Banners are a very simple device to express information to an anticipated audience. A banner can be used to welcome, direct or inform and while people spend a lot of time designing them; it is equally important to understand how you are ultimately going to display them.
We do all kinds of banners. From the basic banner that you stretch between two trees to the banner that hangs from a ceiling, or displayed on a parking lot post, displayed at a trade show, zipped tied to a chain link fence,mounted to a floor stand and, and, and…Although we are very adept at designing banners that communicate the information required effectively, we also are a good source of information on how to display them.
One very important issue associated with banners is how long they will be used. Are they going up for a single event with a very specific communication function (Welcome to the wedding) or will they be used for a more prolonged period (a designated parking area)? A very important issue to consider is movement. The less movement your banner experiences; the longer it will last. One of the fastest ways to shorten the life of a banner is to cut “smiles” into them. Those smiles, that are suggested as a way to allow for air flow through the banner, actually destroy the integrity of the nylon scrim that is used to strengthen the banner and contributes to its destruction because the flapping leads to tearing.
Banner finishing is also important. Short term; no hemming required. Longer term; a double stitch hem will prevent fraying. Even longer term, nylon webbing (referred to as seat belt within the industry) adds additional strength which can make for a very long lasting banner. Another issue related to banner finishing is the memory within the media used that can cause edges to curl. That curl can give a potential client a bad first impression of your business. With the challenge of finding customers; do you want to plant a seed of poor quality by the way to introduce yourself? You can never make a second first impression.
Retractable banner stands allow you to safely transport and store your vertical banners and if your provider prints it on the right material, those edges won’t curl. Quality medias have been developed with that single express purpose. Other issues like how the media interacts with the inks to hold it and reproduce colours are another issue that your vendor, if they know what they are doing, will result in a quality banner that will last and more importantly, communicate a clear message without a distraction of a poorly produced or displayed image.
Flex Face systems have become the medium of choice for many large signs and we have, over time, found many systems to effectively determined which one is right for the variety of banner applications that we face regularly. The only constant is the variety of challenges encountered. There are so many circumstances to consider as we determine the most cost effective way to give your banner every opportunity to communicate your message. Contact me (Brian the Banner Guy) at www.gobpi.ca for help in the Greater Toronto Area from Kitchener-Waterloo in the West to Scarborough and Markham in the East.
