Which roll-up banner to choose? Cassette types, sizes and prices

Types of roll-up: how they really differ

From the outside every roll-up (also called a pull-up banner) looks much the same: a cassette at the bottom, the graphic pulled up and a pole holding it. The differences are in the cassette and what you can do with it later.

• Standard: aluminium cassette, graphic fixed permanently. The cheapest, and quite enough if the poster is meant to stay for years or the roll-up is for a one-off campaign.
• Premium with changeable cassette: a sturdier build, and above all the ability to change the graphic without buying a new stand. For companies that attend several events a year with different messages, it is the most sensible choice.
• Double-sided: two graphics back to back. Works in walkways, lobbies, shopping centres and in the middle of a stand. Against a wall it is money wasted.
• Electric: the graphic rolls up and down by itself. For a showroom, not for travelling.

Alongside roll-ups there is the X-banner: a graphic stretched on an X-shaped frame. It costs approx. €31–35 net, but looks more modest and copes less well with frequent folding. For a one-off school event or a fete, why not. For trade shows, we recommend a roll-up.

Roll-up prices: table

Prices include UV printing, the cassette and a carry bag. Graphic design is charged separately: a simple design is approx. €42 net, and if you have a ready file, we check it technically as part of the order. With several units of the same design the unit price drops, so for larger quantities always ask for a combined quote.

Which roll-up size to choose

The height is almost always the same, about 200 cm, because that shows above people's heads and fits a typical hall or conference room. In practice you choose the width.

• 85 cm: the most common first order. Light, easy to carry, fits in the boot of a small car. Good for receptions, shops and conferences.
• 100 cm: the most popular format if the roll-up stands alone. A bit more room for the logo and slogan, and the price difference is small.
• 120 cm: when the roll-up serves as a small backdrop on a stand or behind a speaker.
• 150 cm: large displays. Bear in mind the bag becomes long and heavy, and it is harder to carry alone.

A common idea is two or three roll-ups side by side with a shared graphic that joins into one image. It can be done, but there is always a gap and poles between the cassettes. If you want one continuous surface, a fabric display wall is better; see the comparison in fabric display wall or roll-up.

What to look at when ordering

In our experience, problems with roll-ups rarely come from the cassette itself. Most often it is the graphic.

1. The bottom of the graphic disappears into the cassette. About 10–15 cm at the bottom is hidden or lost at knee height. Do not put the logo or phone number there.
2. Key content at eye level. Logo and main slogan in the upper part, roughly 130–190 cm from the floor. The middle is for a short list of services or a photo.
3. Less text. A roll-up is read from 2–4 metres in a few seconds. Nobody will read five lines of small print.
4. File to scale and in CMYK. It is easiest to prepare it at 1:1 (e.g. 85 × 200 cm) or at 1:10 with correspondingly higher resolution. Colours designed in RGB come out flatter in print; more in CMYK or RGB.
5. Opaque material. We print the graphic on a material that does not show the pole or cassette against the light. Cheap roll-ups on thin film can curl at the edges and show through by a window.

Standard or premium: when to pay extra

A simple rule we use when advising: if you will change the graphic more than once a year, the premium version pays for itself. The difference in the price of the set is about €20, and every subsequent change is just the print at approx. €21–24 instead of a new roll-up at €55–65.

With the standard version the graphic can technically be changed too, but with cheaper cassettes it can be fiddly, and it is better to leave it to us than to try it on your knee. A crookedly fitted print rolls up unevenly and starts to wrinkle after a few uses.

Premium also simply has a more stable foot and copes better with frequent setting up. If the roll-up travels in a sales rep's boot every week, that is an argument in itself.

Lead time and ordering

As standard we prepare a roll-up in about 3 working days from design approval. If the trade show is the day after tomorrow, 24-hour express printing is possible: UV inks need no drying, so the print goes straight into the cassette. The condition: a correct file by midday.

Collection in person is possible in Wieluń, but most roll-ups go by courier across the EU, to the UK and worldwide: a bag with a cassette is an ordinary parcel. With several units for different addresses (e.g. company branches), we ship directly to each location. If you need several displays at once, also see exhibition and promotional stands: a roll-up is often just one of the elements.