Vinyl banners really do expand your advertising palette and allow you to advertise indoors or outdoors. A laminate layer on most banners helps to improve your banners’ resistance to sun and moisture damage, and a layer of polyester on outdoor mesh banners lets the wind pass right through without turning your banner to ribbons.
Then there’s the always handy retractable banner. These let you set up shop and pull up stakes in a matter of seconds.
Care Tips for Vinyl, Mesh, and Retractable Banners
Your custom vinyl banners should last for years because they’re made from high-quality UV-curable inkjet inks printed on an extremely durable medium (PVC, or polyvinyl chloride).
The way that your vinyl banner is made to be hung up only increases its longevity. The hem of your vinyl banners prevents tearing and allows you to hang it up though discrete grommets (eyelets).
(Avoid overstretching, though, as this can cause distortions over time.)
And, in contrast to stationary forms of advertising like billboards, the way that banners are made means that they’re portable and allow for experimentation.
If you’re not getting results by having your banner outdoors, then take it inside and make it an indoor display.
Indoor vinyl banners typically need to have a wind slit installed to hold up to the elements whereas outdoor vinyl mesh banners are made to let wind and light easily pass through.
Aside from laminating your banner and getting either wind slits or a mesh banner, there are a lot of other things you can do to keep your banners looking great for years to come.
- Use Water or Mild Soap and Non-abrasive Cloth
Well-designed banners will usually have no more than three font sizes – just one is usually best because it allows people to focus on the message – and a strong color contrast between the text/image and background.
The trouble is that backgrounds that are very light (e.g., white or grey) can get dirty over the course of a few months, especially if you’ve hung your banner up outdoors. The trick to keeping things fresh is regular maintenance.
Start with a non-abrasive cloth. An even better option might be a cushy cotton towel or gentle microfiber. Remember that this isn’t like cleaning the dishes where you want a prickly sponge to remove food and you’re really putting some elbow grease into making that dish sparkly clean.
When you’re cleaning your vinyl banners you want to gently wipe down and avoid using any harsh detergents or chemical solvents, which can make the colors run and potentially damage the PVC over time.
For most people a solution with very mild soap and water with a soft cotton towel will get the job done. Just make sure to get all the soap off before hanging or rolling your banner back up.
If your banner collects dust over time, lightly dabbing with painters tape is one way to gently get off dust or outdoor debris.
- Ready to Store Your Banner? Roll It!
Folding the American flag is a symbolic ritual where each of the 13 folds has a particular meaning. With vinyl banners, though, folding it up can leave creases and force you to heat it up to remove those creases, which can cause its own problems.
To avoid all of that, simply roll up your vinyl banner when you’re through with it. Retractable vinyl banners with a stand and case make the process really intuitive, but the fact that all kinds of banners come in tubes tells you that rolling your banner up for storage is the best way to improve its longevity. Contact us for more information.