For many years felt was the standard material for athletic add-a-year banners as well as championship banners. Felt offers a classic look, but also has a couple major drawbacks.
One problem athletic directors and coaches have with felt championship banners is they tend to collect dust and can appear old and musty before they are completely worn out. More than this, the single biggest issue we have found people dislike is the inability to update their banners easily. Often times we get the question, “I like felt banners, but don’t like that I have to ship them back to the manufacturer to have them updated.
What other options are there?” Felt banners typically have to be taken down from the gym wall or ceiling and shipped back to the manufacturer’s facility where the update year is sewn on and shipped back. This time consuming and tedious process can be a stress for school maintenance and athletic staff who are responsible for orchestrating this process. There are other, more modern options that offer a simple solution to these problems.
Nylon Championship Banners
A new product that has recently been brought to the market are nylon championship banners and add a year banners. These high-quality gym banners feature an easy-to-clean surface, sewn edges and are offered with many options to fit any application. This is a new type of nylon material that provides a classic look similar to felt but also allows you to update the banner yourself. Long gone are the days of having to take a banner down and ship it back to the manufacturer to sew on a new year. Now you can simply contact your supplier and a pre-spaced, adhesive-backed vinyl decal will be sent to you and can be applied to your banner in a matter of minutes and without taking the banner off the wall!
Vinyl Championship Banners
Vinyl championship banners have been around in school gyms for quite some time now. They are a more cost-effective option than nylon. While easy to both clean and update, vinyl banners do not have the classic and prestigious look of a nylon banner. In addition, vinyl banner can offer more design flexibility. Because they are printed, one advantage vinyl gym banners offer is the ability to include fades and gradients as well as watermarked logos. A new trend is to also add a 2-dimensional effect to the lettering to make the banners stand out amongst those with more common and simple cut-vinyl lettering.
Choosing the right championship banner material for your high school athletics program, or college athletics facility can seem like a daunting task, but just remember that there are several options to choose from out there. The key is to know the differences and decide which option works best for your program. If you would like to speak to one of our banner professionals, contact Team Fitz Graphics, LLC at (855) 356-8550 or visit us on the Web at www.teamfitzgraphics.com.