Many of us remember a time when banners  were brightly colored but contained only the letters of a message, such as Grand Opening or Memorial Day Sale or 10% Off Everything or ( for those who did not use enough effective signage!) Going-Out-of-Business Sale. These banners were produced using a white or colored vinyl background with applied cut vinyl letters. The printing of banners was pretty much an unknown. Today, the majority of banners are printed on large format digital printers. The implication of that statement is that the content of a banner is now wide open. While there is still the need for the Grand Opening, July 4 Sale, and sadly, Going-Out-of-Business banners, even those are often now printed. With digital printing, today you see much more eye-catching, effective banners that contain graphics and photos that pack the WOW factor. In fact the concept of a banner is now more diverse, with some “banners” being used for graphic backdrops and scene creators for events. Here are three interesting banner projects we have taken on recently. 1)      A wedding in Cabo San Lucas: Numerous 10’ W by 8’ H detailed graphics of opulent rooms in European castles were used to transform the ball room of a resort into and old world grand hall. The graphics were hung on pipe-and-drape frames around the room boundaries and graphics of castle ceilings were stretched on frames above the dance floor. The effect was dramatic. 2)      Eighth-grade graduation backdrop: The eighth grade class at a phoenix middle school helsd a contest for the back drop for the graduation ceremony. The Graphics were done on letter size paper. The wining graphic was hand-drawn/ marker-colored creation which was scanned into a .pdf on a high resolution scanner. Designs Phoenix expanded the graphic to 8’ w by 6’ high and after a bit of cleanup in Photoshop produced a backdrop true to the letter-size design. 3)      Backdrops for a high-school dance: Several extra-large graphics printed on banner vinyl were used to add atmosphere to a Phoenix area high school dance. The banners were 10’ by 12’ and had graphics of underwater scenes. They were hung on pipe and drape frames at various strategic locations to help set the mood for the dance setting. 4)      Summer bowling party:  To welcome in the new freshman class a Phoenix high school planned a summer bowling party. A large banner was ordered for the school entrance as many of the incoming freshman were taking summer school classes to get a head-start on the challenging college prep curriculum. The banner needed to be cutting edge and eye catching to grab the attention of the students as they walked by in the famous Phoenix summer dry heat. Designs Phoenix was up to the challenge and the 6’ H by 8’ W banner did the trick. Attendance exceeded even optimistic expectations! So, whether you need an effective banner to advertise your upcoming July 4 sale, or a large format graphic printed on banner material to add interest to your upcoming event, stop by and see what we can do for you!