Signs & Large Format Print
First question: where will the banner hang, and for how long?
When someone calls asking for "a normal banner", we start with three questions. Where will it hang: fence, wall, scaffolding, hall? Is it seen from one side or two? And how long does it need to last: a month, a season, several years?
The answers decide the material. Artwork and size matter less here. The same 3 × 1 m design can be printed on six different substrates, and each will behave differently in wind, sun and under lights.
Banner types at a glance
| Material | Used for | Watch out for | Price per m² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laminated frontlit 510 g | Seasonal campaigns, elections, sales | Display life up to approx. 12 months | €6–11 |
| Strong frontlit 440 g | Lighter fence banner, events | Less stiff than 510 g | €6–12 |
| Coated frontlit 510 g | Fences, walls, warehouses for 2–3 years | Wind load on large sizes | €7–13 |
| Black-back banner 550 g | See-through fences, mesh fencing | Printed on one side only | €9–16 |
| Mesh 270 g / 370 g | Scaffolding, facades, large formats | Perforation visible close up | €7–17 |
| Blockout 550 g / 650 g | Seen from both sides, no show-through | Heavier and dearer | €11–24 |
| Backlit 510 g | Large light boxes, illumination from behind | Looks pale without light | €8–16 |
The price range reflects the quantity: the lower figure applies to orders from 100 m², the higher one to sizes up to 4 m². Details and worked examples are in how much does a PVC banner cost.
Frontlit: the ordinary banner that does most of the work
Frontlit is the classic PVC banner lit from the front, i.e. by daylight or a floodlight. We print it in three variants.
Laminated 510 g is the cheapest and quite sufficient for a campaign of a few months. For elections, a summer season in a beer garden, a sale: this is the one.
Strong 440 g is lighter yet durable. It works well where the banner is often rolled up and unrolled, for example at events.
Coated 510 g is our default choice for longer use. It has a denser scrim, holds large flat colours well and comfortably lasts 2–3 years. When someone says "I want a banner on the fence outside our premises", this is usually what we suggest.
See-through fences are a separate matter: mesh fencing, palings, panels. Against the sun, a thin banner shows the shadow of the structure and blotches. For such places we use a 550 g black-back banner, which limits light coming through. More in how to hang a banner on a fence.
Mesh, blockout and backlit: when an ordinary banner is not enough
Mesh is a perforated material that lets air through. 270 g mesh reduces wind load by about 40% compared with a solid banner. The 370 g version is reinforced and comes with 12 cm pole pockets top and bottom included: the standard for scaffolding. Downsides: the holes are visible close up and colours look lighter than on a solid banner. A detailed comparison: mesh or standard banner.
Blockout has a light-blocking layer inside. You choose it when the banner hangs freely and is seen from both sides (over an entrance, from a hall ceiling, on a railing) or when nothing may show through. The 650 g version lets you print two different designs, one on each side.
Backlit is the opposite of blockout. It is a material designed to be lit from behind, with the print colour-corrected for light. It is used in large light boxes and illuminated structures. On an ordinary wall with no light behind it, it looks pale, so there is no point hanging it there.
- 24 hexpress printing (UV inks need no drying)
- approx. 3 daysstandard lead time
- up to 14 dayslarge and custom projects with installation
Plus courier delivery. Tell us your date — we plan production around it.
Less obvious materials
A few substrates are ordered less often, but they are worth knowing about:
- reflective banner 520 g (class RA1): where signs need to be seen in headlights, e.g. on access roads to a construction site; approx. €16–32/m²,
- PVC tarpaulin 680 g: heavy-duty uses, curtains, trailers; approx. €13–22/m²,
- textile banner 210 g: for interiors, display walls and stages, with no glare under lights; approx. €13–22/m² with UV print.
If your case does not fit any of these, describe it in your enquiry. We will choose the material and tell you straight if something cheaper will do the same job.
Quick cheat sheet: what to order
- Solid fence, building wall, banner for a year or more → coated frontlit 510 g.
- A campaign of a few months, elections, a season → laminated frontlit 510 g.
- Mesh fencing or a fence with gaps → black-back banner 550 g.
- Scaffolding, a facade several storeys high → mesh 370 g.
- Banner hanging freely, seen from both sides → double-sided blockout 650 g.
- Light box, illumination from behind → backlit 510 g.
- Interior, stage, conference → textile banner or matt frontlit.