The weather is warm
ing up and the days are getting longer, which means it is definitely spring time and also graduation season. Many students are graduating in May and others in June. These are also times for celebratory parties and often times proud parents create banners for such occasions. Here are few things to remember when creating a banner!
Keep it Simple!
Don’t crowd the banner. It’s a large space in the sense that it is measured in feet with the average banner running around 5ft x 8ft. However, a banner crowded with text and pictures is going to be harder to see all of the elements at a distance. Keep it to a few major pieces of text and one or two images. For example you can say “Congratulations [Name]! Class of 2017!” as text and use a photo of your graduate or the school’s logo as images.
Photo Resolution
Remember the photo or the logo that looks so crisp and nice at 5 inches may look fuzzy or blurry at 5 feet. That’s because small photos, especially digital photos, lose resolution quality (aka they get blurry looking) as they get larger. If it’s a photo you don’t have in any other size but a small size, for example a scanned childhood photo, that you simply must use, be okay with it looking less than perfect. As a graphic designer in Orange County, I do everything I can to give my clients crisp looking photos, but no system is perfect and sometimes the photos simply can’t be that big. To get best quality photos on your banner, provide the largest photo file you can to your designer or local sign shop.
Fonts & Colors
A large item like a banner needs to readable from a distance. It is best to use text that contrasts with the background. A light background color such as white or yellow with a dark text color works best. A favorite option for many creating a banner for a graduation are to use the school’s fight colors. For example, Cal State Fullerton’s would be orange and blue and UCI’s are blue and gold. A thicker darker heavier font such as Impact, Rockwell or even Helvetica Bold will be easier to read.
In Summary:
-Keep the amount of text to a minimum
-Use large photos with a high resolution or be okay with the photo be slightly blurry or fuzzy looking.
-Use contrasting colors for text and background
-Darker Fonts will be easier to read from a distance
Whether it’s being held at the graduation ceremony or it’s adorning a wall during a celebration I hope these tips give you a little insight to creating a great banner that your graduate will keep for years to come! If you need help designing the perfect banner contact me today!