This story explains the terminology used to describe vinyl banner material such as banner weight, denier, thread count, warp and weft.
Buying vinyl banner material
can be confusing. You would think that the heavier a banner material, the
stronger it is. In most cases, the heavier material is stronger, but not
always. In selecting the right material for the application, you also need
study the product specification sheet, considering other factors, including
“denier” and “threads per inch”.
Vinyl banner material is often comprised of two components: a polyester scrim and vinyl. The scrim is a fabric
mesh, which serves as the core of the banner. The thickness of the threads used
to weave the polyester mesh varies from product to product. The thread count or
number of threads per inch is another variable.
In manufacturing vinyl banners,
the fabric mesh is either coated or laminated with plasticized vinyl material.
These are two different manufacturing processes. In coating a banner fabric, a
liquefied vinyl is applied to the mesh. The vinyl liquid permeates the fabric
and the vinyl and the mesh become one whole. In the laminating process, vinyl
film is fused to either side of the scrim.
While coated banner media is a higher quality, most vinyl banner
material sold to sign makers is laminated because it is less expensive to
produce.
Banner Weight
Just so there is no
misunderstanding, banner weight is important. The weight of vinyl banner material is given
in ounces. But what exactly does that tell you? The banner weight is a
measurement of the actual weight of one square yard (36” x 36”) of material. That
means that if you put one square yard of 13 oz. material on a scale, it will
weigh 13 ounces.
Generally a heavier vinyl
banner material will be stronger, as well as being more opaque. For indoor
applications, 10 oz. banner material is just fine. It may also be suitable for
short term outdoor applications, provided that it is not subjected to high winds
and that it is printed on just one side.
For outdoor applications, you typically will need 13 oz. banner material
or heavier. Some 13 oz. and 18 oz.
material is also a good choice for digital printing.
Denier
Some vinyl banner material
contains a core of polyester mesh; some does not. The thickness of the threads
which comprise this fabric mesh varies. In measuring the actual thickness of
the threads, the unit of measure is its “denier”. Vinyl banner material with a
mesh typically is available in denier measurements of 250, 500 or 1000. As you
might guess, material with a higher number value is stronger as well as thicker
than material with a lower number. For outdoor applications, in which the
banner is exposed to wind, you will want to select banner material with a
denier rating of 500 x 500 or 1000 x 1000.
Warp and Weft
You probably noticed that
the denier of the material was comprised of two numbers, such as 500 x 500 or
250 x 500. The reason for these numbers is because the fabric is comprised of
threads weaved in two directions. The first number indicates the thickness of
the threads travelling the length of the banner material as it comes off of the
roll called the “warp” direction. The second number refers to the weave in “weft”
direction or across the roll. An easy way to remember the term weft, is that it
refers to the threads from the weft (left) to the right.
Thread Count
In some cases,
specifications will also indicate the thread count of the mesh as “threads per
inch”. Just as the denier of the mesh is
provided as two numbers, so is the fabric’s thread
count. The first number indicates the threads per inch in the warp direction. The
second number refers to the number of threads per inch across the web or in the
weft direction. For example, a 15 oz. banner material with a thread count of 40
x 42 has 40 threads per inch in the warp direction and 42 threads per inch in
the weft direction.
Cost
A final consideration is cost. You never want to pay too
much for any product. You also do not want to buy just on price. We all know
that you get what you pay for. In making a purchasing decision, always study
the product specifications and consider the application.
- Will the banner be used indoors or outside?
- Is the banner material designed to withstand exposure to wind?
- What is the material’s fire rating?
- How well does the banner print?
- Is the banner suitable for printing on one side or both sides?
- What type of print technology is the material rated for?
- What is the finish of the material? (Gloss, luster, matte)
- How opaque is the banner? (Will the material sufficiently block out sunlight which could detract from the printed image?)
- What method of hemming is suitable for the banner? (Sewing, banner tape, heat weld)
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About Jim Hingst: After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.
© 2016 Jim Hingst
Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer. Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.
Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 150 articles for publications, such as Signs Canada, SignCraft, Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 325 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published.
© 2016 Jim Hingst
Good contribution to the blog, it helped me in my work.
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