Whether you’re buying material for vinyl signs or digitally-printed banners, choosing the right weight and quality is important. SIGNWarehouse stocks 10oz and 13oz banner rolls and blanks for both vinyl signs and digital graphics.
What do the numbers mean? Occasionally, someone asks what those numbers actually mean. They are a measure of the weight of one square yard of material. A 3" x 3" sheet of 13 ounce banner material should weigh 13 ounces. So now you know.
The 10 ounce material is obviously a lighter weight product, so it will generally be less opaque and less wind resistant than a 13 ounce banner. For one-sided, short-term, outdoor applications, a 10 ounce banner is fine. For longer-term use, or for use in windy climes, a 13 ounce banner will usually offer better durability.
That’s not to say that a 13 ounce banner is always better. The strength of a banner is determined not just by its weight but by the density of the woven scrim from which its made. This is measured by the denier and thread count. A 500 x 500 denier, 10 ounce banner could be as durable as a low-quality 250 denier 13 ounce banner. It would simply be less opaque.
So before you buy a banner, ask what the denier is. If you need to sell good medium- to long-term outdoor banners, don’t buy anything less than 500 denier material. Our EnduraMAX banner is made from 500 denier material. GMI Regal 13 ounce, and Rio 13 ounce are 500 denier digitally-printable banners, and Freedom Banners are made from a very high quality 1000 denier scrim.
Hems or Seams: Which is better? In addition to being made from high denier scrim, our EnduraMAX blanks feature seams heat sealed at 1000° F instead of traditionally sewn hems. Rather than being held together by a line of thread, the entire 1” seam is fused at the molecular level. Bottom line? They’re very strong. We’re headquartered just south of Oklahoma where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain, so our banners have to be tough.
Speaking of wind and banner strength, let’s talk about installation. Only pirates and scallywags are hung with ropes. Please don’t treat your banners that way. No matter how strong that scrim is, you need to allow for some flexibility in high winds. If you use rope, the only flex you’re allowing for is that of the hems coming undone (if it’s a hemmed banner) or the scrim unraveling. Always use a tie with some elasticity, such as bungee cords or rubber ties, available at your local hardware store. That will save your banner from wind damage that could result in an unhappy customer and a time-consuming replacement.
