Shell scheme graphics

Read the exhibitor manual before you open your design software

Contractors use different systems, so never assume a panel size from your last show. The manual, or the shell contractor directly, should give you the exact wall dimensions, the visible area between uprights, and any height limit. It should also say what you are allowed to fix to the walls. Many organisers ban screws, nails and certain adhesive tapes, and you can be charged for damage. If the manual is unclear, ask the organiser in writing and pass the answer on to us.

Working with the uprights and panel joins

A shell wall is a row of panels divided by aluminium poles, and that structure will interrupt anything spread across it. Treat each bay as its own frame, or design a continuous image in which faces and text sit fully inside a single panel. Corners need the same thinking, since a logo wrapped into a corner will never read properly. Our graphic design page is a good next stop if you want a whole stand planned around what visitors see from the aisle.

Rigid panels or adhesive film?

Lightweight foamex panels sit over the shell wall and can be fixed with permitted hook and loop tape, then carried to your next show if they survive the trip. Self-adhesive vinyl gives a flush finish but is usually single use and needs organiser approval, because it has to come off cleanly. Either way, check whether fire performance evidence is needed, build in time before the stand build-up date, and bring spare fixings.

Related topics

• Museum exhibition graphics
• Product launch graphics