Custom Banners

What is a Banner?

A banner is a piece of material with a design or message, usually hung in a public place. Traditionally, banners were used to display a country’s flag, a family’s coat of arms, or to announce official proclamations. While the word banner used to refer to flags (such as the star spangled banner), the most common banners today are printed advertising banners. Because of their common rectangle shapes and efficient messaging, banners have shown themselves digitally on websites as banner ads. Banners are a great form of advertising, so it makes sense that they were implemented on computers as well. There are a lot of meanings to the word banner, but the rest of our site uses the word to refer to printed banners.

Most advertising banners today are printed on vinyl and display logos or promotional messages. Our banners are printed in the United States, and we’re proud of the quality we’re able to provide by proofing every image before it goes to print.

What’s a grommet?

A grommet is a circular metal ring that will strengthen the area around the holes which are used to hang the banner. If you put a hole in a banner without using a grommet, the banner material is far more likely to rip or fray. Because most banners are hung, grommets are a natural choice. Grommets are included with every banner, but you’re also given the option to print your banner without the grommets.

How do you hem a banner?

There are two main ways to hem banners depending on the material. Most of our banners use heat-welded hems. These hems will protect the edges of the banner from fraying. For non-vinyl materials such as fabric, we will typically sew on the hems. It’s important to have hems on a banner if you’re using grommets because it gives the material a lot more strength to hold the grommet without ripping or tearing. We include hems and grommets free with every banner.

What’s the difference between matte and gloss?

The main difference is how shiny the material will be. Gloss is known to show bright colors well, but for a more muted look you may prefer semi-gloss or matte. Semi-gloss still has some more shine than matte would have while not being as reflective as a full gloss.

What is banner weight? Are 'oz' and 'mils' measuring the same thing?

Banners are usually measured in ounces per square yard of material. For example, our heavy duty vinyl is 18 ounces which means a square yard weighs 18 ounces. The larger the number, the heavier the vinyl. Our standard banners are 13 oz, and this material is great for both indoor and outdoor use.

Sometimes banners are measured in mils. This measurement refers to the thickness of the material in thousandths of an inch. The larger the number of mils, the thicker the material.

How are banners used?

Banners are typically hung to display their attention getting artwork and messages. Most commonly, you’ll see them used to promote businesses or announce big events like grand openings. Banners are also used along fences, hung against buildings, and hung in special banner stands.

What is DPI? Is this important for my banner?

DPI refers to dots per inch. Our printers are able to print 300 DPI on most of our materials. The reason that we will notify customers about their photo quality is that the larger a photo becomes, the dots per inch stretch and the image becomes blurry the larger you get. Sometimes a slightly lower DPI can be ok if the banner is meant to be viewed from far away, but for up close viewing you’ll want a higher quality image. We always proof every image before it goes to print and will comment on the image’s print quality.

How good does my image have to be to print well?

The quality of the image will depend on the final size of the banner. While we suggest at least 100 DPI, we always prefer as high quality images as possible. If there’s a chance that your image will blur on the final print, one of our designers will personally let you know before the product is sent to print.

How do I clean a banner?

The best way to clean a banner is with very mild soap and a soft cloth. Be gentle when cleaning your banner. Don’t use any abrasive clothes or harsh soaps because you may disrupt the art quality. Most of our banners are waterproof and can tolerate a lot. When cleaning though, it’s better to wash it with care safely.

Are you able to make double sided banners?

Yes! Our double-sided banners are printed on our heavy duty 18oz material with a blackout layer so that there’s no bleed in the print. If you’d like a double-sided banner on other materials, we recommend choosing two single sided banners and hang them back to back.

Do you sell blank banners?

We do! For most orders, simply specify that you do not want any artwork on the banner. If you’re ordering a large quantity, contact customer service to see whether you can get an additional discount for not using any ink.

How long do banners last?

Our banners are known to last for years with proper care. We stand behind the quality of our banners, and we know that they get used for all sorts of things both indoors and outdoors.

Are all of your banners custom made?

Yes! When you order a banner, your custom banners will be made special with your art or images. Our customers personalize banners daily to help their business grow and get their messages across in any way that they choose. Our custom banner printing results in a quality banner for each banner we print.