Frequently Asked Questions About Street Pole Banners

What type of material are the banners made from?

There are 2 fabrics that Street Banners are typically made from:

1) Heavy Duty 13 oz. Vinyl - 13 ounce vinyl is reinforced and will stand up to the harshest conditions just like Sunbrella. 13 oz. vinyl is the best choice when four color process is needed. One olor costs as much as 4,000 colors, as compared to screen printing where the number of colors determines the cost. Vinyl allows you to be as creative as you want with out worrying about your budget.

3) Sunbrella - commonly used for awnings and boat canopies, It is an excellent material for outdoor use and can withstand the harshest conditions. Screen printing is used when producing these banners When a dark color fabric is used, it can be screen printed on both sides, making a single ply banner. For light colored banners ,two pieces of Sunbrella must be sewn together over a block-out liner to prevent "see through" of the image from one side to the other. Because you need to use twice as much fabric w/ a liner, a light colored banner is more expensive. For available Sunbrella colors click on this link (Sunbrella Color Chart)

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What type of Artwork Files will I need?

Artwork Requirements

If any of the below requirements sound like Chinese.. we can help.. just give us a call 800-958-3009

Submitting Artwork...

• All lead times quoted are based upon the receipt of order, original artwork, and color shade clarification.

• PMS Colors are used as a reference only. We cannot guarantee an exact match. A colored strike-off can be supplied at an additional cost.

• Artwork submitted on disc should be formatted to IBM compatible systems.

Computer Disk File:  
We are both Mac and PC based. When sending us a file via email, floppy disk, zip disk or CD, please follow these important instructions.

Sunbrella Street Pole Banners
All files must be vector. This means that the files must be comprised of outlines and not pixels. All lettering within files must be converted to outlines also so as to avoid font confusion. Acceptable file types include: .ai, .cdr, .plt, and most .eps files. This artwork can be emailed to Graphics@NorthStarFlags.com

Program Specifics
1)Adobe Illustrator CS 2  or less vector files.  2) CorelDraw 11.0 or less vector files (PC only) 3) Macintosh CorelDraw files that have been exported as Illustrator files. 4) EPS vector files from other programs can be sent, however they may need to be altered by one of our graphics professionals for use. In some cases font substitutions may be necessary.

Four Color Process Jobs: (Mac or PC files)
We will accept both vector and pixilated images for our 4-color process work. We can easily scale any vector files that we receive, however when sending pixilated files such as .tiff, .jpg, .bmp, .psd or pixilated .eps files, please keep final output quality in mind. In other words, the higher the quality of the file, the higher the quality the output image will be. Ideal resolution would be between 150 and 300 dpi at final output size. This artwork can be emailed to Graphics@NorthStarFlags.com

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I don't have the artwork in the files you need, what should I do ?

No Problem! If you have a file but do not have it in a vectorized format which is required to produce a banner, we can re-create the image for you. Our designers can take your image and re-draw it in an appropriate file. There is a charge for this service since the image has to be completely re-created by one of our designers in another format. The good news is once the image is re-created you will receive a copy in a vectorized format for future use. Since we are in the flag & banner business and not in the graphics business, our charges for this service are about 1/4 of what you would normally pay. Charges are based on the complexity of the design. Once we look at your image we will be able to determine how much it would be.

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What is the minimum order ?

There is no minimum order on any of the banners that are made from our Heavy Duty 13oz.  vinyl and any of the designs can be made from vinyl. If the  banners can be made on sunbrella and that is your preference, the minimum order is 6.

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How long can I expect my banners to last ?

This is an almost an impossible question to answer. Banners will last according to the conditions they are subjected too ( weather, pollution, correct placement etc.) We use only the strongest materials & the best UV protected inks on the market today. It is not uncommon for banners to last from 1 to 5 years, usually lasting some where in between. Our goal is to provide you with the most esthetically pleasing and most durable banners available. We will guarantee the banners for at least one year or 4 seasons provided that the banners were installed correctly on NorthStar Banner Hardware. For banner hardware (Banner Hardware)

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What sizes do the banners come in ?

Any size you can think of! We've made banners all the way from 12"x24" up to 36"x 180". Just let us know what size you need and we can accommodate it!

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What is the most common size?

This too is a hard question to answer. There are as many sizes as you can think of. Some of the more popular sizes are 18"x36", 30"x60" & 28"x72".

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How long will it take to produce my banners?

Any banners made from our heavy duty 13oz. vinyl will take from 9 to 13 business days. Banners made from sunbrella can take anywhere from 10 to 15 business days to produce. If you need them sooner please call us and we can see what we can do to help you meet your deadline.

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Can I customize existing banner designs?

You can do whatever you would like...you want this design ,on that color, with this text... Just give us a call and someone will be happy to assist you!

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Is this image on both sides of the banner?

Yes...all prices quoted include the image on both sides unless it is specified that you only need them on one side.

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Do you have the Hardware to attach the banners to the poles?

We sure do.. our hardware has been wind tunnel tested to withstand 77 mph. With it's sturdy combination of fiberglass poles and rust free stainless steel brackets, it's built to withstand the toughest conditions. Please click for banner hardware (Banner Hardware)

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What colors do the banners come in?

Unlimited Colors for the image on the banners ( Pantone Matching System).

If the Banner itself  is made from Sunbrella then you have over 50 colors to choose from. For Sunbrella colors click (Sumbrella)

Digitally produced vinyl banners are unlimited in color.

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Can I order Online?

Yes & No... The banner hardware can be ordered online (Banner Hardware) but unfortunately the banners can't.  This is due to the large number of designs, materials and best production method for the size or quantity needed. Just give us a call and we can help...  800-958-3009...Thanks!

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