Church banners and notices
A church is one of the few buildings where your print may share a wall with several centuries of stonework. That shapes how anything goes up, and who needs to agree first.
Ask permission before you pick a material.
Many churches are listed, and many denominations have their own process for changes to a building and churchyard. In the Church of England, for example, even modest items can need approval through the diocese. Check with your church council, your architect or your denomination's advisers. As an outdoor banner may also fall under local advertisement rules, ask your council too. Then choose a method that needs no new fixing at all.
Fixing without drilling
- Hang fabric from a hanging bar on an existing hook, rail or beam
- Stand a roller banner in the porch or at the end of an aisle
- Tie an eyelet banner to railings, a fence or a frame
- Slide posters into a noticeboard you already have
Inside: think tall and soft
Sight lines in a nave run long and narrow, and congregations see a lot of pillars. Tall, slim hangings suit that shape well, more so than a wide banner. Printed eco-textile drapes softly, feels at home next to traditional embroidered banners, and rolls up for storage. Old buildings can be cold and damp, so keep stored hangings somewhere dry and off the stone. Avoid applying any adhesive to stone, plaster, wood or memorials.
Outside: tell passers-by what is on
People walking past have seconds to read. For a Christmas service or a summer fair, the event name, the date, the time and a website are enough. A PVC banner on the railings does this well.
Designs that come back each year
Churches run to a fixed calendar, so you can spend once and reuse. The worked example below keeps the costly print the same and changes only the small part.
| Part | Example | Change it? |
|---|---|---|
| Main banner | "Carols by candlelight. All welcome" | Keep. No date, no year |
| Church name and web address | Printed along the bottom | Keep |
| Date and time | A separate strip with Velcro, or cut vinyl letters | Each year |
| Season colour | One design each for Advent, Easter and harvest | Rotate, and store when not in use |
Indicative prices
| Material | A1 | A0 | 60in x 40in |
|---|---|---|---|
| PVC banner | £20 | £30 | £45 |
| Eco-textile | £35 | £55 | £75 |
| Photo matt 190gsm, for noticeboards | £30 | £40 | £60 |
Short cut-vinyl wording for a board or a door starts at £0.65 per character, at 15mm to 40mm letter height, and the price goes up with size. A £35 minimum applies to large format poster printing.
Guide prices from our price list. They exclude VAT and delivery and assume print-ready artwork.
Community group banners has more ideas for groups working with a small budget.
Hanging banners and notices.
Your questions.
Can a banner replicate a traditional embroidered design?
A good photograph of the original can be printed onto fabric. It will look like a print and not stitching, but it can protect a fragile piece from everyday use. Ask the owner or your advisers first.
What is the best way to display a history of the building?
Mounted panels on free-standing supports avoid fixing to walls, and they can be moved for services. Keep the text short and large enough to read in dim light.
How should we store hangings between festivals?
Roll them around a tube, face out, and keep them in a dry room. Do not fold fabric or banners if you can avoid it.