6 Tips for Banner Stand Printing
Confused?! With such a variety of banner stand printing options available, making a final choice of what to include on your banner can seem like an almost impossible task.
Just when you think you have made your final decision, you realise that there is another option of colour, style and finish.
Know what to include, the words to use and the graphics to choose is made easier with our six tips on how to get the best:
#1 Spend time on the text content
The issue facing most people is that they have a large swathe of space and assume that every inch of it needs to be crammed full of essential and useful information. The problem is that what you intend using for and when, dictates what this information and as the use of the banner stand changes, so does the usefulness of the text.
When it comes to text and what to include, you need to meet objectives or aim. Ask yourself the question, what do I want to achieve with this banner? If it is to sell more of a product, then the text should focus on the product with a clear call to action. If it is to give information, then use it for this purpose and provide the info that customers need.
#2 Formatting
When you have the text, you need to arrange it or format it in a sequence that makes sense to the customer. The accepted pattern is from the top down, and from left to right.
Adding text boxes of splodges of text is all well and good but this also needs to be placed is part of a logical sequence. For example, if you choose to emphasise that there is 10% off on orders over £50, you will want to include this at a point where people will equate the offer with the information being given. In other words, placing it at the top of the banner stand panel may not be the best location.
Your logo needs to be near the top and contact details tend to navigate toward the bottom. All other info is in the middle section, with the most important section being the piece that us directly in the eye line of a customer.
#3 Colour with caution
Colour is a great psychological tool. It can pull people to a sign or information, or it can repel and confuse.
Choose the colour palette wisely. It needs to fit with your brand and logo, as well as the product itself. Certain colours signify certain emotions, which you may or may not want to stir in your customer.
Women see or recognise a wider range of colours – dark blue, light blue, azure and so on – but men tend not to differentiate with shades of colour – it is blue. Think about who your customer is, and the emotional reaction you want to create.
#4 The printing template
Another factor that also affects how your banner stand will look, as well as where you place the information is the printable area that you have to work with.
Most printers will tell you of a bleed area. This is the area around the edges of the banner panel, usually 3mm, that should contain parts of the design so that you do no end up with a white edge. Your printer will be able to tell you more about how this works, as well as how it could affect your design.
#5 Graphics
Most people want to include graphics on their banner stand. This makes sense but only if the graphic or graphics add value to the information contained on it.
For example, if you are selling teeth whitening products, it makes sense to have a picture of a happy smiling person, with a row of white teeth. It is important that any graphic you use is attractive but also lends support to the banner as a whole. Just putting a picture on to fill a gap is not a design technique.
Graphics also need to be of the highest quality. As it will be printed in large scale, a poor quality photo can pixelate, a bit like over-stretching the photo and losing definition.
#6 Offline & online
Printed banner stands are a form of offline advertising and promotion but this doesn’t mean that they should stand alone from your online promotion. You can include such things as QR codes and so on to link your offline presence with your online world, something that many businesses fail to do.
And so now you are ready to design your banner stand!