Further
reading information from wikipedia on outdoor signs
Materials
The most
commonly used material is a heavy weight vinyl technically known as PVC.
The weights of the different banner substrates range from as light as
9 ounces to as heavy as 22 ounces per square yard, and may be double-
or single-sided. Eyelets can also be added in order to facilitate hanging
of the banner. Large banners (which can be so large that they cover the
side of a building) are printed on a special mesh material so that the
wind can pass through them.
Production
There are various types of PVC banners
Digitally printed banners: printed with aqueous (water based), semi-solvent
and solvent based inks, which in some printers may be UV-curable to provide
better resistance to the weather. Large format inkjet printers are usually
used, but very large banners may be produced using computer-controlled
jets to spray the ink directly onto the banner material. Some of the faster
wide format inkjet printers are capable of printing up to 1,600 square
feet (150 m2) per hour. These are manufactured by such companies as KVR-pixojet,
Mimaki, Jetta, Xerox,
Roland, Kodak, Encad, Colorspan,
Mutoh, Agfa and Hewlett-Packard.
Vinyl lettered banners: produced by applying individual elements cut from
self-adhesive vinyl by a computer-driven vinyl cutter.
Screenprinted: produced using screenprinting, in which different colors
are laid down one at a time using stencils.
Painted: hand-painted graphics and lettering. These type of banners are
uncommon with the advent of modern printing.
Applications
PVC banners have many uses and
applications. They are most often used to promote a company's logo, a
special promotion, event, team or school. Since PVC is a very flexible
as well as portable material you can see vinyl banners just about anywhere.
PVC banners are commonly seen as billboards,
table banners, trade show banners, building banners, street banners as
well as stadium flags.
A quality outdoor banner will also use an outside hem to ensure that eyelets
are secured properly. Eyelets are the nickel holes that enable the banner
to be hung on fence posts, walls, or on the side of buildings. In windy
conditions, if eyelets are not fastened into the hem of a PVC
banner, these eyelet holes will easily tear out of the banner.
|
|
|