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Designing a vinyl banner is fairly easy; however, designing an effective vinyl banner may be easily overlooked. Many times, your vinyl banner company may provide design services, or they may allow you to submit your own artwork. In this article, let's discuss how exactly to properly lay out not only a visually appealing vinyl banner, but to design a banner effectively that will accomplish its goal!
First, it's important to ask yourself what the purpose of the banner is going to be. Is it a "decorative banner" (maybe for a one-day birthday or party where it's function is simply to add to the ambiance of the occasion?), or is the banner going to serve as a community announcement for a grand opening or sales event that will be expected to capture attention and results?
Second, how long will your banner "be in service?" Maybe the announcement banner will be hung for 30 to 60 days near a busy intersection whereas the birthday banner may only be hung indoors for three or four hours. Or, maybe you're going to "stretch" the life of the banner to several months or even for as long as the banner will last (many of our clients display banners on their building for years.)
Even though banners are considered "temporary signage," we've had clients that have posted our banners for several years before fading or tearing. Your climate plays a huge role in determining how long a banner will last (rain, wind, etc), and the type of materials and inks your banner is produced with plays another major part. Eco and solvent inks printed on 13oz or heavier vinyl material last longer than water based inks printed on
light-weight vinyl materials.
In answering the questions above, you'll gain a quick understanding as to the content or design of your banner, the correct "banner size" to use, and the type of banner material and features you'll need.
Banner Sizes and Templates
We print almost ALL SIZES of banners from small to huge! Have our professional design team design your banner or download one of our free vinyl banner templates (click here) to assist with your own layout. Then you can simply upload your artwork to our server upon placing your order (you'll be directed to our secure upload page upon completing your order.) We accept most file formats.
Some of our most popular banner sizes include: (click here to download banner size templates)
1' x 3', 1' x 4', 1' x 5', 1' x 6', 1' x 8' (great for pop up tents)
2' x 2', 2'x 4', 2'x 6', 2'x 8', 2'x10', 2'x 12' 2' x 20'
3' x 3', 3' x 4', 3' x 6', 3' x 8', 3' x 10', 3' x 12', 3' x 20'
4' x 4', 4' x 6', 4' x 8', 4' x 10', 4' x 12' 4' x 15', 4' x 20'
5' x 5', 5' x 8' 6' x 6', 6' x 8' 8'x 8', 8' x 10', 8' x 12', 8' x 16'
10' x 8', 10' x 10', 10' x 15', and 10' x 20'
Since banners come in all sizes, choosing the correct size is very important not only to accomplish your results, but also to save you money. Our most frequently ordered sizes are: 2 feet tall by 6 feet wide, 3 feet tall by 6 feet wide, and 4 feet tall by 8 feet wide. We print hundreds of banners in every size in between, and we also produce back-drop and over-sized banners that range from 8 feet tall to 10 feet wide and even larger.
In general, the size of the viewing area will determine the size for your banner. For indoor parties, a 2 x 6 banner make work perfectly if you're in a smaller or medium size room. But if you're having a party at a convention center, than you will need a 4 x 8 or even larger banner so that the banner will be seen easily by a majority of the people. Or if you're announcing a grand opening or business event that will be hung outdoors near a busy intersection, a 2 x 6 banner may be a complete waste of money (too small to be effective) and you may need a 3 x 6 or 4 x 8 size banner. If you're confused about which size banner to use, simply call us at 866-267-5814 or press live chat and we'll be happy to help.
Banner Features
There are several common features to most banners. First is the weight of the vinyl used for the banner banner. Many common sizes include 10 oz, 13 oz and even heavier. In general, 13 oz is the most common vinyl weight and works with most uses. You can safely use a less expensive lighter weight banner if your use is very temporary (indoor party,) but make sure you use a heavier weight banner for outdoor banners that will be displayed in windy areas or longer than 2 weeks.
Second, does your banner need to be seemed or sewn for extra durability? Seeming a banner entails the the perimeter of the vinyl being "folded over" and affixed with durable double-sided seem tape. Most banner companies offer seeming as a normal feature; however, you may not need this added benefit, so why not save money? For example, if you're using your banner for an indoor birthday party, it's highly unlikely the banner needs to be seemed unless it's being hung or displayed in a fashion that will cause a lot of tension on the vinyl (such as with ropes or bungy chords.
Third, does your banner require grommets? Grommets are the circular metal rings stamped onto the perimeter of a banner. If you're banner is going to be hung with rope or bungy chords, it most certainly will require grommets to provide the means to attach the banner to the chords. However, if your banner is going to be displayed on a board or wall for a short amount of time, you may be able to use tape or staples to affix your banner to the surface, thus saving the cost of having your company grommet the banner.
Fourth, does our banner need to be sewn (for the seeming process) or will double sided seem tape work? In general, if you're use is for pole banners or banners that will be hung for a long time, you will require sewn seems vs. seem tape. But if you're using a banner for a temporary use, seem tape works fine.
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