To choose a banner, start with where it will go and work back: indoors or outdoors, how much wind it will catch, how far away people will be when they read it, how long it stays up and what you can fix it to. Answer those and the right banner type usually picks itself.

The one thing we'd ask is that you look at the site before you fall for a product. A banner that's perfect in a hotel conference room can end up flat on the grass at a county show.

Which banner to choose for your situation

Situation	Best banner type	Why	Printroom product
Indoor stand or conference	Pull up banner	Portable and sets up in seconds	Economy Roller Banner
Busy aisle, seen from both sides	Double sided pull up	Faces both directions of foot traffic	Double Sided Pull up Banners
Table at a small event	Pull up behind, branded cloth in front	Brands the stand without using more floor	Printed Tablecloths
Exhibition stand backdrop	Fabric display	A taut fabric graphic gives a clean back wall	Tension Fabric Banner Stands, Zipper Walls
Outdoor event on grass	Outdoor pull up	Weighted base, interlocking legs, ground stakes	Outdoor Pull Up Banner
Outdoor on hard ground	Outdoor pull up with feet	Detachable feet for paving, stakes for grass	Double Sided Outdoor Pull Up Banner
Exposed or windy site	Mesh banner	Perforated, so the wind passes through	Mesh Banners
Fence or railing for weeks	PVC banner (mesh if exposed)	Laminated, waterproof, any size, eyelets	PVC Banner Printing
Construction or festival fencing	Heras fencing cover	Fits standard 3.5m x 2m panels	Heras Fencing Covers
Crowd barriers	Barrier cover	Turns plain steel into branding	Crash Barrier Covers
Pitch side sponsorship	Pitch pop up	Sprung fibreglass, no assembly	Pitch Pop Ups
Shop front or pavement	Pavement sign or feather flag	Catches passers-by at street level	A-Frame Pavement Signs, Pavement Swing Signs, Feather Flags
Seen from a road or far off	Oversized or 4.5m flag	Height clears cars, crowds and hedges	Oversized Flags, Teardrop Flags
Same stand, message changes often	Interchangeable pull up	Swap the graphic, keep the base	Interchangeable Pop Up Banners
Eco requirement	PVC-free banner or eco pull up	Meets a sustainability brief	PVC Free Banners, Eco Friendly Pull Up Banners

Indoor or outdoor, and what Irish weather does to a banner

Indoors, you're choosing for floor space and finish. Our pull up banners suit a stand with a metre of floor to spare, while a fabric wall gives a bigger, more polished trade show backdrop. If the floor is crowded, look up: hanging banners use space nobody else is competing for.

Outdoors, the real question is wind. Our PVC banners are laminated and waterproof, but waterproof is not windproof. A solid banner on an exposed fence acts like a sail and strains the eyelets and whatever they're tied to. On a coastal site, an open field or a scaffold, we'd go with mesh every time. There's a PVC-free mesh too if your brief rules out PVC. For flags in gusty spots, a teardrop holds its shape better than a feather.

Keep fabric displays indoors; they look superb under hall lighting but aren't made for a wet afternoon in a field. Before anything goes up outside, check the venue's rules and get the landowner's permission.

Viewing distance, space and banner size

Measure the usable width, height and floor area, and note anything in the way: pillars, tables, a neighbouring stand. Then picture where your reader stands. A reception display read from two metres can be modest. A banner meant to stop people at a festival entrance, or drivers passing on a road, needs to be much bigger and set higher.

Your content decides the size too. A logo and one line sit comfortably on a standard 850mm x 2000mm pull up. Add sponsor logos or directions and you'll want a wide pull up banner (1.2m, 1.5m or 2m wide) or a PVC banner made to your dimensions. Portrait suits pull ups and flags; landscape suits fences and barriers. Our post on roll up banner design and sizes covers proportions.

Fixings, set-up and how long it stays up

Check the fixing points before you order. Eyelets need a fence, railing or wall to tie to; if the site has none, Monsoon frames give you a freestanding double sided structure with ground stakes. We'd much rather confirm this with you once than print a banner with nothing to hang from.

Then think about who's carrying it. One person can have a pull up standing in seconds, and pitch pop ups need no assembly at all. Larger fabric walls take more room and are easier with two people. If you exhibit several times a year with changing offers, an interchangeable pull up lets you replace the graphic and keep the hardware. Don't choose on price alone: an indoor stand used outdoors, or a base that won't survive repeated packing, costs more when you replace it before the next show.

Getting the artwork right

Give the banner one job: a clear headline, the one detail people need (a website, QR code, date or offer) and your logo. Use large type and strong contrast, and check it from where your reader will stand. Our banner design checklist and guides to designing a business banner and an eye-catching event banner go into detail. Send artwork to size as a high-resolution, print-ready PDF and we'll check it before printing. No designer? Our in-house team can help, and our FAQs cover file preparation.

FAQs

Which banner should I choose?

Indoors, a pull up banner is the safest all-rounder. Outdoors for a day, choose an outdoor pull up or a banner in a frame. For weeks on a fence, choose PVC, or mesh if the site is windy.

What are the different types of posters and banners?

Banners are flexible (PVC, mesh or fabric) and roll, fold or hang. Posters and boards are rigid or paper-format. Our poster formats are pavement sign inserts and printed display boards in foamex, corriboard or dibond, including a freestanding 1.2m x 2.4m strutted board. There's more in our post on advertising banner types and uses.

What types of banners work for events?

Event setups usually combine a few: pull ups or fabric walls on the stand, flags at the entrance and barrier or Heras covers on the perimeter. Rectangle banner flags suit calm days, because the aluminium pole keeps the flag open without wind.

How much does banner printing cost in Ireland?

It depends on format, size, material, quantity, finishing, hardware and turnaround. We quote per job, so tell us what you need and we'll price it properly.

How do I secure a banner safely?

Use the fixings made for the surface: stakes on grass, feet or water bases on hard ground, cable ties through eyelets on fences. Keep exits and walkways clear, and take exposed banners down when strong winds are forecast.

Can a banner be reused, and how long will it last?

Yes, if it's looked after; lifespan depends on material, weather and handling. Clean and dry a banner before rolling it loosely, and store stands in their carry bags somewhere dry.

Order your banner

Next-day delivery is available on many orders, and most are produced and delivered within a working week. If you're unsure which banner suits your site, contact us for a quote and we'll talk it through.

How to Choose Which Banner to use When