Banner or rigid sign
Big, temporary and rolled up after use means a banner. Permanent, crisp and staying put for a long time means a rigid sign.
A flexible answer or a fixed one.
A banner is a sheet held under tension. It goes up with ties or rope, and comes down in minutes. A rigid sign is a board that holds its own shape, and it gets screwed or bracketed in place. Each one implies a certain way of working, and how you work tends to decide things before the design even starts.
Four everyday jobs
A summer fair on a school fence. Banner. It goes up the week before, stays in the rain, and gets rolled up and kept for next year.
A permanent name sign at a car park entrance. Rigid. A banner tied to a fence starts looking tired, and people expect a business to have something solid. Our guide to rigid boards for outdoor signs explains which board to use.
A temporary shop opening across a 6m frontage. Banner. A rigid panel at that width needs joining and proper fixings, and you only want it for a month.
A menu or price list by a door. Rigid. It is read at close quarters, so it needs to stay flat and tidy, and a banner's slight ripple makes the small type harder to read.
Compare by the things that bite
| PVC banner | Rigid board | |
|---|---|---|
| Large sizes | Easy, can be very big | Limited by sheet size and joins |
| Transport | Rolls or folds | Flat, heavier and awkward |
| Wind | Moves and pulls at fixings | Pushes on the whole panel |
| Look | Friendly, event-like | Solid, established |
| Fixing | Eyelets, ties, rope | Screws, brackets, rails |
| Reading up close | Fine, with some ripple | Flat and crisp |
On price
A rigid sign has two lines: the print, and the board it is mounted on. A banner is a single printed item, with finishing such as eyelets arranged when you order. Here are three common sizes.
| Item | A1 | A0 | 60in x 40in |
|---|---|---|---|
| PVC banner | £20 | £30 | £45 |
| Self-adhesive vinyl print, for a board | £25 | £35 | £48 |
| 5mm Foamex mounting | £14 | £25 | £37.50 |
| 3mm Dibond mounting | £24 | £35 | £55 |
Guide prices from our price list. They exclude VAT and delivery and assume print-ready artwork.
Questions that settle it
- Is it there next year? If so, lean rigid.
- Can you drill into the surface? If not, for instance on rented railings or a listed wall, a banner may be the only practical route. Get permission either way.
- Is anyone going to steal or vandalise it? A cable tie is quick to cut, so on an exposed street a screwed board may survive longer.
- Does it have to look like part of the building? Boards do that better.
For the banner route, our PVC banner page takes you further. Planning rules can apply to both types, so check with your local authority if a sign is going up outside.
Flexible and fixed print.
Your questions.
Can a banner be fixed to a rigid frame?
Yes. Stretching a banner over a frame gives a flatter look and can be a good middle ground on larger sites. Tell us what you have in mind.
Is a banner weatherproof enough for a whole winter?
PVC is made for outdoor use, but a whole winter is demanding, and much depends on the wind and the fixings. Check the banner regularly and take it down in severe weather.
Can the same artwork be used for both?
Usually, once it is resized. A banner needs space for hems and eyelets, whereas a board needs bleed, so tell us the final format.