1200mm roller banners
Somewhere around 1200mm (47.2in, or about 4ft) a roller banner stops being a sign you stand beside and turns into a backdrop you stand in front of.
A backdrop that still fits in a bag.
That change of role is the reason to buy this width. Put one behind a person being interviewed and it fills the frame around their head and shoulders. Stand it behind a 4ft folding table and the two match almost exactly, giving a tidy sales point at a careers fair or a community event. In both cases you get something that looks like a set, without the bulk of a full display.
One wide banner or two narrower ones?
| One 1200mm | Two 600mm | Two 850mm | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total width | 1200mm | 1200mm plus a gap | 1700mm plus a gap |
| Unbroken image | Yes | No, split by the gap | No, split by the gap |
| Works in two places at once | No | Yes | Yes |
| Bags to carry | One longer bag | Two short bags | Two standard bags |
If the picture needs to be unbroken, or a person will stand directly in front of it, take the single wide banner. If you often split your team between two locations, two narrower ones give you more for your trouble.
The photograph trap
A 1200 x 2000mm graphic is a 3:5 shape, still taller than it is wide. People choosing a wider banner often expect their landscape photo to fit, and it will not.
Take a typical 6,000 x 4,000 pixel camera file. To fill the banner, you would use the full 4,000 pixel height and crop the width to 2,400 pixels. Most of the scene is gone, and what remains stretches to around 51 pixels per inch across 47.2 inches. That may do for a soft background behind a speaker, but it will look coarse to anyone reading it at arm's length.
Better options:
- Shoot or choose a portrait image with the banner in mind.
- Aim for around 4,700 x 7,900 pixels if you want 100 pixels per inch across the whole graphic.
- Use the image in a band across the top, with a plain colour below it that hides the crop.
- Use a repeating logo pattern if it is a media backdrop. Vector artwork scales cleanly, as our page on vector or raster artwork explains.
Handling it on the day
The base is long enough to be awkward on stairs, and the graphic has more area for a draught to catch as you raise it. Two people make light work of it, and it is worth doing a rehearsal in the office. Also check the bag against your transport: at this length it may need to go diagonally, or with a rear seat folded.
What to tell us
Each one is priced individually and includes a carry bag. If your stand is for filming or press use, say so, as a matt surface may behave better under lights. Our guide to portable backdrops for events compares the wider options.
Print behind people.
Your questions.
How far should a speaker stand from a 1200mm banner?
Leave a pace or so, so that they do not cast a shadow on it or brush against it. For filming, check through the camera first.
Can the logo sit behind someone's head?
Avoid it. Place logos up high, or to the sides at shoulder level, so that they stay visible when a person stands in front of the banner.
Will a 1200mm banner work outdoors?
Standard roller banners are designed for indoor use, and this width catches the wind. Tell us if the event is outside and we will suggest something safer.