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Working out which display to buy is mostly about where it will stand and what it can lean on. If there is a fence, railing or wall to tie to, get a banner. If it has to stand on its own indoors, get a roller banner. If it has to stand on its own outside, get a flag. A-boards and backdrops cover two special cases: the shop doorway and the whole back wall. The four questions below take about a minute and rule out the wrong choices.
Question 1: is there something solid to fix it to? #
A banner is a sheet of printed material with hems and eyelets. It does nothing until it is tied to something: railings, a fence, a wall with fixings, a truss. If your spot has that, a banner gives you the most print area for your money and can be any size you like.
If the spot is an open car park, a field, a hotel lobby or the middle of a hall, there is nothing to tie to, and you need a display that brings its own support. That means a roller banner, a flag or an A-board.
Question 2: indoors, outdoors, or both? #
This is where most people get caught out. A roller banner is tall, light and stands on a narrow base, so a breeze through a door can tip it. Treat it as indoor only. A feather flag is the opposite: it is built to move with the wind, on a pole set into a base or a spike in the ground.
Banners go either way. Our PVC banners are 440gsm and cope with rain, and a 400gsm PVC-free option suits indoor use. On an exposed fence, a solid banner acts like a sail, so a 260gsm mesh banner is safer because the wind passes through. The PVC or mesh guide covers that choice in full.
Question 3: how often will it move? #
- Every event or every day: a roller banner rolls into its own base and the pole clips apart, so it goes in a car boot. A flag pole also comes apart for carrying.
- Put up once and left for weeks: a banner tied to a fence or railing is the low-fuss choice.
- Out every morning, in every evening: an A-board. You open it, stand it, and fold it away at closing.
Question 4: how far away are the people you want? #
A flag is the long-range option. It is tall, it moves, and it catches the eye from a road or across a field. A roller banner works at conversational distance, a few metres, so keep the key words in the top two thirds where tables and people will not hide them. A banner on a fence can be sized for whatever reading distance you have.
Which display to buy for common situations #
| Situation | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Scaffold or temporary site fencing | Mesh banner | Lets the wind through, less strain on the fixings |
| Shop front railings or a sports club fence | PVC banner | Solid colour, tied up once, stays up for weeks |
| Trade show, reception or school hall | Roller banner | Up in a minute or two with no tools |
| Fete, sports day or field event | Feather or teardrop flag with a ground spike | Stands on grass and is seen from a distance |
| Forecourt or car park | Flag on a water base or drive-on car base | Holds firm on hard ground |
| Cafe or shop doorway | A-frame pavement sign | Catches people at walking pace |
| Stage, photo wall or stand back wall | Backdrop banner | Covers the whole wall behind you |
What each option is good at, and where it struggles #
Banners
Good at: size and flexibility. Choose a stock size or any custom size from 300 mm up to 16 ft 5 in × 9 ft 10 in (5000 × 3000 mm). PVC banners are ready to dispatch in 4 working days on Standard or 2 on Express; mesh takes 6, or 4 on Express. Struggles with: open ground, because it needs a fixing point. Anything over 3 m on any side adds a £15 oversize delivery charge, once per order.
Roller banners
Good at: portability. Every one stands 2000 mm tall, and the width runs from 800 mm up to 1500 mm, with 850, 1000 and 1200 in between. The base mechanism, called the cartridge, comes in three grades (Budget, Standard Plus and Premium). For the graphic, 440gsm banner vinyl is the everyday choice, and 610gsm blockout PVC is worth it when a bright window or spotlight sits behind the stand. Struggles with: wind and outdoor use. The roller banner buying guide compares stands, and putting up a roller banner covers set-up.
Flags
Good at: height and movement outdoors. Feather flags run from 8 ft 6 in (2.6 m) at the short end to 16 ft 1 in (4.9 m) at the tall end, with 3.2 m and 4 m options between. Teardrop flags start at 6 ft 11 in (2.1 m) and top out at 15 ft 1 in (4.6 m), with 2.8 m and 3.5 m in the middle. The feather shape has a tall, straight side, handy for a single word or a short slogan. The teardrop’s curved head is a natural home for a logo. Print one face or both; Standard is 6 working days to dispatch. Struggles with: the wrong base. On grass, push in a ground spike. On tarmac or paving, use a water, cross, square or concrete base, and on a forecourt a drive-on car base lets a parked wheel pin it down. Bases and spikes can be bought separately too. See putting up a feather flag.
A-frame pavement signs
Good at: the last few metres before a door. An A-frame pavement sign takes a poster on each face, either A2 (420 × 594 mm) or A1 (594 × 841 mm), and you can buy replacement posters when the offer changes. A forecourt pavement sign, in A1 or A0, is the plainer frame. Struggles with: gales and council rules. If it stands on the public pavement rather than your own land, check with the council first, as many have rules about A-boards on the highway.
Backdrops
Good at: filling a wall. Backdrop banners come in five sizes, from a 6 ft 7 in square (2000 × 2000 mm) up to 13 ft 1 in × 8 ft 2 in (4000 × 2500 mm). They are among the quickest things we make: Standard dispatches in 3 working days, Express in 1. Struggles with: standing alone. A backdrop is finished with hems and eyelets, so it hangs from a frame, a wall or a truss. The two biggest sizes pass 3 m on one side, which brings in the oversize charge.
When one display is not enough #
Pairs often work better than one big item. A flag at the roadside pulls people in, and a banner on the fence tells them what you do. At an indoor show, a backdrop behind the stand plus a roller banner at the front edge covers both the long view and the close one. If you are still weighing up which display to buy, start with the one that answers Question 1 and add the second later.
Reuse matters too. Roller banners and flags are made to go up and come down many times. A banner lasts for repeat use if you dry it, roll it and store it flat rather than folded. For permanent signs on a building, the government guide to outdoor advertisements and signs explains when consent may be needed.
Still torn over which display to buy? Tell us where it is going and how long it stays up, and we will suggest one. For unusual sizes or several items together, ask for a quote.