One question athletic directors and coaches often ask us is: What are the differences between the the various championship banner materials? There are a few different options available, so you want to make sure that you make the right choice. After all, quality banners are an investment and you want to make sure they look good in your gym for many years to come. Below are some of the most common banner materials available.
Felt Championship Banners
Felt banner material offers a classic look and was the standard championship banner and add-a-year banner material for many years. One problem athletic directors and high school coaches typically have with felt championship banners is the fact that they get dusty and are often times difficult to clean. Rather than simply wiping them down, they need to be shipped to a professional for cleaning or re-furbishing. Another drawback to felt add a year banners is they are not very easily updated. Update years are sewn onto the banner, so each time you win a championship you must take the banner down and ship it back to the manufacturer to have a new one sewn on.
Nylon Championship Banners
A more recent product now available to athletic programs is the nylon championship banner. These high-quality gym banners feature an easy-to-clean surface, sewn edges and are offered with many options to fit any application. This material solves a lot of the negative issues that you find with felt banners. They naturally don’t attract dust the way felt banners do, but if needed, can be simply wiped down with a damp cloth. Also when you want to update your banners, you no longer have to take them down to send back to the supplier. All you need to do is call your banner provider and a new year addition can be mailed back to you. Add-a-year banners are easy to update due to the fact that most come prespaced and ready to apply.
Vinyl Championship Banners
Vinyl championship banners have been around in school gymnasiums for many years now. They are a more cost-effective option than nylon or felt. While easy to both clean and update, vinyl sports banners do not have the classic and prestigious look of a nylon banner. However, they do allow for more design elements to be included on in the layout. Because they are digitally printed, you have the ability to include fades and gradients as well as watermarked logos. A new trend is to also include the addition of a 2-dimensional effect to the lettering to making the text stand out amongst those with more common and simple cut-vinyl lettering.
Choosing the right type of championship banners for your high school gym or college athletic facility can seem like a daunting task, but just remember that there are several options out there, each with their own pros and cons. Knowing the differences is a necessary step in making the decision that is best for your school.
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.