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Banner Hemming

LMSigns24

New Member
I am working on a banner that I am printing. The size is 30" x 12'. I am new to printing banners so do I have to hemm? I have a grommet machine to put the grommets in, but do all banners need to be hemmed? What will happen if I do not hemm them? I usually buy the banner already sewn and grommeted. This banner will be outdoors hanging on a wall. Thank You!!
 

CL Graphics

New Member
With a banner that size I would hem with tape and grommet every 3 feet. The hems will stiffen up the banner and help keep it from sagging between the grommets. It also gives it a finished look.
 

high impact

New Member
YES! Hem the banner if it is going outside.

We only will allow a banner to go out the door un-hemmed if it is an indoor banner. The edges tend to roll up a little with some time unless it is installed really tight. I have some indoor banners I printed with no hems I'm looking at right now that have been hanging inside for 9 months and look new yet.

At minimum use the banner tape and then install grommets. We either use the banner tape or get them sewn if that is what the customer wants...for an additional fee of course.
 

vinyl destination

New Member
I give the customer the option from the get-go. As stated from these other guys, I'd recommend always hemming the sides, and give the customer the option for top and bottom. If the customer does not get hemming top/bottom, put banner "swatches" with double sided sticky tape about 2-3 feet apart on the top/bottom, and grommet through these swatches. It doesn't cost you anything more, and you're still giving the customer a good final product.

In this case, I would do the swatches top and bottom, especially since it's going against a wall. It'd be a different story if you were hanging this banner between two 4x4's.
 

bob

It's better to have two hands than one glove.
I am working on a banner that I am printing. The size is 30" x 12'. I am new to printing banners so do I have to hemm? I have a grommet machine to put the grommets in, but do all banners need to be hemmed? What will happen if I do not hemm them? I usually buy the banner already sewn and grommeted. This banner will be outdoors hanging on a wall. Thank You!!

A civilized banner is always hemmed on all four sides and grommeted every 24". Always. The only time you do not do this is for some specific reason. Here in this shop proper hems and grommets are included in the price, I do not nickel and dime people to death. On the other hand there's no breaks if, for some reason or another, the banner isn't properly hemmed and grommeted.
 

jiarby

New Member
Sewn Hem, reinforced corners (cut triangle scraps), grommets every 24", using good heavy 13-14oz stock. Mahler or Jetflex.
No cheap stuff.

Do you want to make QUALITY products, or just ones as cheap as you can? The difference is usually a few cents per foot, but repeat customers are priceless.
 

LMSigns24

New Member
Hemming it is!

Thank you everyone for your help. I will definately hemm these banner whether it is using banner tape or sewing. I do not have a sewing machine. Do you guys send it out to get hemmed or do you mostly use banner tape?
 

Bill Modzel

New Member
Cody,
A industrial "walking foot" machine. Banner vinyl doesn't slid under the foot well and will curl the banner as you sew. On a walking foot machine, both the foot and the bottom teeth move together.

Do a search on ebay for industrial sewing machines to check them out.
 

bob

It's better to have two hands than one glove.
Thank you everyone for your help. I will definately hemm these banner whether it is using banner tape or sewing. I do not have a sewing machine. Do you guys send it out to get hemmed or do you mostly use banner tape?

If you drop in a grommet every 24" or so, which you should do anyway, a tape hem is just fine for the vast majority of situations.

The reason that banners have sewn hems is probably because there were sewing machines before there was adequate double faced tape and people tend to cling to old ways, convinced that those ways are somehow superior due to their longevity.
 

ChiknNutz

New Member
I use 1" banner hem tape, but I only grommet every 4-5 feet unless instructed otherwise (plus corners of course). Why are some of you going every 2'...seems like overkill to me. I've never had any issues with this strategy.
 

high impact

New Member
I agree with (hr!$ (man, that's a pain to type) ;-)

Every two feet IS overkill. We have a couple of rolls of prehemmed and grommeted banner material for die cut vinyl which has grommets every two foot but that is so you have numerous places to cut off the roll without losing a lot to waste.
 
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