Vinyl banner size guide.

Stock sizes and where they fit

We print three stock sizes in heavyweight 15oz vinyl. Every banner is hemmed on all four edges and finished with grommets, so it's ready to hang the day it shows up.

• 2x4 feet: check in tables, booth fronts, doorways, indoor events, office walls.
• 3x6 feet: ball field fences, storefronts, sponsor banners, jobsite fences, church lawns.
• 4x8 feet: roadside fences, building faces, stage backdrops, gym walls, grand openings.

For a long skinny banner on a table front or an extra wide one for a stage, custom sizes are built to the job and quoted on the ticket. Browse the full lineup on our signs and banners page.

Letter height and reading distance

The rule of thumb sign makers use: about 1 inch of letter height for every 10 feet of viewing distance. That's the minimum to read it. For quick, easy reading, go bigger.

• Read from 30 feet: main line at least 3 inches tall.
• Read from 50 feet: at least 5 inches.
• Read from 100 feet: at least 10 inches.

Drive by banners are harder. A driver gets a few seconds at most. Keep a road banner to one short headline, a phone number or web address, and your logo. Seven words or fewer is a good target. Bold, simple fonts read farther than thin or script fonts.

Contrast matters as much as size. Dark letters on a light background, or light on dark. Skip red on black and yellow on white, which wash out from a distance.

Sizing for five common spots

• Jobsite fence on a busy road: 4x8. Company name, one service and a phone number with 10 inch or bigger digits. Nothing else.
• Ball field outfield fence: 3x6 per sponsor. Fans sit 100 feet or more away, so the logo should fill most of the banner.
• Storefront window or wall: 3x6 for a sale or grand opening, read from the parking lot.
• Stage or gym backdrop: 4x8 or a custom wide size. Measure from the stage to the back row, then apply the 1 inch per 10 feet rule.
• Check in or booth table: 2x4 on the wall or easel behind you. People are 5 to 15 feet away, so a short list and a QR code work here.

When in doubt between two sizes, go bigger. A banner almost never fails for being too easy to read.

Indoor vs outdoor banners

The same 15oz vinyl works inside and out. What changes is the design.

Indoor banners get read up close. A 2x4 behind a check in table can carry a schedule, a QR code and a few sponsor logos. On a stage or gym wall, think about the back row, not the front row, and watch for glare under bright lights. Big type and solid color blocks read best. To hang one inside, S hooks, ceiling clips or zip ties to a pipe all work through the grommets.

Outdoor banners fight sun, wind and distance. Fewer words, bigger type, stronger contrast. Place them where people slow down or stop, like a gate, a parking lot entrance or a traffic light.

Wind slits and fence mounting

A solid banner on a fence acts like a sail. Wind is the number one reason outdoor banners tear at the grommets.

• Wind slits are small half moon cuts that let air pass through. They cut a bit of the print, so keep text and logos clear of where they'd go. Ask for them on the ticket for open, windy spots.
• Zip tie every grommet, not just the corners. Corners alone let the middle flap until it rips.
• Pull it tight. A taut banner flaps less and reads better.
• Bungee ties give a little in gusts and take some strain off the grommets.
• Take it down before a storm if you can. Central Texas wind and hail are hard on any banner.

Grommet spacing and pole pockets

Grommets are the metal rings along the edge. A common setup is one in each corner and more every 2 to 3 feet along the edges. For windy fences, tighter spacing spreads the load. If you need extra grommets or a specific spacing to match a frame, put it on the ticket.

Pole pockets are sewn sleeves along the top, and sometimes the bottom, that a pole or rod slides through. They're the clean choice for:

• Stage and church backdrops hung from a pipe.
• Parade and walking banners carried on two poles.
• Indoor banners where grommets would look rough.

Pole pockets and other finishing options are quoted on the ticket.

How long outdoor banners last

As a general rule, a heavyweight vinyl banner lasts a year or more outside, and much longer indoors. In Central Texas, sun and wind are what wear it down. A few things shorten its life:

• Full afternoon sun every day, which fades color over time. Reds and yellows usually go first.
• Loose mounting that lets it flap and pull at the grommets.
• Folding it for storage, which leaves creases and cracks.

To get more seasons out of it, roll the banner print side out, store it dry, and wipe it with mild soap and water. Seasonal banners for a fall festival or a spring sports season can come out year after year.

Art rules for banners

• Size: build the file at full size, or to scale, so the proportions match the banner.
• Resolution: vector art is best. Photos should be high resolution at the printed size. A logo pulled off a website will blur at 8 feet wide.
• Safe area: keep text and logos a couple of inches in from the edge so hems and grommets don't cut into them.
• Fonts: outline them or send them with the file.
• Files: the job ticket takes 20 files at 100MB each. Send originals, no compression.

The full checklist is in our print ready files guide. No art yet? Our designers can build it. Layout work is $45 per hour and graphic design is $65 per hour. Either way, your proof comes back in 1 to 2 business days.

Sponsor banners for tournaments and events

Sponsor banners are where size choices matter most, because sponsors want to be seen. For golf tournaments, our golf tournament page lists set packages:

• Gold sponsor banner, 4x8: $145.
• Silver and Bronze sponsor banners, 3x6: $95 each.
• Combined sponsor banner with every logo, 4x8: $145.
• Welcome table banner, 27 inches by 6 feet: $75.

The same logic works for booster clubs, 5Ks and church festivals. Put the top sponsors on their own big banner and group the rest on a combined one. Our golf sponsor packages guide walks through how to sell those levels.