Banner Finishing Options Explained

If you are looking to order a banner it’s important to consider how you would like it to be finished after printing. There are several different finishing options available and deciding which one you need can be confusing if you don’t understand the purpose of each one. Use this guide to help you make a more informed decision.

Grommets
Grommets are rust-proof metal eyelets, which are applied around the edges of the banner after printing to reinforce the banner and allow it to be tied. If you’re going to be hanging the banner on the side of a building, on fencing or between poles, adding grommets will make the process much easier. Use strong rope, twine or even cable ties to ensure that your banner will be secure after hanging. Grommets are punched into a banner 500mm apart at the top of the banner and every 1000mm apart at the bottom of the banner. This distributes the banner’s weight and helps to keep the banner from sagging. Grommets are commonly used as a finishing for banners used on temporary fencing. The required tension can be gained for the banner to be wrinkle free which is best achieved using heavy duty plastic cable ties. Remember to match the colour of the cable ties to your banner or use clear ones, and trim the ends once tightened.

Finishing your banners with grommets is our standard practice so please let us know if you want to attach your banner in another way.

Nylon Seat Belt Supertuff® Webbing
Nylon webbing reinforcement is welded to the edge of the banner to provide extra durability in outdoor conditions. The edges of the banner are finished with Supertuff® seat belt style webbing providing an extremely durable, large format sign. Welding PVC coated webbing to the back edges of a banner provides numerous advantages; increased tensile strength; more structural stiffness to prevent curling; stronger grommet mounting; and the ‘trim-to-edge’ method removes the need for fold-over hems. Supertuff® seat belt style webbing provides a superior quality finishing which in incomparable to many of our competitors. This comes with all our premium mesh products as standard.

Kedar Edging
Kedar edging with sail track is commonly used for vinyl banners and is ideal for affixing banners to walls or hoarding. ‘Kedar’ rope is welded to the banner edge and the rope is inserted into sail track made specifically for this type of edging. This method of stretching banners to create a smooth, fully taught low-glare surface works wonderfully on most flat and slightly curved surfaces. Sail track is often used for banner mounting to walls and is the accepted norm for mounting to large billboards and wooden hoardings.

Pole Pockets
If you are looking to display your banner using poles, you’ll most likely need pole pockets. Pole pockets can be added to any side of the banner. The banner material is folded over the back side of the banner, similar to hems, but enough room left for a pole to go through the pocket. Pole pockets allow for rigid poles to be inserted along the edges of the banner. This allows for a more even distribution of the banner’s weight to prevent sagging. Opposing pole pockets can also be used to make the banner more rigid.

Wind Slits
Banners that are mounted outdoors in very windy areas benefit from the addition of wind slits. These are horseshoe shaped flaps cut into blank areas of the banner, which allow wind to pass through, reducing tension and possible deterioration of the banner. Wind ‘holes’ in large banners are required when the banner is exposed to wind on both sides. A banner is like a large sail in the wind and can generate huge pressure and tension on banner fixtures and fittings. Best to cut ‘V’ or ‘U’ shapes in the banner so when there is no wind, the ‘flap’ is left down to expose the image on the banner. The ‘V’ or ‘U’ cut is preferred to a small cut-out hole as they sit flat when the wind is not strong.

Hemmed Edges
Hemmed edges are typically used to reinforce the sides of banners, helping to maintain the banner’s shape and prevent stretching.

Button Hole Eyelets
Reinforced knitted, ‘button-hole’ eyelets are built in to the top and bottom edges of shade cloth. Button hole eyelets provide premium strength and a neat looking installation for shade cloth banners. We recommend using cable ties to attach your printed shade cloth to your temporary fence.

Banner Tape
Banner tape is a single sided tape which is welded onto the edges of banners. It is used to provide reinforcement for the edges and grommets. We use banner tape on our standard banner mesh and many of our competition use to finish their premium banners. When making a decision about your banner mesh, consider how long it is going to be on the fence. On banners finished with banner tape, the grommets can pull through in strong winds which can cause the banner to sag, or in some cases rip. Banner tape is inexpensive and is not labour intensive. The tape is used on banners to add strength along the edge without the need to sew the hems.

Folded Edge
In cases where budget is a consideration, banner mesh can be finished with a folded edge. Approximately 4cm of the edge is doubled over and welded to itself. It is the least effective edge finishing. We strongly urge not to use this edging method in high wind areas or when the mesh needs to be in place for long periods. There is a strong likelihood of grommets coming away from the edging.

Mesh Direct offers a full range of finishes and we are market leaders in providing the most durable mesh on the market with our premium banner mesh. With us you will get super strong banners which can withstand harsh Australian environmental conditions. The banner finishing techniques available at Mesh Direct give banners a clean, sharp look and provide a superior quality in comparison to many of our competitors.

Call 1300 368 978 for any further enquiries about our quality finishing or to get a quote for your next banner.