Signs & Large Format Print
Badge, lanyard or wristband – what each is for
| Form | Where it works | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Badge on a lanyard | conferences, galas, race HQ, VIP areas, media | needs a hole or holder that matches the lanyard fitting |
| Wristband | festivals, fan zones, outdoor events, multi-day passes | there is no room on it for a name or role |
| Printed lanyard on its own | staff and volunteers, a giveaway in the welcome pack | without a badge nobody knows who is who |
| Race bib | competitors | a separate product, in a different material |
In practice, larger sports events combine these forms: competitors have race bibs, staff and media wear badges on lanyards, and spectators in paid areas wear wristbands. Race bibs have their own guide: race bib numbers.
What to put on a name badge
A badge is read from one or two metres away, often on the move. Too much information means the important bit gets lost. What it should carry:
- First name and surname – large, with the first name larger still. At events people address each other by first name.
- Role or category – ORGANISER, MEDIA, REFEREE, VOLUNTEER, VIP. Short, in capitals, on a coloured strip.
- Event logo, and possibly the title sponsor's.
- On the reverse – a venue map, the coordinator's phone number, the day's schedule, the Wi-Fi password or a QR code linking to the programme.
A strip colour tied to the access zone is the simplest control system. Security at the entrance to the VIP area or the pitch does not read names – they look at the colour. Decide the colours early and do not change them during preparations, because that is the shortest route to chaos at the gates.
We print badges on both sides (4/4) on rigid board, trimmed to size. 90 × 50 mm is the business card standard and fits easily into a holder; if you need something bigger, such as A6, say so in your enquiry. A larger format leaves more room for a venue map on the back, but is less comfortable for active work – a volunteer out on a race course prefers a small badge that does not bang against them.
Personalisation from the attendee list – how to prepare the data
Every badge with a different name is variable data printing. Technically it is not difficult, but it needs a tidy list. Most corrections come from the data, not the printing.
- One table in Excel or CSV – separate columns: first name, surname, role, colour/zone, and company if needed.
- No abbreviations or notes in the cells ('John S. – to confirm'). Whatever is in the cell goes on the badge.
- Check accented characters and capitalisation – 'MARK' and 'mark' on the same list look wrong side by side.
- Long names and company names – tell us whether to abbreviate or reduce the font size. By default we reduce it within sensible limits.
- Proof – before printing we send a preview of several badges, including those with the longest data.
Variable data is charged per record (approx. €0.05 net per record), and the base price for 100 badges printed 4/4 is approx. €60 net. Product details: name badges, lanyards and wristbands.
Lanyards and wristbands – a few practical points
Printed lanyards are usually made in one of two ways: screen printed (a simple logo in 1–2 colours, cheaper at larger quantities) or dye-sublimated (full colour, photos, gradients, edge-to-edge print). We explain the differences in our guide printed lanyards – screen print or sublimation.
Worth thinking about before you order:
- Lanyard colour as a role marker – red for staff, blue for media. It works even when the badge has flipped round.
- The lanyard outlives the event – people go on using it for keys or passes. A good place for a sponsor's logo.
- Wristbands work well at multi-day events and wherever speed of checking matters. A wristband is visible from a distance and hard to pass on to someone else.
Printed lanyards, wristbands and neck tubes can be configured and priced instantly in our online shop printstrap.com. Badges and the rest of your event materials are produced at our plant in Wieluń and dispatched together.
- 24 hexpress printing (UV inks need no drying)
- approx. 3 daysstandard lead time
- up to 14 dayslarge and custom projects with installation
Plus courier delivery. Tell us your date — we plan production around it.
Lead times and spares
Printed lanyards, especially full-colour ones, go through more production stages than badges, so order them first – ideally 3–4 weeks before the event. The configurator shows the current lead time for your chosen specification. Badges are normally printed in approx. 3 working days, or in 24 hours if needed.
Spares that work:
- 10% blank-name badges in each role colour – with a field for writing the name in marker,
- a few more lanyards than badges – someone always breaks or forgets one,
- one list of changes – one person on the organiser's side collects corrections and sends them in a single email.
At large sports and outdoor events, badges are just one element; signage for the rest of the zones is covered in our guide outdoor event signage.