Roller Banner Design
Creating a Roller Banner is easy; creating a good Roller banner is not quite so simple. When creating a Roller banner, a lot of designers get wrapped up in the design that they lose their vision and the banner fails to be fit for purpose. It may look good on screen, but if it is too cluttered or has a busy background, then it may not advertise the product, event or service in the way that was originally intended.
The main focus of a roller banner is to make someone aware of something. If you are designing a banner you need people to pay attention to it and process the information that is on it.
Below we have given some design tips that will help you create a banner that will grab some attention in a busy, over-advertised world.
Organise Your Text
A roller banner is usually split into three segments: headline, details and fine print.
The headline is the main text element of a banner; usually the title of the event or product. This should be in a bold, legible font.
The details are usually in a smaller font (about half the size). This is the main information that you want to showcase. If it's an event, where and when it is. If it's a product, what it is and what it does.
The fine print is the last segment, and it is usually even smaller in size. This may be information on where to get tickets or other useful information, but it won't usually be attention grabbing – that's the headline's job!
Grab Attention With Design!
People will look at your banner if it stands out. Bold, clear fonts, bright colours and imagery grab attention. Always follow brand guidelines if you are designing for a company. In addition, you can use either a white background or a solid colour background that matches the brand guidelines.
If the background is too busy, text can get lost and disappear from a distance. For example, a certain colour may look fantastic on a white background but could easily get lost on a background with images.
Photos look great but if you are cutting them out then make sure it is done well - jagged edges can look unprofessional.
One image often works better than multiple images; images that are relevant to your brand also work well. For example, if you have yellow and blue text with a photo of a person, try and add the colours you are using to the image.
Space
Your message will stand out if you maximise the space on the roller banner. It has to be easy to read from a distance so make sure that the elements have clear space around them to highlight the images.
Don't be tempted to add too much – less is more on a roller banner. You don't have long to get your message across, and if the design is too busy then people will not get the message; especially if passing up an escalator, in a car or walking through a busy shopping centre.
A good level of kerning is always good to have so the letters are spaced nicely. Also, increase line spacing and steer clear from the edges of the banner. Ensure that there is space around the main element of the banner as this will help it stand out.
Use High-Resolution Images
When creating your roller banner, use only high-resolution images. Low-resolution images will look jagged and blocky when blown up. This will give your roller banner an unprofessional look.
Have A Call To Action
Make sure there is always a clear call to action. Whether it is to call your business, visit your business or just product awareness.
Test The Readability
One way to test readability is to reduce the size of the artwork from the original size and stand back from your screen. What you will see is what your potential customers will see when rushing past your roller banner in their busy lives.
If you can't read anything, someone driving past in a car or walking through a busy shopping centre won't be able to read it either.
Summary
With every business trying to grab attention, it is now harder to stand out from the crowd. Roller Banners are a great method of promotion, but if not executed well you will not gain the attention that you need.
To see some examples, have a look at our Roller Banners page.