• I want to thank all the members that have upgraded your accounts. I truly appreciate your support of the site monetarily. Supporting the site keeps this site up and running as a lot of work daily goes on behind the scenes. Click to Support Signs101 ...

The perfect hem

Mark H

Mark H

New Member
I am finding that hemming banners with tape and making straight hems is not as easy as it looks on the Youtube videos. Any tips or tricks you can share would be appreciated. Also, once they are done they look good but when I roll up the banner the hems wrinkle. Why? Do they need to remain flat for a period of time? Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks.
 
G

GaSouthpaw

Profane and profane accessories.
Try using a long straight edge sitting where the edge of the material ends up needing to be when the hem is done and run your tape along it. Then, leave it there and put the edge of the material there and carefully squeegee the folded part flat. That's how I do it when someone insists on having a folded hem. Otherwise, the banner gets trimmed to size and I run a strip of single-sided hem tape along the edge. I've never had a customer complain about a banner being finished that way.
As far as the wrinkles when you roll it up- the banner will still flex with the tape on it, I think it's because you're trying to get the banner material to flex in two different directions at the same time- with the added bonus that the tape (or sewn hem, if you go that way) doesn't want to cooperate. I've never been able to figure out a way around it- it even happens (to a lesser degree) with the single-sided hem tape.
 
rjssigns

rjssigns

Active Member
"Bleed" your banners 2" in length and width. Trim to color. Use 2" wide straight edge and make a line 2" from cut edge. Apply tape to edge of banner and fold to line. Perfect every time.
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Regardless of how you cut or trim your edges..... once you have the tape down run the whole length with a brayer. After you fold the edge over, run the brayer again over the doubled over hemmed edge. Now, flip the banner over and run down the good side with the brayer. Everytime, make sure you are pressing very firmly. If you put the tape down haphazardly, nothing will work or help.
 
Mark H

Mark H

New Member
GaSouthpaw said:
Try using a long straight edge sitting where the edge of the material ends up needing to be when the hem is done and run your tape along it. Then, leave it there and put the edge of the material there and carefully squeegee the folded part flat. That's how I do it when someone insists on having a folded hem. Otherwise, the banner gets trimmed to size and I run a strip of single-sided hem tape along the edge. I've never had a customer complain about a banner being finished that way.
As far as the wrinkles when you roll it up- the banner will still flex with the tape on it, I think it's because you're trying to get the banner material to flex in two different directions at the same time- with the added bonus that the tape (or sewn hem, if you go that way) doesn't want to cooperate. I've never been able to figure out a way around it- it even happens (to a lesser degree) with the single-sided hem tape.
Click to expand...

I like the idea of single sided tape, that sounds like it would save a lot of time. I'm going to try it and see what customer reaction is. Thanks
 
T

TimToad

Active Member
Mark H said:
I'll give it a try, thanks.
Click to expand...

The way I've always done it is similar, but I start off with an artboard 1.75" larger than my trimmed banner size. Using a 3'x6' banner as an example, the first thing I do is make a rectangle 37.75"x73.75 and stroke it with a light grey line. That is your trim line. Because the tape is 1" wide, the .875" or 7/8" difference all the way around will hide any bleeds you have over your hemmed edge.

The only drawback of this method is that if you use 38" wide material to make a 36" banner you can't print the trim line because of your rollers pushing your print area inside of that dimension. In case, just print the 36"x72" line, trim the banner 7/8" outside of that and use the same process.

After printing, trim the banner to that line, flip it over, lay a 2" wide straight edge/ruler along the edge and draw a pencil line along the inside of the ruler. Remove ruler and run your double sided banner tape along the edge all the way around. Start on one side and remove the liner of the tape and with both hands about a foot apart, fold the edge inward to the pencil line and smooth as you go. Once you've done the entire length, use either a Teflon squeegee or brayer to press the two parts together with some elbow grease being applied. After all four sides are done, you'll have doubled up corners and nice smooth hems.

Grommet as needed and you should see a huge improvement after a few tries. Using this method, any of the three of us here can knock out a banner in less than 10 minutes with very good results.
 
Last edited:
BigfishDM

BigfishDM

Merchant Member
Mark H said:
I am finding that hemming banners with tape and making straight hems is not as easy as it looks on the Youtube videos. Any tips or tricks you can share would be appreciated. Also, once they are done they look good but when I roll up the banner the hems wrinkle. Why? Do they need to remain flat for a period of time? Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

What if you didn't have to hem banners ever again? I carry a banner material that requires no post production, you simply print, and instal your grommets. It won't shred like standard banner does.
 
B

bannertime

Active Member
I like the single sided tape, but keep in mind, I've found it to be weaker than a tape/folded hem (as opposed to a single sided banner tape and grommet). Wind tunnel tested or not, I can still rip the grommet out of the single sided tape side over the tape/fold side every time. I can typically do it twice before the folded side fails. I got the idea from the Banner Up samples that you try to rip the grommet out. Cut the non-reinforced grommet off, tape and fold that edge, put a grommet in it. Put a grommet in the hole they punched in their tab. You'll likely rip the tabbed grommet out on every single one. If you don't do the grommet in the tab, it's not even a competition.

Single Sided Tape and the tabs are only stronger than grommets in an unfinished edge. So when a customer says they need something quick and cheap, that's what they'll get. If they need it to last a bit longer, outside, we'll do the tape/fold.

As for the wrinkles, you could be stretching the tape while the banner is relaxed. So when the tape is applied, it's scrunching the banner up. Then when you fold, it just amplifies that wrinkle. I've seen some of my guys apply tape and you could see the space between the tape and banner before they applied pressure. No good.
 
Christian @ 2CT Media

Christian @ 2CT Media

Active Member
BigfishDM said:
What if you didn't have to hem banners ever again? I carry a banner material that requires no post production, you simply print, and instal your grommets. It won't shred like standard banner does.
Click to expand...
How much is said material? Can you post a pic of the finished edge, and will it hold up to wind like a hemmed banner?
 
DerbyCitySignGuy

DerbyCitySignGuy

New Member
I've created a bunch of templates, complete with grommet marks, so that I can just drop art in and print it.

Otherwise I put a light cyan stroke around the edge of the viewing area if it's a white banner, that's the fold line (otherwise the "fold line" is the art). Offset path 1" with a black stroke. That's the cut line. Apply to tape to the edge of the banner, fold to the white cyan line (or the art). When folding, start in the middle and only adhere the top of the tape. Move down about two feet and do it again. Take your thumb run it down the edge between the two spots that are touching. Do that however many times you need to do it.

banner_example.png
 
JTBoh

JTBoh

I sell signage and signage accessories.
Mark H said:
I like the idea of single sided tape, that sounds like it would save a lot of time. I'm going to try it and see what customer reaction is. Thanks
Click to expand...
Nooooo. No no no.
Use banner tape, it's quite literally made for this.
 
Mark H

Mark H

New Member
billsines said:
Guess I need glasses...I thought the thread title was "the perfect ham"...was looking forward to using all your tips and tricks for my Christmas ham this year

:doh:
Click to expand...
If you were at the SGIA show in New Orleans I hope you went to Mother's Restaurant. They boast the best baked ham in the world and it is.
 
V

visualeyez

New Member
Just practice and use your man hands. I can post up a video tomorrow doing it on the quick. I keep my tape and banner taught, with a .9" bleed all around. Trim down to 1" and flip over. If you are using a good tape, the backing liner will be thick enough to let you pull tight and fold a nice crease. Once creased, just stick it in the same place from the center out. Squeegee like you mean it!
 
BigfishDM

BigfishDM

Merchant Member
2CT Media said:
How much is said material? Can you post a pic of the finished edge, and will it hold up to wind like a hemmed banner?
Click to expand...

Here is a close up from a user of it
Banner_oese.jpg
Banner_oese.jpg , yes it holds up better than any other banner material. Out in Texas a very nice company challenged our product, put out 2 banners to test for multiple months, had a huge storm come in and destroy their normal banner, ours was left basically unscathed.

This is the material, JET550 from Dickson Coatings: Jet 550 – Dickson Coatings
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top