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Create Impact with Images on
Your Banners
Adding a full-color image or
design to a vinyl banner will give it a professional look and create
more impact.
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An easy way to put a full-color image on
your vinyl banner is to use a photograph. For the photograph to look
clear and crisp, it must have the correct resolution. This is important
to keep in mind. The resolution should be at about 100 ppi (pixels per
inch) at full size. As an example, if you have an image that is 300 ppi
at 8" x 10", you can blow it up to about 24" x 30", as this will give
you 100 ppi. You can even go as low as 50 ppi and the output will still
be satisfactory because these images are generally meant to be viewed
from a distance of at least 10 feet away.
Often the colors of the image for your vinyl banner must be brightened
up. The easiest way to do this is to increase the contrast. In using
Photoshop software, you can do this by “pinching” the levels. You would
open the levels window and pull the shadows (dark shades) control to the
right, towards the middle, and pull the highlights control to the left.
This will brighten up the light colors and darken the dark colors while
eliminating some of the “mudiness” of the mid tones.
Sharpening your image will also have a brightening effect, making it
more crisp when you “punch it up.” Don't get carried away, however.
You might try working in CMYK mode rather than RGB mode. Vinyl banners
are often printed on CMYK printing devices using solvent inks. Rather
than counting on the printing software to convert your RGB image(the
default color system used on the computer), you can convert it yourself
so you can see what you are actually going to get. RGB has a broader
color spectrum than CMYK and the results can be misleading. Some colors
you can see on a computer monitor simply cannot be reproduced with CMYK
inks, especially solvent inks on a medium like vinyl. It’s best to know
this before you have your banner printed. If it’s important to be able
to reproduce a specific color, and if you have the time, you can request
a proof on the actual vinyl banner material so that you can see what it
will look like.
True solvent inks are ideal for full-color printing intended for use in
bright sunlight and harsh weather conditions. Solvent inks resist fading
from UV exposure and withstand rain and wind. Non-solvent inks will fade
when exposed to bright sunlight. It’s a great idea to use photos, logos,
or special artwork on your vinyl banner, but they should be printed with
solvent inks if your banner is going to be used outdoors. Solvent inks
are much more durable for vinyl banners that will be displayed at events
like trade shows or used as backdrops where they will be rolled up,
folded, or handled many times.
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