Nothing makes an impression for your East Sussex business like a standout banner. But designing for large-scale print has its own rules. To get you started, we've put together these top design tips for showstopping banners.
Work to scale
Trying to replicate a large-format banner on a laptop screen can be unwieldy. That's why our number one tip is to work to scale. Rescale to a quarter to a sixth of the original, and work at high resolution to get the details right. When you're satisfied with your design, let us know the scale you've been using. That way, we can work with your image at the proper size for the best results.
Consider perspective
When designing a large-format banner, it's essential you keep in mind how viewers will see it. For example, will images be elevated above head height or seen at eye level? The viewer's perspective should influence your choice of images and their placement. So designs that are overly complex will become increasingly unviewable the further away they are.
Select the right colours
There are some design rules that remain the same when designing large-scale banners. And that includes your use of colour. For consistency, you should maintain the same brand colours across all your visual assets. In addition, think about creating high-contrast schemes that are highly visible and readable. Choosing Pantone colours will give you the closest match to what you see on your screen, but CMYK and RGB formats are also available.
Choose your fonts with care
Obviously, you'll want to use any fonts associated with your brand. But bear in mind that certain fonts can look blurry when blown up and viewed from a distance. San serif fonts including Arial are a good choice for messaging text as they remain legible for large-format printing. It's also a good idea to save any text as an image, then it won't be converted if the original isn't available.
Pick the best material
Large format prints aren't limited to vinyl. Depending on whether your signs will be displayed indoors or out, you could use Foamex, DiBond, mesh or even backlit polyester. In addition, the material you use can enhance the colours and images you use, giving your banners additional impact.
Get ready for print
Once your graphics are ready for print, you'll need to choose the right file format and resolution. For example, vector graphics are generally considered the best choice for graphics, allowing you to scale and shrink images without pixelation. Many designers use a mixture of vectors and bitmaps - pixelated bitmaps for backgrounds and vectors for more complex imagery.
When it comes to print resolution, there's a simple rule. If you intend an image to be viewed from 10 feet, work to 150 dpi or higher. However, the further away your graphics will be displayed, the lower the resolution you can use. That's because the human eye will automatically fill in any gaps.
Sussex Banners for large format banners in East Sussex
The best tip of all when designing large-format banners is to get in touch with the team at Sussex Banners. We'll take you through every stage of the process to create eye-catching banners that help your business stand out. Please contact us to find out more.