Which Banner Material is Your Best Choice?

                                                           By Jim Hingst 

@hingst_jim

This story is an excerpt from an article which appeared in Sign Builder Illustrated magazine in 2006.

Vinyl banners are not the only material available to sign makers. Today banner substrate manufacturers offer a wide array of different materials in numerous colors. New material options include mesh, cotton, polyester, canvas and synthetic papers.

With so much to choose from making the right choices can be daunting. In this article, I provide some direction to help you pick the right materials for your banner applications. 

Vinyl Banner Material

For most applications, vinyl banner material is still the substrate of choice, being used in more than two-thirds of jobs.  For outdoor applications, vinyl banner provide durability and easy to decorate using a wide range of media, such as ink, paint, and applied vinyl.

A very popular application for vinyl banner substrate is double-sided banners.  Instead of just sewing or otherwise finishing two separately printed banners, sign makers are now using dual-side printing blockout banners with their inkjet printers.

Vinyl banner materials typically consist of a polyester scrim embedded in white vinyl. The scrim of a vinyl banner is a woven product that contains of a grid pattern of intertwining threads.  The threads that run in machine direction or along the length of the roll are called the warp.  The threads that run perpendicular to the warp direction or across the web of the roll are called the weft.  The mesh count consists of two numbers, which refer to the warp and the weft of the scrim.  For a more thorough explanation of the terminology used in the vinyl banner market see my article: Buying Vinyl Banner Material.

The strength of the banner is in its scrim.  As a rule of thumb, materials of a higher thread count are stronger.  The banner substrates manufactured with lower scrim count are weaker and less costly to produce.  

Not all vinyl banner material is manufactured in the same manner.  Some of the vinyl material is cast or coated; other vinyl substrate is called laminated or extruded. The differences between the two types of vinyl banners are very important part.  There is a very wide variety of PVC used as well as the types of scrim fabric, and this is the main reason print quality and longevity of laminated banner varies.

Laminated or extruded banner is manufactured through laminating sheets of PVC together with the scrim fabric. Coated or cast banner fabric is made by coating liquid PVC onto more tightly woven scrim fabric.  This process makes coated PVC banner much more stable and tear resistant for excellent durability.  Depending on display conditions, these banners can offer years of life outdoors.  Additionally, they typically cut cleanly and may not even need to be hemmed for a clean finished edge.

Vinyl banners have come a long way over years.  Earlier materials, that were loaded with plasticizers, were not compatible with computer-cut vinyl lettering. These plasticizers migrated to the surface of the vinyl banners, contaminated the adhesives of the graphics and  resulted in a variety of problems, such as edge lifting and worm tracking. Newer vinyl materials have been reformulated to minimize plasticizer migration.

What’s more important than how a banner is made, is how you select the right one for your needs. As you go through this selection process, you should rely on your sign supply distributor to help you in this selection process and study the technical information in the manufacturer’s technical bulletins. Once you find a combination of materials that work well together for you, stick with it.

In evaluating a banner material for cut vinyl graphics, screen printing or digital printing, researchers working for the vinyl and banner manufacturers look at a variety of characteristics. These characteristics include flexibility, opacity, gloss, surface smoothness, flammability and material thickness. Some of the test methods used to check these performance properties are based on simple common sense.  You can use these same tests in your shop to make your product selection.

Flexibility.  Even though banners should not be folded, you still want to check the material for flexibility of the material. To check flexibility, fold the banner and check whether or not the substrate returns to its original shape.  For your customers, who will store banners folded, even after you have instructed them otherwise, you do not want the banner to show creases.

Opacity. If you decorate the banner on both sides, you want to make sure that the material has enough “hiding power” to prevent the graphics on one side from showing through on the opposite side. Technical bulletins often express the opacity of a material as a percentage, such as 96% or 100%.

Gloss.  High gloss material can obscure the image of the applied graphics or printed graphics. For printed graphics, a matte finish is usually preferred.  In checking over the product specifications, look for materials with a gloss level under 10 at a viewing angle between 45º and 60º. 

While matte vinyl banners print better in the opinion of many sign makers, a high percentage of their customers like the glossy look.  That’s what people like and that’s why gloss outsells matte.

Smoothness.  If you are going to be printing on the banner rather than decorating it with cut vinyl graphics, you want to examine the smoothness of the surface. Smoother surfaces print better, whether screen printing or digital printing. 

The smooth banners are great to print on. As a word of caution, while laminated banner material is generally smoother than cast banner material, it has lower tear resistance.  That’s why you should not put wind slits in the smoother laminated vinyl banners. The wind slits  will just tear out.  For more information on wind slits read Wind Slits in Vinyl Banners.

Material Weight.  For printed graphics, a thinner banner substrate, such as a 10 oz. material, is often easier to process through a printer.  However some of the lightweight banners can buckle and wrinkle, which can cause headstrikes. A heavier weight 12 oz or 13 oz tends to be better for the mid-size digital printers, especially for printers without automated take-ups.

If the banner is going outdoors and your customer expects it to stand up to the elements, you should persuade them to use higher-quality, heavy-duty banner substrate, such as 13oz. or 15 oz. material. The heavier fabric is stronger, less likely to tear and also allows for wind slits. 15oz. or heavier material is generally designed so you can decorate both sides. 

The heavier material used for outdoors application generally has fewer threads per inch, but the threads are thicker and consequently stronger.  The trade off is that some banner substrate utilizing the thicker thread, is not so smooth as indoor substrate, which utilizes a fabric with a higher thread count.  Materials with more threads per inch have a much smoother surface, but as the surface becomes smoother you can sacrifice strength. (The texture caused by the scrim of the banner is generally much more pronounced on surface of laminated vinyl banners than with the smoother coated banners.)

Top Coating. The quality of vinyl banners has improved immensely over the years. One of the big improvements is in the reduction of plasticizer migration.  Some of the better banners manufactured today feature special acrylic top coats.  The top coated banners cost more, but the quality of the product and how it processes are better.  

The top coating blocks any plasticizer migration and improves the dyne level, (materials with higher surface energy as measured in dynes per square centimeter allow more contact with liquids such as inks), so the print quality is better. In printing, the ink soaks into the coating, which helps control dot gain and reduces drying times as well as making the printed image more scratch resistant.

Test Standards. In evaluating the scrim or internal fabric of a banner, manufacturers test the tensile and tear of the material according to established industry test standards, such as the ASTM test methods.  Tensile strength, which is a good indication of the ultimate strength of the mesh, measures how much force is required to break the material.  Tear strength measures how much force is needed to start and sustain a rip in a fabric. 

In comparing banner material from different manufacturers, some banner experts suggest that sign makers should carefully study the product specifications.  13 oz. materials, which are an industry mainstay for printed vinyl banners, are not all the same. The table shows test results for a variety of 13 oz. banners.  Note the differences in scrim count.

Dyne level.  Whether you are applying cut graphics to a banner surface or printing on it, dyne level is very important.  In selecting a product, a minimum dyne level of 36 is desired. (Dyne level is a measurement of the surface energy of the substrate. Inks and pressure sensitive films will have more difficulty sticking to banner materials with low surface energy, because the ink or adhesive will not so readily wet out the surface.) Banner material with a higher dyne level allows the adhesive on vinyl films and inks to more easily wet out the surface for good adhesion. An advantage of PVC banner material, compared to other materials, is that the dyne level is usually somewhat higher and very consistent.

Hue. A rose is a rose is a rose, but two whites can be very different.  Vinyl banner material comes in two different hues: bluish-white and yellowish “natural” white.   For outdoor advertising and digital applications, bluish-white material is generally preferred.  Screen printers, on the other hand, often select the “natural” white material, in most cases for no other reason than the materials costs less. If you are going to decorate both sides of the banner, check the whiteness of the material on both sides, so the front of the banner looks the same as the back.

Fabric Options

In spite of all the efforts of our friends in the European Union to ban vinyl, it’s here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future.  Consequently, sign makers can continue to make PVC banners – until the environmentalists ultimately get their way.  There are, however, other options for banners in the form of different types of fabric. Some of the newer banner substrates include fabrics such as polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, canvas and cotton.

Lightweight banner fabrics have several advantages over the heavier vinyl banners and rigid signage when used for indoor applications. Fabric banners weigh less, which lowers freight costs. Their lighter weight also makes them easier to handle during installation. Unlike banners with applied vinyl graphics, fabric banners can be folded and easily shipped, without fear of creasing the material or causing the graphics to tunnel and lift. 

Another advantage that fabrics have is that the softer, flowing  texture of materials, such as nylon and polyester,   blends in better with interior store décor.  Consumers feel more comfortable with fabric banners than with rigid signage, because fabrics look like the drapery in their homes.  The emotional connection with the home environment creates a relaxed shopping atmosphere, which some advertisers believe helps merchandise their products.

In most cases, use of fabric banner material is not a cheap alternative to other types of signage. On the contrary, banner fabric options cost more and should be presented as an upscale alternative. Some of applications for fabrics, such as cotton, nylon and polyester, include interior retail signage, Point-Of-Purchase graphics, tradeshow banners, museum graphics and backdrops for theatre productions. 

Polyester

Because polyester fabric is soft and flexible, yet tough and durable, it has become a very popular choice for printed interior banners. Its delicate and flowing look and feel make it particularly suited for use in promoting feminine products.  Unlike other natural fabrics, such as cotton, which can shrink, polyester is very dimensionally stable. Uncoated polyester can be printed using dye-sublimation or by screen printing.  Inkjet printing of polyester, however, requires the use of top-coated polyester fabric.  Today’s top coating allow printing of high resolution images and vivid reproduction of colors. 

Polyester banner fabric is a very lightweight, porous material, and the ink tends to bleed through to the other side. This allows the viewer to see the image on both sides, making the fabric ideal for two-sided signage. 

A better choice for short-term outdoor applications is polyester.  Polyester banner or flag fabric has become a popular choice for digitally-printed banners.  Many of these top coated fabrics are laminated with a paper backing which prevents the ink from bleeding through the porous fabric and onto the printer.  The paper backing also aids the fabric to feed through the printer, preventing the material from bunching up and causing a printer head strike that could damage an expensive print head.  After printing the polyester banner fabric, the paper release liner easily peels off and the banner is ready to use. Although polyester fabric is designed for indoor applications, it can be used for short term outdoor promotional signage.  Depending on the environmental conditions, the outdoor life of these printed fabrics typically ranges from three to six months.

Some polyester textile banner fabrics are suitable for indoor and short-term outdoor projects.  This banner media is top-coated to allow inkjet printing using a wide range of inks, including water-based inks.  The top coating provides good ink adhesion to the fabric, but also supports heavy ink coverage.  Heavier weight polyester fabrics are used when opacity is required.

Cotton

Cotton and polyester or some combination of the two are another banner fabric option.  Because cotton banner fabrics have a very soft and elegant look, they are popular choices for indoor applications, such as museum graphics and point-of-purchase signage.  Cotton is not recommended for outdoor use.  If it gets wet cotton fabric will shrink and discolor.  Moisture also promotes the growth of mold and mildew. 

Polyethylene  and polypropylene banners

For indoor applications and short-term outdoor projects, inexpensive alternatives are polypropylene and polyethelene banner materials.  Many of these banner materials are top coated to accept a wide range of inks including water-based, dye and pigmented inks and UV inks.   Some products are designed for double-sided decoration.

The matte finish of some coated materials provides the added benefit of minimizing the glare from overhead lighting, which would make readability of the graphics more difficult.

With polyethylene banner material, generally one side of the plastic is corona treated; the other is not. You can only decorate the side that is treated. Plastic films, such as polyethylene are low energy surfaces.  Without some type of treatment on the surface, inks; paints and adhesives would not bond to them.  To increase the surface energy, the manufacturers use different treatments.  By increasing the dyne level of the surface, these treatments improve the ability of different types of fluids, such as inks, paints and adhesives, to wet out the surface. 

Each type of substrate has its own surface energy or dyne level. Polyolefins, such as polypropylene and polyethylene, are low energy surfaces.  Most pressure-sensitive adhesives, inks and paints will not adhere to these materials, unless the surfaces are specially-treated.

Corona Treatment. To give the surface a little more tooth, manufacturers treat the surface of the film to increase the surface energy.  One type of treatment is called corona treating, which uses an electrical discharge to alter the surface charge of a film without affecting its physical properties. As the banner material passes under an electrical discharge electrode, the electrical current ionizes the air and creates a corona in the air between the electrode and the substrate. Electrical charge created in the corona increases the surface energy of the material. 

Only the side of the material that is exposed to the corona is treated.  However, you can buy materials with a back treatment, which allows for decoration on both sides of the banner.  This process allows an adhesive or ink to more readily wet out on the surface of the banner material, thereby improving the adhesion to the substrate.

While corona treatment can initially increase the surface energy of the plastic, nothing lasts forever.   Over time, which can be a matter of weeks, the dyne level can gradually diminish. 

Canvas banners

Similar to the canvas that artists paint on, canvas banner fabric consists of a combination of cotton and polyester fibers. Used exclusively for interior applications, canvas fabric is ideal for wall hangings and other hanging signage.  Top coated canvas is an also an excellent medium for printing   high-resolution photographs and fine art reproductions. The glossy surface of some printed canvas media can look just like a painted work of art.

Coated canvas banner fabrics can be printed with either dye or pigment based inks.  Printed with pigmented inks, canvas banner fabric can provide remarkable durability for indoor projects – well over ten years. For added protection, printed canvas can be clear coated with a special liquid.  This clear coating adds to the durability of the printed image by providing some UV protection and by making it more dirt resistant and smudge proof.  In finishing the edges of this material, manufacturers recommend that the canvas media should be hemmed by sewing. 

Banner Mesh

For exterior applications, sign makers generally use heavyweight vinyl banner, that ranges in material weight from 13 oz.  to 22 oz.   Using heavier material with wind slits is one way to engineer a banner that withstands high winds. A practical alternative to conventional vinyl banners is to use a mesh banner.  The mesh material has holes in it, which makes it look similar to perforated, one-way-vision window graphics vinyl. Gusting winds blow right through the banner material.  Using mesh banner can take the wind right out what can become a sail. 

Mesh banner material is best suited for printed graphics on a grand scale, such as large banners and building wraps.  Used for building wraps, mesh material allows passers-by to see the graphics on the outside of the building, but also allows the occupants of the building to see out.  For this application, mesh banner serves a similar function to that of perforated window film. For building wraps, heavier mesh material is recommended.  Mesh material can also be used on construction sites to screen out unsightly construction images.

When printing on mesh banner material, keep in mind that you are printing on less surface area, because the material has open areas. This gives the printed image a softer, more subtle look.  When printing on the perforated mesh material, printed images will be less vivid or distinct. At a more lengthy viewing distance, the images printed on perforated mesh material is more readable.  At shorter distances, images on  perforated banners can appear washed out. 

To prevent the image from becoming washed out, you should design graphics with higher contrast.  Some, but not all, mesh banner material comes on a release liner, which prevents ink from flowing through the holes in the material and ending up on your printer.

RELATED ARTICLES

Vinyl Banner Material Selection
Wind Slits in Vinyl Banners
Banner Care
Selling Banners
Hemming Vinyl Banners
Installations of Banners to Walls
How to Apply Vinyl Graphics to Banners
Design Basics for Banners
The Effect of Wind Loads on Banners
Buying Vinyl Banner Material
Fire Rating of Banner Materials

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.

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 400 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published.  Vinyl Sign Techniques is available at sign supply distributors and at Amazon. 

Slides of Jim's Artwork

© 2016 Jim Hingst