Banner material guide
440gsm PVC, 260gsm mesh, 400gsm PVC-free, banner vinyl, blockout and fabric: what each banner material is, what gsm means and which one suits your job.
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This banner material guide gives you the short answer first: 440gsm PVC suits most banners, 260gsm mesh suits fences and scaffolding in the wind, and 400gsm PVC-free suits indoor displays where you want to avoid PVC. Roller banners use their own two materials (440gsm banner vinyl or 610gsm blockout PVC), and exhibition walls use stretch fabric.
Below we explain what the numbers mean, which of our products use which material, and how hems, eyelets and ties change the result. If your only question is PVC or mesh for a fence, our PVC or mesh banner guide covers that choice in detail, so we do not repeat it here.
Banner material guide: the five materials we print on #
| Material | Where you find it | What it does well |
|---|---|---|
| 440gsm PVC | PVC banners, backdrops, Heras fence PVC banners, scaffold banners | Solid, opaque, bright print, takes eyelets well |
| 260gsm mesh | Mesh banners, fence mesh, construction site, festival and race banners | Lets wind through, so less strain on fixings |
| 400gsm PVC-free | PVC-free, indoor and exhibition banners, backdrops | Made without PVC, for indoor and short-term use |
| 440gsm banner vinyl | Roller banners, green screen backdrop | Flat, clean print on a roll-up stand |
| 610gsm blockout PVC | Roller banners, blockout roller banners | Stops light behind the banner showing through |
Stretch fabric is a sixth option, but only on our fabric display walls and snake stands, which are frame systems rather than banners you tie up.
What gsm means on a banner #
gsm is grams per square metre: the weight of one square metre of the material. It tells you how heavy and thick the material is, not how good it is. A 6 ft × 3 ft (1829 × 914 mm) banner is about 1.67 square metres, so in 440gsm PVC the material alone weighs roughly 740 g, and in 260gsm mesh roughly 435 g. Hems and eyelets add a little on top.
Heavier is not automatically better. 440gsm is heavy enough to hang flat and hold an eyelet without tearing. Mesh is lighter on purpose, because its job is to let air through. 610gsm blockout is the heaviest because it has to stay opaque and hang dead flat from a roller bar. Pick the material for the job, then the weight follows.
440gsm PVC: the default for most jobs #
If you are not sure, start here. PVC banners start from £38.45 for 4 ft × 2 ft (1219 × 610 mm), with Saver dispatch in 6 working days, Standard in 4 and Express in 2. Stock sizes run up to 9 ft 10 in × 6 ft 7 in (3000 × 2000 mm), and custom sizes go up to 16 ft 5 in × 9 ft 10 in (5000 × 3000 mm).
PVC is solid, so colours are at their brightest and small text stays sharp close up. That same solidity means the wind pushes on the whole surface, which is the reason mesh exists. For shop fronts, walls, railings, indoor events and anything fixed flat in a fairly sheltered spot, PVC is the material this banner material guide recommends.
260gsm mesh: for wind and open sites #
Mesh banners start from £41.21 and take a little longer (Saver 8, Standard 6, Express 4 working days). Every mesh banner is hemmed as standard, with plastic or metal eyelets. Use it on Heras panels, scaffolding and long runs of open fencing. The trade-offs, such as softer detail close up and light showing through, are set out in the PVC or mesh guide.
400gsm PVC-free: when PVC is not wanted #
PVC-free banners start from £36.70 and share the PVC range’s sizes and finishing: hems, plastic or metal eyelets, and cable ties. Some venues and some buyers’ purchasing policies ask for PVC-free graphics, so check with the venue before you order exhibition or event banners. For indoor displays, receptions and retail, it prints and hangs much like PVC.
Roller banners: banner vinyl or blockout #
A roller banner is not a tied banner, so the material works differently. On our roller banners you choose between 440gsm banner vinyl and 610gsm blockout PVC, and between Budget, Standard Plus and Premium cartridges (the stand the graphic rolls into). Sizes run from 800 × 2000 mm to 1500 × 2000 mm, from £65.33.
- 440gsm banner vinyl is fine for most rooms, receptions and exhibition stands with a plain wall behind.
- 610gsm blockout PVC has a blocking layer, so a window, spotlight or another stand behind it does not show through your print. Choose it for bright halls, shop windows and back-to-back setups. Blockout roller banners start from £113.59.
For sizes, stands and artwork layout, read our roller banner buying guide.
Backdrops and fabric displays #
Backdrop banners come in 440gsm PVC (hemmed, with eyelets) or 400gsm PVC-free, from 6 ft 7 in × 6 ft 7 in (2000 × 2000 mm) up to 13 ft 1 in × 8 ft 2 in (4000 × 2500 mm). The green screen backdrop is 440gsm banner vinyl at 4 ft 11 in × 6 ft 7 in (1500 × 2000 mm).
Stretch fabric is used on our fabric display walls, which come in widths from 2.5 m to 6 m, single or double sided, as a graphic only or graphic and frame. Fabric packs small and is less prone to creasing than vinyl, which matters if the display travels to several shows a year.
Hems, eyelets and cable ties #
Whichever material you pick from this banner material guide, the finishing decides how well it survives being tied up.
- Hemming: PVC and PVC-free banners offer hemmed edges or none. A hem folds and welds the edge, which strengthens it where the eyelets go. Anything outdoors should be hemmed.
- Eyelets: plastic or metal, fitted around the edge and at every corner. Metal is the stronger choice for banners that stay out for weeks.
- Cable ties: PVC and PVC-free banners can come with none, 1 bag or 2 bags, so you have ties on the day.
Keep text at least 5 cm in from the edge so hems and eyelets never cut into it. Our artwork guidelines explain bleed and safe areas.
Single or double sided #
Our PVC, mesh and PVC-free banner pages do not offer a double-sided option, so plan on one printed face. If people need to read the message from both sides of a fence, use two banners, one on each side. Where a product does list printing on both sides, such as the fabric display walls or feather flags, you will see a Sides Printed choice in the options.
Banner material guide: which to choose #
| Job | Material |
|---|---|
| Shop front, wall or railing | 440gsm PVC, hemmed, metal eyelets |
| Building site fencing or scaffold | 260gsm mesh |
| Indoor event, reception or exhibition where PVC is not allowed | 400gsm PVC-free |
| Roll-up stand in a bright hall or in front of a window | 610gsm blockout PVC |
| Roll-up stand against a plain wall | 440gsm banner vinyl |
| Stage, party or photo wall | Backdrop in 440gsm PVC or 400gsm PVC-free |
Outdoor banners count as advertisements under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007. Many can go up without an application, but check with your local council for anything large or long term.
Still not sure? #
Use this banner material guide as a checklist before you order: where it hangs, how long it stays up, how windy the spot is and whether light shines through from behind. Those four answers pick the material. If you are still unsure after reading this banner material guide, ask us.
Tell us where the banner is going, how long it stays up and what is behind it, and we will point you to the right material. Call 0161 315 1151 or use the contact form.
