Vinyl banner signs have been around for ages, and in all shapes and sizes. Custom banners are one of the most popular types of signs there is. They offer the most value when it comes to promoting your business, event, school or organization to people all around you. Banner signage has come along way recently, making it more economical to print full color banners instead of plain, one color vinyl banners. It is also cheaper and much easier to print larger custom banners.
Vinyl banner signs open the door to make a lasting impression on your potential customers. Imagine that you’re walking through a shopping center. Most shopping centers have a lot of shops, packaging centers, restaurants, etc. You are at the shopping center just to browse…
What would you notice first?
1. The packaging store with a several small “Ship Here” signs on the door
2. The coffee shop with the “Buy 1 Get 1 Free” frappachino special decal on their window
3. The full color vinyl banner that fills the storefront at the travel agency promoting a cruise special they are offering to the Caribbean
I don’t know about you, but I can smell the ocean and feel the sand under my feet just looking at that full color banner in the window! The agency’s custom banner grabbed my attention even though I was far from shopping for a cruise package.
Why choose custom banners over other types of signs?
Vinyl banners are easy to install, require very little assembly and are offered in a wide range of sizes. Vinyl banners are great for both interior and exterior signage. They can be mounted to buildings, hung across streets, attached to light poles or simply mounted to the inside of a travel agents window. Vinyl banners can be made single or double sided depending on your needs.
Custom banners are especially great for temporary promotions, city events, grand openings and so much more. They roll up for easy storage, are economical to ship, and still offer that WOW factor!
You wouldn’t want to replace your roadside sign or backlit store front sign every time the weeks special changed or you had a sale. You don’t want to have to buy a new wooden sign every time you have a fundraiser in your community. You do not want your back room to be loaded down year round with your Holiday Specials Signs because you needed to make a BIG impression last Christmas season, but couldn’t roll your signs up and put them away!
In many cases, custom banners are the most logical and economical decision. They offer limitless options that can create a huge impact no matter what your message is or who you’re reaching out to. Vinyl banners help you leave a lasting impression without breaking the bank or taking up all of your storage space.
Are all vinyl banners created the same?
Not exactly. Vinyl banners can be made on various weights of vinyl material ranging from 10 ounce to 16 ounce. The standard weight for most banners is 13 ounce vinyl banner material. This is the most often used banner material there is. It is a nice, heavyweight material that is perfect for indoor or outdoor use. Vinyl banners can still be made the old fashioned way on manufactured banner material with vinyl letters and graphics applied to the surface of the banner, but most sign shops today digitally print all banners whether it is a one color banner or full color. This way the whole thing is printed directly from the computerized file and there is less room for human error. Another advantage of digitally printing all banners is that there isn’t any vinyl for random passersby to tamper with or remove to cause damage your sign.
Vinyl Banners can be finished in several ways as well, from the way they are hemmed to the way they are to be mounted. Most sign stores offer taped hem or heat sealed edges. You can also opt to have hems sewn on or no finishing at all. No finishing is okay for one time or occasional use. Taped hem or heat sealed edges give you a nice finished look with long term durability. Sewn hems are needed especially for street banners and other larger outdoor banner signs that will be under more wear and tear.
Other finishing for vinyl banners can be determined by how exactly it’ll be used or installed. Grommets, also known as eyelets, are quite popular - they are typically applied every 2 feet so that you can install your vinyl banner with rope, zip ties, suction cups, etc. Other mounting finishes include pole pockets, sewn in rope, D-rings, wind slits and webbing.
Each of these accessories or finishing options serve different purposes, can be used differently and range in cost, depending on the size of your vinyl banner.
So how to I get started with the creation of a custom business banner?
1. Decide on a main message - Don’t overdo it - keep it simple but BOLD!
2. Figure out how far away it needs to be visible from - Will your audience be walking by, driving by, or seeing it from across the street?
3. What colors do you want to go with? (Perhaps the colors of your company’s corporate branding)
4. Any logos or specific graphics you would like to use?
5. Where do you plan to put it?
By thinking ahead on these key points, you will have a good idea of what you are expecting. This way your sign company will be able to design a custom business banner to not only make the statement you want, but meet your needs for how you plan to use it. By knowing how far it needs to be visible from your sign company can design your banner sign to insure it will make the biggest impact possible to your audience.
So the next time your potential customers are walking through your shopping center, who would you rather be?
The packaging store, the java shop or the travel agent?
All bets are on the trip to the Bahamas…