Most banners in London fall into three families: PVC, mesh and fabric. They all take a big, bold print, but they cope with weather, wind and close up viewing in very different ways. Here is how to choose, plus the answer to the question everyone asks: how many eyelets?
Key takeaways
- PVC is the tough, waterproof all rounder for most outdoor banners.
- Mesh is perforated so wind passes through. It is the safer choice for fences, scaffolding and building wraps.
- Fabric gives a soft, premium finish for indoor events and stages.
- Put an eyelet in every corner, then space them evenly along the edges. Windy spots need more.
- We print up to 3.2m wide in one piece, and bigger banners in panels that line up.
PVC, mesh and fabric banners at a glance
| PVC | Mesh | Fabric | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Tough, waterproof PVC sheet | Perforated PVC with tiny holes | Woven fabric with a soft finish |
| Best for | Shop, sale, event and sports banners | Fences, scaffolding, building wraps | Indoor events, stages, venues |
| Wind | Catches the wind, needs secure fixing | Lets wind pass through | Best kept indoors |
| Look | Most vivid, solid colour | Slightly see through up close | Soft, premium, low glare |
| Finishing | Hems, eyelets or pole pockets | Hems and eyelets | Hems or pole pockets |
| Width in one piece | Up to 3.2m | Up to 3.2m | Up to 3.2m |
When should you choose a PVC banner?
PVC is the classic banner. It is tough, waterproof and gives the most vivid, solid colour of the three, so it is perfect for shop openings, sale banners, event and sports banners and anything that needs to shout from a wall or railing.
Because PVC is solid, it catches the wind. On a sheltered wall that is no problem. On an open fence or high up, it can act like a sail, which puts strain on the fixings. That is where mesh comes in.
When should you use a mesh banner for wind?
Mesh banner is perforated with thousands of tiny holes, so the wind passes straight through instead of pushing against it. That makes it the safer choice for:
- fence and Heras fence banners on building sites and events
- scaffold banners and scaffold wraps
- building wraps and giant feature banners
- any exposed spot, such as rooftops, open fields and sports grounds
Up close mesh looks slightly see through, but from across a road or a site the design reads loud and clear. When we wrapped an entire brick warehouse for Gravity Smart Campus, we printed it on wind proof mesh so it breathes in the breeze and stays drum tight in all weathers.
Real jobs: the finished Gravity building wrap, and a branded scaffold wrap above a matching ACM hoarding for Birchley in London.
Pro tip If you are not sure whether a spot is windy, picture the banner as a sail. If that worries you, choose mesh.
Are fabric banners worth it?
For indoor events, absolutely. Fabric has a soft, premium finish with less glare under stage lights and camera flashes, so it looks smart at awards nights, conferences, venues and on stages. It is lighter to handle and less shiny than PVC.
Fabric is best kept indoors. For a printed media wall or a step and repeat, also look at our canvas banners and media walls.
How many eyelets does a banner need?
Eyelets are the metal rings punched along the edge of a banner so you can tie it on with cable ties or bungees. There is no single magic number, but a common rule of thumb is:
- one eyelet in every corner, always
- then roughly every 50cm along the edges
- closer together for big banners, exposed sites and anywhere windy
- extra eyelets along the middle edges of very tall or very wide banners, so the fabric does not bow
Pro tip Bungees give a little in a gust, which can be kinder to the banner than tight cable ties on a windy fence. Tell us how you are fixing it and we will advise.
Hems, eyelets or pole pockets: how will you hang it?
Hems and eyelets
- The everyday choice for fences, railings and walls
- Tie on with cable ties or bungees
- The hem strengthens the edge around each eyelet
Pole pockets
- A sleeve along the top and bottom for poles or frames
- A clean edge with no rings on show
- Great for stages, lamp post and frame systems
Every banner we print is finished to suit how you are hanging it. Not sure? Tell us where it is going and we will set it up.
How big can a banner be?
Our Liyu prints banners up to 3.2m wide in one piece, with no joins, so big banners look clean from any distance. For really big jobs, like a building wrap, we print in panels that line up perfectly. Big banners are viewed from further away, so the image resolution can be lower than for a poster held in your hand; our artwork guide covers bleed and resolution, and every job gets a free artwork check.
Send print ready PDF artwork at full size, or a scaled version with the final size noted. If your file is RGB we can convert it to CMYK, but there is a possibility of colour change.
Ready to order your banner?
Tell us the size, where it is going and how you are hanging it, and we will recommend PVC, mesh or fabric and set up the finishing for you. Our team can install banners and building wraps across London too. See PVC banner printing in London for the full spec.
