All About Banner Signs
Banners are one of the most effective methods of advertising, and when used efficiently their advertising potential and the financial returns back into a business are tremendous. Banner signs, when properly formatted for optimum viewing, are seen and noticed, and often commented on, far more frequently than other types of signs.
Outdoor banners placed along road sides, or on the sides of buildings, for example will be seen by almost everyone as they drive by. If you are trying to brand your products or your company, there is no better way to do so than by using banners for advertising. It will increase recognition of your brand, no matter how small your business is.
While the majority of vinyl banner signs are used to advertise outdoors, there are countless other ways they are utilized. The main goal with any signs & banners is to provide advertisers with the best opportunity to reach their target customers and audiences. Banners, because they are so visual, offer one of the best mediums for conveying an idea, an image or to advertise a sporting or social event.
You can see banners in use all over the country. Signs banners can be seen in sports stadiums, and parking lots. They are used by churches, sports clubs, and schools to advertise upcoming events and other important notices. While not always used outdoors, they are perfect for outside use.
Most PVC vinyl signs banners designs are printed with special UV protective ink that resists fading. Determining the actual heaviness of the PVC vinyl that needs to be used is dependent first on whether the banner will be hung indoors or outdoors. Generally indoor banners need only nine or ten ounce vinyl, however outdoor banners can be made from as heavy as twenty-two ounce vinyl.
Signs and banners can be large enough, these days, to cover the entire side of an office building, or they can be small enough to hang in an indoor stadium. The size of the banner is only limited by the digital printing equipment that is used to print on the banner. Sometimes you will see signs and banners printed in full color, with very realistic artwork and photographs on them. Needless to say, this style of banner is still very expensive to order and buy, and it may be out of reach for small businesses or individuals to pay for these types of banners. Depending on your budget, you may find that a simple one or two color printing banner would be more doable. Still, one or two color printing can be just as effective and stand out just the same as a more expensive banner.
To get the optimum effect from your banner sign, it is imperative that it is designed properly. Banners are made to have a fast impact and impression on people as they go by. If you are going to be designing your own banner, or even making a rough sketch of your banner you should consider a few things.
First, decide on the most important message you want to pass on. That will be your primary message and it will be the largest message, the one that people can see from far away. Next, decide on your secondary message, the one that will explain further or support your primary message. That will be printed in slightly smaller fonts, though it will still be highly readable from a distance. Finally, you will add other text such as your telephone number or contact information, or if it were advertising and event, you would add the location.
Those are the three main things to decide on, before you decide on anything else. Remember, people will be reading your sign from a distance, often while traveling in a vehicle. That means they will be reading your sign for a maximum of three seconds. The message they receive from reading the banner should be:
What you are advertising (primary message)
What deal you are offering (secondary message)
Contact information
As an example, you may be starting an organic tea business so your sign could potentially read something like this:
OLLI’S ORGANIC TEA
Opening Sale – 20%
Phone: 1145 4444
Once you have decided on the text for your banner, look it over and make sure that it is the message that you want people to see. If it is not quite right, keep working on it until it is. This is the most important thing with your banner–more important than color and font choices.
Next, you should decide on color choices and font. If you are not familiar with these elements of design, you should probably seek some professional help so that your banner is the best it can be.
Remember, business signs and banners are one of the most effective advertising methods you have available to you. Design your sign or banner carefully for optimum results.