Vinyl banner hanging on wall showing standard vinyl banner size and title logo

Signage 101: Standard Vinyl Banners Sizes

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Vinyl banners are a convenient and impactful solution when you require large format signages. Businesses and consumers prefer to use them because they are durable, easy to set up, affordable, and portable. In this Signage 101 post, we will delve into the standard banner sizes and the most common banner sizes. We’ll also help you determine which banner size is best for your specific needs. Learn fun facts about our banners from Signs.com and how to choose your banner size through our step-by-step guide. Read on for a comprehensive understanding about standard vinyl banner sizes

What are the Standard Vinyl Banner Sizes?

Although the sign industry doesn’t specify a singular standard for vinyl banner dimensions, there are a few banner sizes for print that have become favorites of the majority of banner shoppers.

  • 6′ x 3′ (72″ x 36″) – Measuring 6 feet in width and 3 feet in height, this banner size offers a great canvas for events, promotions, or business advertisements. It provides ample space to showcase logos, graphics, and important information such as event details.
  • 4′ x 2′ (48″ x 24″) – Compact yet impactful, this banner with dimensions of 4 feet by 2 feet is suitable for situations where space is limited. This banner size can be used for smaller events, directional signage, or drawing attention and emphasizing specific details.
  • 8′ x 4′ (96″ x 48″) – Stepping into larger dimensions and spanning 8 feet in width and 4 feet in height, this banner size offers a large area for bold and attention-grabbing messages. This size is great for grand events, storefront displays, or any scenario where a prominent presence is essential.

What is the Most Popular Vinyl Banner Size?

The most popular size for a vinyl banner is 6′ wide x 3′ high. These particular dimensions are perfect for a variety of uses, and it’s big enough to be noticeable from a distance and stand out, yet compact enough for easy transport. The 6′ x 3′ banner is also a great size to use in conjunction with a standard six-foot table. Whether you’re hanging the banner from the front of a table or on a wall, this size proves that it can be used in various applications.  

Vinyl banner hanging on a wall behind a table

Most print shops can print banners with a width up to 5 feet and a custom length, which means it depends on how long their vinyl material is.

The most common material used in the industry is 13 oz. vinyl. When printing vinyl banners, the design is printed on a roll and then cut into a square or rectangle. In most cases, a sewn or heat-welded hem is added to the edges of the cut vinyl to give it a pleasant finish. The hem provides strength to the edges for outdoor or indoor use. Banners also come with standard grommets (rings) for convenient hanging.

At Signs.com, we can print your banner at nearly any imaginable size and have it at your doorstep within just a few days. We also offer grommets and a welded hem standard with our 13 oz. vinyl banners.

How Do I Know What Banner Size is Right for Me?

Chances are the most common vinyl banner sizes are perfect for your needs. You’ll notice that the standard sizes mentioned earlier are a simple 1:2 size ratio (i.e., 6′ x 3′). Another popular choice for vinyl banners is a 1:3 ratio, such as the 6′ x 2′ banner. Here’s a simple suggestion to know when to use these size ratios:

  • Use a 1:2 ratio for logos or designs with more than two lines of text.
  • Use a 1:3 ratio for “landscape” designs with only a few words or a wide logo

In some situations, like setting up a pop-up tent at a vendor fair, specific banner sizes make sense. Stringing the banner between the poles of a pop-up tent looks good when it spans the whole width of the tent. 10′ wide by 3′ or 4′ high is just the right size to get any pop-up shop noticed with a well-designed graphic. Small banners can, of course, work with pop-up tents as well.

Banner size depends on where you will use it and for what purpose. When used for outdoor advertising, banners should be large enough for the letters to be seen from a distance. Selecting the size of your banner can also depend on the design you wish to print on the banner. If you have a logo with a 1:1 shape, a square banner might make sense, while a wider rectangle is more suitable for spelling out a phrase or a lengthy call to action on your banner

We’ve found that a visual reference can help you decide the correct banner size for your project. Try out this great tool to help you get a good idea of your banner size. Type in the width and height (in inches) in the entry boxes below:

Banner Sizing

Get a feel for the size of your banner

Width (in) Height (in)
Your browser does not support the HTML5 canvas tag.

Banner Size and Graphic Size

The size of your banner will dictate the size of your font and graphic. Signs and banners are more noticeable when they are printed in large formats and are easy to spot. You’d want to consider the viewing distance from where your banner will hang. For example, a banner on a fence near a crosswalk should be readable from about 10-20 yards. A banner hanging on a building or a roadside should be easy to spot and read from 50-100 yards.

If you have questions about font size or how to get your graphics just right from different viewing distances, check out our blog post on letter height visibility

We can print your custom banner in nearly any square or rectangular shape, starting at our smallest dimensions 12″ x 12″. While we can technically print your banner at this size, we recommend not going smaller than 24″ x 12″.

What is the Largest Vinyl Banner Size?

For general use, the largest banner that you can print with Signs.com is 120″ x 1980″ or 10’ by 165’. If you want a banner larger than 10 ft. in both directions, we can still print and create it for you. Call us at 1.(888) 222-4929 and we’ll set up a premium order for you!

If you’d like to experience how easy and fun it is to create your banner at any size, check out the step-by-step guide below and order one for yourself. You’ll be pleased with the results!

What about smaller banner sizes? Most vinyl banner producers start their smallest sizes at 2’ x 2’. At Signs.com, you can get a banner printed as small as 12” x 12”. Banners smaller than 1’ by 1’ are not particularly effective for outdoor signage, and the print quality of small banners starts to reduce when ran using large format printers. If you need signage or print materials smaller than 1′ x 1′, check out some of our small format products, such as postcards or flyers!

Step-by-Step Guide to Sizing Your Banner on Signs.com

Now that you’ve learned vinyl banner sizes, let’s help you design your custom vinyl banner! Using our advanced online design tool, you can easily craft a custom banner of any size. There are a few ways to set the size of your banner.

Use the QuickStart menu at the top of the vinyl banners page on Signs.com to select the size you want (in inches). Select the quantity and hit “Get Started”.

Screen shot showing signs.com get started button from the vinyl banners page

Next, choose between three easy ways to design your banner using the best design tool in the signage industry. You can either start from scratch, use one of our templates, or upload your own design.

three easy ways to design your banner

 

Once in the Signs.com online design tool, you can resize your banner by changing the sign’s width and height at the top of the page.

resize your banner

If you want to change your banner’s width or height independent of the other, click the “Lock Dimensions” checkbox under the fields. The little blue “lock” symbol should turn black, and you’ll see it unlock:

When you change your banner size in the online design tool, you may need to adjust the design to fit the new size proportionately. If that’s the case, some simple work with your mouse should enable you to select the elements of your design that need to be resized to fit the new banner size.

It’s as easy as that! For more tips and information about banners, see our vinyl banner FAQ.

 

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