You may think buying a large poster board and a pack of markers to make a sign for a co-worker’s promotion party is a great way to personalize it. It is. But…what happens if you’re writing a message and creating pictures late the night before the celebration, and you make a mistake? Now what? Another run to the store, and another try? What if we told you that you really can spend up to $10 or more on the poster board, and $21 or more on the markers, plus the hassles and the pressure of doing it right. Would it seem logical to fork up just two more dollars to have that sign become a custom designed, professionally printed banner that’s shipped to you a day after you order it? And that example is for a single party. Our custom banners can be utilized for a grand opening, a big sale, a church event, and so much more.
Among the topics we’ll cover in this article:
- Optimal banner size for your needs
- Templates to help create your banner
- Uses for personalized banners
- Why you should invest in a custom banner
Custom Banner Sizes for You:
When you head to our banner page , you’ll see our standard vinyl banner choices range from 3’ wide to 20’ wide, and 2’ high to 10’ high. That dropdown menu is simply an indicator as to the most commonly used banner dimensions. To be clear, we can technically make any banner size you want that spans as wide as 50 yards. That’s half an entire football field!
There is no absolute tried and true banner size that will mark your level of success. However, there are some things you should consider. You don’t want your banner so small that it can’t be read or even seen from a distance. You also don’t want to overwhelm with a banner too big. Think of this— You own a hot dog stand. The area of your business is certainly much smaller than a large retail grocery store. While this example of an overly large banner that dwarfs the size of your workplace is over the top, it’s simply to prove a point that there is a smarter range of dimensions to a banner in relationship to your establishment.
It may seem a bit counterintuitive, but you might think about choosing your banner size after your text and graphics are planned out. There’s a reason for this. If your signage is placed in a pedestrian traffic area, the basic rule of thumb is that your letters should be a minimum of two inches tall for a person to see when they are standing still from 50 feet away. That having been said, most of your banner signage viewers will be people driving by. You’ll want to make your message as concise as possible. Too much clutter means too much information to absorb in the fleeting glance drivers will have at your message. With keeping your message brief, the benefit is two-fold. You’ll avoid the aforementioned clutter, and your text will be able to be bigger. Size does matter.
There is a pretty standard philosophy in our industry as to an easy-to-understand mathematical ratio for banner letter size. It’s called the 1” to 10’ rule. For every extra 10 feet of distance to your custom banner, increase the text height by one inch. The chart below provides a visual that is comprehensive of the 1” to 10’ rule.
Add to that, the following will give you the information you need to understand regarding the amount of time drivers will actually be able to read your banner, given the speed at which they’re driving. Using the top row, if a driver is passing your banner at 25mph and your letter size is 4 inches in height, they can see that for 5 ½ seconds.
It all boils down to some careful planning and calculation when deciding on your custom size outdoor banner or indoor banners. Our salespeople our highly skilled to assist you in the decision-making process.
Custom Banner Templates:
Don’t get scared. We’re about to throw some jargon at you:
- Vector
- Kerning
- CMYK 4-color process
- Proof
- Image library
Those are a sampling of industry buzz words regarding design templates. A design template, to put it simply, is a starting point for a design. Templates are boiler-plate cocktails of art and text created by graphic artists. They are intended to guide users toward an aesthetically pleasing and purposeful design, in this case, for banners. The design templates Good Guys Signs employs are very user-friendly. You don’t have to be an artist to create your text and the look for your banner design.
Think about what it is you want to convey. A template is a design to express your emotional desires. Example for this instance would be a birthday party. Imagine wanting to plan a birthday celebration. You might want to express your emotion for the big shindig. Bubbly letters and rounded shapes on your banner image that deliver the message you want to send? Perfect. If you’re a new business owner who wants to deliver something more potent, that makes total sense. You might want to run with a more industrial look that shows your viewers you are a real biz ready to make a statement within your trade.
Font choice is highly critical based on your intent. Working on finding the best font with a banner template will depend heavily on personal preferences and branding. But there are some clear-cut typefaces and styles that you should ponder over. Among them are:
Sans Serif– This boasts a minimalist, modern look, and makes for easy reading. Sans Serif is the most used font for signage on customized banners. Their uncluttered nature makes them easier to read at a distance than other fonts.
Franklin Gothic– One of the best bold fonts for banners, this font style has a classic, powerful feel to it. This eye-catching look grabs and commands attention, which is why it’s often used on warning signs.
Bodoni– This font has kind of a BOGO thing going for it. It is both unique, as well as classic at the same time. The thick style and perfect spacing between letters present a formal or professional feel, which is great for a high-end event banner.
This is where our custom templates come into play to suit your needs more. They allow the user to create a design that harmoniously aligns message with business or event.
If you’re really creative or really want to do more than what a template offers, we also sport a design tool on our website. A design tool is like a template, only you start the whole contextual concept from scratch instead of picking from the template choices we provide.
How to Personalize Your Custom Banner:
There are some factors to take in when deliberating what the best kind of banner and material will be for your needs. Good Guys Signs sells a few different types of custom vinyl banners. They each have a unique way in which to be effective for advertising, brand awareness, creating lasting memories, and more. They are:
- Standard vinyl banner
- Mesh banner
- Retractable banner
- Step & Repeat banner
- Double Sided banner
Our standard banner material is a 13oz vinyl. This scrim vinyl banner material has a white opaque base for front printing and display. It is tear and fade resistant, as well as fire retardant, meeting standard NFPA 701 guidelines. Standard custom banners made of vinyl are good for indoor and outdoor use. These banners will last 2-3 years outdoors if cared for properly. Outdoor life expectancy will depend on weather conditions and sun exposure. In high winds, vinyl banners have the propensity to act like a sail. If you decide to use a custom vinyl banner in a high wind environment, we recommend that you add wind slits to allow wind to pass through. This will help to keep the banner intact. Indoor life expectancy is 5 years or more if cared for properly.
Mesh banners are essentially vinyl material. The caveat to a mesh banner is that vinyl is woven with perforations throughout, thus mesh. Akin to a screen door, the many small holes in a mesh banner allow air to pass through. This makes custom mesh a premier choice for outdoor banners. Our mesh vinyl banners are most suitable for use in areas with wind exposure such as chain-link fences. Other use cases include larger banners attached to the side of buildings.
Retractable Banners are convenient for travel and great if you’re watching your budget. They are an amazing way to snag plenty of business by putting them into play at tradeshows, events, exhibitions, and conferences as promotional displays. They are extremely light, and come with a free case that is so small and easy to handle, it will fit seamlessly in an overhead storage bin on a plane.
Step & Repeat Banners are fantastic ways to promote your company at countless events. They display any and all information you want to put out there, be it your company name and contact information, or multiple images of your logo. These banners are more soft sell and unobtrusive advertising than some traditional forms. Additionally, they turn events and get-togethers into memorable moments and memories that last long after.
Double-Sided Banners are exactly what they sound like. A single-sided banner is a solid choice. A double-sided banner is thicker, stronger, and allows you twice the information and two times the attention of those you want to turn into legit sales. Our double-sided banners are smooth, yet resilient. The heavy-duty scrim vinyl material ensures that people won’t see the opposite side’s print, and therefore, each message is independent of the other. Made from a high quality, ultra thick 18 ounce banner material with a matte finish, it is also ideal for harsh and cold conditions. It’s unique scrim pattern makes it a smoother, higher quality look than traditional banners, better suited to high end prints of food, people, and detailed objects. Both sides are printable.
Ever seen a banner like this?
How about this?
Wow! That second banner looks pretty huge. But what’s missing?
- A. The name of the store
- B. What they sell
- C. When the grand opening is
- D. All of the above
If you answered D, you were correct, of course. So, you can go grab one of those banners at a generic chain store and spend $15 or more. Or you can get one at our specialty print shop for under $33 with any and all details and information you want on your custom banner. And does $33 really seem like a large investment? If so, we want to give you a little breakdown of the return on that investment.
What if, for around $30, a personalized banner (a one-time cost) earned you only $40 extra in sales per day? That doesn’t sound so great. Understood. But even if you’re only open on weekdays, that equates to an annual revenue increase of around $10,500. That meager $30 cost has now gained you a return of 350 percent! Still having second thoughts about spending $30 for that exploding income? We’re just trying to exhibit to you the massive income potential you can derive from a custom personalized banner. Let’s move on
Custom Banners & Special Occasions:
Custom banners are ripe for special occasions. They add some juice to any event that calls for them. Some fantastic special occasions for custom signage are wedding receptions, retirement parties, welcome home events for military personnel, and more. After reading this next paragraph, close your eyes and imagine the scenario:
Your child has had their name called. They have gotten up from their seat and walked to the stage. They have been handed their diploma. Their class has been officially announced as having graduated. Your kid has thrown their cap in the air. Now, they arrive home, where an elegant graduation banner flows gently in a soft breeze.
Isn’t that just a classic slice of Americana?
As mentioned earlier, our custom Step & Repeat banners amplify the delight, enjoyment, and memories of special occasions. Think about any fun event you’ve ever gone to, and one thing missing that didn’t leave you with a tangible, lasting impression. Trite as it sounds, a picture is worth a thousand words. Are you getting it? The thing missing from the event was…………
a picture.
Upping the ante of a simple picture, our custom Step & Repeat banners deliver an added effect that replaces a drab white wall behind you in a picture. Among the occasions these personalized banners work great for are birthday parties, baby showers, and corporate office shindigs.
Summarizing:
Whether you’re looking to build brand awareness, celebrate a birthday, or promote a charity run, an amazing banner is a smart, creative, and affordable way to go. Using one for outdoor displays is a resourceful, intelligent choice. An eye catching banner draws an audience in. In fact, research has shown that appealing signage graphics create instant brand recall by as much as 300% compared to dull graphics or none at all. For you entrepreneurs, the Outdoor Advertising Association of America indicates that upwards of 45% of potential customers stop on impulse driven by banner signage.
So it’s worth carefully planning and executing a customized banner that will bring you the desired effect you seek.
In a nutshell, Good Guys Signs is a banner maker. We do custom banner printing as well as any place around. Our prices are extremely competitive, and our turnaround time is unrivaled. When you decide it’s time to get a new banner, reach out to us at (800) 614-8040. We look forward to delivering you the product you expect, and then some.
