With the right design, outdoor banners can be a great way to grab attention. They’re great for advertising or personal celebrations. Whether it’s a grand reopening, graduation or your grandma’s birthday – say it with a banner.

Find inspiration below and create a personalised outdoor banner for your business or social event using free templates from Adobe Express.

What makes a great outdoor banner?

Banners are a tried and tested method of catching people’s attention. Outdoor banners can help point people in the right direction – such as to a university open day, shop or restaurant—or advertise a special event or offering.

Here are a few examples:

• ‘Free 7-day gym trial’
• ‘Win a mini break with a £1 raffle entry’
• ‘Homemade local honey’
• ‘We’re open!’
• ‘Rare and second-hand records for sale’
• ‘Happy 90^th birthday, Grandma!’

Tips for creating an outdoor banner.

Great banners communicate information and excite the reader. But there are various factors to consider when creating an outdoor banner. Think about:

• Visibility. Your banner needs to be seen and read from a distance. That means using bold, simple typography in an appropriate font size.
• Proportion. Logos, images and text need to be in balance with each other. Using white space – the blank areas around your design components – can also help your copy stand out and read easily.
• Colour. If you’re making an outdoor banner for your business, consider colour psychology and your brand identity when selecting the colour of your banner. For example, a fiery red or electric green could be a good choice for a paintball tournament, but it might not feel right for a village fête. It’s also a good idea to consider the setting of your banner to help it stand out against the backdrop.
• Imagery. Some of the most successful ads let the images speak for themselves, with only a small amount of text. If you’re going image-first make sure you choose hi-res, striking and relevant ones for the purpose.
• Materials. Outdoor banners need to be weatherproof if they’re going to be exposed to the elements. Durable vinyl is a classic choice. For limited promotions, you may want to consider environmentally friendly, PVC-free options if that aligns with your brand message.

Outdoor banner ideas for UK small businesses.

Outdoor advertising banners are a great way for small businesses to get their message across. Banners can be used for events and on-street marketing to:

• Increase brand awareness
• Launch a rebrand
• Promote an event
• Advertise a product
• Raise awareness for a fundraiser or community project.

Creating an outdoor advertising banner is easy with our business banner templates. We’ve included a few examples below to help get your ideas flowing.

Food festivals.

If you’re a food vendor at a local festival, outdoor banners are an excellent way to showcase your menu.

Bold typography, exciting colours, puns and mouth-watering imagery are key to attracting customers. That, and the subtle art of wafting the tasty smell of food in their direction.

Summer fête.

From village fêtes to school fundraisers, banners can help point visitors towards your event. Get permission to put up outdoor banners around the local area. Key locations may include main thoroughfares in the town, outside the venue entrance, and anywhere your target audience is likely to see it.

A great banner can raise awareness for your event and help make it more successful. For fun fairs and summer fêtes, you can afford to be more playful in your design. Just make sure it’s readable and includes all the essential information about the day. So, don’t forget to add outdoor banners to your festival marketing checklist.

Arts markets.

If you own a small art or retail business, creating a sturdy banner for outdoor art markets can help to promote your products. Pop-up stalls look fantastic when you incorporate banners into tablecloths and canopy tents. Promote your business name or logo, lay out the goods and capture people’s interest.

Your banner doesn’t have to be just your business name, either. Play around with creative design assets and iconography that are relevant to your brand. You can even include a QR code that invites customers to follow your website and social pages.

Outside your shop.

Some of the most effective ideas are the most obvious. Banners are a great way to attract customers to your shop window. Picture a billboard. Your banner has a similar purpose – drawing interest from afar and being easy to understand at a glance.

Banners outside your shop can leave a lasting impression on potential customers, so it’s important to get it right. Call attention to things like:

• Special offers and promotions
• Unique and bestselling items
• Reviews and accolades
• Your business heritage.

Seasonal promotions.

Outdoor banners are the perfect way to draw attention to seasonal promotions and sales, too. Hang your banner in high-traffic areas and point customers in the direction of your business. You could literally use a giant arrow if your shop isn’t far away. Or simply include the address of your shop or event venue.

Seasonal promotions also give you the opportunity to experiment with new designs. Think spring social banners designed with florals and pastels. Summer sales decorated with beach balls, ice cream and chilled drinks. You get the idea.

More inspiration for your personalised outdoor banners.

When it comes to party planning hacks, personalised banners always give the wow factor. Surrounded by balloons and delicious treats, banners are the cherry on top of a well-organised event. They also show that you’ve gone the extra mile to engage people.

Get inspired and explore our ideas to elevate your next social event with an outdoor banner.

Birthday party banners.

Nothing says ‘we love you’ like a giant banner in someone’s honour. Celebrate them in style with an outdoor birthday banner for your garden party. Banners are great for indoor soirees too, especially if you’ve hired a venue to kick off the festivities.

Whether it’s a sweet 16^th or a sensational 60^th, surprise them with a personalised banner for their big day.

Bridal shower banners.

Celebrate the beautiful bride-to-be with a shimmering banner. Consider their favourite colours, classic chromatics, or their wedding theme colours. Personalise a party banner with something like this:

• Congratulations [NAME]!
• Miss to Mrs
• Bride to be
• Happily ever after
• [NAME]’s Bridal Shower
• Future Mrs. [SURNAME]
• Here comes the bride!
• She said yes to the dress!
• [NAME]’s Bridal Shower Brunch.

Anniversary banners.

Milestone anniversaries are something to commemorate. So why not go big for your grandparents’ 50^th wedding anniversary? Throw a get-together at their favourite restaurant, or in the garden they’ve carefully pruned for decades.

When you create your own party banner, you get to decide what little details to include that will make the day all about them. From wedding rings and their favourite flowers to the place they first met, a personalised design says more than simply happy anniversary.

Prom night banners.

Make your prom night one to remember by creating an outdoor banner for outside your venue. Or you could design an indoor banner as the centrepiece of the dance floor. Guide your excited classmates towards the night of their dreams with a classic ‘Prom 2024’ banner or showcase your prom theme.

Here are a few prom ideas to get you started:

• Casino Royale
• Under the Stars
• Hollywood Glamour
• Masquerade Ball
• The Great Gatsby.

Summer street party banners.

Barbeque ablaze, chilled drinks and snacks at the ready. Summer street parties are a great way for friends, family and the local community to get together on a balmy day.

Whether it’s for a public holiday, a special occasion or simply an excuse to get the barbeque out – a personalised outdoor banner is a real conversation starter. Get the party going with a banner across a marquee or with a vinyl banner tablecloth on the nibbles table.

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Good to know.

What is the best material for an outdoor banner?

Vinyl is one of the most durable materials to make a banner out of. It’s water-resistant and hardy against the elements. However, you can also get outdoor banners that are PVC-free, which are easy to reuse and recycle.

How long will a vinyl banner last outside?

Vinyl banners are particularly hardwearing. You can expect them to last between three and five years outdoors. This depends on the quality of the material, printing process, weather conditions, and how well it’s maintained. You can print banners with UV-resistant ink, which can help to prevent fading from sun exposure.

What is the best outdoor banner size?

The right size for your outdoor banner can depend on various factors, including:

• Location
• Purpose
• How far away people need to see it from.

A 4ft by 6ft banner is usually a good size for both indoor and outdoor use. This size can give you plenty of options when it comes to organising events and marketing your business.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes. The basic version of Adobe Express includes everything you need to start working creatively. Adobe Express offers thousands of design templates, images, videos and royalty-free photos, quick actions for processing images, as well as much more. Create the perfect shop window, pop-up stall or plan the party to end all parties with a personalised outdoor banner.