Bored with traditional banners? Looking to stand out from the business crowd? No problem. SpeedPro’s line of stretch fabric frame banners and illuminated banner stands are high-impact event pieces that can shine a new light on your brand — literally.
With their backlit lighting and signature easy-assembly framing system, illuminated displays are self-contained branding beacons. Explore backlit banners and fabric frames from the design experts at SpeedPro, then reach out to see how we can light up your branded graphics today.
Why Pick Fabric Banner Stands?
Fabric banners are free-standing banner displays containing a supportive structural frame and a custom fabric graphic. The majority of these graphics slip over the assembled frame, creating a convenient, “pillowcase”-like setup that can be completed in a matter of minutes.
SpeedPro’s line of stretch fabric displays comes in two products: the Formulate® Essential fabric banner and the Vector Frame™ fabric banner. Both the Formulate and the Vector Frame come with a catalog of customizations — including backlighting options — that your local SpeedPro studio will help curate to achieve your banner vision.
Regardless of the banner frame type that you select, your business can present its “best foot forward” — and reap the following benefits.
1. Cohesion
Fabric and illuminated banners are printed on one of SpeedPro’s most popular and adaptable media: stretch fabric. Made from a polyester-based material blend, the stretch fabric maintains its colors and images with a natural, unsaturated, high-resolution finish.
Fabric frame visuals will easily match any current brand color schemes. Our studios produce prints within a 95% match of Pantone PMS CMYK color standards, one of the design world’s leading color-coding techniques. We’re proud to be one of the only G7 Master Qualified large-format printers in the country, an accreditation that testifies to our color accuracy, media quality and overall superior printing techniques.
2. Portability
Fabric banners are lightweight and ultra-transportable. At their heaviest, SpeedPro’s Formulate Essential fabric banner lines weigh only 10 pounds (the Formulate Essential Banner 1500 Straight model). At their lightest, the Formulate Essential banners weigh in at between three and four pounds. Most fabric display kits also come with a handled carrying bag for easier transport and storage. Hard carrying cases are available upon request.
3. Versatility
Fabric and illuminated frames are the ultimate booth-branding mechanism. Set them up at conferences, expos, trade shows and similar industry gatherings to make your area unmistakable with anyone else’s. Assemble them at community gatherings such as farmers markets or street festivals, creating a home base to meet and greet with locals. Then, take them back and place them in your lobby or storefront, lighting up the doorway and inviting all clients and visitors into your space. Stretch fabric displays are versatile branding mechanisms that work in all these environments — and more.
4. Aesthetics
Few large-format prints have the aesthetic impact of an illuminated, backlit graphic. What’s more, the stretch-fit fabric stand and framing system introduces a list of customizable features that will allow you to make these banners truly your own:
- No light glare, like many vinyl and vinyl banner finishes
- Choice of single- or double-sided
- Choice of an interior illuminated light-up system — unavailable with vinyl retractable banner stands
- Pillowcase slip-over graphics, hiding the frame system and drawing the eyes only to your graphics and messages
5. The “Wow” Factor
Light-up banners and illuminated graphics offer an unparalleled way to put your most professional foot forward when you’re in the eyes of the public. The benefits of these backlit fabric banners are vast, representing the true character of your company whenever you choose to put them on display. You can impress and influence anyone passing by, plus look great while doing so.
Fabric Frame Banner Components
SpeedPro’s FormulateEssential and Vector Frame stands are stretch fabric-based banners. We design and print these two displays with the following features.
1. Printed Stretch Fabric Graphics
Stretch fabric graphics come on a premium polyester-based media blend that’s durable, pliable and easy to transport. As its name suggests, stretch fabrics simply pull and slip over an assembled supporting frame — no buttoning, taping, clipping, tying, mounting or specialty tools required.
The stretch fabric graphics are available across our lineup of Formulate Essential banner stands.
2. Push-Fit Fabric Graphics
Push-fit fabric graphics are made from the same high-quality, ultra-durable and pliable polyester blend as stretch fabrics for our Formulate Essential banners. However, these graphics are made to work with light-up banners — meaning they’re the graphics type included with all Vector Frame stands.
When you order a Vector Frame backlit banner of any size, you’ll receive a custom push-fit fabric overlay that you’ll simply “push” into place. Installing a push-fit graphic is nearly identical to how you fit a photograph into the back of a frame — simply flip the frame over and place the graphics face down, then secure them into position with stability tabs. See the image carousel for an installation example.
3. Formulate Frames
Formulate frames are tube frames that fabric stretches and slides over pillowcase-style. They’re the framing system for SpeedPro’s namesake Formulate Essential banner stands and assemble in a few minutes, creating the straight, steady banner stand to stretch graphics over, wrinkle-free and without edge curls.
4. Vector Frames
Vector Frames are similar to their Formulate tube counterparts, yet with one key difference: They’re designed for accompanying fabrics to insert into them, much like you insert a photograph into a frame before hanging it on your wall.
This push-fit design makes Vector Frames the framing system for all SpeedPro Vector Frame illuminated graphics. Their extrusion frame system allows for LED-light installation seamlessly into the design, lighting up graphics from within.
5. Customized Graphics
SpeedPro’s G7 Master Qualifications acknowledges our prints as some of the best, highest quality images in the large-format industry. We’ll work with you to design custom fabric banner graphics to your exact design specifications, including tailoring banner:
- Shape (rectangular or square)
- Colors
- Text
- Lines and detailing
- Media
- Lighting
- And more
6. Single- or Double-Sided
SpeedPro can produce single- or double-sided fabric graphics. Both graphics options are available for our Formulate Essential and Vector Frame lines, giving you a standing banner with double the visibility and range as a traditional mounted graphic.
7. Optional Illuminated Fabric Frames
SpeedPro has created hundreds of illuminated banners for clients across the country. Backlit banners contain LED light fixtures installed into the framing system itself, with light-safe push-fit graphics then placed seamlessly into the frame and illuminated from within.
Explore our full catalog of custom illuminated graphics for businesses here.
Where to Use Stretch Fabric and Backlit Banners
Backlit banners will be versatile, eye-catching additions to your setup in any of the following environments:
- Trade shows and expos: The average CMO dedicates a quarter of their budget to public events like trade shows and expos. That’s 25% of its entire spend funneled toward attending and assembling stands at industry events, networking with colleagues, current customers and like-minded prospects alike. Stand out from the crowd at these ever-popular live events with custom backlit banners and easy-assembly stretch fabric displays, and make that marketing spend go the extra mile.
- Fairs and festivals: Events like farmers markets, parades, concerts in the park, county fairs and municipal holiday celebrations offer the place to meet and greet with community members. Light-up graphics create a warm, welcoming way to do so. You can set up branded stalls to increase business name recognition, sell merchandise or host a unique booth experience, such as a photo-ready step-and-repeat banner.
- Corporate events: Whether it’s an industry conference or an internal company party, light-up banners are a great addition to match event energy and raise overall morale. Backlit displays have the added bonus of differentiating you from any competitors at industry-wide gatherings, where you’ll be vying for the attention of thought leaders and influencers in your field. Draw them to you with high-quality, high-impact illuminated fabric frames and displays — and immediately make the right first impression.
- Product launches and demonstrations: Premiering a new product or service is an exciting time for your business. Custom light-up fabric frames will help spotlight that moment (literally). With their built-in lighting system, you can draw eyes and attention to the graphics and branded messages surrounding your new products. Set up a series of light-up banners, and suddenly you have an entire illuminated block of branded messaging — your company’s personal Times Square.
- Charity events: Contributing to the community that supports your organization is not only a business best practice — it’s a top quality that consumers now look for in the organizations they do business with. Your business can donate time, staff and resources to relevant causes near and dear to your organization. You can also host your own charity event fundraiser, which will in turn require branded graphics that help build the ambiance and make this good cause an equally engaging and memorable one.
- Throughout your own business/office: Who says light-up banners are only for special occasions? Fabric banner stands are already customized for your brand, which makes them a perfect addition throughout your office or place of business, creating a branded environment that matches your organization’s current color scheme, visuals and overall corporate culture. Place backlit banners and fabric frames in lobbies, presentation rooms, break rooms or any other area that could use an aesthetic boost without looking unprofessional or out of place.
How to Select and Design Your Backlit Fabric Frames
SpeedPro studios provide a step-by-step process for selecting and designing your light-up banners and fabric graphics. We don’t view projects as mere orders. Each large-format print banner is a chance to bring your brand to life, projecting to the world who you are and what you’re about. Our design team and print specialists will work with you to nail that vision — here’s how.
1. Design Consultation
Businesses begin creating their illuminated fabric graphics by requesting a consultation and quote from their local studio. With more than 130 SpeedPro studios in our nationwide network, we make sure you’re bound to find one in your backyard, making scheduling quick and convenient.
During your consultation, our design reps will conduct a project and brand questionnaire to familiarize themselves with your organization and its branding needs. They’ll guide you through the studio’s product offerings and in most cases can provide samples of past portfolio work similar to your vision. Consultants will then make large-format banner recommendations based on your branding and event needs.
2. Material Selection
You and your SpeedPro representatives will gather the materials needed to execute fabric banner design specs. We print backlit banners and fabric frames using some of the print industry’s leading inks, frame materials and substrates, each treated to be UV-resistant. You tell us about the size, colors, detailing and indoor and outdoor applications, and we’ll identify the frame material and single- or double-sided fabric blends explicitly suited for that banner.
3. Client Specs and Survey
Once materials have been reviewed, SpeedPro representative will conduct a final design survey with you to ensure we’ve crossed our T’s and dotted our I’s to get your vision right once off paper. We’ll provide design specs for your approval. Typical fabric banner stand will specs include your fabric frame or illuminated banner’s exact shape, dimensions, ergonomics, aesthetics and design-relevant care instructions. It will also review production materials and print timetables, again assuring all parties are satisfied with the design.
4. Prepress Screening
Prepress represents the stage prior to printing where design specs are programmed into our large-format computer and printing equipment. Our studios use state-of-the-art printing technology that can handle the banner-specific fabrics, sizes and inks necessary to make your design come to life. Our designers and equipment experts will then review the design for final layout changes and alterations, working as your eyes, ears and hands to prevent any problems before going to print.
5. Printing and Production
SpeedPro’s turnaround times on printing production averages 24 to 48 hours, though those times can vary.
For more detailed or highly customized projects — including some illuminated fabric frames — that timeline is longer. Your SpeedPro rep will outline your exact print turnaround and update you on any necessary changes. We know how valuable your time is — and how stressful it can be waiting for important materials to arrive after you’ve placed an order and have pressing business events looming. Speed is in our name, after all. We’ll deliver your orders to you when you need them, in the condition you need them in.
6. Final Approval
Spot a mistake? We’ll fix it. Not loving the colors? We’ll re-saturate. Feeling a burst of brand new inspiration? We can rework graphics, keeping what you love and tweaking what you don’t. We won’t be satisfied until you’re exuberant with the final fabric banner or illuminated graphic, seeing it as an extension of your business’ best self.
7. Delivery
SpeedPro studios can work with you to make convenient pick-up or delivery arrangements. While most clients opt for the former, many situations can make on-premise delivery the more attractive choice — particularly if your backlit banners and fabric frames are part of a larger illuminated trade show display or one newly ordered and being assembled at an industry event or business function for the first time. Whatever the arrangement needs, we’ll go above and beyond to make it happen.
8. Ongoing Relationship
You have plenty of choices when it comes to printing graphics for your business, but here at SpeedPro, we’ve realized the value of fully committed, full-service, ongoing partnerships with the people who trust us with their brands. There’s no better way to create exceptional work.
We aim to be a full-service visual branding partner — not a one-and-done printer.
Light up Your Brand With Illuminated Fabric Displays and Backlit Banners From SpeedPro
Get in touch with your local SpeedPro studio today to hear project ideas, receive custom fabric banner quotes or have your backlit banner questions answered from a nearby expert. We can’t wait to help create your most compelling event banners to date.
