Banner quality: how to buy a good quality banner
Banner quality can refer to several things: the material quality (how long it will last), the print quality (how clear the design is printed), and the finishing quality (how the banner is hemmed and grommeted). Here’s how to make sure you buy a good quality banner:
Banner Material Quality
The foundation of a high-quality banner is the material it’s printed on. If the banner is printed on thin material, it may not be strong enough to withstand the wind. But if it is printed on super-thick banner material, the metal grommet holes may tear out from the strain of the extra weight.
Banner quality is measured in weight. 10-ounce material is very common and is too light to hang outside. 10-ounce banners would be okay for an indoor-only birthday banner. If you want a very temporary banner that doesn’t have to hold up to much strain, this might be okay. But keep in mind that 10-ounce banners are very thin, so light shines through them. They’re best if they are going on a wall or another solid surface where light won’t be shining through them, making it hard to read the banner.
15-ounce material is not as common. It is so thick that it blocks out all light, but the problem is it’s so thick it is very heavy. Unless you are going to have grommets every foot (instead of the usual average of every 2 to 3 feet) the added weight of the banner will tear out the metal grommet holes much faster.
The solution? Buy 13-ounce banners. They have the right mix of thickness and weight and are most likely to last a long time. You may see a little light shine through them on a bright day, but nothing like the light coming through a 10-ounce banner. 13-ounce vinyl banners are usually fine outdoors unless you are going to be hanging a large banner in the wind.
(In that case, you will be better off with a mesh banner. Mesh banners, by the way, are typically 10 ounces because the tiny holes in the material make the banner weigh less, but they are actually stronger because they won’t tear easily in the wind.)
Banner Print Quality
Not all printers are created equal. Some companies use high-resolution printers and some use a much lower resolution so that they can print much larger banners. Without going into too much technical detail here, the ideal banner print quality is 100 dpi resolution. This means the printer prints out 100 drops of ink for every inch of the banner.
Graphic designers are often surprised because this resolution is low compared to other products like business cards and brochures. That’s because banners are made for faraway viewing, not up-close inspection. And it’s also because banner printers are special: normal printers only print those 100 dots of ink per inch and move on to the next inch. But a quality banner printer actually passes over the same inch multiple times, anywhere from 3 to 6 times. This adds increased resolution and makes prints come out equivalent to 300 dpi traditional prints.
In addition to resolution, some printers match colors better than others. Printers simply cannot print every color of the rainbow, and since most banners use 6-color process similar to a photo inkjet printer, you won’t get exact Pantone matches.
If you’re going to buy more than 10 identical banners, you can often have the banner company print a sample to send to you. That way you can compare resolution among several different suppliers and choose the one that comes out best.
Banner Finishing Quality
When a banner comes off a printer, it doesn’t have a hem or grommets. Some companies are sneaky and advertise low prices, then charge you extra for the hem or grommets. You really need both for any banner.
The hem protects the banner edges from fraying. Some hems are sewn with a sewing machine; others are heat-welded with a special machine that folds the edge over onto itself and melts it together. Both methods are strong, but it’s important to have one or the other.
Grommets are the metal eyelets all around the edge of the banner that you use to hang the banner. These are also very important because the metal rings protect the banner from tearing. Make sure you use all the grommets when you hang a banner outside — putting all the strain on just the four corners can tear even the highest quality banner. Grommets are important for hanging any banner and so printers who try to upcharge you for them are probably not the best companies to deal with.
Getting the best banner quality
You should have a good way to gauge banner companies now: check with the company to find out what weight the banner material is, make sure the resolution and colors are good (if you’re buying online in small quantities, just checking for a Banner Samples page can be a good indication), and make sure you know the total cost including hem and grommets.
After you receive your banner, review our banner care and storage tips to make sure the banner lasts as long as possible.
