Until recent years, the average small business owner often found himself between a rock and a hard place. With prohibitive printing costs, high overhead and cost/benefit issues, a small business owner's ideal banner was only a pipe dream. Brilliant or not, the average entrepreneur didn't have the opportunity to compete with the big dogs. Cheap banners were inaccessible. Many start-ups were doomed at the outset, remaining second class in advertising potential.
Typical Banner Printing Expenses
Costs were highly prohibitive and production was very complicated. Instead of today's normal low-cost per square foot, banner printing meant a screen-printing production process and outlandish set-up costs. Only 20 years ago, quality cheap banners were nowhere nearly as cheap as today's cheap banner prices. In short, most beginners couldn't afford to get his or her feet wet with such a high start-up investment.
Quality Digital Printing Capabilities
Nowadays, digital print technology enables just about anyone to have their normal or intricate logo beautifully printed up at a fraction of the original cost only 20 years ago. In addition to banner printing, you can use custom wall decals, vinyl signs and business or personalized signs that show your company's logo in its best light. In the early 1990s, size limitations, color splicing and other difficulties made a quality but cheap banner nearly impossible. Screen printing or offset printing was used which was both timely and inconvenient. Few even considered digital printing as a feasible option.
The 4 CP Digital Print Revolution
The digital printing revolution changed everything. Overnight, in the early 2000s, full color printing became available and affordable, unlike a short ten years earlier. This was due to large format printers and full color options, not just a color or two, in the 4 CP full menu fashion. Cheap banners....what do they really cost? If a banner company quotes an ultra low production cost of less than a dollar per square foot, it should raise your eyebrows a bit. What are you getting for your money? The new one size fits all banner processing may not result in the type of quality which reflects your company's strengths and assets. In fact, it could cost you much more than meets the eye in customer perception and reputation.
The Fundamentals of Cloth Banner
Fabric banners using a dye-subliminal effect are truly astoundingly attractive and qualitative. Cheap fabric banners, while costing more than cheap vinyl banners, can result in a product that lasts and lasts, continually displaying your wares in the best possible light. Cost effective dye sublimation banners are another nifty way to stay ahead of the game as well. Even though the initial cost may seem more expensive at first, the result of your investment may surprise you. They are, in fact, for what you are getting, a cheap printing option, and look a lot better than vinyl banners.
The vinyl plotter had revolutionized the printing industry in the late 20th century, but technology went even further onwards. Instead of having to painstakingly print set customer banners as had always been traditionally done, the average Joe was now in a position to produce his own sign using one of a few computer software banner programs and a vinyl plotter. This alone brought the cost of printing down, not nearly so expensive as they were before. Wide format digital printing also made a huge difference in lowering the cost of producing good quality, cheap banners.
