Last minute banner printing: how to get a banner in time

A last minute banner is very achievable if you work backwards from the date you need it and remove the things that cause delays. Most banners that arrive late were not slow to print; they were held up by artwork that needed fixing, a turnaround picked without counting the weekend, or a delivery address nobody was at.

This is the planning we would do if you called us on a Tuesday needing a banner for Saturday.

How the clock works on a last minute banner #

Every product page shows turnaround as working days to dispatch, with up to three options: Express, Standard and Saver. Three things matter:

• The clock starts when your order and artwork are confirmed. Not when you first open the page, and not while a file is waiting to be corrected.
• Working days are Monday to Friday. Weekends and UK bank holidays do not count.
• Delivery comes after dispatch. Courier delivery usually takes 1 to 3 working days after dispatch, and you get tracking by email when it leaves.

Our article on print turnaround times explains the counting in more detail. The short version for a last minute banner: add the production days, then add delivery days, and count only weekdays.

Work backwards from the date #

Take the day you need the banner in your hands, not the event day. If the event is on Saturday, you probably want it by Thursday or Friday so you can check it and pack it. Then count back:

1. Pick the delivery day you need (say Thursday).
2. Allow for courier delivery after dispatch. To be safe, allow more than one working day.
3. Count back the production days for the option you are considering.
4. That is the day your order and artwork need to be confirmed.

For example, fast turnaround banners are Express 2, Standard 4 or Saver 6 working days to dispatch. With Express, an order confirmed on Monday is ready to dispatch on Wednesday, which leaves Thursday and Friday for delivery before a Saturday event. Check bank holidays in the week you are ordering; the gov.uk bank holidays list shows the dates for each part of the UK.

Products that suit a last minute banner #

Product	Express working days to dispatch
Backdrop banners	1
Crowd barrier banners	1
Fast turnaround banners (PVC)	2
Roller banner 850 × 2000 mm	2
Correx boards	2

Days can change, so always check the live days next to the price on the product page before you rely on them. Mesh banners take longer to make than PVC, so if time is very tight and the spot is not too exposed, PVC is the quicker choice.

Stop the artwork holding you up #

Artwork is where most of the lost days go. Three ways to avoid it:

Design it online

If you design your last minute banner in our online designer, you see exactly what you’ll get before it goes in the basket, so the artwork is confirmed as soon as you pay. There is no back and forth about sizes or resolution because the designer is already set to the right size.

Upload a file that is right first time

Uploaded files get a free file check by a person for resolution, size and bleed. If something needs fixing, the clock waits for the corrected file. Before you upload, check that the file is the exact size of the banner you ordered, that photos are sharp at full size and that important text sits at least 5 cm in from the edges. Our artwork guidelines list what we look for.

Keep the design simple

A last minute banner is not the time for a complex layout that needs several people to sign it off. A logo, one headline, one line of detail and a phone number or web address will be readable from a distance and can be approved in minutes.

Choices that save a day #

• Standard sizes. A standard size such as 6 ft × 3 ft (1829 × 914 mm) is already set up in the designer and the price table.
• PVC over mesh. PVC banners are quicker to produce than mesh on our range.
• One design, not three. Several different designs means several approvals. If you need more than one banner, can they share a design?
• A delivery address with someone in. A workplace address that takes deliveries during the day is safer than a home address or an event venue that is locked until the morning of the event.
• Order before the weekend. An order confirmed late on Friday does not start moving until Monday.

When it really is too late #

If the maths does not work, tell us the date before you order. Ask through the get a quote page with the size, the quantity and the date you need it by, and we will tell you straight whether it can be done. It is better to know on Tuesday than to find out on Friday.

If the event is recurring, the best fix for next time is a banner without a date on it. A generic banner with your name, what you do and how to reach you can sit in a cupboard ready for the next short-notice event, and you only ever need a last minute banner for genuinely new events.

When your last minute banner arrives #

Open the box the day it arrives, not the morning of the event. Unroll the banner on a clean floor and check the spelling, the phone number and the web address one more time. If anything is wrong, damaged or not what you ordered, tell us within 48 hours with photos and we will reprint or refund.

Then pack a small kit to go with it: cable ties or bungees, scissors or snips to cut them, and a few spare ties. For a roller banner, check the pole sections are all in the bag. For a backdrop, work out where it will hang and what you will tie it to before you get to the venue.

Delivery costs to plan for #

UK mainland delivery is £7.95 per order and free when your goods total is £99 or more after discount codes. Banners over 3 m on any side add £15 once per order. Mainland Scottish Highlands postcodes add £10. Northern Ireland, the Scottish islands, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight are quoted before ordering, so allow extra time to get that quote if you are in one of those areas. Full details are on our delivery page.