Banner art that works on screen does not always translate to print. A few principles consistently separate banners that get attention from those that get ignored.
Limit your message. A banner is not a brochure. Viewers have seconds to absorb what they see. One main message, one supporting detail, and one call to action is the right structure for most applications. If your design needs a paragraph of text to explain itself, it needs a redesign.
Contrast drives readability. Light text on a dark background, or dark text on a light background, always outperforms medium contrast at distance. If your brand colors are close in value (for example, a dark blue logo on a navy background), add a contrasting drop shadow or outline to the text.
Fonts should be simple and bold. Sans-serif typefaces like Helvetica, Arial, Futura, and similar options read cleanly at distance. Script fonts and decorative typefaces work as accents but should never carry your primary message. Keep a minimum of two fonts per design; using more adds clutter without benefit.
Color mode matters. Design in CMYK, not RGB, when creating files intended for print. RGB files will be converted during production, and some colors shift noticeably in the process. If your brand has specific PMS colors, note them in your order instructions.
Resolution for raster images. Photos and textured graphics should be 100 DPI at full print size, or 300 DPI at 1:4 scale. Logos and icons built in vector format (AI, EPS, SVG, or vector PDF) do not have a resolution limit and will always print sharply regardless of banner size.
For event-specific layouts, the step and repeat banner design guide and the parade banner design resource cover formatting for those specific applications in more detail.