When you are choosing an image for a pull up banner, or any large-scale display banner, it is important you keep in mind the shape of the image required and message you want to convey.
Usually a pull up banner is used to catch attention from far away, and there are a few things to consider when choosing an image.
Shape
The largest shape provided for an image in our templates is a tall thin rectangle with a square corner cut out of the top left. This is where the shape of thought overlays the image. Keep this shape in mind when searching as it lends itself to portrait and situational images that have been taken further away from the subject. An image in which the person fills the frame will be difficult to fit into the shape..
Style
Images used for pull up banners must follow the brand photography guidelines. The images should be in the primary or situational style with at least one person the focus of the photograph. Don’t use images that only show a building or object.
Subject matter
The image should be relevant to the text content of the banner. A situational image that shows a person interacting with the subject matter or working in the profession will engage the audience and support the headline.
Composition
You should consider the type of environment where the banner will be used. If the point of interest in the images is close to the bottom of the banner, a table or a person standing in front of the banner can easily obstruct it. It’s also below the general line of sight of the audience so it is less likely to be seen. Try to keep the point of interest in the image above the halfway mark of the banner so that it is at least above the standard table height of 75-80cm.
Colour
The purpose of the banner is to attract attention so check your chosen image will complement your sub-brand colour. An image with vibrant colour (rather than desaturated colour) will attract more attention.
Quality (resolution)
A very large image is required to meet the resolution requirements because of the physical size of the banners. You should aim to use as high a resolution as you can, ideally an effective resolution of 150+ dots per inch (often seen as either DPI or PPI), though the printing process used for banners is more forgiving than offset printing.
Our pull up banner templates are set up at 50% of actual size. This means the dpi displayed when an image is in the template will need to be enough to cater for the scaling when printed.
An image in portrait orientation is more likely to meet the resolution requirements.
Size
The standard size for our banners is 850mm x 2190mm and this is what our templates are set up for.
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Follow these tips and you'll be pleasantly surprised by the effectiveness of your next pull-up banners.