Banner eyelet spacing

Count it out.

Start with a corner eyelet at each end of a side, then divide the length by your spacing. A 3000mm edge at 500mm spacing has 6 gaps, so 7 eyelets. Here are some common sizes with eyelets on all four sides, corners counted once.

When the length does not divide neatly.

Say your banner is 2700mm long. Divide by 500 and you get 5.4 gaps. Round up to 6 gaps, then divide again: 2700mm by 6 is 450mm. That gives you 7 eyelets at even 450mm centres. Even spacing shares the load, and it looks tidier from the street than a row with one odd gap at the end.

Three reasons to change the spacing.

Wind. More exposure means more load on every fixing. On a high, open site, closer eyelets share the strain, and a mesh banner lets some of the wind through. See mesh banner wind performance. How a large banner should be fixed in a windy spot is a job for a competent installer, not a rule of thumb.

The fixing points. A railing has uprights at fixed centres. A scaffold has tubes at set heights. If you measure those points and tell us, the eyelets can be placed to meet them, so ties run straight and not at an angle. It makes more difference to the finished look than almost anything else.

The type of use. A banner in a sports hall, held on four cords for a weekend, may need corners and little more. A banner that lives on a fence all summer needs the full set.

Small details that matter.

• Eyelets go through a hem, which is what gives them something to pull against. See banner hems and eyelets.
• Keep text and logos clear of the edge, as eyelets will punch through anything in the way.
• Tie every eyelet you have. One left loose leaves more strain on those around it.
• Check ties during a long run. A torn eyelet usually starts as one slack corner.

Eyelets, or something else?

If you need a smooth top edge on a pole, a pocket may suit better, as our eyelets or pole pockets page shows.