When it comes to outdoor advertising ideas, sometimes it’s best to stick to the classics. Advertising banners and signs are proven in their effectiveness, and banner printing services are offered by virtually all commercial printing companies. Furthermore, vinyl banners are affordable, lightweight and easy to hang. But there are some design choices you can make that will have a big impact on your banner’s overall success as a marketing tool. With that in mind, here are some tips for creating personalized banners that will bring in customers:
- Research Your Colors
Some colors have higher impacts than others. The Outdoor Advertising Association of America suggests that black on yellow, black on white, yellow on black and white on blue are the most visible color combinations. In general, using high-contrast colors will make for a more visible sign. To determine contrast levels, look at a plain old color wheel; colors that are opposite from each other or almost opposite from each other are called “complementary colors” and provide the most contrast. It’s best to use only two or three colors, but you should place important information (like a phone number or website) in a different color if you really want it to stand out and be remembered.
- Be Smart With Writing
There are three things to consider regarding the text on your sign: what font it’s in, its size and how much of it there is. Don’t get overzealous with creative fonts; remember that quick readability is the primary goal of any advertisement. Also make sure that the font is printed in a size that won’t strain anyone’s eyes. A letter 3 inches high will be readable for about 100 feet at most, and is best from only 30 feet away — if you really want to make an impact at 100 feet, you should be planning on letters about 10 inches high. You should resist the urge to crowd too much text onto your banner, instead leaving plenty of blank space between lines of text and around the edges.
- Don’t Gamble on Photo Quality
Many people designing personalized banners want to use photos, and this can be an effective look. But one thing you should absolutely make sure of is that the photo’s quality is sufficient for it to be printed on such a large scale without degrading. You need to find out the dpi (dots per inch) of your chosen photo, and then consult your print company to see if it’s high enough for your chosen banner size.
Do you have any other design tips for personalized banners? Share your expertise in the comments.
