Design Considerations for a Professional Billboard

Billboards and large-scale banners are perhaps one of the most widely used forms of communication to speak to a wider audience. However, they too require in-depth research and a deep knowledge about the target audience before the design process begins.

With increasing reliance on digital processes for all advertising needs, crucial design inputs are necessary for developing anything for print. Listed below are some of the vital factors a designer must keep in mind when starting a print signage campaign.

Image courtesy: https://www.pexels.com/photo/in-design-we-trust-billboard-6253/

The message

As with all forms of advertisement, knowing the customer is integral to designing it. Once this is done, the carefully formulated message determines the design and makes the banner. Questions like the following are helpful in this regard.

Is your banner going to share new information, or reinforce what they already know? Is it part of an ongoing campaign or a one-time promotion? Is it about the product or a special service? Where is the banner to be located? What is the viewing distance? The answers to each of these questions can help fine-tune the most effective type of design.

Configuration of graphic files

          v  Viewing distance: Large-format digital printing requires specific configurations compared to other types of printing. If the viewing distance is 10 feet or less, some of the details must be legible. In such a case, its good to go with 100 ppi (pixels per inch) or more, and lesser if the viewing distance is less. This is because, the dots per square inch is relative to the eye:  the closer the viewer is to the image, the smaller the dots appear, and the farther the viewer moves, the larger the dots appear. 

         v  Colour mode: The preferred colour mode must be RGB “Red, Green, and Blue” as it has many advantages over CMYK “Cyan (blue) Magenta (red) Yellow and Kent (black)”. RGB offers a wider range of mixing of colours, is supported by more graphic design softwares, and are 25% smaller in size; moreover, the files are web ready without the need for conversion. 

          v  Canvas size: The canvas size must be set to the full size of the signage/banner at the start. The final digital work must be saved as a PSD (PhotoShop Document) file with all layers flattened to a single layer at 150 dpi (dots per inch) or more. 

 Images and fonts

A ‘good’ graphic design – or ‘creative’ in Ad Agency parlance – must have an optimal mix of image and text. When it comes to images, vector graphics (PDF, EPS, AI) are the preferred format for printing.

They are determined by mathematical curves, allowing even a small graphic to be expanded easily for large-scale prints, without losing clarity. They also tend to have smaller file sizes when compared to their bitmap equivalent. They are different from bitmap image formats such as JPEG, TIFF or PNG.

Readability is the crucial determinant, when it comes to the choice of fonts and their sizes.  The basic guideline for choosing the height of the letter is that it should approximately be one inch per ten feet of viewing distance (10 in for 100 ft). Other factors to focus on are the readability of font type, thickness of letters and the white space around the text.

Executing a successful marketing campaign that features billboards or large-scale banners demands thorough research. It forms the basis of tactful design and clarity on how much to say to your intended audience.

Engage a reputed creative agency, which has the necessary experience and expertise: you can surely turn your hoarding into a  high-impact asset that yields high returns from your campaign.           

Trade show Banner Stands: Putting your Best Foot forward

Digital economy has created various channels for marketing departments of business organizations to increase visibility and improve branding. However, creating the right metrics to measure the effectiveness of campaigns is a challenge: most businesses seek tangible numbers while digital economy is all about various intangible benefits.

In such a scenario, trade show participation continues to be a reliable mechanism to create impact and show numbers at the same time.

Tradeshow collateral

Maximizing ROI from tradeshow participation requires a well-orchestrated strategy. Marketing paraphernalia include brochures, handouts, takeaway gifts, order forms, booth graphics, banners and banner stands.

More about banner stands

Banner stands are one of the most popular tools in the hands of marketers. Unlike static booth graphics, you can move around banner stands with ease, and experiment with their placement at different locations for maximum impact. Furthermore, you can replace easily the artwork to cover a wide range of messages and offerings. For this reason, they go by the name Pop-up Displays.

Banner stands are of different types depending on the size, the location where they are used and the material used for the graphics.

Retractable banner stands

Retractable Banner stands, the most popular option, offer convenience and sophistication in a cost-effective manner. Here, the artwork is rolled into a floor-mounted base, rolled up and propped up with a pole.

·      Material: The artwork is generally made of vinyl, which is long lasting, easy to maintain, and comes with a protective carrying case.

·       Panels: These can be single or double sided with snap-open rail and tension control.

·      Base styles: These can be truss, pedestal or diagonal, in either anodized silver or black finish.

·      Artwork: Digital printing in full-bleed makes these banners stand out even from a long distance.

·  Illumination: Illumination is possible to maximize impact, as is done in retail showrooms and exhibition centers.

·   Cost: Common models feature pre-installed graphics, where the artwork retracts into the base; high-end models feature cartridges for replacing the artwork with ease.

Tabletop banner stands

Tabletops, as the name implies, are smaller and placed on a table. While the retractable banners entice visitors with catchy messages and graphics, tabletop ones make the visitor reflect on the offerings and arrive at a decision. Here again, the tabletops can be propped up horizontally or vertically and they come in different materials and sizes.

Poster stands

These are the oldest form of banners featuring a static pole and a panel for the artwork to fit in. These can be single-paneled with single or double-sided artwork or double-paneled where the panels are joined at the top and moved apart to form an ‘A’.

Backdrop stands

These are used when larger and heavier banners need to be flexibly placed at an event or commercial enterprise. The stand consists of a sturdy metallic frame made of two or three poles. The artwork is attached to the frame using custom hardware such as hems and grommets, snap rings, wire-locking rings and s-rings.

Banner stands may appear a simple and straightforward choice for marketing managers. However, for best results, you would do well to engage a reputed professional signage company who are update on innovations in this area and can maximize ROI from your expenditure.

Five reasons for using digital banners

Banners are an important advertising technique that helps you in communicating your brand message to the audience. Traditionally, these signs were made from vinyl, paper or cloth that could be rolled up, allowing for simple removal and installation. But as you’ve probably guessed, technology has come a long way from the times in which organizations had to hand-stencil their signs. Today, we have digital banners that allow large-scale signs to showcase detailed and dynamic content in the most cost-effective way.

To give you a better understanding of why digital banners are an effective method of advertising and why they should be a major part of your business’s marketing strategy, we have put together five reasons why digital banner ads work:

Exposure:

Majority of the advertising exposure happens when the prospect’s attention is focused somewhere else, such as while driving or walking down the road. According to experts, even an incidental exposure to advertising, at this time, can have a positive effect on the attitude of consumers.  Banner ads have the ability to create a favorable attitude towards the advert because of repeated exposure.

Cost effective:

Outdoor banners are believed to be the most cost effective and popular ways to advertise. They are a powerful technique to attract attention and are perfect for a variety of marketing activities.

Digital banners are clear:

If you are looking to send out a message to the masses and want to get as many “eyes” on your message, then digital banners are the right way to go. Banners make an impact on the audience when nothing else can. For instance, while stuck in traffic, while waiting for someone on the street. A creative and humorous billboard offers that escape and if done properly, it can be an extremely powerful advertising technique.

You tell the world what you’re about:

There is a huge customer base out there for you to tap into. But, how can you do it? Simple, just search for a format that works best for you. A well-made digital banner placed outside your shop can give your prospects information about your business and highlight discounts or offers. This technique will attract the customer towards your business, helping you to talk to them even before they enter the building. You can think of digital banners as a silent sales team.

Versatility:

Digital banners are all about quick installation, versatility and removal. A permanent digital display can be used to announce an endless string of information. And as HD screens and high-end software applications are being developed simultaneously, digital signs have taken off with unbelievable speed.

These advantages should be able to provide you with an understanding why banner ads work. With the right creation and planning of a digital banner campaign, you can have an extremely positive effect on the marketing efforts of your business. Banner ads permit you to reach thousands of customers at a comparatively low cost.  However, remember that digital banner ads are only one of the several elements that go into the creation of a successful marketing campaign.

Six reasons for Using Digital Banners

Most businesses are looking for cost-effective and easy promotional strategies that will help them enhance their customer base. Thanks to the new age digital banners, it is now possible to promote a brand without putting a hole in your advertising budget. Contemporary banners are one of the most eye-catching and attractive ways of putting across a piece of information or message to the audience.

The extensive use of digital banners and their preference over other types of advertising can be attributed to their durability and cost-effectiveness. They provide a stiff competition to paper banners, cloth banners, and other forms of traditional advertising. Here are six reasons why digital banners should be used by every business:

Quality

When promoting an event or a business, the advertisement quality should never be risked. Conventional printing generally has problems such as miss printing and smearing ink. Digital banners, on the other hand, provide high quality assurance and better finished results.

Time-effective

It is a lot easier to align and tweak a digital image and then take out as many prints as possible, in comparison to re-printing a cloth or paper banner. You or your designer can create a good final copy before print and then take out smear-proof, clear copies in no time using digital printers. There is no need to spend hours creating digital banners as the technology does not require printing plates.

Durable

When compared to cloth or paper banners that tend to damage with time and if hung outdoors, digital banners are more stable.

Less Ink and less paper

Digital banners are extremely resourceful. The technology ensures there is less wastage of paper and ink. You are not required to worry about the colors and image positioning.

Cost-effective

There is no doubt in the cost effectiveness of digital banners. Whether you plan to get them printed at your own office or hire a sign making company to do the job for you, the cost per banner will be a lot less in comparison to other modes of advertising.

Versatility

Digital banners are extremely versatile and suitable for all kinds of situations that necessitate advertising. Be it a product advertisement or an outdoor event, these banners get noticed easily by the masses due to their brightness. They can be utilized widely for visual displays, general business, outdoor activities, and displays at booths.

Digitally created banners have become an important part of indoor and outdoor advertising for companies. However, when planning to use these graphical signs for your campaign, it is best to go to a professional. There are several sign makers in California that specialize in digital banners. The good ones do not just print the graphics, they also provide help with the designing. They use the best material and printing techniques to make sure the end result is nothing less than spectacular. One of the best ways to find out about a good provider is to search online. There are plenty of good options you’ll find here.