification, understanding the production process helps you plan with confidence and avoid unnecessary last-minute pressure.
At We Print Lanyards, we offer several production services to suit different deadlines, from express production through to best value options for larger planned orders. The right choice depends on your timescale, your artwork and the products you've selected.
This guide explains how lanyard printing lead times work, what influences production and how you can help your order move through the process as efficiently as possible.
How Long Does Lanyard Printing Take?
Custom printed lanyard lead times vary depending on the production service you choose and how quickly your artwork is approved.
At We Print Lanyards, customers can choose from several production options:
- 2-Day Express Production – Dispatched within two working days when artwork has been approved and cleared payment is received before 11:00am on the day your quote is accepted or your order is placed online.
- 5-Day Standard Production – Dispatched within five working days when artwork approval and payment are received before 5:00pm on the day your quote is accepted or your order is placed online.
- 10-Day or 15-Day Best Value Production – Designed for larger quantity orders where delivery dates are more flexible and customers are looking for the best production rates.
Every custom order begins production only after your artwork has been approved, helping ensure the finished lanyards match your requirements before manufacturing starts.
Which Production Service Is Right for You?
Choosing the right production option depends on your project rather than simply selecting the fastest service.
2-Day Express Production is ideal for organisations working towards tighter deadlines, such as conferences, exhibitions, recruitment events or unexpected staff requirements.
5-Day Standard Production is the most popular choice for many workplace, education, healthcare and charity orders, providing a balance between turnaround and planning.
10-Day or 15-Day Best Value Production is often chosen for larger planned orders where there is more flexibility before the required dispatch date.
If you're unsure which option is most appropriate, the customer service team can help you choose the production service that best suits your deadline.
What Affects Lanyard Printing Lead Time?
Although the production service is the biggest factor, several other things can influence how quickly an order progresses.
Artwork Readiness
Providing print-ready artwork in AI, EPS or PDF format allows the design team to prepare your proof more efficiently.
If logos need recreating, colours require clarification or artwork needs updating, this may add time before production begins.
Artwork Approval
Every bespoke custom design receives a digital PDF proof or artwork approval form before production starts.
This allows you to carefully check your logo, colours, wording, layout and spelling before manufacturing begins.
Production only starts once you've approved your proof, so responding promptly helps keep your order moving.
Order Specification
Many organisations order more than just custom printed lanyards.
Printed ID cards, card holders and accessories are often supplied together as part of a complete identification solution. Discussing everything at the start of your enquiry helps ensure the correct production service is recommended from the beginning.
What Happens After You Place Your Order?
Understanding the process makes it much easier to plan your project.
Once your order has been placed, it typically follows these stages:
- Artwork Preparation – Create your design using the online lanyard designer or provide your artwork to the in-house design team.
- Artwork Proof – A digital PDF proof is prepared and sent for your approval.
- Proof Approval – Once you've approved the artwork and payment has been received, your order moves into production.
- Manufacturing – Your custom printed lanyards are produced using the production service you've selected.
- Quality Checks – Every order is inspected before dispatch.
- Packing and Dispatch – Once complete, your order is carefully packed and prepared for delivery.
Understanding these stages helps explain why artwork approval is such an important part of the overall turnaround.
Why Artwork Approval Matters
Artwork approval is much more than a final check.
It's your opportunity to confirm that logos, colours, text, layout and overall design are exactly as expected before production begins.
Once production starts, changes can't usually be made, so taking a few extra minutes to review your proof carefully can help prevent delays later in the process.
For many orders, responding promptly to the artwork proof has just as much impact on lead time as the production service itself.
Quality Checks Before Your Order Is Dispatched
Before your order leaves our Derbyshire production facility, it goes through a series of quality checks.
The printed design is checked against the approved artwork to ensure colours, logos and text are reproduced clearly. Attachments such as trigger clips and safety breakaways are inspected to ensure they are correctly fitted, while the finished material is reviewed before packing.
If you've ordered printed ID cards alongside your lanyards, these are also inspected before dispatch. Where requested, ID cards can be inserted into card holders and attached to the lanyards before delivery, allowing them to arrive ready for distribution.
This is particularly useful for new starter packs, conferences, schools and visitor management programmes.
Production Time and Delivery Time Are Different
Production time refers to how long it takes to manufacture your order after artwork has been approved.
Delivery time begins once your order has been dispatched and depends on the delivery service selected at checkout.
We Print Lanyards offers a range of Royal Mail and UPS delivery services, allowing customers to choose the option that best suits their required delivery date.
If you're working towards a specific deadline, it's always worth discussing both your production service and delivery requirements when placing your order.
Working Towards a Tight Deadline?
Not every order is planned months in advance.
Sometimes event dates change, additional staff are recruited or extra visitor passes are needed at short notice.
If you're working towards a tight deadline, it's worth speaking to the customer service team as early as possible.
By understanding your required in-hand date, artwork status and product requirements, the team can recommend the most suitable production service and help keep your project on schedule wherever possible.
How You Can Help Speed Up Your Order
There are several simple steps you can take to help your order move through production efficiently:
- Supply print-ready artwork in AI, EPS or PDF format.
- Confirm quantities before placing your order.
- Approve your artwork proof as quickly as possible.
- Share your required in-hand date at the beginning of your enquiry.
- Choose the production service that best matches your deadline.
These simple checks often make the biggest difference to keeping production on track.
Complete Identification Solutions from We Print Lanyards
We Print Lanyards manufactures custom printed lanyards in Derbyshire using recycled rPET material as standard across its bespoke range.
Alongside custom printed lanyards, we also supply printed ID cards, stock lanyards, card holders and accessories, helping organisations create complete identification solutions from a single supplier.
Whether you're ordering for a workplace, school, university, healthcare organisation, charity or event, our team is happy to help you choose the products and production service that best suit your requirements.
Plan Ahead for the Best Choice of Production Services
Ordering your lanyards as early as possible gives you the greatest flexibility when choosing a production service and allows plenty of time for artwork approval before manufacturing begins.
Whether you need an express turnaround or you're planning a larger order well in advance, understanding how production works makes the process much smoother.
If you're planning your next order, Get a Quote from We Print Lanyards and our team will help you choose the production service that best fits your deadline.