Extend the Life of Your Signs and Banners

The lifespan of your signs and banners will depend on the way in which your banner is used and the material it is made of. While PVC is suitable for short term or temporary use, you should know that it is not intended to last forever. However, if your sign is intended for long-term use, you should opt for a more durable option, such as chromadek, which will not perish easily.

Fading Ink

While there is less wear and tear with a high quality material, there is still the risk of the ink fading from exposure to sun. However, when that happens, you can still save money by simply replacing the vinyl or the print, rather than having a new banner made.

Location is a factor in how long your sign or banner will last. Indoor banners generally last much longer, but if your outdoor banner is exposed to direct sunlight and other elements all the time, its lifespan will almost certainly be affected.

Let your branding company know beforehand if you're planning on placing the banner outside in the sunlight, so that they can add a special UV coat to it. A UV coat is an additional fee but this can increase the life of the print by up to 50%.

 

Caring for Your Signage

There are different ways to care for your signage:

Outdoor chromadek board signs need to be replaced when they become damaged, whereas event branding fabric can sometimes be machine-washed when it becomes dirty.

Do check with the manufacturers about care instructions first. If you want to wash your signage on a regular basis, it should be laminated. That way, you can simply wipe it off with a mild detergent from time to time.

Knowing where you plan to place your signs will enable us to advise you on the best type of material and coatings that will make it more durable:

  • Plastics such as ABS tend to become brittle with time, especially outside but it is a good option for indoor signage and is more economical then chromadek.
  • You will waste your money if you chose chromadek for indoor use as it is not necessary, there are better, more economical options for indoor applications.
  • Perspex offers an aesthetically-pleasing, up-market signage option. It is not designed for long term outdoor signage use, but rather for reception areas or bathrooms.

 

Get the Right Signs From the Outset

When you work with Basically Branding, we will discuss the pros and cons of the various signage materials and your preferred applications. Some products have shorter lifespans, no matter who manufactures them. For instance, when you look at the longevity of a sign, large signs such as billboards or PVC stretch signs are not intended to last forever. However, they are inexpensive to replace on a fairly regular basis. By simply replacing the PVC panel every two years, you will always have good-looking signs.

Although a UV coat helps with fading, some materials such as contravision look messy when they are UV-coated - there is too much surface area around each hole or edging. Therefore, the product has a shorter lifespan. Contravision panels are a great option for shop windows, as it allows people on the inside to see out, but people from outside can't see in. It is worthwhile noting however that it will have to be replaced in a year's time.

When it comes to signage please try and remember that branding companies are used to taking instructions, and will give you what you ask for, unless you ask for suggestions that will be more practical for your application. If you want to ensure that you get the best value for your money, Basically Branding recommends that you be open to suggestions from your signage company and that you ask for alternative options. In many cases, alternative options might look exactly the same, but they could also be much more cost-effective.

We would like to encourage you to implement the guidelines in this article straight away. If you are not sure how to get started or how it best applies to your business, please contact us and we will be happy to share some further thoughts with you.