Custom Vinyl Banners

If you’re interested in creating custom banners, you should consider choosing vinyl as the base material for your banner. Vinyl offers some valuable advantages. You can make vinyl banners to celebrate milestones and achievements, promote events, brand a school campus, advertise products and more.

Why Vinyl Is a Favorite Material Choice for Banners

Generally, banners come in two types of materials: vinyl and fabric. Both of these materials can be a good choice for creating quality banners, but vinyl is an especially popular choice. Vinyl is an excellent material choice for banners for several reasons. Some of vinyl’s main benefits include its:

Weather resistance: Vinyl is one of the most weather-resistant materials out there, which makes it perfect for outdoor applications in addition to indoor. Rain or shine, your banner will remain intact and looking great.
Price: Vinyl is also one of the most affordable options available for long-term, weather-resistant displays.
Convenience: Vinyl used for banners is lightweight, flexible and easily portable, making it a convenient material to transport and install in various locations.
Vibrance: Vinyl is an excellent material for printing bright, colorful inks that pop and remain vivid for long periods.

Types of Vinyl Used for Banners

Vinyl is really a category of materials rather than one specific material. When creating vinyl banners through SpeedPro, you can use three types of non-adhesive printable vinyl:

Calendered vinyl: The most traditional choice for vinyl banners is calendered vinyl. This type of vinyl feels almost like canvas. At a minimum of 3 millimeters thick, this material is heavy-duty, a bit stiff and completely opaque.
Cast vinyl: Another type of opaque vinyl is cast vinyl. This vinyl is created by heating liquid until it becomes solid. The resulting material is thin and flexible. Like calendered vinyl, it also has a fabric-like quality and is extremely durable.
Mesh vinyl:Mesh vinyl is made with tiny perforations that make it translucent and allow air to pass through. This material is intended for areas where you need to be able to see through the banner when up close, such as on a window or fence.

Each type of vinyl comes with its own unique advantages, so choosing the right option comes down to assessing which advantages will serve you best in your application. A SpeedPro print professional can help you choose the best vinyl material for your banner.

How Are Vinyl Banners Made?

Different types of vinyl material are created in different ways. Print shops order blank vinyl in rolls or sheets and then use large-format printers to transfer your custom text and graphics onto the vinyl. Unlike other materials like fabric, vinyl does not absorb ink. However, there are a few ways of printing onto vinyl:

Printing with solvent inks: One way is with solvent-based inks. Printers melt the surface of the vinyl slightly, allowing the ink to penetrate the vinyl. This method results in an exceptionally durable printed surface.
Printing with UV curable inks: Ultraviolet (UV) curing causes a chemical reaction that hardens the ink to the vinyl’s surface. Like solvent inks, this method results in a durable, weather-resistant surface.
Printing with latex inks: Another option is to use water-based latex inks that bond to but do not penetrate the vinyl’s surface. This option is easier and more affordable, but it’s best suited for indoor displays since it results in a less durable printed surface.

After printing onto the surface of the vinyl, printing professionals add the finishing details needed to complete your banner. For one, they could laminate the surface, adding an extra layer of protection. Laminates can also turn a matte finish into a glossier surface if you choose a high-gloss laminate. Print studios can also add grommets at the corners for hanging or can add a banner stand to help you create a freestanding display.

Ways of Customizing Vinyl Banners

There are many ways you can customize your banner to make it perfectly fit the look you’re going for and meet your practical display needs:

Material: As we’ve seen, you can use different types of vinyl material to create a vinyl banner. A print professional can help you choose the right material for your budget and needs.
Finish: By default, vinyl banners will have a matte appearance, but we can add laminates to create a glossier appearance and increase the durability of the banner. You can also add matte laminates.
Size: Vinyl banners come in a wide range of sizes, from miniature tabletop displays to massive ones that can cover a building face.
Shape: Banners are generally rectangular, with most hanging banners being wider than they are tall and standing banners being taller than they are wide. You can also request less common shapes, such as squares, cylinders or shields.
Display method: You can also customize your banner in the way you display it. Some banners affix to the side of a light pole, and others hang from grommets. Some banners are supported by frames, and others use stands that hold the banner in tension.
Graphics: Most importantly, you customize your banner by designing the graphics that appear on your banner. For business vinyl banners, you can choose colors that match your branding and bold visuals that pop.
Text: You can also add text to your banner to get your message across. It could be a simple word like “sale” or a more detailed message, complete with a call to action.

How Long Do Vinyl Banners Last?

The lifespan of a vinyl banner depends on several factors, including the type of vinyl and printing method used, whether the material is laminated and the conditions where the banner is placed. In general, banners — including outside vinyl banners — can last for years.

The material is exceptionally durable, especially considering how relatively affordable it is. If your main goal for your banner is longevity, a SpeedPro consultant can help you choose the best options and offer advice to make your banner last as long as possible.

Vinyl Banners From SpeedPro

SpeedPro is your source for custom vinyl banners and other large-format displays. SpeedPro design and printing experts can help you create vinyl banners that are perfectly customized to bring your message to life. With a large network of studios across North America, we make it easy to work with a SpeedPro team near you. Find your closest studio to get started.