When you order vinyl banners, you may encounter unfamiliar terms. At Half Price Banners, we often get questions about vinyl weight and its density.
We understand that this may cause confusion, and that you want to spend your money on the correct product for your purposes. Fortunately, the concepts are easy to understand.
Vinyl Weight
Ounces: For vinyl banners, the material is typically measured in ounces, based on a square yard of material. For example, our standard banner vinyl is 13 ounces, meaning a square yard weighs 13 ounces. The larger the number, the heavier the vinyl.
Although some companies have a confusing array of choices, Half Price Banners has a simplified approach and uses 13-oz vinyl as its standard. Vinyl banners made with 13-oz material are perfect for all indoor applications. It also is likely to be a good choice for your outdoor banner needs. Depending on your local weather and prevailing wind conditions, 13-oz vinyl signs will last from three to five years.
Vinyl Thickness
Mils: Vinyl will also be measured in mils, which is its thickness measured in a thousandths of an inch. Similar to ounces, larger numbers correlate to thickness. Typically, vinyl film will be measured in mils. For a retractable banner, we use 11-mil vinyl film, which is lightweight but won’t curl.
Vinyl Density
Denier: In addition to weight, vinyl can be measured in density. This unit of measure is called denier, and is used to measure almost any textile. The outdoor materials we use at Half Price Banners (excluding mesh), have denier of 1,000×1,000. You’ll find that this density will work well for most of outdoor applications, as it is heavy duty yet holds printing well.
If you're looking for more specifics on banner material weight, please contact our support team, and we'd be happy to help!