This is Banners 101. If you were supposed to be in Pet Picassos Marketing 236 that class has been moved to the blog across the hall….

In this class we’re going to learn about the basics of designing a banner at HalfPriceBanners.com. Any confusion that may arise or questions you may have will be answered if you write an email (lisam@halfpricebanners.com) or give us a call (1-866-527-1363) with your concerns.

One of the first decisions you have to make when designing a banner is the size that you should be ordering. Much of this can be decided based on what you are using the banner for, and your designer can help you make this decision if you aren’t sure. The options at Half Price Banners are listed as (height in feet X width in feet). For example, the 2×6 option is 2 feet tall by 6 feet wide. Any of the listed sizes can be turned so that they go vertically instead of horizontally.

The artwork that you send in is usually proportionate to a fixed ratio of sizes. If you are able to measure the length and width of the artwork you should be able to guess approximately what size you need. If you don’t know how to do this, you may choose a size that is close to the correct size and the designer will further discuss other options when he receives the order. We can always change the banner size after you place an order – it’s no problem.

When you place a banner order, you have three options for full color banners. You can submit a print ready file, meaning it is complete and no manipulation needs to be done to the file for it to be ready before printing on a banner. You can have us design your banner for you, which will allow you to upload pieces of the banner like logos or graphics, and tell us what you’d like it to say. Finally, you can design the banner yourself using our one-of-a-kind Banner Builder tool. The banner builder doesn’t currently allow you to upload your own artwork, however if you let the designer know that you want to do so, he or she will respond with ways to do so after the order is placed. We encourage you to pick whichever option works best for you… there’s no one preferred way to have your banner printed.

From the time you order a banner, to the time the banner arrives, will usually take 3-5 days with Half Price Banners’ basic ground shipping (ao long as there are no complications with the artwork). Upgraded shipping can speed up the process, but please realize that even with Next Day shipping we also have to have time to send you a proof and time to print the banner, let it dry, and finish it with hems and grommets. If you need rush service, you’ll need to order Next Day shipping and make sure to approve your proof almost as soon as it arrives in your email, but in some cases this will allow us to have the banner to you the day after you placed your order.

Thanks for coming to class today… we’ll have a quiz next week over this material! I’m looking forward to sending you a high quality banner at half price.