Are Those Banners Cheap...Or Just Cheap?

We have all seen the ads for cheap vinyl banners everywhere on the 'net. Those ads where you can get a 4'x8' banner for $60-$70.  Sounds great doesn't it, but is there a catch? Have you really looked closely at the specs of those banners... Material Let's look at what material is being used. Any banner that is to be used outdoors must be made of vinyl scrim if you want it to last more than a few hours. Anyone who is using any type of paper material for outdoors is just ripping you off. Weight This will be the one spec that might be hard to figure out. Chances are that if the advertisement doesn't specify what the banner weight is, they have something to hide. You should never order a banner that uses less than 13 ounce banner material. This is the standard for outdoor durability. Most of these cheap offers are giving you 10 ounce and maybe an option to upgrade to 13 ounce at an additional cost. Hemming This is the process of folding over one inch of the material and securing it with either tape or stitching. This process will increase the strength of the banner dramatically and should be a FREE option on all banners you order.  I prefer using banner tape as you get a clean edge that doesn't damage the face of the banner. Many shops will tell you that sewing is the best, but it has two drawbacks in my opinion. The first is that sewing causes the edges to pucker, causing some image distortion. The second drawback is that sewing machines use a claw tooth foot to pull the banner into the machine and this can cause visible scuffing of the image.  These shops will charge something around $0.90 per linear foot to hem. For a 4'x8' banner (24 linear ft) that amounts to $21.60 in extra charges. Grommets This is a simple one...everyone needs some way to hang the banners that they buy don't they? Grommets are super cheap, about $0.10 each, and should be included in the price. You should have one in each corner and then one every two/three feet along all four sides.  Those shops that charge extra usually bill you $1.00 for each grommet. That is $12.00 for a 4'x8' banner. Conclusion Banners can be a fantastic way to advertise your event or business. They are considered the most cost effective form of advertising. Don't be fooled by those ads for "cheap" banners, they might not be that great a value after all. More information on banner printing can be found at oregonbannerprinting.com

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