Sound familiar?
- Your roller banner's logo sits at knee height behind a table
- Your shop sign is unreadable from across the road
- The sign maker needs vector artwork and you only have a JPG
- Your banners from different suppliers all look different
- Text on your old banner got lost in the hem and eyelets
Key facts
- Quoted as a fixed price, or £45 an hour + VAT for small jobs and edits
- Roller banners commonly 850 × 2000 mm, built on the hardware supplier's template
- Large format usually supplied at 1:1 or to scale (for example 1:10) as the sign maker requests
- Text and logos kept as vector so they stay sharp at any size
- Key messages kept in the top two thirds of roller banners so they are seen above tables and crowds
- Window and shopfront graphics designed for the substrate: vinyl, foamex, aluminium composite or correx
Banners and signs that are read in seconds
Signage is seen while walking or driving past. A passer-by needs to know who you are and what you do almost instantly, so dijitul keeps signs to a name, a short line saying what you do, and one contact detail. Large letters, strong contrast and plenty of space beat a long list of services every time.
We design for the substrate and fixing method, not just the shape. A PVC banner has hems and eyelets, so nothing important goes within the edge allowance. A fascia sign may sit behind a frame or trim. A window graphic may be cut vinyl with no background at all, which means the design has to work as single-colour shapes.
Common formats and what they need
| Format | Typical size | Design note |
|---|---|---|
| Roller (pull-up) banner | 850 × 2000 mm | Bottom section disappears into the base cassette; check the template |
| PVC banner | Made to measure | Hemmed edges and eyelets; keep text clear of the edges |
| Foamex or aluminium composite board | Made to measure | Rigid; good for fascias, entrance and safety signs |
| Correx board | Often A1 to 8 × 4 ft | Fluted plastic; site, estate agent and event signs |
| Window vinyl | To the glass | Cut vinyl, printed vinyl or one-way vision film |
Roller banner hardware varies by supplier. On many, the bottom 100 to 200 mm of the graphic sits inside the base, and the top edge clips into a rail. We always build to the template your supplier provides and keep the logo and headline in the upper part, where they are seen above an exhibition table or a crowd.
Resolution and scale for large format
Large signs are printed at sizes where a 300 dpi file would be huge. Most large-format printers work from files at 1:1 at 100 to 150 dpi, or at a stated scale such as 1:10 with the image resolution raised to match. We confirm the format with the sign maker before building the file. Logos, lettering and shapes are vector, which means they scale without losing sharpness. If your logo exists only as a pixel image, we can redraw it as a vector as part of a logo redesign or quote for a straight redraw at £45 an hour + VAT.
For cut vinyl lettering, the file must be pure vector outlines with no gradients or photos, because a plotter cuts along the lines. We set that up separately from printed panels.
Making signs readable from the road
Lettering on a sign needs to be far bigger than most people expect. Someone driving past at 30 mph has a moment to read it, so we keep the business name as the largest element, use a plain, bold typeface, and avoid script fonts and thin lines that blur at a distance. Contrast matters more than colour choice: dark lettering on a light background, or the reverse, reads further than two mid-tones together. We also check how the sign looks at night if it is lit, and how it sits next to the signs either side of you. Where possible we mock the design onto a photo of the building so you can judge the scale before anything is made.
Shopfronts, sites and events
Shop signs, window graphics, A-boards and opening-hours vinyl usually go together, so we design them as a set. Builders and tradespeople often need site boards and van graphics to match; see vehicle livery design. For trade shows, banners are usually part of a wider stand, covered on our exhibition stand design page.
Some signs need permission. Shop signs and illuminated signs can need advertisement consent from your local council, and listed buildings or conservation areas have extra rules. Your sign maker or council planning team can advise; we design to the agreed size.
Price and next steps
Banner and signage design is quoted as a fixed price once we know the formats and sizes. Smaller jobs, resizes and edits are charged at £45 an hour + VAT. Production and fitting are by your sign maker, or we can find one through print management. Send your sizes or the supplier's template to request a quote.
What you get
- Print-ready PDF artwork at 1:1 or to scale, to the sign maker's template
- Vector EPS, AI or PDF files for cut vinyl lettering
- Visual mockups on photos of your shopfront or space where possible
- Matching versions for different banner sizes
- Editable source files on request
How it works and what it costs
Logos from £150, brochures from £295, photography from £295 a half day and CAD at £45 an hour, all + VAT. You get a fixed price before we start.
Tell us the brief
What it is for, who will see it, where it will be used and any examples you like. Rough is fine.
Fixed price
We confirm the price and what you get, in writing, before any work starts.
First designs
We design, shoot or model it and share the first version for your comments.
Refine
We make the changes, check every detail, and prepare the files properly for print, web or manufacture.
Final files
You get the finished files in the formats you need, ready for your printer, website, social channels or manufacturer.
Frequently asked questions
How much does roller banner design cost?
dijitul quotes roller banner design as a fixed price, or at £45 an hour + VAT for a simple layout or an update to an existing design. Printing and the stand hardware are priced separately by your supplier, or we can arrange them.
What size is a standard roller banner?
The most common UK roller banner is 850 × 2000 mm, with 1000 mm and 1200 mm widths also popular. Part of the bottom of the graphic sits in the base, and the amount varies by hardware, so dijitul always builds on your supplier's template.
What file does a sign maker need?
Usually a PDF with vector text and logos, set to 1:1 or a stated scale, with images at the resolution they request. For cut vinyl, they need pure vector outlines. dijitul confirms the spec with your sign maker and supplies files to suit.
Do I need permission for a shop sign?
Some signs need advertisement consent from your local council, particularly illuminated signs, large signs and signs on listed buildings or in conservation areas. Your council planning team or sign maker can advise. dijitul designs to the size and position agreed.
Can you design window graphics?
Yes. dijitul designs printed window vinyl, cut vinyl lettering such as opening hours, frosted manifestation strips and one-way vision film graphics. We need the glass measurements and ideally a photo of the shopfront to show you a mockup.
Related
Get a fixed price
Send a rough brief. You'll know exactly what it costs before we start.