How To Buy Festival Banners

As a festival organizer, it’s up to you to make sure all the moving pieces come together smoothly. Stages must be built, vendors approved, staff hired, and on and on.

At NorthCoast Banners, our goal is to make the banner buying process as easy as possible so you can focus on everything else. Our banner experts already provide first class support on your order from first contact to final delivery, and we compiled a list of considerations that will help you get a head start on selecting sizes and materials for your next order of festival banners.

Choosing Materials for Stage Banners and Backdrops

Stage banners and backdrops are available in a variety of substrates, including solid vinyl, vinyl mesh, and dye sublimated cloth. Our most popular mesh substrates are 70/30 (30% blow-through) vinyl mesh banners, followed by 30/70 (70% blow-through) vinyl mesh.

The best choice for your event depends on a few factors:

  1. Durability – The Best Material For Your Use
    • For outdoor banners, 70/30 vinyl mesh stands the test of time. The higher ratio of substrate to air positions it above 30/70 in terms of reliability. Of note: creases can form on 70/30 banners if they are left folded for a long time. Hang up in the sun and those creases will come right out.
    • For indoor banners, solid vinyl is the heaviest substrate available. Hang up solid vinyl an hour or two before the show to get out any creases that may have formed if it was folded for a long time.
    • Dye sub cloth holds up well indoors but it should not be exposed to high winds.
  2. Image Quality
    • Dye sub cloth banners have excellent image quality and color reproduction from all viewing distances.
    • Solid vinyl banners look great, with sharp graphics on an opaque material. Vinyl banners are available in black backed vinyl, which is even better at blocking light.
    • Mesh 70/30 banners let some light through, but the graphic is still sharp.
    • Mesh 30/70 banners let more light through, so the image is lighter in weight.
  3. Cost Per Square FootCost per square foot depends on banner material and size. In order of cost, lowest first:
    • Solid vinyl
    • 70/30 vinyl mesh
    • 30/70 vinyl mesh
    • Dye sublimated cloth

Art Guidelines For Best Print Quality

You want your banners to look great, and so do we. That’s why it’s important to provide high-resolution, properly scaled art files.

Acceptable File Formats Include:

  • .EPS – Encapsulated PostScript
  • .PSD – Adobe PhotoShop
  • .AI – Adobe Illustrator
  • .PDF – Portable Document Format

Refer to our in-depth article on art requirements.

Upload Artwork

How Much Will My Banner Cost?

The total cost of your banner(s) depends on the quantity, size, finishing requirements (such as grommets, pole pockets, and reinforced hems), rush orders, and shipping speed.

Our banner experts can help you order the best banner for your needs. For faster service, tell us about your event and upload your artwork:

Upload Artwork