Birthday banner ideas: wording, photos and sizes
Ideas for 1st to 100th birthday banners, wording that reads from the road, photo sizes, which banner size suits a fence, wall or venue, and how to hang it.
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The best birthday banner ideas are simple: a name and an age big enough to read from the road, one good photo, and a size that fits the fence, wall or doorway you have. For the front of a house or a garden fence, 6 ft × 3 ft (1829 × 914 mm) is a safe choice; indoors, 4 ft × 2 ft (1219 × 610 mm) suits most walls; and a square backdrop makes the photo spot. Below are ideas by age, wording that works, photo tips, and how to hang and order in time.
Birthday banner ideas by milestone #
Every milestone has its own tone. These birthday banner ideas are starting points; the strongest designs pick one and stick to it.
First birthdays and kids’ parties
Bright colours, the child’s name in big rounded letters and the number as the largest thing on the banner. A photo of the baby at a few days old next to one from this month works well on larger sizes. Keep the background plain behind the name so it reads from the gate.
16th, 18th and 21st
Photos across the years (baby, first day at school, now) in a strip along the banner, with the name and number in bold over a solid panel. Teenagers often prefer a cleaner, darker design over cartoon styles, so ask first.
30th, 40th and 50th
A funny photo, a nickname or a short in-joke goes down well, as long as the person will be happy with neighbours seeing it. For a surprise party, a front-of-house banner facing the street is part of the reveal.
60th, 70th and beyond
A “then and now” pair of photos is the classic idea: a wedding photo or black-and-white print beside a recent one. Use large, plain lettering so older guests can read it easily, and keep the wording warm rather than clever.
Wording that reads from a distance #
The more words, the smaller each one has to be. Most good birthday banners use three elements:
- The name, the biggest text on the banner.
- The age or occasion, “is 40” or “Happy 18th”, nearly as big.
- One short extra line, such as a date, “Welcome home” or a family message.
As a rule of thumb, allow about 25 mm of capital letter height for every 3 metres of reading distance. A banner read from across a road 12 metres away needs capitals of about 100 mm. Check every spelling twice, especially names: we print what you approve or upload. On a banner facing a public road, leave out surnames, house numbers and dates of birth if you would rather strangers did not see them.
Using photos on a birthday banner #
Photos are where most birthday banner ideas succeed or fail. A phone photo from the last few years usually has plenty of pixels for a photo panel. Old prints need scanning: scan them at high resolution rather than photographing the print, which adds glare and blur.
| Photo size on the banner | Pixels needed at 100 dpi |
|---|---|
| 300 mm tall (a small photo panel) | about 1200 px tall |
| 600 mm tall (most of a 2 ft high banner) | about 2400 px tall |
| Full 6 ft × 3 ft banner background | about 7200 × 3600 px |
Pictures saved from social media are usually heavily compressed and too small for large print. Ask the person who took the photo for the original file. Our online designer warns you if a photo is too low in resolution for the size you have placed it at.
Which size birthday banner for which space #
Even good birthday banner ideas fall flat on a banner that is the wrong size, so measure first. Our guide to what size banner you need explains reading distance in more detail; these are sensible starting points:
| Where it goes | Sizes that suit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Living room or hall wall | 4 ft × 2 ft (1219 × 610 mm), 4 ft 11 in × 1 ft 8 in (1500 × 500 mm) | Read from a few metres; fits above a sofa or doorway |
| Front of house or garden fence | 6 ft × 3 ft (1829 × 914 mm), 8 ft × 3 ft (2438 × 914 mm) | Read from the road; name and age only |
| Party venue or function room | 8 ft × 4 ft (2438 × 1219 mm), 9 ft 10 in × 3 ft 3 in (3000 × 1000 mm) | Behind a top table or across a stage |
| Photo wall | Backdrop, 6 ft 7 in × 6 ft 7 in (2000 × 2000 mm) or larger | Tall enough for a group to stand in front |
Our birthday banners start from £38.45 in 4 ft × 2 ft, and come in 13 stock sizes or a custom size from 300 mm up to 16 ft 5 in × 9 ft 10 in (5000 × 3000 mm). A plain 6 ft × 3 ft PVC banner starts from £57.12. For a photo wall, party backdrops start from £114.53. A rigid party sign board in A3 to A1 works as a welcome sign on an easel.
PVC or PVC-free for an indoor party #
Birthday banners are printed on 440gsm PVC, which copes with rain and wind on a fence and can be rolled up and used again. If the banner will only ever hang indoors, PVC-free banners (400gsm, from £36.70) are an alternative. Backdrops come in either 440gsm PVC or 400gsm PVC-free.
Hanging it without damaging walls #
Every banner can have eyelets (plastic or metal) and hemmed edges, and you can add a bag or two of cable ties when you order.
- Fences and railings: cable ties through every eyelet, pulled snug but not tight.
- Brick or render outside: bungee cords or string to existing solid hooks or fixings. Gutters and downpipes are not a safe anchor.
- Painted walls indoors: removable adhesive hooks through the eyelets, or string to a curtain pole. Avoid sticky tape directly on fresh paint or wallpaper.
Our guide on how to hang a banner has the full method.
Ordering in time #
Birthday banners are made in 2 working days on Express, 4 on Standard or 6 on Saver, counted from when your order and artwork are confirmed, then courier delivery usually takes 1 to 3 working days. Backdrops can be made in 1 working day on Express. Weekends and bank holidays do not count. On Standard, an order confirmed on the Monday of the week before a Saturday party leaves time for delivery with a day or two to spare. UK mainland delivery is £7.95, free on orders of £99 or more; 10 ft (3048 mm) and longer banners carry a one-off £15 oversize charge.
Reusing your banner #
One of the thriftiest birthday banner ideas for a big family is a banner that says “Happy Birthday” with no name or age, so it can come out every year. A personalised one makes a keepsake; roll it print side out once dry (see how to store banners). PVC is not collected by most household recycling, so check your council’s rules through Recycle Now before throwing one away.
Still not sure? #
Tell us where the banner will hang and what you would like it to say, and we will suggest a size. Call 0161 315 1151 or use the contact form.
