Vinyl banner design is about as easy as it gets for the non-professional graphic designer. Generally speaking, a vinyl banner is easy to design, and anybody with a little bit of graphic design experience can do it.
Even if you have no experience, your supplier can point you in the right direction, or even design your banner for a small charge.
Here are some things to watch for when designing a vinyl banner...
- Use a software that handles CMYK full color output. There are at least three kinds of software you can use:
Image editors like Photoshop, PhotoPaint, or PhotoImpact
Page Layout programs like Quarkxpress, Pagemaker, or InDesign
Illustration programs like Illustrator or CorelDraw
Generally speaking, programs that are designed for consumers or general office applications are not recommended: e.g., Word, Wordperfect, Publisher, Excel, etc. If you have a specific inquiry, don't hesitate to ask your vinyl banner supplier. A good source of information is the contact person at your supplier (see below).
The best designs contain two or three basic elements. Usually, these will be a photograph, a large headline, and an "identifier" such as your company name, logo, or phone number.
Use bright colors. The most striking vinyl banners have lots of bright colors.
Design your vinyl banner so it is readable for your target audience. If it is going to be placed on a building or beside a road on a fence, or on an outfield fence at a baseball or soccer field, make sure your most important message is easy to read.
Make sure your images have sufficient resolution. For some advice on image resolution, see the FAQ link below.
Make sure your vinyl banner fits the area where you're going to mount it. Don't guess the size. Most people who are not familiar with signage will UNDERESTIMATE the required size.
Consider alternative methods of mounting your vinyl banner. Grommets are the default method of mounting a banner on a wall or fence. But often "pole pockets" are simpler and more efficient.