Retractable banners are a highly effective way of getting your marketing message out to the public. They provide businesses and organizations with a cost-effective way of advertising their products, services, or events.
They help advertisers deliver their marketing messages in an impactful way—without the expensive cost of a stand-alone sign. Best of all, when it’s time to take them down, simply roll them up into their carry case until you need to use them again.
If you’re considering a
retractable banner, we want to give you five tips on how to design it for maximum impact.
Viewing Distance
Viewing distance is one of the first things that you need to take into consideration when designing a rollup banner. This will significantly impact your overall design. For example, if the average viewing distance is just a few feet, then you can get away with using smaller fonts and graphics.
However, if you want someone from far away to be able to read the banner legibly, you’ll need to use a bigger font and larger images. If you have 1” in letter height, that’s roughly equal to a 72pt. font, and can be read at a distance of about one foot away. 2” of letter height is equal to a 144pt. font, and that allows for the sign to be read at a maximum distance of 20 feet away.
Fonts and Colors
You should choose fonts and colors very carefully. While some fonts may look cool or fancy on your computer screen, they may be tough to read on a banner. Some fonts might kern differently than others, and this could cause people with certain disabilities not to be able to read them legibly.
When it comes to color selection, complementary colors tend to work best. These are colors that are opposite of each other. Complimentary colors contrast with each other, thereby making the entire design easy to read. Non-complimentary colors tend to blend in with one another, making it very hard to read.
Up to Down, Left to Right
People in the U.S. are used to reading up to down, left to right. Try not to get too fancy with your overall design, such that it dictates how you lay your text out. The average person spends less than 2 seconds looking at a banner or sign, so you have to get your message across in as short as time as possible.
If a design is too complicated, people won’t bother to read it. Text and graphic layout are much of an art as they are a science. This is why many people will hire a
professional designer to create the messaging and design of their banner.
Overall Messaging
You should try to keep the overall messaging clear, impactful, and concise. The fewer words you use, the better. Don’t use ten words to say what you could in five. The primary goal of the messaging is to build trust and create an emotional connection with the viewer.
You can accomplish this by delivering on the promises made with the banner. For example, if you’re promoting your business at a trade show, showcase the passion and cause of your company culture. It will allow the viewer to make an instant connection and cause them to take notice.
Images and Graphics
When it comes to retractable banners, images tend to work the best. When selecting the photos that you want to use, be sure to choose high-quality photos with at least a 300dpi resolution (600dpi is even better). The end result will be a vivid and sharp picture without any loss of quality.
While professional photos work the best, you can most likely get away with using a newer smartphone. Just be sure to set the photo quality settings to “ultra-high resolution.” If you just download an image from the internet, there’s a good chance it won’t look as good on a banner as it did on your computer monitor.
Retractable Banners in Alexandria and Arlington
If you would like to learn more about rollup banner design or retractable banners in, give the professionals at AlphaGraphics Alexandria and Arlington Va. a call at (703) 549-2432 or
contact us via our website.
We’ve helped countless Alexandria and Arlington businesses and organizations over the years design and create the perfect retractable banner. We’re experts in both signage and marketing and can provide invaluable advice that will help your business achieve its marketing goals.