How to Make Great Looking Banners:

There are many factors that go into creating a good looking design, but there is indeed an art in making a good looking design that also is readable (I will assume readability is what you want). This page will hopefully point you in the right direction and help you come up with a cool looking banner that catches the eyes of passer-bys (a rhyme!).

1. Correct type size, typeface, and color for wording.

Visit the Suggested Type Sizes page, this part is so critical that it gets its own page! You'll find charts and examples on all the factors that go into creating ledgible type.

2. Keep the wording simple!

If you are promoting a business or event. Only include absolutely necessary information to get your point across. Remember most people will only have a few seconds to view a banner before their car/train/dog/horse/herd of cats takes them out of view of your banner.
The worst thing you can do is to make your banner so wordy that no one will bother reading it.

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3. Backgrounds.

Again, simplicity here is key for ease of readability. Plain colors or simple gradients are great behind images or information that you want to stand out. But remember to use good color combinations. See the Suggested Type Sizes page for tips on good color combinations.

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4. Watch your margins.

It will be a great temptation to run your designs right to the edge of the banner, but remember - there is a hem and grommets in the outer 1 inch of the banner so you will lose some of the graphic in this area. Our banner designer has both the 1 inch margin and the grommets put in place to help you out.
However it is advisable for layout and readability to keep your information even further in from the edges. A good distance to keep in mind is 2.5 inches on a small banner and 3.5 inches on a larger one. Keeping larger margins, improves the readability of your banner from a distance.

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5. Tips for uploaded art.

If you have the necessary tools to create an entire banner (or parts of one), great! Good for you! You can upload your artwork using our designer interface and you'll be all done!
There are some important file guidelines to follow:

  • Images should be saved as high quality JPEG files (either maximum setting or very close)
  • Image resolution should be between 100 and 150 ppi (dpi) at 100% scale. Images less than this will print pixelated (see example)
  • Color mode should be RGB. Avoid CMYK - it's the devil.
  • Do not interpolate an image to make it bigger - it looks rotten.

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