Vinyl vs. Fabric Banners: Which Is Right for You?

If you need a banner for your next event or advertising campaign, you’ll see the main two options when you start researching: vinyl and fabric. They may seem very similar at first glance, but some crucial differences between the two should be considered before you buy them.

Cost

Fabric and vinyl banners are comparable in value. Many of the additional options, such as the ink and finish, have the most significant impact on the banner’s final price. The main contributor to the cost of a banner’s production is the size, as this multiplies the amount of ink and work needed. Depending on if the material is a significant deciding factor for you, take some time to get quotes for both vinyl and fabric banners and find the best providers of cheap banners in your area. In general, you’ll most likely find that fabric will be slightly more expensive as it’s a more costly material to purchase and print on. 

Ink

The quality of the ink used to print your design on the banner will also significantly impact your banner’s cost and look. Some printers use lower-quality ink to help keep costs down, but this will affect how much colors pop and how vibrant the finished banner looks. The material also plays a role in what type of ink is used and how much is needed, with the fabric being more absorbent and needing more ink than vinyl banners, meaning that fabric will again be slightly more expensive. It’s also worth thinking about the design you need to print and how this will affect your banner’s cost. Suppose you have a more complex design and has a lot of colors. In that case, it will be a more complicated printing job compared to a primarily white banner, so if you have a complicated or colorful design, you may want to consider vinyl over the fabric.

Appearance

There are some situations where a vinyl banner will look better than fabric, and the opposite is also true. Your banner’s location and what you’re printing on will be the main factors that impact which type of material will look better. The main differences between the two are the texture of the surface and how translucent the banner is. If you’re printing a photo on your banner, you’ll want to choose a matte finish regardless of whether you choose a vinyl or fabric material. Still, if you’re going to take pictures of your banner, then the fabric is better at reducing the amount of glare from lights hitting the image.

Suppose you want to hang your banner in an area where there will be lights behind it. In that case, a fabric banner will tend to be more translucent, and light will pass through it more easily, so in this scenario, a vinyl banner won’t let much, if any, light pass through it and would be the better choice. In scenarios where light isn’t an issue, though, fabric banners can have a slightly more high-quality look and don’t have the plastic look of vinyl.