Custom Vinyl Banners | PDQ Signs

Custom Banners, Clear Answers

From business promotions and sponsor displays to birthdays, parades, and community events, a custom banner puts your message where people can see it. Choose your size, material, artwork, and hanging options around the job you need it to do.

This guide includes options you can request even if they are not listed online yet. For a project or option you cannot find, call PDQ Signs 903-533-8050.

Find Your Banner Size

• 48 × 24 inches (4 × 2 feet): Smaller promotions, table displays, and directional messages.
• 72 × 36 inches (6 × 3 feet): Welcome banners, storefront promotions, and event booths.
• 96 × 48 inches (8 × 4 feet): Business advertising, sponsor displays, and larger event messages.
• 120 × 60 inches (10 × 5 feet): Larger displays where a bold message needs more room.
• Other familiar sizes: 3 × 5 feet and custom dimensions to fit your space.

Measure your display area and allow room for attachments before ordering. Horizontal and vertical layouts are both available; enter the width and height in the intended orientation.

Materials and Printing

13 oz Standard Vinyl

A flexible, lighter option for indoor and outdoor promotional displays. Our 13 oz banner is single-sided. Standard banners are finished with a folded hem secured using double-sided banner hemming tape, unless another finish is requested. Pole pockets use their own construction instead of the standard hem. The material is easier to roll than the heavier 18 oz option.

18 oz Heavy-Duty Vinyl

A thicker, heavier alternative with greater rigidity. Choose this material when ordering double-sided printing. This construction has a flush-cut edge rather than the folded perimeter used on standard 13 oz vinyl, whether or not pole pockets are selected.

8 oz Mesh

PDQ also offers 8 oz mesh. Its openings let some air and light pass through, making it useful for suitable fence displays and exposed locations. It is not windproof or a solid privacy screen.

The ounce designation describes material weight per square yard, not thickness or the finished banner's total weight. A square yard of 13 oz material weighs 13 ounces before finishing; a square yard of 18 oz material weighs 18 ounces.

Single-Sided or Double-Sided?

Choose single-sided printing when the message is viewed from one direction. Double-sided printing is available on the 18 oz material, not the 13 oz single-sided option.

Does Full Color Cost More?

No. Our standard banner printing uses a full-color digital process with UV ink. One-color and full-color artwork use the same printing price structure; adding more colors, text, or images does not create a separate color charge. Size, material, quantity, finishing, and any artwork services still affect the final order price.

What Surface Finish Will I See?

The vinyl material has a semi-gloss surface, while the printed UV ink has a more matte appearance. Unprinted white areas can reflect light differently from printed areas, so the overall appearance depends on the artwork coverage.

Hems, Grommets, and Pole Pockets

Standard Tape-Hemmed Finish

Unless a different finish is requested, our standard banners receive a folded hem secured with double-sided banner hemming tape. The tape is enclosed within the fold to create a neat, finished edge. This is a tape-bonded hem, not a sewn or heat-welded seam.

Hemming tape joins the folded edge to itself; it does not give the banner an adhesive backing for wall mounting. Specify any alternative finishing requirements when ordering.

Welded Hem

A welded hem folds and heat joins the perimeter rather than bonding it with hemming tape. If your project requires this alternative finishing method, specify it when ordering. Heat welding is not the default finish on our standard banners. The 18 oz construction described above does not use this welded perimeter.

Flush-Cut Edge

The vinyl is trimmed to its finished dimensions without a folded perimeter hem. This is the standard edge construction for the 18 oz banner. Flush cut is not another name for a taped, sewn, or welded finish.

Grommet Placement

Grommets are metal eyelets used as hanging points. The standard arrangement is every 2–3 feet unless you select another option:

• Every 2–3 feet around the edges.
• Every 12–18 inches.
• At all four corners.
• At the top corners only.
• No grommets.

The grommet size is fixed, and custom placement outside these arrangements is not part of this standard offering. If the desired selection is not shown online, specify it when requesting your quote. Grommets are not combined with pole pockets.

Sewn Pole Pockets

Three-inch sleeves can be sewn along the top only or both the top and bottom. Bottom-only pockets are not a standard selection. Pockets are available for single-sided and double-sided constructions and add to the price.

Select pockets instead of grommets. A 13 oz banner with pockets does not also receive the standard perimeter hem; the 18 oz banner has no welded hem with or without pockets.

Do Pockets Affect My Artwork?

The finished dimensions include the pocket areas. Printing can extend into them, but text, faces, logos, or other important elements may not remain fully visible around folds and seams.

For planning, two 3-inch pocket areas on a 24-inch-high banner leave approximately 18 inches between those areas. If you need a particular unobstructed image height, allow extra overall height for the pockets and check the finished layout before approval.

What Size Rod Will Fit?

A pocket measurement is not a guaranteed pole diameter. A rod less than 1.5 inches in diameter is recommended as a starting point for the 3-inch sleeve; confirm the actual rod and finished pocket fit. Suitable rods can be wood, metal, or plastic.

Are Poles Included?

No. The pole-pocket option supplies the finished sleeve, not a pole or stand. Any separately quoted hardware will be identified on your order.

Supply Your Design or Get Help Creating It

Do I Have to Use a Template?

No. Supply your own artwork or start with your logo, photographs, and wording. A product-specific template, when supplied, is useful for proportions and finishing clearance, but you do not have to use an existing graphic design.

What Files Can I Supply?

Artwork can be supplied in AI, EPS, PS, PSD, PDF, JPEG, JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, or TIF format. The original editable file or highest-resolution image is preferable to a screenshot or a compressed social-media image.

For online submissions, follow the formats and size limit shown by the actual upload field. If your file is too large or rejected there, call PDQ Signs 903-533-8050 for another delivery method.

How Do I Make a Photo Banner?

Choose the finished dimensions and orientation, provide the original photograph, and include the text you want. Check the crop at the banner's proportions. Birthday photographs, team images, business artwork, and celebration designs can all be incorporated.

Before approving the artwork, check names, spelling, dates, phone numbers, dimensions, photograph cropping, and the clearance around hems and pockets.

Can You Help With Artwork?

Yes. Request help preparing your file, developing a layout, or creating a design. Share the message, logo, dimensions, and deadline with PDQ Signs 903-533-8050, and confirm the artwork scope and any charges before work begins.

Why Work With PDQ Signs?

More Banner Questions

How Small or Large Can My Banner Be?

The stated minimum is 6 × 6 inches, but a size of at least 24 × 12 inches is recommended for useful banner visibility. A smaller display may work better in another sign material.

For large or oversized work, provide the finished dimensions and your mounting requirements. Maximum single-piece sizes and seam requirements are confirmed on the quote before artwork approval.

Will a Large Banner Have Seams?

A banner that exceeds single-piece production dimensions may require joined panels. Specify a seamless requirement and any preferred seam location when requesting the quote.

How Big Should the Lettering Be?

For rough planning, allow approximately 1 inch of letter height for every 10 feet of viewing distance: 4-inch letters for about 40 feet, or 15-inch letters for about 150 feet. This is a planning aid, not a guarantee. Contrast, typeface, lighting, eyesight, and the speed of passing traffic affect readability. Keep the message short and easy to recognize.

Can I Order a Blank Banner?

Yes. Request the material, finished size, and hanging finish, and specify that no printed artwork is wanted.

Can I Change Dates or Sponsor Panels Later?

Request a custom hook-and-loop setup for interchangeable sections. The base banner carries matching attachment areas, while smaller replacement graphics attach to them. Plan the base and replacement pieces together so the sizes and locations align.

Do You Offer Wind Slits?

Wind slits are not part of our standard banner offering. They do not make a banner safe in high winds and can introduce weak points. For an exposed location, discuss mesh and the mounting setup. Remove banners ahead of dangerous weather when safe to do so.

Do Banners Have Adhesive Backing?

No. The double-sided tape enclosed inside a standard folded hem bonds the edge to itself; it is not adhesive backing or mounting tape for attaching the banner to a wall. For an adhesive display, describe the surface and duration so a suitable graphic material can be selected. Two separate banners are not automatically a substitute for an appropriately constructed double-sided product.

Can It Be Cut Into a Special Shape?

Standard vinyl banners are square or rectangular, not star-shaped or custom-contour graphics. Cutting a finished banner can compromise the edge and hanging finish. Request a suitable alternative sign material for a shaped display.

Can I Turn It Into a Retractable Display?

A retractable system needs a graphic made to its dimensions and attachment requirements. Request a compatible complete display or provide your existing stand specifications; an ordinary hanging banner is not automatically interchangeable. Confirm any stand and carrying case as part of the selected display package.

Are These Suitable for Parades and Celebrations?

Yes. Banners can carry parade messages, birthdays, reunion artwork, sponsor recognition, school events, hiring messages, and grand-opening promotions. Choose the finish around how the banner will be held or hung.

What Does Custom Mean?

Custom means the banner is produced around your artwork and dimensions. It does not mean the graphic is painted or printed by hand. The design is digitally printed using large-format equipment.

Is Vinyl a Type of Plastic?

Yes. PVC, commonly called vinyl, is a plastic material. Banner construction can include an internal reinforcing fabric. It is different from a fabric-only textile banner.

How Does Vinyl Compare With Fabric?

Vinyl is a practical choice for many outdoor promotions and provides a continuous print surface. Fabric has a softer textile appearance and can work well for interior backdrops and close-viewed displays. Fabric printing and care differ from vinyl; select the product for the environment and desired appearance.

Will the Print Fade, Scratch, or Tear?

UV ink provides fade and abrasion resistance, and the selected banner material is intended for normal display use. Neither ink nor vinyl is permanently fadeproof, scratchproof, or tearproof. Avoid sharp objects, rubbing against supports, and excessive mounting tension.

How Long Will It Last?

With proper placement, maintenance, and storage, an estimated service life of three or more years is possible. Actual life varies with sunlight, weather, installation, handling, and exposure. Continuous outdoor display can shorten that expectation, including in harsh winter conditions.

Is It Fire Rated?

Supply the venue's requirements before ordering. A fire-test certificate or temperature rating must match the material supplied for the particular job. Do not assume a rating based only on this general guide; PDQ Signs 903-533-8050 can discuss the documentation needed.

Installation, Cleaning, and Storage

How Do I Hang It?

Use suitable rope, bungees, ties, clips, or hooks through the intended grommets, secured to sound supports. Use all intended attachment points and spread tension evenly rather than pulling hard on one corner. For large or elevated installations, obtain appropriate installation guidance.

For pole pockets, use a compatible rod; rods less than 1.5 inches in diameter are a starting recommendation for the 3-inch sleeve. Confirm fit before installation. Accessories are not included unless specified on the order.

What About Weather?

13 oz and 18 oz vinyl are suitable for indoor and outdoor displays, but neither heavier material nor mesh eliminates wind loads. Remove banners ahead of severe weather when safe. Large banners can impose significant loads on their supporting structure.

How Do I Clean It?

Wipe with a soft cloth and warm water to remove surface dirt. Avoid strong solvents, abrasive cleaners, and hard scrubbing that could damage the print. Let the banner dry before storage.

How Should I Store It?

Roll with the printed side facing outward rather than folding. Keep it clean and dry at room temperature, away from excessive heat or humidity. Do not place heavy objects on the roll.

How Do I Remove Wrinkles?

Unroll the banner and allow gentle warmth to help it relax. Sunlight can help storage creases ease, but avoid excessive heat, sharp folds, or overstretching. Do not use an iron or direct concentrated heat on the print.

Can I Recycle It?

Reuse or repurpose an undamaged banner where practical. Check with a local waste or specialist recycling provider before disposal; PVC banners should not automatically be placed in curbside recycling.

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Questions or a special request? PDQ Signs 903-533-8050.

Images illustrate materials and finishing methods, not exact measurement drawings. Some options require a separate quote and may not yet be listed online. Confirm your selected construction, dimensions, included accessories, charges, and timing before ordering.