Banners online have lowered quality expectations for years now.  Lately we have had a lot of calls from customers that have a story of how they found a great deal online and maybe even free shipping, only to be surprised when the banner shows up at their door. The most common issues reported are: resolution, material thickness, poor saturation of colors, and inks fading in the sun. Now we are not saying that all banners bought online are cheap or sub par, but we are hoping to educate online consumers about what to look for when buying a banner online.

Banner Resolution: many machines can only print a maximum of 240×340. These banner printers are for billboards ONLY. Even if you provide a 300dpi file, it wont matter because the printer is the bottleneck. It just simply can’t produce anything high resolution enough t0 be seen closer than 20 ft. So if you use it for an inside banner or a POP banner, you will be seeing pixels the pixels of pencil erasers. On the other hand, a printing resolution of 720×720 will produce stunning high resolution graphics, with at least a 15o dpi file.

Material Thickness Gage: Many online banner printers sell a 10 oz or a very low scrim(nylon mesh for support) 13 oz. If you put up your banner in a n office building 10oz is fine but if you want it to withstand a outdoor winds, it will tear within a short time. On the other hand a high scrim denier  like 1000 matched with a high grade reputable brand vinyl in the 13oz-17oz will withstand high winds and abuse for years.

UV Resistance: Make sure the online banner printer you choose uses OEM inks that can withstand UV rays. Most discount banner websites do NOT use high quality inks resulting in poor color saturation and fading in direct sunlight.

-Good Luck!

The Santora Team

Great business card design starts off with a clear understanding of the companies brand and target audience. After you can pinpoint where you want to go with the design and style of your business card its time to think about paper types and printing options. A thin flimsy paper stock suggests that your company is low class and fleeting. On the other hand a sturdy card stock suggests that you are stable company that cares about their image and brand. We offer many card stocks, some of our favorites include 16pt silk laminated, 130lb cover uncoated and 20pt plastic business cards.

Next, printing methods should be considered. Using Spot UV or Foil Stamping can make your card stand out. Of course great full color business cards are a much better option to black and white, it is really a treat for your new clients to see that you have purchased custom cards that let them know that you care about details. We know that for some, a business card is a business card, but we disagree! A business card is your first line of defense. It is what separates the professionals from the part-timers. We have all been to networking mixers and been handed a card that looks like it was printed on a home computer or ordered online at some half rate printing website and thought, “how can I take this person seriously?.”  We don’t blame you. When someone hands you a business card with confidence that looks like they had a professional design firm create them and a professional printer print them, you cant help but be impressed and curious about the business behind the card.

in summary, invest in great graphic design for your business cards and look into a few custom printing options that will set you apart from your competition. Good luck and take care!                    -The Santora Team.