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Simply, Affordable, Quality Print & Design in Staffordshire and the UK
Free nationwide shipping on all orders!
Simply, Affordable, Quality Print & Design in Staffordshire and the UK
If you are wondering how to design a banner, read on and learn how to make your banner design from scratch! Using our step-by-step guide you will be able to choose the right custom banner for what you need as well as help you to create an eye-catching design to attract the attention of potential customers.
Before we jump into the how of designing a banner. Let us cover a few things quickly! Every banner is a printed marketing tool used to promote your business, helping you to build brand awareness. Due to their size, they are perfect to attract attention of passers-by. They are available in a wide range of materials such as Vinyl, Mesh and other fabrics, we are not going to go too much into the different types of banners because the design principle is the same, no matter which you are making.
For those who want to master how to make a banner design and came here for tips on choosing their style read on!
Location, Location, Location! Think about where you want to place your banner, this will help you select the right size and type of banner – for what you want to say and where! Knowing the size of the banner as well as the type before you start with any kind of banner design, is crucial and is probably the most important part of the design process.
For example, you wouldn’t choose a roller banner stand for a long-term external display, yet they are perfect as indoor retractable banners.
Sizing down onto some graphic design tips!
You will want to make sure they’re seen and stand out – you wouldn’t want them to blend in with the background. Unless of course, that’s the look you are going for! Most people who order printed banners want their banner to stand out, whether that’s to increase brand awareness or give out key information.
In the same way, think about the wording you want to use on the banner. What do you want those who read it when it grabs their attention from a distance to do? Buy something? Go somewhere? Thinking about this will help you get straight to the point – this is what’s known as a call to action or CTA.
Depending on where you have chosen to use your banner can impact the time your banner has to make an impact.
Think about other things that need to be on the design such as social icons, a web address, and your company logo.
When you begin to make your own banner from scratch your message must be easy-to-read and legible. The typeface of the font you choose can help people understand your message quickly, not everyone has time to stop and read. Knowing this will help you bear typography in mind, you can use different fonts to help you create a hierarchy within the design.
Typically an eye-catching message is printed in a large font – something to create a reaction and help them see the banner from a distance. Smaller font sizes are great for supporting information such as website addresses and marketing copy.
| Headline | Body Text |
| Bebas Neue | Open Sans |
| Impact | Helvetica |
| Oswald | Lato |
| Montserrat | Roboto |
In general, focus on simple, fonts with clean lines and a strong visual presence. Avoid highly stylized or cursive styles that could be difficult to read on a banner viewed from a distance.
Think about other supporting design elements you need to include when you design your banner.
Using colours correctly within your design can help you spread your message. Nearly as important as where you plan to hang your message! For example think about Valentine’s Day banners – you naturally would expect a design using red, or a Black Friday banner commonly seen with Black and Yellow.
This is what is known as colour psychology – For example, red commands attention, blue conveys trust, and yellow is energetic. Pick colours that align with your message and brand.
Where you are putting your banner will also depict the colours you could choose that’s why that was near the top in our tips to create a banner design.
Contrasting and striking colours help create hierarchy in the same way that the right fonts do. Think about black words on a white background it can help draw the eyes and create a sleek look.
Use images to create a focal point and convey your message. A picture can speak a thousand words – not poor-quality images though. Think about what it is you are trying to say and use an image that highlights what you are saying! There are plently of free online image sources such as Unsplash for example. If you are using images high quality is a must!
We would always recommend the use of jpegs with a minimum of 300 dpi to ensure a great banner! Using an an image of low resolution will negatively impact the design of your banner. We know its the perfect image and looks great on screen – remember your designing a large format design. The higher quality image you use from the start will ensure that your banner looks and performs great.
Logos etc are typically best added in vector format. This is a scalable format that does not lose quality when resized!
There are plenty of places to get free banner stock photos, helping your design look crisp!
Pro Tip – Don’t overcrowd the design with too much text – let it breathe! This is what is known as white space within the design (no it does not mean white only)
Does your design convey your message quickly? Take a break, step away for a while – come back and check again. Does it tie in with your other marketing content, such as flyers? Review all text for spelling mistakes and when you are happy with your design get in touch and we will be more than happy to print it for you!
So we have covered the design part of how to make a banner
When we design banners we use professional software such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, we would class these as the right tools for the job. Banners are typically large format and as such you would want the ability to scale and resize elements without a loss of quality.
When you design your banner we would recommend you design it at the right size. This will ensure the quality of your banner is as good as what you see on screen. We see it a lot where people design banners in Word or Publisher and they look great on screen. We are going to be straight with you – so just don’t do it!
It is always a good idea to check with us or your chosen banner printing company that the files you are going to supply are going to be suitable. This can save you time in regards to starting the design of your banner in the right program.
Some online banner makers offer design templates – just make sure they are printed banners and not web banners as there is a difference. Make sure that you can download the available templates in a format suitable for what you’re having printed. Find a design that speaks to your banner’s vision and you will want to customize it to your needs.
Here is our short checklist of things to review before submitting banner files for printing:
Following this checklist helps avoid common file issues that can delay printing and ensure your banner files are ready for production.
