Custom Vinyl Banners
Made to Be Seen
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Heavy-Duty
Durable Material, Different Finishes
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Single or Double Sided
Adhesive, Grommets, Pole Pockets, Size
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Rush Service Available
Quick Production! when needed
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Free Shipping & Assistance
Expert Design help and Shipping on us
Custom Vinyl Banner Printing in Vancouver
A vinyl banner is the most square footage of branding you can buy per dollar. Hang it on a fence, a wall, a scaffold or across a storefront and it works every hour of every day until you take it down.
We print custom vinyl banners in Vancouver at any size, with hems and grommets included as standard and full finishing options for exposed or long term installs.
Which Vinyl Banner Weight to Choose
This is the decision that matters. Everything else follows from it.
13oz Scrim, the Standard
This is what most banners should be. Scrim means there is a woven mesh layer sandwiched between two layers of vinyl, and that mesh is what stops a tear from running.
Puncture a non scrim banner near a grommet and the whole edge opens up. Puncture a scrim banner and it stops at the weave.
Waterproof, scuff resistant, UV stable. A properly hung 13oz banner holds its colour outdoors through a year or more of Vancouver weather.
15oz Scrim for Longer Installs
A heavier scrim for long term installs and windier locations.
Hangs flatter than 13oz and takes more tension at the mounting points. Worth it on anything staying up past a season.
18oz Blockout
The heavyweight, with an opaque core. Two reasons to choose it. First, harsh wind exposure. Second, and more common, double sided printing.
Without a blockout core, the graphic on the back ghosts through and muddies the front. If you need both faces to read cleanly, this is the material.
Banner Sizes and Maximum Seamless Width
Common sizes we produce most often:
- 2 ft by 4 ft for indoor and counter level messaging
- 3 ft by 6 ft for storefront promotions
- 4 ft by 8 ft, the workhorse for fences and event signage
- 4 ft by 10 ft and 5 ft by 10 ft for construction hoarding and building frontage
Anything else is cut to your dimensions. We print seamless up to 16 feet in one direction with effectively unlimited length. Wider than that, panels are heat welded together, which is stronger than stitching and does not let water through. Double sided banners cannot be welded, so 16 feet is a hard ceiling there.
Hems, Grommets, Pole Pockets and Wind Slits
Hems and grommets come standard on every banner. The rest depends on where it is going.
- Welded hem. The edge folds back and heat seals. Doubles the material at the perimeter so grommets have something to bite into
- Grommets. Metal eyelets, standard every 2 feet and at every corner. Closer spacing on exposed installs
- Pole pockets. Open sleeves top and bottom for a rod or bar. The clean look for parade banners, street banners and hanging displays
- Wind slits. Crescent cuts that let gusts pass instead of pushing. Reduce load on the banner and on whatever it is tied to
- Webbing and reinforced corners. Nylon strap sewn around the perimeter or at the corners. Standard practice for anything semi permanent outdoors
- D-rings and rope hem. Multiple tie off points for high tension or awkward mounting
- Hook and loop edging. For booth walls and frames rather than open air
Tell us the surface and the exposure and we will spec the finishing. Getting this wrong is the single most common reason a banner fails early, and it is never the print that goes first.
How Pole Pockets Affect Your Artwork
Worth its own section, because it catches people out constantly.
A pole pocket folds material over and stitches it down, which means the top 2 to 4 inches of your design disappears inside the sleeve. Match the pocket to your pole: a 2 inch pocket takes a pole up to 1 inch diameter, 3 inch takes up to 1.5 inch, 4 inch takes up to 2 inch.
So keep logos and headlines well clear of the top and bottom edges if you are ordering pockets. Tell us the pocket size before you finalise artwork and we will mark the hemline on your proof so you can see exactly what gets swallowed.
How to Hang a Vinyl Banner Properly
Use every grommet. Skipping alternate ones to save time concentrates all the load on the ones you did use, and that is how corners tear out.
Bungee cord is better than zip ties on anything exposed, because it gives in a gust instead of transferring the shock to the material.
Zip ties are fine on sheltered indoor installs. Rope through a rope hem is the strongest option for high wind.
Pull it taut but not drum tight. A banner under excessive tension has nowhere to go when the wind hits.
Where Vinyl Banners Get Used
- Storefront promotions, sales and grand openings
- Construction fencing, hoarding and site identification
- Real estate and development marketing
- Festivals, races, markets and community events
- Sports fields, arenas and sponsor recognition
- Trade show booths and conference halls
- Directional and informational signage on large sites
- Building frontage while a space is being fitted out
Vinyl vs Mesh vs Fabric Banners
Three materials, three jobs.
Vinyl is the default. Solid, opaque, waterproof, cheapest per square foot and it takes any finishing you want.
Mesh is what you switch to when wind is the main problem. Mesh banners are perforated so air passes straight through, which is why they are standard on scaffolding, long fence runs and anything on an exposed corner. Wind slits on a solid banner help, but mesh solves it.
Fabric is the indoor choice when the banner will be photographed. Fabric banners have a matte surface with no sheen at all, so camera flash and venue lighting do not blow out your logo.
If the sign needs to hold its own shape rather than hang, you want outdoor sign boards or a sandwich board. And if there is already a flat surface to brand and you want the graphic to look built in rather than hung, that is large format stickers.
Banner Delivery Across Metro Vancouver
Banners up to roughly 8 feet on the shortest side ship rolled. Anything larger ships folded, which is normal and leaves soft creases that relax out within a day or two once the banner is hung and under tension.
We print in Vancouver and deliver throughout Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Coquitlam, New Westminster, Delta and Langley, with shipping across Canada and to select U.S. cities. Rush production is available for openings and event dates.
Send your size, where it is going and how long it needs to stay up, and we will confirm the weight and the finishing. Request a quote or browse the full banner and sign printing range.
Vinyl Banner FAQ
What does scrim mean on a vinyl banner?
A woven mesh layer laminated between two layers of vinyl. It stops tears from spreading, which is why scrim vinyl lasts far longer outdoors than plain vinyl of the same weight.
Which weight should I choose?
13oz scrim for most jobs. 15oz for long term or windier installs. 18oz blockout when you need full opacity, which in practice means double sided printing or heavy exposure.
How long will a vinyl banner last outdoors?
A year or more with correct finishing and proper hanging, longer on heavier weights. What kills banners early is almost always the mounting, not the material.
Do I need wind slits or mesh?
Wind slits are enough for moderate exposure on a solid banner. For a long fence run, scaffolding or a genuinely windy corner, switch to mesh instead.
Are hems and grommets extra?
No, both are included as standard. Pole pockets, wind slits, webbing, D-rings and rope hem are optional additions.
What size pole pocket do I need?
2 inch for poles up to 1 inch diameter, 3 inch for up to 1.5 inch, 4 inch for up to 2 inch. Remember the pocket consumes that much of your artwork at the edge.
Can you print double sided?
Yes, on 18oz blockout so neither side shows through the other. Send the two faces as separate files. Double sided banners cannot be welded, so 16 feet is the maximum width.
My banner arrived with creases. Is that a problem?
No. Larger banners ship folded and the creases relax out within a day or two once hung under tension. Never iron a vinyl banner.
Do you offer volume rates?
Yes. Multi location campaigns print in one run so colour matches across every site, and volume rates apply on larger quantities.
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Get Professional Designer help
info@firebirdprints.com
+1 778 368 0288
Send Us Your Banner Size and Location
Give us the finished size, where the banner is going and how long it needs to stay up. We will confirm the right weight, spec the finishing and send pricing back the same working day. If you are still deciding between materials, tell us the site conditions and we will make the call for you.
