Guide to Buying Printed Banners

Whether you need small one-off printed banners or multiple large banners for a big campaign or promotion, these guidelines will help you to make the right purchase.

Choosing Your Banner Material

PVC Banners – These are the most common types of banners. Typically the material will have a weight of 400gsm and above and be washable, tear-resistant and weatherproof – suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications. PVC banners will be hemmed for strength and either eyeletted or looped (pocketed) to aid installation.
Heavy Duty PVC Banners – These are typically over 700gsm in weight. This material can often be printed on both sides and is particularly useful for lamppost banners and cafe banners, or where rough conditions are expected.
Backlit PVC Banner – Used in lightbox installations, commonly known as ‘Flexface Signs’. You will see these used extensively on retail parks. Backlit PVC is semi-opaque and allows the lights behind to illuminate the graphics on the banner. Printing on this material is usually denser to prevent the colours from bleaching or looking washed out when lit.
Mesh PVC Banners – Mesh banner is a perforated material which allows wind to pass through. Mesh is typically used for banners over 10 square metres in size, or for any banner where wind-loading may be an issue. Huge banners around scaffolding on buildings are always made from mesh.
Mesh banners are strengthened at the edges using a seatbelt-type material and can be eyeletted or looped as required.
Fabric Banners – Most often used indoors, polyester-canvas materials have the advantage of being more eco-friendly and softer to the touch. Fabrics have to be stitched rather than welded or glued.

Banner Sizes

Banners can be produced at any size to suit. The biggest banner in one piece is 5 metres x 50 metres. Bigger banners are made up of sections which can be welded together in our finishing room ready for dispatch, or supplied in up to 5 metre wide drops for you to connect together on site using ties, double-sided tape or industrial velcro.

Banner Printing

Most PVC banners are now digitally printed using eco-solvent or UV inks. Older printing machines have a low print resolution of 360dpi or less and do not print areas of solid colour very well. Modern machines, such as those at Blackpool Signs & Graphics, print at up to 1440dpi and offer ultra-sharp text, consistent solids and photographic quality images.
Fabrics are best printed using dye-sublimation techniques, again at up to 1440dpi resolution. This process on the right materials produces very vibrant and rich colours.

Banner Finishing

A high quality of finish is vital to the longevity of your banners. Cheaper banners available online are generally not hemmed, they are flat cut to size and then cheaply grommeted or eyeletted with flimsy components. These can be fine for indoor or very short-term outdoor use, but do not expect them to stand up to rough handling or the standard British weather.

Banner Artwork

At Blackpool Signs & Graphics we provide a high quality graphic design service for banners, although you can of course provide your own to our specifications.
If you would like us to produce your artwork we need a brief from you, along with any logos or images you require on your banner, from there we will provide a quotation – typically from just £20.00 plus VAT.

Banner Pricing

If you are able to supply your own print-ready artwork, individual PVC banners are available from Blackpool Signs & Graphics from £16.50 per square metre (plus VAT), including printing at high resolution on quality PVC banner material and fully hemmed and finished.
Heavy Duty, Backlit and Fabric banners are a little more, but still the most competitively priced in the area.