Banner Printing
Short answer
Banners are printed on a wide-format printer onto PVC banner fabric, with hemmed edges and eyelets for mounting. For outdoor banners, fabric weight and wind slits matter; artwork resolution follows the viewing distance.
A banner is the cheapest route to large-format advertising — which is exactly why technical mistakes are most common on them. The two most frequent: artwork prepared at 300 dpi, producing an absurdly large file for a banner, and text placed where the eyelets go, so it gets folded or punched through at mounting. This page covers how banner artwork is prepared correctly, what resolution is actually needed, and what to plan for with outdoor mounting.
Key facts
- Material
- PVC banner fabric
- Mounting
- Eyelets along the edges
- Edge
- Hemmed and reinforced
- Resolution
- Follows viewing distance
- Outdoor banners
- Wind slits at large sizes
- Artwork
- Vector or scaled
- Safe area
- 10 cm from the edge
- Quote
- Timing by agreement
Check image resolution at the final size
Banner image resolution depends on the final dimensions and viewing distance. A value used for small print should not automatically be applied to a large banner. Send original photographs and vector logos so detail and lettering can be reviewed at the actual size.
- 1-2 m viewing distance — 150 dpi
- 3-5 m — 100 dpi
- 10 m and beyond — 72 dpi is enough
- Large banners — scaled artwork (e.g. 1:10)
Eyelets and the safe area
An eyelet is the metal ring a banner is mounted through — normally set every 50 cm along the edge. That means two things for the artwork. First, roughly 10 cm from the edge must stay clear, because that is where the hem and eyelets sit — text or a logo in that zone will either be covered or punched through. Second, the actual banner size shrinks slightly because of the hem, so the final size must be agreed in advance, especially if the banner has to fit a specific frame.
- Eyelets — normally every 50 cm
- Safe area from the edge — 10 cm
- Hemming reduces the actual size
- Frame-fitted banners — agree size in advance
Outdoor banners: wind and weather
The main enemy of an outdoor banner is wind, not rain. A large solid banner acts like a sail and either tears itself or rips out its fixings. To solve that, large outdoor banners get wind slits (perforation), or use mesh material that lets air through. The second consideration is colour stability: in direct sun the print fades gradually, so if the banner will hang for more than a season, that should factor into the material choice.
Information for preparing banner artwork
| Detail | What to provide | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Final dimensions | Width and height in real units | Plan file scale and finishing |
| Viewing distance | Approximate distance and a site photograph | Assess lettering, details and image quality |
| Fixing method | Eyelets, frame or other mounting system | Allow margins and safe areas |
| Source artwork | Vector logos and original images | Check quality at the actual output size |
How It Works
- 1
Define size and placement
We establish where the banner will hang and from what distance it will be seen — that determines size, material and resolution.
- 2
Prepare artwork
Artwork is prepared at final or scaled size, with a 10 cm safe area from the edge.
- 3
Wide-format printing
Printing runs on banner fabric on a wide-format printer.
- 4
Edge finishing
Edges are hemmed and reinforced, then eyelets are set.
- 5
Handover or installation
The banner is folded, packed and ready for collection; installation is agreed separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size banner can I have?
What format should the artwork be?
Are eyelets mandatory?
Will a banner survive rain?
What do wind slits do?
How large should the text be?
Do you install banners too?
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