Custom Banners

What is a Banner & How are they Used?

A banner is a piece of material with a design or message, usually hung in a public place. Traditionally, they were used to display a country’s flag, a family’s coat of arms, or to announce official proclamations. While the word used to refer to flags (such as the star spangled banner), the most common use today is in advertising. Because of their common rectanglar shapes and efficient messaging, they have also gone digital on websites as banner ads. There are a lot of meanings, but our site specializes in 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 sign. If you put a hole in the material without using a grommet, it 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.

How do you hem a banner?

There are two main ways to hem and it depends on the material. Most of our products 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 if you’re using grommets because it gives the material more strength and prevents ripping or tearing.

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 more shine than matte while not being as reflective as a full gloss.

What is banner weight?

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 they 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.

What is DPI and why is it important?

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. Sometimes a slightly lower DPI can be ok if the signage is meant to be viewed from far away, but for up close viewing you’ll want a higher quality image. We suggest at least 100 DPI, but always prefer higher quality images if possible. We proof every image before it goes to print and will comment on the image’s print quality.

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 it, and don’t use an abrasive cloth or harsh soaps because you may disrupt the art quality. Most of our banners are waterproof and can tolerate a high degree of use.

Are you able to make double sided signs?

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

Do you sell blank banners?

We do! For most orders, simply specify that you do not want any artwork on your product. If you’re ordering a large quantity, contact customer service to see whether you can get your banners for less for not using any ink.

How long do they last?

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

Are all of your pieces custom made?

Yes! Your custom banners will be made special with your art and images.

Our banner printing takes place in the United States, and we're proud of the quality we're able to provide by proofing every image prior to print. Start creating your personalized banner today!