With the advent of digital , what you can do with vinyl has greatly expanded. No longer are you locked into text only phrases like “For Sale” or “Grand Opening.” Now, anything you can imagine, you can put on a outdoor banner.

There are five elements that go into creating a great vinyl banner.

1.Banner material

2.Banner size

3.Fonts

4.Contrasting color

5.Digital graphics

Part 1 — Material

There are three(3) categories of banner material; lightweight, standard and heavyweight. Lightweight material is normally around 10 oz. in weight and are preferred for indoor use. This type of banner is great for parties and one-time events. A lightweight banner will not last outdoors for any length of time.

The best option for outdoor use is the 13 ounce banner. This is also a great option for long term indoor use as well. The standard weight is great is you are doing annual sales and want to reuse a banner over many years. If properly stored, it will last a long time.

Heavyweight banner is 17 ounce and above. This is really only needed for extreme outdoor conditions and is generally not need for any other purpose. Be wary of a banner printer pushing this weight on you for a normal banner application.

Part 2 — Size

Bigger is not always better in the world of banners. The size of your banner must be appropriate for the viewing distance and the place it will be installed. We have all seen very tiny banners on the side of a large building that is totally unreadable unless you are standing right next to it. The reverse can be just as bad. Imagine having a 4′x8′ banner installed on a 8′x10′ wall. A banner should stand out from its surroundings and not be used as wallpaper.

A good rule to go by is that you sould use 1″ of letter height for every 10′ of viewing distance. For example, if your banner is going to be seen from around 100′, then you need letter of no less than 10 inches. You should also look to have about the same amount of white space around each line to make it readable.

Part 3 — Letters

The letter style you choose can make or break your design. The style should be readable and in line with your image. Never use an all script font with capital letters as it cannot be read at any distance. If you need all caps, try to find one that is classified as sans serif. They are very clean stylistically and easy to read. Be as creative as you want with your letter styles, just make sure your creativity doesn’t interfer with the purpose of the banner.

Part 4 — Contrasting color

The first is font contrast and the second is the contrast of the banner and its background. These are the two contrasts that you need to be aware of.

black on yellow white on yellow yellow on black black on white

There are many great combinations of colors that you can use. You need your text to explode off the page to grab the attention of the reader. The correct combination of colors can do just that.

The second, and often overlooked, area of concern is the contrast between the background color of your banner and that of the surface you will be mounting it. What is the point of having a banner that is “brick red” and then mount it against a red brick wall? The banner will completely disappear on the wall. The same goes for a “white” banner on a white wall. Again, no pop. The same contrasts that work for letters work for backgrounds as well.

Part 5 — Images

This is where full color banner printing comes into play and that is the implementation of graphics. Gone are the days of only using text on a banner and here are the days of near photo quality graphics. There are so many resources for full color photos and web 2.0 type clipart that any banner printing company can design you a visually stunning banner. Just remember, if you want to include your own pictures, be sure that they are of sufficient pixels for the size you are printing.

In conclusion

It really is simple for a professional banner printing firm to design you a great looking product. Now that you know what to look for, you can more clearly articulate exactly what you want in a banner.

Michael Pingree is the creator of Salem, Oregon-based oregonbannerprinting.com , an web source for custom full color vinyl banners and banner displays. Using the company’s web-based technology, customers can design and purchase affordable banners web quickly and easily, 24/7, from anywhere in the United States. Check out our ways to save you money

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