What you can put on vinyl banners has changed greatly now that you have access to digital banner printing. Gone are the days of text only phrases. If you can envision it, it can be printed on a banner.

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

1.Material

2.Size

3.Fonts

4.Contrast

5.Images

Part 1 — Material

There are three categories of banner material; lightweight, standard and heavyweight. Lightweight material is normally around 10 ounces 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 — Material Size

Larger is not always the best option when sizing a banner. You need to keep the size in scale with where you are installing it. Everyone has seen a really small banner mounted on the side of a large wall. That banner is not readable except if you are standing right in front of it. The opposite is just as bad. You want your banner to stand out from the background, not blend into it.

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 — Characters

The character set you employ in your design is just about the most important choice you can make. You need something readable and one that stay consistent with your groups brand. Using all caps can add a striking design element, but be careful. All caps with a script font are a disaster no matter what you do. If adding all caps is important to you, be sure to look for one that is clean lined as it will work much better for you.

Part 4 — Contrast

You need to be aware of two color contrasts. The first is the contrast between your fonts and the background of the banner and the second is the contrast of the banner and its background.

green on white white on green red on white white on red

These are really good color combinations to use for your fonts/background colors. You want your words to pop off the page and draw the attention of the reader. Using the right combinations of colors can do just that.

A second area of concern is the contrast between the banners and its background. What is the point of having a green banner if it is displayed against a grassy field. The object is to grab your viewers attention, not to play hide n seek with them.

Part 5 — Images

Images are what set modern banner printing apart from the days of old. The ability to digitally print the banner has given your designer the freedom to use a wide variety of web 2.0 style clipart and graphics and should guarantee you and original banner design. Of note: If you intend to supply your own digital files, make sure the bitmaps images have sufficient pixels to scale up to the size you plan to print.

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, you can design and purchase affordable banners web quickly and easily, 24/7, from anywhere in the United States. Check out our banner display prices