Determining the required dimensions for your banner and banner content
At Banners4Less we can print banners in any size. We can print sections up to five metres wide as one piece. These sections can be attached to each other to produce banners in any size.
When creating your banner the dimensions for the banner may be determined for you by the intended location for the banner. For example, the side of a trailer, the backwall of a stage or trade stand, or the vacant space above a point of sale counter. If this is the situation, you need to plan the content for the banner to make best use of the space but considering also the distance from which the banner will be viewed. The greater the expected viewing distance, the bigger any text and image will need to be. If the banner is intended mostly for passing motorists the letter size would also need to be larger. The table opposite is a guide only. Have a look at other signs and banners installed in the area and decide what works.
If the dimensions of the banner are more flexible, consider the content and determine the required size based on viewing distance. As a general rule you should plan to leave approximately 10% of the banner height clear of text or image at the top and bottom of the banner. The margin on the banner sides should be approximately the width of the largest text font. Having determined the height for your banner content, the required banner dimensions can be calculated.
Determining the print resolution to request
Generally we print at 300dpi. In most situations this is more than adequate. Printing at a higher resolution would just be a waste of time and money. Billboards are typically printed at between 2 and 10 dpi. So what does figure this mean? Take a sheet of paper and draw a square with sides one inch in length. Now draw three rows of three circles in the square. Shade the circles in. Repeat this process to cover your sheet of paper. Now look at the finished image. Up close you can clearly make out the white space not covered by the circles. Moving the sheet of paper further away your eyes will result in the white space becoming less visible and as the viewing distance increases the image will start to look like a shaded block. If the banner or sign is to be located in a point of sale position where it will be viewed close up we would recommend printing the banner at a higher resolution.
