Tips for Putting Images on Large Banners

Do you want to give your vinyl banners a professional appearance that will have the maximum impact?

If you do, it is time to think about adding full color images to your vinyl banners. One of the easiest ways to incorporate vibrant color is to add a photograph. There are some important things to keep in mind when adding a full color image to a vinyl banner. First, correct resolution is vital to producing a high quality image on your banner. Ideally the resolution should be kept to about 100 ppi when the image is at full size. For example, an image that has a resolution of 300 ppi when it is 8” x 10” can be blown up to approximately 24” x 30” and still be at a resolution of 100 ppi. Since many of these images are actually viewed from a distance, many people find that they can reduce the resolution of the image to as low as 50 ppi and still be happy with the results.

The next thing to think about is the importance of brightening up the colors that are to appear on your vinyl banner. Increasing the contrast of the image is usually an effective way to do this. When using the software program Photoshop you can accomplish this by “pinching” the levels. You can brighten up your light colors and darken your darker colors by simply opening the levels window and adjusting the shadows control towards the middle and the highlights control towards the left. This can also help to clean up some of the mid tones in your image.

You will get enhanced brightening as well by sharpening your images. While you don’t want to go too far, your images will look much crisper and clear if you sharpen them up just a little bit.

The last thing to think about is working in CMYK mode instead of RGB. The best banners are printed using solvent inks on CMYK printing devices. It is best to use this color system when designing your banner, rather than designing in RGB and not getting a true sense of the actual colors that will appear on your banner. RGB has a wider color spectrum than CMYK, so you may find that the colors are somewhat different. Some colors that can be produced on your computer just cannot be reproduced using solvent based inks. This is especially true when you are using solvent based inks to print on vinyl. This is something you need to be aware of prior to ordering your banner. If you have a particular color that needs to be precisely reproduced it is a good idea to ask for a proof to be produced on vinyl material so that you can check the accuracy.

Solvent based inks are the best for full color printing jobs that will be exposed to sunlight and a variety of weather conditions, including rain. Solvent based inks stand up well to both wind and rain and will not fade easily when exposed to UV rays. Sunlight will quickly fade inks that are not solvent based. While using images and photos in your banners can really create a great effect, it is not a good idea to use them for outside banners unless you are using solvent based inks. Even when you are printing banners for inside applications such as a trade show or event you may want to consider using solvent based inks for great performance and durability.

 
 

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