Banner or roller banner, or a flag: which display to choose
Compare PVC and mesh banners, roller banners, feather and teardrop flags, A-boards and backdrops by location, set-up, wind and real from-prices.
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Choosing a banner or roller banner (or a flag) comes down mainly to where it will stand. A PVC or mesh banner is fixed to something outdoors, such as a fence, railing or wall. A roller banner is a freestanding display for indoors. A feather or teardrop flag is a freestanding display for forecourts, entrances and events outside.
Two more options often come up in the same conversation: A-frame pavement signs for shop doorways, and backdrops that cover a whole wall. This guide compares all of them by location, set-up, wind, reuse and real from-prices, then finishes with a decision table.
Banner or roller banner: the short answer #
- Fixing it to a fence, railing or wall outside: a PVC banner, or a mesh banner if the spot is open and windy.
- Standing it up indoors and moving it between rooms or events: a roller banner.
- Standing it up outdoors on grass or a forecourt: a feather flag or teardrop flag with the right base.
- Catching people walking past a shop door: an A-frame pavement sign.
- Filling the wall behind a stage or stand: a backdrop banner.
The displays compared side by side #
| Display | Best place | Set-up | Wind | From price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PVC banner (440gsm) | Shop fronts, railings, walls, indoor halls | Cable ties or rope through eyelets | Solid, so it catches the wind on open fences | £38.45 for 4 ft × 2 ft (1219 × 610 mm) |
| Mesh banner (260gsm) | Fences, scaffolding, Heras panels | Cable ties through eyelets | Air passes through the weave | £41.21 for 4 ft × 2 ft (1219 × 610 mm) |
| Roller banner | Receptions, exhibitions, shops, indoor events | Pull the graphic up from the base and hook it to the pole | Indoor use only | £65.33 for 850 × 2000 mm |
| Feather or teardrop flag | Forecourts, entrances, fields, event gates | Pole into a base or ground spike | Designed to move with the wind | £137.04 (feather, 8 ft 6 in / 2.6 m); £146.86 (teardrop, 6 ft 11 in / 2.1 m) |
| A-frame pavement sign | Doorways and pavements outside shops and cafes | Open it and stand it | Low and heavy; bring it in during gales | £124.20 for an A2 (420 × 594 mm) frame with 2 posters |
| Backdrop | Stages, photo walls, exhibition back walls | Hang from a frame or wall using the eyelets | Mainly used indoors | £114.53 for 6 ft 7 in × 6 ft 7 in (2000 × 2000 mm) |
Prices are live in the configurator and change with size and options. No VAT is added, because we are not VAT registered.
Outdoors on a fence or wall: a banner #
The first question in any banner or roller banner decision is whether there is something to fix to, because a banner needs one. Our PVC banners are 440gsm with hems and eyelets, the mesh version is 260gsm, and there is a 400gsm PVC-free banner for customers who want to avoid PVC. You can order a stock size or a custom size from 300 mm up to 16 ft 5 in × 9 ft 10 in (5000 × 3000 mm). Standard turnaround on PVC banners is 4 working days to dispatch (Express 2), and mesh banners take 6 (Express 4).
The main decision is solid or mesh. A solid banner on an open fence behaves like a sail and puts a lot of strain on the eyelets, so mesh is the safer pick for building sites and exposed fences. Our PVC or mesh banner guide covers that choice in detail. Banners over 3 m on any side carry a £15 oversize delivery charge, once per order.
Indoors and on the move: a roller banner #
A roller banner is the easiest display to carry: the graphic rolls into the base, the pole clips together and it stands up in a minute or two. Widths are 800, 850, 1000, 1200 and 1500 mm, all 2000 mm tall. You choose a Budget, Standard Plus or Premium cartridge (the base mechanism), and print on 440gsm banner vinyl or 610gsm blockout PVC, which stops light showing through from behind.
The weakness of a roller banner is wind. It is a tall, light panel on a narrow foot, so even a breeze through an open door can tip it. If you are weighing up a banner or roller banner for an outdoor event, the banner wins. For an exhibition hall, reception or school hall, the roller banner is usually the better buy because it goes up and comes down without tools. Keep the key message in the top two thirds, because tables and people hide the bottom. The roller banner buying guide compares sizes and stands.
Forecourts and open ground: a flag #
Flags are the outdoor answer to a roller banner, and they often settle a banner or roller banner debate when there is nothing to tie a banner to. Feather flags come in 8 ft 6 in (2.6 m), 10 ft 6 in (3.2 m), 13 ft 1 in (4 m) and 16 ft 1 in (4.9 m) heights. Teardrop flags come in 6 ft 11 in (2.1 m), 9 ft 2 in (2.8 m), 11 ft 6 in (3.5 m) and 15 ft 1 in (4.6 m). A feather flag has a long straight edge that suits a word or short phrase; a teardrop has a rounded top that suits a logo. Both can be printed on one side or both sides, and standard turnaround is 6 working days to dispatch.
The base matters as much as the flag. Choose a ground spike for grass, a water base, cross base, square base or concrete base for hard ground, and a drive-on car base where a vehicle wheel can hold it down on a forecourt. Bases and ground spikes are also sold on their own, from £42.70. See how to put up a feather flag for set-up.
At the doorway: A-boards and forecourt signs #
A-frame pavement signs hold two A2 (420 × 594 mm) or A1 (594 × 841 mm) posters, one on each face, and you can swap them with replacement posters from £34.46. For a cheaper frame, forecourt pavement signs start at £43.56 in A1 or A0. If the sign will stand on the public pavement rather than your own land, check with your local council first, as many councils have rules on placing A-boards on the highway.
Whole walls: backdrops #
Backdrop banners come in 6 ft 7 in × 6 ft 7 in (2000 × 2000 mm), 8 ft × 8 ft (2438 × 2438 mm), 9 ft 10 in × 6 ft 7 in (3000 × 2000 mm), 10 ft × 8 ft (3048 × 2438 mm) and 13 ft 1 in × 8 ft 2 in (4000 × 2500 mm). They are the fastest item here, at 3 working days Standard and 1 day Express. A backdrop is printed material with hems and eyelets, so you need a frame, wall or truss to hang it from. The two largest sizes are over 3 m on one side, so the oversize charge applies.
Decision table: banner or roller banner or flag #
| If your display will… | Choose |
|---|---|
| Be tied to a site fence or Heras panel | Mesh banner |
| Hang on a shop front, railing or sports club fence | PVC banner |
| Stand in a reception, exhibition hall or school hall | Roller banner |
| Stand on grass at a fete or sports day | Feather or teardrop flag with a ground spike |
| Stand on a car park or forecourt | Flag with a water base or drive-on car base |
| Sit outside a shop or cafe door | A-frame pavement sign |
| Fill the wall behind a stage or stand | Backdrop banner |
Two displays often work better than one: a banner or roller banner for the main message, plus a flag to draw people in from a distance.
On reuse, a roller banner packs into its own base and a flag pole comes apart, so both are built to be used again and again. A banner can be reused too if it is dried, rolled and stored flat rather than folded. For permanent outdoor advertising on a building, the government guide to outdoor advertisements and signs explains when consent may be needed.
In short, the choice between a banner or roller banner comes down to where it goes: tied to something outside, or standing on its own indoors. A flag is the answer when it has to stand on its own outside.
Still not sure? Tell us where the display is going and how long it needs to stay up, and we will suggest the right option. For anything unusual, ask for a quote, or call 0161 315 1151.
