Vinyl Banners - Strength vs. Weight
Vinyl banners....you see them everywhere! At birthday parties, out in front of businesses, advertising retail sales, over-the-street, on light poles, etc. Most vinyl banners are creative and fun utilizing vibrant graphics, while others may be straight-forward yet informative with just simple text. And while, in general, digital banners all have the common denominator of being printed on vinyl banner material, not all banner vinyl is created equal, especially when it comes to the strength of the banner itself.
For the average Joe, assuming that a heavier banner is stronger (for example: a 10 oz. banner as compared to a 15 oz. banner) is completely rational...but unfortunately, that is not the case. Vinyl banner material strength is actually determined by the denier, or the density of the weave in the vinyl, per square yard. The actual weight of the banner is just that...weight. So essentially, the example stated above in regards to banner weight, can equate into a 10 oz. banner with a denier of 500 x 500 being stronger than a 15 oz. banner with a denier of 250 x 250.
Most 10 oz. and 13 oz. banner materials, that are offered online and in sign shops, carry a decent enough denier count to be suitable for a lifetime of indoor use and for prolonged stretches of outdoor use. Nine times out of ten, either of those vinyl banner weights, will be sufficient for just about any normal printed banner need, especially if maintained properly. Another factor in banner strength lies in the proper installation and use of a banner. Because no matter the strength of a banner, you never want to secure a banner, by just the edges. Even the strongest banners will eventually rip and can be destroyed if the weight of the banner is not distributed appropriately.
We currently use a few different vinyl banner weights for our printed banners that have denier weights in excess of 500 x 500 that are appropriate for indoor and outdoor use: 10 oz. for our Pre-Printed Banners and Silk-Screen Banners; 13 oz. for our Standard Banners (up to 42" in height), Over-sized Banners (over 52" in height) and Design-Online Banners; and 15 oz. for our extra rugged Non-Rip Banners. All of these banner materials are flame resistant and should last anywhere from 2 - 5 years (possibly more) in normal situations. For customers in environments where the weather is quite inclement, or that require a heavier banner material because of city codes, please give one of our friendly sales staff a call and inquire about all the material options we have available.
So, please keep in mind when banner shopping, not to fall victim to the inclination towards "heavier is stronger" and end up paying more for a lesser banner. When shopping online, or locally, always make sure to spend a few moments and research the sign company you are currently pricing banners from, and if need be, pick up the phone and give them a call to discuss your needs or to ask questions about the materials they carry. A good sign company will be happy to discuss their products with you and to direct you towards different products that may be more economical for your needs.