How to design a banner

There are two basic approaches to how to design a banner. The first way is to decide what size you want, and the second way is to focus on the banner price.

Price is certainly important, but buying the right size banner for your needs will make the banner much more effective. Choosing a banner size depends on how you hang the banner and what goes on it.

If you have a sign you’re covering or company requirements on the size of the banner, this part is easy. If you’re not sure what size you need, start with a 3×8 banner, the most common size.

Once you know your banner size, think about what message the banner needs to say. Most people tend to put too much on a banner. The problem is, people won’t spend very long reading your banner, so if you make it short and simple more people will actually read the banner.

First decide on any critical parts of the banner design. Maybe your company logo is important, or a phone number is required. Just start with the minimum and type it out on the banner. Next, add other information like hours or a slogan. By putting in the critical parts of the design first, you’re more likely to make the important design elements big and the less important parts of the design small. That’s good, because people’s eyes will be drawn to the big parts of the banner first.

Now, for our second banner design option: choosing the size based on price. You actually have some options here, because banners are priced by the square foot. That means you take the width times the length of the banner times the price per square foot.

Let’s say your banner company charges $5 per square foot. If you have a $125 budget, you could buy a 3×8 banner, a 2×12 banner, or a 4×6 banner… they are all 24 square feet. This gives you a lot more design options because you could have a long skinny banner, a medium rectangle, or almost a square.

To get a feel for which shape is better for your banner, pull out a ruler and draw boxes that are one inch per foot (a 3×8 will be 3 inches by 8 inches). Then write your text or draw a box for your logo. This can help you pick the best size for however you want to design the banner.

You are welcome to share your banner design tips or questions below!