PVC vinyl is the banner material for outdoor work: it is waterproof, tear-resistant along its woven scrim, and finished with a welded hem and eyelets. Woven polyester fabric is the material for indoor banners: it is printed by dye sublimation, hangs softly, folds without creasing permanently and does not reflect a camera flash. Where wind has to pass through the banner, mesh replaces solid PVC.
What is the difference between a PVC banner and a fabric banner?
A PVC banner is a coated woven scrim between two PVC faces, printed densely and sealed with a welded hem. A fabric banner is a woven polyester cloth printed by dye sublimation, so the colour is in the fibre rather than on it, and its hem is sewn. One material resists water; the other exists so that an indoor banner does not look plastic.
The two materials are not interchangeable, and the difference shows most in three places: rain, light and handling. PVC takes a welded hem, which is a heat seal rather than a stitch, and large solid colours print evenly on it. Its surface reflects directional light, so a flash comes back off it. Fabric colour is slightly softer than on vinyl, which is usually what an interior wants, and the cloth does not reflect at all.
| Property | PVC banner vinyl | Woven polyester banner fabric |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | A coated woven scrim between two PVC faces | A woven cloth printed by dye sublimation |
| Water | Waterproof | Not for outdoor use in rain |
| Surface under light | Reflects directional light; a flash comes back off it | Does not reflect |
| Colour | Prints densely; large solids are even | Slightly softer than on vinyl |
| Hem | Welded (a heat seal) | Sewn |
| Folding | Creases where it is folded | Folds without creasing permanently |
| Best for | Fences, hoardings, façades, outdoors for weeks rather than years | Indoor banners, hanging graphics, retail and hotel interiors, anything photographed |
| Lead time | Standard 7–14 working days | Standard 7–14 working days |
The full material range, with edge options, is on the banner printing page.
When should you choose PVC, mesh or fabric for a banner?
Choose by where the banner hangs and how long it has to stay up. PVC vinyl suits fences, hoardings and façades outdoors for weeks rather than years. Mesh suits building façades, scaffolding and exposed fences where wind load is a real concern. Woven fabric suits indoor banners, retail and hotel interiors, and anything that will be photographed or filmed.
- PVC banner vinyl. The default outdoor banner. Large solids are even and hold up under sunlight for a season. Avoid it in exposed high-wind positions unless it has wind slits, because a solid banner is a sail.
- Mesh banner material. The same construction with an open weave, so air passes through rather than pushing against it. Colour reads slightly lighter than on solid vinyl, because part of the surface is not there, and the open weave is obvious at arm’s length. It is a material for distance, not close viewing.
- Woven polyester fabric. The indoor banner. It hangs softly and does not reflect hall or stage lighting. Avoid it outdoors in rain.
- Blockout banner material. A banner with an opaque core, so a print on one face does not show through to the other. It is what makes a genuinely double-sided banner possible; printing both sides of ordinary vinyl ghosts each image through to the other face.
The same reasoning applies to backdrops. A backdrop that will be photographed is usually fabric, because a laminated vinyl surface throws a camera flash back as a hotspot; the backdrop printing page covers media walls and stage sets.
How are banner edges finished: hem, eyelets, pole pockets or rope?
Edge finishing is the structural half of a banner and a separate operation from printing. The hem is turned inward 25–30 mm on every edge, welded on vinyl and sewn on fabric. Eyelets go through the hem at a 500 mm pitch with one in every corner. Pole pockets are a 60 mm open hem, and rope sewn into the hem spreads load.
Each option answers a different fixing:
- Welded or sewn hem. A fold bonded or sewn back on itself, 25–30 mm turned inward on all four edges. It is not visible once the banner is hung, and it is the reason eyelets hold.
- Eyelets. A metal ring pressed through the hem at 500 mm pitch, with one in every corner. Use a closer pitch where wind is expected; a wider pitch is how a banner tears at the corner and takes the rest with it.
- Pole pockets. A 60 mm open hem top and bottom for a pole or a batten. Where a banner spans between two uprights, the load spreads along the whole edge instead of onto the corner grommets.
- Rope in hem. A rope sewn into the hem to spread load across a long edge.
- Wind slits. Cut and hemmed vents on a solid banner in an exposed position.
- Panel welding. Joining widths for a banner wider than the roll.
In the print catalogue these appear under finishing names such as Eyelets, Pockets, Pockets With PVC Pole and Rope, so a quotation can name the exact edge.
How large can a single banner be?
A banner is limited by the roll width before it is limited by anything else. Single pieces run to about 3 m wide with no join. Wider banners are welded from panels, and the join runs vertically and disappears at any viewing distance over a metre. Sizes are stated as finished width × height in millimetres, after the hem.
The finished size matters because a banner is hemmed inward: the visible artwork is smaller than the cut material, so state the size you want to see on the fence or wall. Single-sided printing is standard. A double-sided banner needs blockout material or two banners back to back. The minimum run is 1, so a single banner for one event is an ordinary order.
For wall graphics, hoarding wraps and other large prints that are not banners, see the large format printing page and the guide to large format banner and exhibition printing.
How should banner artwork be set up for PVC or fabric?
Two numbers matter on a banner file and neither is a colour: how far in the hem takes the artwork, and how far away the banner is read from. Keep artwork 50 mm clear of every edge, because the hem takes 30 mm and the eye needs the rest, and choose the resolution from the viewing distance rather than from the banner size.
| File setting | What to supply |
|---|---|
| Format | PDF/X-4 at final size, or at a stated fraction with the scale in the file name |
| Safe margin | 50 mm from every edge on a hemmed banner |
| Bleed | 30 mm where the material wraps a frame; otherwise the hem allowance covers it |
| Resolution | 150 dpi at a metre, 100 dpi at three metres, 72 dpi at five metres, at final size |
| Minimum type | 60 mm cap height at five metres; 25 mm at two metres |
| Colour | CMYK, with corporate colours named as Pantone references |
| Black | A four-colour black; K100 alone reads as dark grey at three metres |
| Fonts | Outlined |
Two material notes follow from the table. On mesh, build colour slightly denser, because part of the surface is open and colour reads lighter. On fabric, the same file reads slightly softer than on vinyl, so check critical brand colours deliberately if a fabric banner and a PVC banner will be seen together.
What should a banner specification include?
A banner is quoted from four things: finished size, material, edge finish and where it is going. The last one is not a formality. A banner on a fence, a banner between two poles and a banner on a building are three different edge specifications for the same printed image, so say where it hangs and how long it must stay up.
- Finished size as width × height in millimetres, after the hem.
- Location: outdoors, outdoors and exposed to wind, or indoors.
- Duration: one event, or weeks on a fence.
- Material: PVC vinyl, mesh, woven fabric or blockout.
- Edge finish: hem with eyelets at 500 mm pitch, 60 mm pole pockets, rope in hem, or wind slits.
- Sides: single-sided, or double-sided on blockout.
- Artwork: PDF/X-4, fonts outlined, resolution chosen from viewing distance.
- Turnaround: Standard turnaround is 7–14 working days. Express is quoted per job.
What mistakes make a banner tear, crease or photograph badly?
Most banner failures are edge and material decisions, not print faults. A solid banner in an exposed position with corner eyelets only becomes a sail. Artwork run into the hem disappears once the banner is hung. Single-sided vinyl used for a double-sided banner ghosts through, and laminated vinyl under a camera flash throws the light back as a hotspot.
- Corner eyelets only on an exposed banner. It becomes a sail and takes the fixings with it. Use a closer eyelet pitch, rope in the hem, wind slits, or mesh.
- Artwork in the hem. Anything in the last 30 mm is folded inward and bonded, so it is not visible when hung.
- Single-sided vinyl for a double-sided banner. The print ghosts through and both faces read as a mess. Blockout material exists for this.
- Vinyl where photographs matter. A reflective surface sends a flash straight back. Choose fabric for anything photographed.
- Fabric in the rain. It is a cloth, and it behaves like one.
- An oversized file. A 300 dpi file at three metres wide carries far more detail than anyone can see at that distance and is usually too large to open on the day it is needed.
Worked example: one artwork as an outdoor PVC banner and an indoor fabric banner
Hypothetical planning example. Actual production timing, paper availability, and logistics are confirmed individually upon artwork and specification review. An events team needs the same artwork twice: one banner tied to a fence outside a roadshow, and one hanging inside the venue lobby on poles. The two banners share a design but not a material, an edge or a resolution.
Outdoor banner (fence)
- Size: 3000 × 1000 mm finished, a single piece with no join.
- Material: PVC vinyl, single-sided.
- Edge: welded hem all round, eyelets at 500 mm pitch, with one in every corner.
- Artwork: 100 dpi at final size, because the banner is read from about three metres; type and logos kept 50 mm from every edge.
Indoor banner (lobby)
- Size: 3000 × 1000 mm finished.
- Material: woven polyester fabric, so it does not reflect the lobby lighting or the event photographer’s flash.
- Edge: sewn hem, with a 60 mm pole pocket top and bottom so the load spreads along the whole edge.
- Artwork: the same PDF/X-4 file, with brand colours checked for the slightly softer colour on fabric.
Both banners are quoted together from one specification. Artwork is checked before production, and standard turnaround is 7–14 working days. Delivery is by island-wide courier.
Frequently asked questions about PVC and fabric banners
Can a fabric banner be used outdoors in Singapore?
Not in rain. Woven polyester fabric is a cloth and behaves like one when it gets wet, so it is specified for indoor banners. Outdoors, use PVC vinyl, or mesh where wind has to pass through the banner.
How far apart should banner eyelets be?
500 mm is the standard pitch, with one eyelet in every corner, and closer where wind is expected. Eyelets go through the hem rather than through a single layer of material, because an eyelet in unhemmed material tears out under load.
What size is a banner pole pocket?
A pole pocket is a 60 mm open hem top and bottom, sized to the pole or batten being used. It spreads the load along the whole edge instead of onto the corner eyelets.
Can a PVC banner be folded?
PVC creases where it is folded, so it is better kept rolled. Woven fabric is the material to choose when a banner has to be folded for transport, because it folds without creasing permanently.
How long does banner printing take?
Standard turnaround is 7–14 working days, including hemming and eyeletting. Express is quoted per job: send the finished size, the material, the edge finish and where the banner is going.
Where can you order PVC, mesh and fabric banners in Singapore?
EZ Print, trading since 2017, prints PVC, mesh, blockout and woven fabric banners in Singapore, with welded or sewn hems, eyelets, pole pockets, rope and panel welding as part of the job. Every banner is quoted from its specification, artwork is checked before production, and delivery is by island-wide courier. For a freestanding fabric system rather than a hung banner, compare tension fabric and pop-up displays.
Send the finished size, the material, the edge finish and where the banner is going through the quote request page, and the specification comes back for you to check against the site.
Same-day and urgent printing available. Subject to artwork approval, payment, print type and production availability. Timing confirmed per job.