by Rick Hendershot America-Banners.comRoughly speaking, a "banner" is a large flexible sign or poster that can be hung up and taken down without a lot of trouble. The most common material for banners these days is rugged, versatile, durable, and good looking PVC — vinyl. A vinyl banner is usually portable and often used in a short term situation, like a convention or trade show, or as a temporary substitute for a more permanent sign which will come later.
The great advantage of banners is that they are flexible and lightweight. So they can be transported by being rolled up or folded. They are also quite inexpensive when compared to
alternatives.
In not-so-distant past a banner could only be created by sticking letters down on a vinyl, paper, or fabric backing material, or by using a relatively complicated and graphically limited process like silk screening.
The "digital revolution" changed all that. Printing machines are now available that can print directly on both indoor and outdoor grade vinyl in stunningly beautiful FULL COLOR. That means when designing a vinyl banner a graphic designer can often take same files she uses for her client's magazine ad or company brochure, blow them up — as long as they have sufficient resolution for banner printing — and print them directly on a very durable piece of vinyl.
The internet is probably your best source for vinyl banners. Why? Because you have a choice of many suppliers, many of whom specialize in this sort of product. Prices are usually very competitive from online vinyl banner suppliers, and they usually have design, production, and delivery process down to a science.
All suppliers don't use same process
But not all suppliers use same process or same equipment. Some use silk screening, some use low end ink jet printers, and some use higher end solvent digital printers. It is important to know difference between these, and often you cannot tell by looking at descriptions provided to you on supplier websites.
Silk screening is an older "low tech" process which still remains an important method of printing certain things that cannot be done "digitally". Silk screen is often used to print on odd ball materials, or wherever special inks are required — like metallic colors, solid dense colors on a dark background, or colors that have to be closely matched (such as corporate logo colors). You can do process color ("4 color") using a silk screen process. But it is generally not best choice. The cost of preparing screens makes it prohibitive for doing small quantities.
