Finishing
Finishing — where two banner quotations quietly differ
Two quotations that both say "mesh banner with eyelets" can mean eyelets every 500 mm or every metre, a sewn and reinforced hem or a raw cut edge, brass or plated steel. On paper they look the same and one is cheaper. On the wall, in the first strong season, they are not the same at all — because a banner almost never fails in the middle. It fails at the edge, at a fixing point.
The finishing menu, and what each one is for
These are the choices worth naming on a quotation. Anything left unnamed is a difference you will discover later.
| Finish | What it is | When it is needed |
|---|---|---|
| Sewn hem | A folded and stitched edge, 25–40 mm, on all four sides | Always, on anything that will be tensioned or fixed. A raw cut edge frays from the first eyelet outwards. |
| Webbing reinforcement | A woven strap sewn into the hem | Spans over about 5 m, and any panel that will be tensioned hard or left up for a long season. |
| Brass eyelets | Rolled metal rings set through the hem | The standard fixing point. Brass over plated steel outdoors, because a plated eyelet rusts and the rust stains the print below it. |
| Reinforced corners | An extra layer of material at each corner, often with a D-ring | Panels over roughly 20 m², and anything corner-tensioned, where the load concentrates. |
| Pole pocket | A sewn channel at top and bottom for a pipe or dowel | Where the banner hangs from a pole rather than being tied — sized to the actual pipe, not to "standard". |
| Bungee / cable ties | The fixing itself, at every eyelet | Scaffold and hoarding. Bungee absorbs gusts; rigid ties transfer the whole load to the eyelet. |
Eyelet spacing is the single most common cause of a dispute on site. 500 mm centres with 250 mm at the corners is the sensible default, and it belongs in writing on the quotation — ours says it.
Why the edge is where it fails
Wind does not push evenly on a banner. It gusts, the panel flexes, and every flex is absorbed at the points where the panel is held. That is why damage starts at an eyelet and tears along the edge rather than appearing in the middle of the image. Everything in the list above is an answer to that one fact: a hem spreads the load along the edge instead of into a cut, webbing carries it further, a reinforced corner handles the point where two edges meet, and bungee fixing lets the panel move a little instead of fighting every gust. A banner specified with none of them is not cheaper — it is shorter-lived, and the replacement includes access again.
What we need from you
Four things, and the finishing can be specified rather than assumed.
- How the banner is being fixed — frame, scaffold, rails, poles, or to be advised
- The spacing of whatever it is fixed to, if it already exists
- How long it stays up, and how exposed the position is
- Whether our crews are installing it, or your team is
What we say plainly
We will quote the finishing in writing — hem type, eyelet spacing, reinforcement, and the fixing hardware if it is in scope — so a comparison against another quotation is a real comparison. If you have a cheaper quotation in front of you, check its eyelet spacing and whether the hem is sewn before concluding anything. We would rather lose on a like-for-like comparison than win one that was never like for like.
Questions we are asked
Do I really need eyelets every 500 mm?
On an exposed banner, yes. Wider spacing concentrates the load at each remaining point, and that is exactly where tears begin. On a small, sheltered or short-lived banner, wider is fine — tell us the position and we will say which it is.
Brass or steel eyelets?
Brass outdoors. A plated steel eyelet corrodes in this climate and the rust runs down the print below it, which looks like a printing fault and is not.
Can you finish a banner someone else printed?
Usually yes — hems, eyelets, reinforcement and pole pockets are ordinary work for us. Send the panel size and how it is being fixed.
What is the difference between a pole pocket and eyelets?
A pole pocket spreads the load along the whole top edge, which is better for a hanging banner. Eyelets are point fixings, which is what you want when the banner is tied to a frame or a scaffold at intervals.
Should we use bungee cord or cable ties?
Bungee on anything exposed. It lets the panel breathe in a gust instead of transferring the whole load to the eyelet. Rigid ties are fine where the banner is sheltered or the fixing is continuous.