Vinyl Banners Frequently Asked Questions

We use a special inkjet printer that prints with outdoor grade solvent-based inks. This is NOT a modified indoor process like many other banner companies use.

2. What kind of vinyl do you use?

We use 14 oz. white, nylon-reinforced vinyl material.

3. What kind of inks do you use?

We use genuine solvent-based inks. This is very important. Solvent-based inks are truly waterproof, and stand up to the damaging effects of UV rays much better than water-based inks. The difference is similar to that between oil and latex-based house paints. Oil-based paints will dry harder and resist the sun better. They are harder to clean up. But they are more durable. The same goes for banner inks. When banner-makers claim to be using "UV" inks, you know they are not using true solvent-based inks.

4. Do you use an RGB or CMYK process?

We use a CMYK process. Some other companies will tell you to send your files as RGB and let the printing system do the conversion. We think this is a mistake. The RGB color space has a broader "gamut" than CMYK, and therefore gives you the impression that you can achieve certain colors that are simply not possible using CMYK. We recommend you work with CMYK so you know in advance what colors you are likely to get. This is especially the case with offset printed colors that were achieved by using "spot" color printing — usually special logo colors. For a further comment on this, see the next question about "Color Matching".

5. Can you match special colors?

Some special colors — for instance, colors used in corporate logos — are sometimes achieved with offset printing by using a spot color process. It may not be possible to reproduce them using a straight CMYK process like ours. We try our best to match the colors you want, but cannot always guarantee a perfect match. We give you what is known as "pleasing color". Banners are normally meant for viewing from a distance of at least 12 or 15 feet, so print resolution and color matching must sometimes be sacrificed (in a minor way) in the interests of quick turn around and low price. What we can guarantee is that your colors will be vibrant and your photos will look beautiful (assuming your original is good).

6. What software programs can you print from?

We can print from all the leading desktop publishing programs on both Mac and Windows platforms. These include QuarkXpress, Coreldraw, PageMaker, and InDesign. Trying to print from programs such as MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, or Publisher is often more trouble than it is worth. It is usually faster and more reliable for us to reconstruct your job in QuarkXpress. We charge a small minimum fee for that service. If you have images or illustrations created in PhotoShop or Illustrator, it is usually best to supply us with the native files rather than trying to convert or export them to some specific format.

7. Can you work with both Mac and Windows files?

Yes. We have done literally thousands of jobs on both platforms.

8. What image formats do you prefer?

Bitmap images (photographic and continuous tone images such as digital photos or scans) should be saved as .tif, or .jpg. Illustrations from CorelDraw or Illustrator should be exported to either .tif or .jpg, and you should supply us with the original .ai or .cdr file as well.

9. What resolution is best for images and graphics?

Our rule of thumb is to use an image resolution of 100 ppi at full size. That means if you have an image that is, for example, 8" x 10" at 300ppi, it can be blown up 300% to 24" x 30" to give you a final image of 100 ppi. Often it is difficult to find images of sufficiently high resolution and customers will "cheat" by "sampling up" a lower res image. There is no point in doing this. If all you have is an image with an effective resolution of 50 ppi at full size, then sampling it up (to, say 100 ppi at full size) will not give you more detail. It will just give you a much larger file with the same amount of detail. We have found that 50 ppi images usually look pretty good, especially if you know what to expect!

10. Can you scan images from photographs or printed material?

Yes. We have top notch scanners and years and years of scanning experience.

11. Can you enlarge images from small web graphics?

Generally web graphics are much too small for reproducing on banners. Enlarging them or sampling them up does not create more detail where it does not exist. If all you can find is a low res web graphic, ask your Banners-Canada.com contact person what he/she would recommend.

12. Can you bleed images off the edges of your banners?

Yes. When preparing the artwork, make the image area about .5" larger where you want a bleed.

13. If I don't know anything about graphic design, can you help?

Yes. We can give you advice and show you online samples. If you tell us what you want, chances are we can create it for a small design charge.

14. Can you design my banner if I give you an idea what I want?

Yes. You provide us with a sketch or description and we will do a finished design. There is a minimal charge for banner design.

15. How should I send my files to you?

Files smaller than about 1mb can be sent as email attachments. Larger files can be sent to our ftp site. Your contact person can give you the address.

16. Do you have an FTP site?

Yes. Your contact person will give you the address.

17. Can I save money by buying more than one banner?

Because of the nature of our process, there is no significant time or material saved when you get two or three banners. So we do not generally offer volume discounts on quantities under 5 banners. Volume discounts are calculated for each individual project. Your contact person will be glad to work out a specific price for your project.

18. Do you put seams around your banners?

Yes.

19. Are your seams sufficient for outdoor use?

Yes. Different size banners require different seams. Our specialists decide on a job by job basis what is best.

20. Can you put grommets in your banners?

Where necessary, grommets are installed, and this is included in the price. Indoor banners sometimes do not need grommets. Outdoor banners almost always do.

21. How long does it normally take to have my banner produced and shipped?

You should allow 5-7 days. We normally produce your banner the same day we have artwork approval. Delays usually come at the artwork and shipping stages.

22. How do you ship your banners?

We use the fastest, most reliable courier or shipping service suitable for the specific project.

23. How much does shipping cost?

Orders shipped within continental North America have a minimum shipping cost of $25 cdn or $20 usd. Where shipping costs exceed this amount, they will be calculated by your contact person and included in the final quotation you receive from him or her.

24. What methods of payment do you accept?

We accept Visa and Mastercard, processed manually (not online). Payment must be received in full before the final product is shipped.