Creating an Effective Vinyl Banner with the Right Typeface

Your Message Is Only As Good As Your Custom Banners

You have finally decided what your new vinyl banners should say and look like. Your original custom sign will have a graphic designed with bold, eye grabbing colors and a short but catchy slogan that people will remember. You have even decided on a on the vinyl you will use and the size appropriate for your building. All done and ready to order?

Almost.

Don't forget that good custom signage, like good business, can be found in the details.

And one of the most important details in a vinyl banner is the font, or typeface, used in its lettering.

What Type Of Custom Banner Is Yours?

As significant as the design of custom banners are in attracting attention, the type of print used for lettering is just as important. However, many people neglect this detail in creating their vinyl banners or assume incorrectly what type of font works best. With literally hundreds of typefaces to choose from, how do you decide which is best for relaying your message on your custom sign?

The first step is defining the style of your custom vinyl.

Typefaces can be organized into a few simple categories: professional, conservative, classic, retro, whimsical, and kid-like. You may shy away from anything 'kid-like' or 'whimsical' for your real estate business, but you may not want 'conservative' for your children's clothing store, either. Decide what the feel of your product or service is, and then go to one of the font categories that fits your custom sign's message.

Examples of each are as follows:

Professional: Paltino, Goudy Modern, Book Antiqua, Copperplate

Conservative: Myriad Pro, Avant Garde, Helvetica Oblique, Ramn Serif

Classic: Goudy Handtooled, Times New Roman, Futura, Arial

Retro: Eurostile, Brewer's Bold, Bauhaus, Verve

Whimsical: Aristocrat, Spumoni, New Berolina, Biffo

Kidsy: Khaki, Parade, Ravie, Kids

Isn't Bolder Better With A Vinyl Banner?

Many people assume that all capital letters in bold print will attract attention to their custom banners better than anything else. There are times when using all capital letters does catch the eye. But be careful - too much bold or capitalization can also be taxing on the eye and cause brain fatigue, even in the few seconds it takes to read a vinyl banner. By that point, interest in the custom banner's message is gone, and the purpose of your custom banner has been voided.

The brain is trained to view a variety of shapes and sizes at once. And while consistency in lettering style is important in your vinyl banner for maintaining attention, so is breaking up the letter size. If you really desire using all capital letters, then do so in one word, such as the name of your business, and leave the other letters, such as a slogan, in traditional, initial capital letter style.

As for bolding your typeface, make sure this is easy to read on your vinyl banner from a distance. Often, the darker the letters on a custom banner, the harder it is to read from the road. Your viewers have about three and a half seconds to read your sign before they are glancing up at the next sign, so visibility from the road is crucial to your banner's lettering.

Which brings us to the next point...

Script Lettering On A Vinyl Banner Doesn't Work

Curvy, scrolled script may look pretty on an invitation or a business card, but such messages are intended to be read up close. Not so with custom banners. Vinyl banners are meant to be interpreted at high speeds in the blink of an eye, rendering fancy, cursive script nearly impossible to read. So resist the temptation of using fine commercial script on your custom banner, even if it conveys an elegant look suited to your business. A nice conservative typeface can send the same type of message on your vinyl banner while allowing potential customers to read your lettering with no problems.

Sans Serif Fonts Make a Custom Banner's Message Pop Out

There are valuable fonts available in both serif and sans serif styles, but many sign professionals prefer a sans serif font for a vinyl banner. The reason for this is that serif styles add short horizontal lines to the tops and bottoms of letters and slightly distract from the custom sign's effectiveness, while sans serif fonts have no excessive lines and provide readers with strong bursts of lettering, making custom banners particularly easy to read quickly.

This is not to say that your custom banner will be ineffective if you choose a clear, appropriate font that is serif. This is just a trick of the vinyl banner trade, so to speak, that could possibly increase your banner's viewing impressions.

Make the Most of Your Custom Banner with an Effective Typeface

Remember to determine the style of your business in choosing a font for your vinyl banner. Also remember to avoid using script lettering, too much bolding, or too many capital letters. And finally, think about a sans serif font for maximizing your custom banner's visibility. With all of these typeface hints, you should be sure to create an effective custom sign design for your business.

About the Author

Robin Harrelson, also nationally known as TheSignChef, is a visionary in the sign industry.  With her husband Tim, their live, interactive website provides instant access to unique online signs tools, how-to videos and corporate class custom signage.

For 23 years, TheSignChef has accumulated a wealth of industry-specific knowledge to create masterpieces which are guaranteed to delight! For the first time, TheSignChef is inviting us behind the scenes and into the "kitchen" to share secret sign recipes, tips and tricks. So come on in for a bite!

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