Banner Finishing: Hems, Grommets and Pole Pockets
Finishing is the difference between a banner that lasts a season and one that tears out of its grommets in the first serious wind. It is also the part customers most often leave off the order, which is why quotes come back with questions.
Hems
A hem is a folded and welded edge, typically about an inch, running around the perimeter. It doubles the material thickness where all the stress is.
It does two jobs: it stops the edge fraying, and it gives grommets something substantial to grip. A grommet punched through single-layer vinyl will eventually pull through; through a hem it is far more likely to hold for the life of the banner.
For anything outdoors, or anything that will be taken down and rehung, a hem is worth the small cost. For a short-run indoor banner taped to a wall, you can skip it.
Grommets
Metal rings punched through the hem for rope, zip ties or bungees. The standard is every 2 feet, plus one in each corner.
Closer spacing matters more than people expect. A banner with grommets only in the corners bows in the middle and flaps, and flapping is what destroys banners — the material works against its own fixings until something gives. On large or exposed pieces some shops drop to 18-inch spacing.
Remember that grommets sit in the hem, so keep text and logos clear of that band. A quarter-inch safe margin is the usual minimum, and more looks better.
Pole pockets
A sleeve along one or more edges so a pole or rod slides through, rather than tying through grommets. Used for:
- Boulevard and lamp-post banners, with pockets top and bottom
- Hanging banners suspended from a ceiling
- Banner stands and X-frames
Specify the pocket depth to suit your hardware — 3 or 4 inches is typical. It is worth measuring the pole rather than guessing, because a pocket that is too tight is useless and one that is too loose lets the banner slide.
A pole pocket consumes its own depth plus the fold, so allow for several inches of artwork disappearing on that edge.
Wind slits — usually not the answer
Half-moon cuts intended to let wind through. They are common, and they are frequently a worse choice than they look: each slit is a deliberate weak point in the material, and slits do far less to relieve wind load than people assume.
If wind is the actual problem, mesh material solves it properly by making the whole surface permeable. Reserve slits for situations where mesh is not an option.
Reinforced corners
Extra material welded into each corner before the grommet goes in. Cheap, and the single best upgrade for a banner in an exposed position, because corners are where failures begin.
What to tell your shop
A complete finishing instruction looks like this:
8 × 2 ft, 13oz scrim, hemmed all round, grommets every 2 ft, reinforced corners
That is everything a shop needs to price it without a single follow-up. Our designer builds exactly that line into the spec it sends, alongside your artwork.
Put this into practice
Design your piece at its real finished size, see the trim and safe lines as you work, and send it to a print shop near you as a job they can quote on sight.
Open the Designer Check Artwork You HaveCommon questions
Every 2 feet is the common default, with one in each corner. Wider spacing on a large or exposed banner lets the material flap and work against itself. Some shops space them every 18 inches on big pieces or in windy positions.
A folded and welded edge, usually about an inch, that doubles the material thickness around the perimeter. It is what stops grommets tearing out, and it keeps the edge from fraying. Nearly always worth it on anything that goes outdoors.
A sleeve sewn or welded along an edge so a pole or rod slides through, instead of tying through grommets. Used for hanging banners, boulevard banners and anything on a stand. Specify the pocket size to fit your pole — 3 or 4 inches is typical.