GUIDE

16 mm vs 20 mm lanyards: which width should your school or office choose?

By ICardPrint · Published 2026-10-26

The quick answer

Choose 16 mm lanyards for younger students and light cards; they are slimmer, lighter and a little cheaper. Choose 20 mm for older students, staff and offices; the wider ribbon carries a longer name and logo more clearly. For children, add a safety breakaway at the neck.

A lanyard is the part of an ID card that people see first, from across a classroom or a reception desk. The width decides how comfortable it is to wear all day and how much of your name and logo can be printed on it. Most schools and companies in India choose between two widths: 16 mm and 20 mm.

Quick comparison

	16 mm lanyard	20 mm lanyard
Look	Slim and light	Standard, more visible
Print space	Short names, small logos	Full school or company name with logo
Best for	Nursery to Class 5, events, light cards	Class 6 and above, college, staff, offices
Comfort	Lightest on small necks	Spreads the weight of a heavier card or holder
Price	A little lower per lanyard	A little higher per lanyard

Current prices for both widths are on the price list.

When 16 mm is the better choice

Young children. A slimmer ribbon is lighter and less bulky for primary classes.
Short names. A short name like "GVM School" or a small logo reads well on 16 mm.
Events and conferences. Badges are worn for a day or two, so a lighter lanyard is enough.
Tight budgets on large numbers. On a few hundred lanyards the small saving per piece adds up.

When 20 mm is the better choice

Long names. "Sunrise Public Senior Secondary School, Muzaffarpur" needs the extra width to stay readable.
Staff and offices. A 20 mm lanyard looks more formal and is the common width for employee cards.
Heavier cards. A PVC card in a hard holder hangs more comfortably from a wider ribbon.
Colour coding. Wider ribbons make department or house colours easy to spot at a distance.

Hooks, breakaways and holders

The width is only one choice. Decide these at the same time:

Hook. A metal dog hook is the most popular for schools. A J-hook or lobster claw holds a card firmly; a plastic hook is lighter; a bulldog clip grips a card without a punched hole.
Safety breakaway. A small clip at the back of the neck that opens if the lanyard is pulled hard. Strongly recommended for children, and for staff who work near machines.
Detachable buckle. Lets the card come off without taking the lanyard off, useful for scanning at gates and libraries.
Card holder. A transparent pouch keeps a paper or PVC card clean; a hard holder protects a card that is handled many times a day.

Getting the print right

Keep the text short. Long names are printed smaller to fit the ribbon, so use the name people actually say.
Use a clear logo file. A high-resolution PNG or a vector file prints sharply; a WhatsApp screenshot does not.
Check the colours. Ribbon colour and text colour need strong contrast, such as white on navy or yellow on maroon.
Order spares. Add a few extra lanyards for new admissions and replacements during the year.

Frequently asked questions

Is a 20 mm lanyard too wide for small children? It works, but many schools choose 16 mm for nursery and primary classes because it is lighter.

Can students and staff have different widths? Yes. Order two batches, for example 16 mm in the school colour for students and 20 mm in navy for staff.

Can lanyards be printed on both sides? Yes. Printing on both sides keeps the name readable even when the ribbon twists.

Can I order lanyards together with ID cards? Yes. Order printed lanyards on their own, or choose the card, holder and lanyard set to get everything in one order.

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