Vinyl banner buying guide: choose the right material the first time

If you have ever ordered a banner online, you have seen the menu: 13 oz, 15 oz, 18 oz, mesh, blockout, matte, gloss, hem, grommets, pole pockets. The choices look technical, but they come down to three questions. Where will the banner hang? How long does it need to last? Will anyone see the back? Answer those and the right material is usually obvious.

This guide walks through each option in the order a printer's order form presents them, explains what the numbers mean, and ends with a checklist you can hold against any quote.

What a vinyl banner is made of

A standard banner is a sandwich: a woven polyester mesh called a scrim coated on both sides with flexible PVC. The scrim gives the banner tear strength; the PVC gives it a smooth, waterproof, printable face. Wide-format printers then lay down outdoor-rated ink, usually eco-solvent, latex or UV-cured.

The weight label (13 oz, 18 oz) is ounces per square yard of finished material. Heavier vinyl usually means a denser scrim, thicker coating, or both. That buys you tear resistance, better opacity and a flatter hang, at the cost of more weight to support and a slightly higher price.

The four materials you will actually be offered

13 oz scrim vinyl: the default for a reason

For a birthday, a graduation, a weekend sale, a booth backdrop or a banner that will spend a season on a sheltered wall, 13 oz vinyl is the right answer. It is what most printers quote when you don't specify, and it is what most "banner" prices online assume. It prints crisp text and good photos, folds or rolls small, and can be hung with zip ties or bungees.

Its weak points are light transmission and wind. Hold a 13 oz banner up to a window and you will see the print from the back, so it is not suited to double-sided printing. In open, windy spots it will hold up for a while if it is hemmed and properly tied, but it puts a lot of force on its fixings.

18 oz blockout: when the back matters or the job is long

Pay for 18 oz when any of these apply: the banner is double-sided (a street-pole banner, a banner hung in a window, a sign people walk around), it will be outside for many months, it is very large, or it will be tensioned in a frame. The blockout layer stops one side ghosting through the other, and the heavier scrim resists tearing at grommets.

Mesh: for wind, not for looks

Mesh banners are perforated so air passes through. They are the right choice for chain-link fences on construction sites, sports fields, scaffolding and anywhere exposed. Up close, the holes make colors look a little lighter and fine text less crisp; from 20 feet away most people can't tell. We compare the two in detail in mesh vs vinyl banners.

Fabric is a different product

Polyester fabric banners, printed by dye sublimation, are matte, wrinkle-resistant and lighter to ship, and they photograph beautifully indoors. They are not a direct substitute for outdoor vinyl. See fabric vs vinyl banners.

Matte or gloss?

Most banner vinyl comes in a matte or low-sheen finish, and that is usually what you want. Gloss makes colors pop on a counter but throws glare under event lighting, in camera flashes and in direct sun, which makes text harder to read and photos worse. Choose matte for anything that will be photographed (graduations, step-and-repeats, stage backdrops) or read from an angle. Gloss is a fine choice for a banner viewed head-on in soft light.

Ink: ask what it is rated for

You rarely get to choose the ink, but you should know what the printer uses. Eco-solvent, latex and UV-cured inks are all made for outdoor exposure and will survive rain. The real fade risk is sunlight: a banner in full southern or western sun will lose saturation faster than one in shade, whatever the ink. If a printer quotes an outdoor life, ask what conditions the figure assumes.

Finishing: hems, grommets and pole pockets

Finishing is where cheap banners fail. A hem folds the edge over and welds or sews it, doubling the material where stress concentrates. Grommets are metal rings pressed through the hem so you can tie the banner off; most printers place them in the corners and every 18 to 24 inches. Pole pockets are sleeves along the top and bottom (or sides) for a pole or rod.

For outdoor banners, always choose hemmed edges with grommets, or hemmed edges with pole pockets for frames and poles. Unhemmed banners with grommets punched straight through single-thickness vinyl are a false economy; they tear out in the first serious gust. The full explanation, with spacing and pocket sizes, is in grommets, hems and pole pockets.

Sizing: start from the spot, then the reading distance

Measure the space where the banner will go, then subtract room for ties or hardware: leave at least a few inches on every side of a fence panel or wall section so the banner can be tensioned. Next, check the reading distance. If the banner must be read from 100 feet, its main line needs letters at least 4 inches tall, and the banner must be big enough to fit that line with margins. Our banner sizes guide lists the common sizes with uses, and the letter height calculator does the math.

How long will it last?

Printers quote anything from "months" to "years" for the same material, because installation and exposure matter more than the material label. A 13 oz banner indoors can last for years. The same banner zip-tied loosely to an open fence can shred in a few weeks of wind. What helps most, in order:

1. Hemmed edges and grommets at every corner and at least every 24 inches.
2. Fixings with some give (bungee balls) rather than rigid ties in windy spots.
3. Even tension, so no single grommet carries the load.
4. Mesh, not solid vinyl, on fences and other exposed locations.
5. Shade, if you have a choice of walls.
6. Taking it down before storms and storing it dry.

Checklist: read this before you approve a banner quote

• Material named with weight (for example "13 oz scrim vinyl" or "9 oz mesh"), not just "vinyl".
• Single- or double-sided stated; double-sided uses blockout material.
• Finish (matte, gloss) stated.
• Hemmed edges included, with grommet spacing or pole-pocket size listed.
• Final size confirmed in inches or feet, including whether it is before or after hemming.
• A digital proof will be sent before production.
• Production time and shipping time listed separately.
• A reprint or refund policy for production errors.

Common buying mistakes

The first is ordering by price per square foot alone. Two banners at the same price can differ in weight, ink and finishing, and the cheaper one may skip hems. The second is choosing a size first and fitting the message second; the result is small text that nobody can read. The third is forgetting the hardware: ties, bungees, a pole or a stand are part of the job. The fourth is ordering too late for an event. Leave two weeks for proofs, production and shipping, plus a cushion for a reprint.

Questions people ask

Is 13 oz vinyl good enough for outdoors?

Yes, for short and medium runs, especially on a sheltered wall or a building face. Make sure it is hemmed, grommeted at least every 24 inches and tied evenly. On an open fence or in a very windy spot, choose mesh.

What is the difference between 13 oz and 18 oz banners?

18 oz banners use a heavier, more opaque material with a stronger scrim. They resist tearing, hang flatter and can be printed on both sides without show-through. 13 oz is lighter and cheaper and suits most single-sided jobs.

Can a vinyl banner be printed on both sides?

Yes, but it needs blockout vinyl (usually 18 oz) so one side doesn't show through the other. Some printers make double-sided banners by joining two printed sheets back to back.

Do I need mesh or can I add wind slits?

Mesh is usually better. Wind slits are half-moon cuts that let some air through, but they weaken the banner and tend to tear further over time. Mesh is designed to pass air across the whole surface.

Is a matte or gloss banner better for photos?

Matte. Gloss reflects camera flash and stage lighting, creating hot spots that hide part of the print.

Sources and further reading

• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the coating used on banner vinyl
• Grommets and how they reinforce holes in sheet material
• Our guide to setting up banner print files

Written and checked by K.R. for UnlimitedBanners.com. Product specs and prices change; confirm details with the printer or seller before you order. Spot an error? Tell us.