Give your banner one clear job
A business banner has limited time to attract attention. People may see it while walking past a shop, entering an event or moving through a busy venue.
Before choosing colours or images, decide what the banner needs to achieve. Are you announcing an opening, promoting an offer or helping visitors find you?
That decision should shape everything else.
Write the headline first
Your headline should communicate the main message immediately.
“Now Open” tells people something different from “Visit Our Stand” or “Book Your Free Consultation”. Choose wording that matches the action you want.
Avoid vague headlines that require supporting text to make sense. Your company slogan may be familiar to existing customers, but a new visitor still needs to understand what you offer.
Draft the headline before building the layout around it.
Create a clear reading order
Give the main message the strongest visual emphasis. Follow it with supporting information, then the next step.
For a new shop opening, the order might be:
- What is opening.
- Where and when.
- The business name.
- A website or invitation to visit.
If every element is equally large, the viewer has to work out where to start. A clear hierarchy makes that decision for them.
Use contrast and leave space
Text needs to stand out from its background. A busy photograph behind a headline can make otherwise attractive artwork difficult to read.
Use a plain area, suitable overlay or simpler background where necessary. Check smaller text as carefully as the headline.
Leave enough space around each element. Filling every available centimetre can make a large banner feel crowded.
Your logo also needs breathing room, but it should not automatically take more space than the message.
Pick one useful call to action
Choose the next step that suits the setting.
At an exhibition, “Ask us for a demonstration” may be more useful than listing every social media account. Outside a shop, “Visit us inside” could be enough.
A QR code can work where people can safely stop and scan it. Include a readable alternative, such as a short website address, and test the code at its intended printed size.
Check the artwork before ordering
Review spelling, dates, telephone numbers and web addresses. Use the printer’s artwork requirements for dimensions, bleed, safe areas and file format.
Image quality should be assessed at the final size and expected viewing distance. Enlarging a small image does not add detail.
Preparing a banner? Contact Banners&Boards with your intended size, display location and draft artwork to discuss the print requirements before placing your order.