Five Things To Look For In Your Outdoor Banner This Spring

Buying an outdoor banner isn’t just something you should leave to the last minute, or something to throw together without too much thought. There are different types of outdoor banners for different situations. Do you need a very colorful, lightweight banner that will stay up for several months? Or maybe a heavy duty banner that only sits out for a few weeks, but is used year in, year out?

Maybe you’re putting up an outdoor banner to announce your upcoming festival, and you need it to hang over Main Street. Or maybe it’s a sponsorship banner that hangs over the fence of your baseball park, whether it’s a Little League, collegiate or professional ball park. Whatever you need, be sure to choose the right materials and design so your banner will be as effective (and long-lasting) as you need it.

Here are five elements to consider before you design and order your next outdoor banner:

1. Keep the banner as simple as possible. Put your event name, date, location, and contact information. Add a couple graphic elements like a logo or a photo. People don’t read a lot of copy, especially if they’re driving by, so keep it simple.

2. Use full color. Gone are the days of cut vinyl lettering. We can print full color now. Want a photo for a backdrop? Not a problem. Or maybe you have special colors that you need to use. No worries. Whatever you can print on your printer at home, it’s possible to put that onto any kind of outdoor banner material.

3. Make sure to choose the right contrast. Contrast is an important design element. You need high contrast colors if your banner is going to be seen from any distance. For example, red letters on green banners are awful, and hard to see. The two colors are not different enough to be readable. Choose colors like yellow letters on a blue background, or black letters on a white background. If you’re not sure about the right contrast, consult with your sign maker. He or she can give you the best color combinations to use.

4. Choose the right material. If you’re going to hang your banner across Main Street for a festival, it needs to be very heavy and durable enough to withstand high winds. If it’s outfield banners for a professional baseball team, the banners could be made from a lightweight mesh. If you use that heavy material, your banner will be ripped off the outfield wall when a heavy wind blows through. Choosing the wrong material can cause problems, so ask your sign maker for recommendations.

5. Make sure your hanging is appropriate for the use. Some banners will use a pole pocket (sleeves at the top and/or bottom of an outdoor banner, like you would see hanging on a lamp post) for a hanging. You can also have a nylon rope sewn into a banner’s pole pocket, and then tie the rope to fence posts. Grommets are also a possibility. Do try to avoid bungee cords, however. They tend to flap loudly and wildly in the wind. Your outdoor banner is going to make a big impression on the people who see it this spring. Make sure you take these five elements into consideration when designing and creating your next outdoor banner.

And if you have any questions, your local SIGNARAMA would be glad to help!

Plus, you can always design and buy your banners online in a few minutes on SIGNARAMA.com

"Originally posted on blog.signarama.com" 

Sign-A-Rama - Kearny Mesa in San Diego

Five Things To Look For In Your Outdoor Banner This Spring