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Advertising Resource Center |
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Vinyl Banners for the Right Occasion
The sinage marketplace is competitive! Consequently, some companies are going to focus on price and neglect quality. To complicate the situation, companies that produce stock vinyl banner material offer a bevy of different materials based on weights/thickness, color, reflective properties, ink absorption properties, etc. Take a gander at just one description of one type of banner from a leading manufacturer's website: http://www.averygraphics.com/pls/avery/avery_ext_util.display?p_name=JUPITER_13_OZ_BANNER.PDFIt is not surprising that consumers get overwhelmed (sign makers too). I will try to keep things simple and cut to the chase. The consumer needs to weigh price versus use. For example, if you are looking for an indoor banner, keep the weight to 10 oz. I also recommend hems (sewing the banner so it will be reinforced) and grommets (metal rings placed about every two feet on the banner - usually only on the top and bottom) to make sure the banner is supported sufficiently when hung. But there are caveats. I know some business men and women that use their company trade show banner over and over again as needed. In this case, a 10 oz banner will not be able to handle the continuous wear and tear resulting from rolling it up, packing, etc. I strongly recommend a 13 oz banner for these situations. Outdoor banners must contend with the elements. Not only does this include storms but also the everyday pounding from the sun and wind. Different parts of the country have different variations in the elements which must be considered. The sign industry was booming here in Florida after the 2004 hurricane season. The only common sense thing to do when a hurricane is approaching is to take your outdoor banner down! Make contingency plans to be able to take your banner down quickly and easily when any major storm is approaching (I suggest twine on the four corners or rope on the top and bottom so the sign can be untied quickly). For most purposes, a 13 oz banner will do fine for outdoor use, but make sure it has hems (double hem) and grommets. If it is digitally printed, you may want to have the sign laminated. If cheap inks are used, their life expectancy will be diminished substantially. Make sure your sign company uses top quality UV inks. You can generally expect 2 to 3 years from digitally printed signs without lamination and an additional 2 to 3 years with lamination. The sun is the enemy here and inks will eventually fade. Lamination helps protect the fading. If you are in a traditionally windy area (e.g., Chicago or the northwest) or you have an exceptionally large banner (greater than 10 sq. ft.) you have to consider wind vents (flaps) or mesh (tiny holes in the vinyl). I once refused to sell a 3' x 20' street banner to a customer who insisted on buying the sign without wind vents, because I knew it would not handle even brisk breezes. Finally, it seems that many sign companies will do a double sided banner on any material. But this is not fair to the consumer. Only 16 oz banner material is thick enough (and opaque enough) to prevent the sun from shining through it. If the sun shines through a banner, the other side can be seen and the banner message is lost in the sun. I can't tell you how many banners I have seen where the sun shines through them. Most consumers don't understand and go for the lower price. I refuse to print a double sided outdoor banner on anything but 16 oz and above and your sign company should too. Written by: Tony Nagy
MORE RESOURCES: Seeking a cheaper, faster alternative to foreclosure, several lenders are encouraging homeowners to sell short California, New York, Nevada, Florida and Massachusetts are among the handful of states that haven’t signed a deal with banks over foreclosure abuses, according to state officials and two people familiar with the talks. Bank of America Corp., facing increased demand for mortgage refinancing amid government efforts to help struggling homeowners, is telling some customers to wait 90 days, said two people with knowledge of the policy. Democrats are squaring off against Washington heavyweights to determine an appropriate tax rate on carried interest Under Republican pressure, Senator Baucus is backing off a proposal that would increase federal tax revenue from inherited IRA holders China’s stocks rallied the most in three weeks on speculation slowing inflation will provide more leeway for the central bank to ease monetary policy and after the government pledged to support first-time homebuyers. China’s central bank pledged support for first-home buyers as a crackdown on real-estate speculation threatens to trigger a property slump in the world’s second- biggest economy. Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos is set to negotiate with leaders of the political parties supporting his caretaker government after Athens missed another deadline to secure a second aid package. The numbers are proving Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke’s critics wrong. Feb. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Laurence D. Fink, chief executive officer of BlackRock Inc., talks about the outlook for global stocks, the U.S. economy and his investment strategy. Fink also discusses the European sovereign debt crisis. He speaks in Hong Kong with Susan Li on Bloomberg Television's "First Up." (Source: Bloomberg) UBS' stock is down after the Swiss bank reported a plunge in profits in the fourth quarter Feb. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke speaks about the U.S. economy, labor market and tax policy.¶ Bernanke, testifying before the Senate Budget Committee in Washington, said the job market is still far from healthy after signs of economic improvement over the past year. (Excerpts. Source: Bloomberg) California and New York’s attorneys general haven’t signed on to a proposed settlement with five banks over foreclosure practices that has won the support of more than 40 states The California State Teachers' Retirement System, or Calstrs, intends to question in a letter the controlling power amassed by Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg By trying to help distressed homeowners without appearing to bail them out, the Administration would leave borrowers submerged |
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