An essential pair of advertising tools are banners and banner stands. They are used to advertise any and all service or goods, indoors and outdoors. They are commonly used in trade shows, exhibitions, and other display zones like along streets or outside a business or event. Churches, schools, non-profits, sports teams, stores, offices... almost everyone uses banners of some type at some point. See below for images of different banner stand styles.   Since banner stands are available in various materials and sizes you have many options for the image you want to convey or the budget you need to meet. Banner stands range from simple X-frames to elaborate tradeshow displays 10 feet by 10 feet with all the bells and whistles. Each type has its own advantage. X-frame banner stands come in all sizes from table top to over 6 feet tall. They are inexpensive, lightweight, and most fold-up so they are easy to transport. You can even get a bamboo banner stand in the X-frame style and pair it up with a recyclable banner for an eco-friendly display. It doesn’t get any better for affordable and effective banner stands. The next step up is a retractable banner stand where the banner rolls up into the base of the stand – very compact and protects the banner. Make sure you know what you’re getting with this type of banner stand. Many are quite affordable but if you use your retractable banner frequently you’ll be much happier with a more expensive one. The lower-end retractable banner stands typically don’t allow you to change the banner when your message changes. Many (not all) of the higher-end ones do allow you to swap out banners as needed and the mechanisms are sturdier so they work smoother for a longer time. The last thing you need at the end of a long tradeshow is a fight with your retractable banner! If you’re looking for something really stunning, pop-up banner stands will do the trick! These banner stands can cover the entire back of your tradeshow booth with full-color graphics that can’t be missed. They come with all sorts of options for size, styles, materials, and add-ons to make your booth the one people stop at. Pop-up tradeshow displays, as indicated by their name, are portable. They fold down and fit in a case for easy transport – naturally, some are easier to deal with than others. These tradeshow displays are an investment. Talk to people who have used them and do your homework before you buy. Outdoor banners are most often large banners hung on a building or fence where, eventually, they start to fall or sag. There are outdoor banner frames that will support even large banners and help keep them in place even with tough weather. Some banner frames are fairly simple where others are heavy-duty enough to support a banner on the side of a multi-story building. Pole banners are an outdoor banner stands commonly used by cities and towns to create a row of “flags” for shopping areas or tourist destinations. Many businesses use feather banners to promote specials along roadways – think Subway. There are lots of different styles and materials for pole banners. They aren’t as common as other types so they really stand out especially as they tend to wave in even a slight breeze. Spot-On Signs & Graphics is here to help you decide which banner or banner stand will work best for your situation. We can also help you design your banner so it speaks loud and clear to your customers. Give us a call at (530) 295-8285 or email us at info@spot-on-signs.com