13oz Vinyl Banners — Every Question Answered Before You Order

The workhorse of outdoor signage

If you have ever seen a grand-opening sign, a real-estate banner on a fence, or a festival sponsor wall, you were almost certainly looking at 13oz scrim vinyl. It is the default banner material for a reason: heavy enough to hang flat, light enough to ship rolled in a tube, and priced low enough to order a fresh one for every event. Our Standard Outdoor Vinyl Banner is printed on 13oz matte vinyl with UV-stable inks, hemmed on all four sides and grommeted every 24 inches — all included in the base price.

What does "13oz" actually mean?

The number is weight per square yard. A 13oz banner weighs 13 ounces per square yard of material; an 18oz blockout weighs 18. Heavier vinyl is stiffer, more tear-resistant and more opaque, but it also costs more to ship and is harder to fold. 13oz sits at the sweet spot: it is the material 90% of banner jobs are printed on, and it is what most competitors mean when they say "standard vinyl".

How long will a 13oz vinyl banner last outdoors?

Realistically 1 – 3 years for a permanently installed banner in Texas sun, longer in shaded or northern locations. The UV-stable inks we use will not fade noticeably in the first 12 months. What kills a banner early is wind — not sun. A banner installed taut on a solid wall will outlive one zip-tied to a chain-link fence by a factor of three, because the fence lets it flap and eventually the grommets pull. If your site is genuinely windy, read our guide to the 10oz mesh banner instead.

Matte or gloss?

We print on matte 13oz by default, and for good reason. Gloss vinyl looks great in a showroom but throws glare in direct sunlight and under camera flash — the two places banners actually live. Matte reads cleanly from every angle and photographs without a hot-spot. If you need a glossy finish for an indoor display, look at our Indoor Super Smooth banner instead.

Grommets, hems and pole pockets — what do I need?

• Hems (included): the edge is folded and heat-welded so it cannot fray or tear. Always keep the hem.
• Grommets every 24" (included): brass-coloured metal rings along all four edges. This is what you want for zip ties, bungees or rope on a fence, railing or wall.
• Pole pockets (optional): a sewn sleeve along the top, bottom or both so a pipe or pole slides through. Choose this for light-pole banners, ceiling-hung banners, or any install where you don't want visible hardware.
• Wind slits: we do not recommend them. Slits weaken the material and barely reduce wind load. Use mesh instead.

What size should my banner be?

The three sizes we print most are 3 × 6 ft, 4 × 8 ft and 3 × 10 ft. Rule of thumb for legibility: 1 inch of letter height for every 10 feet of viewing distance. A banner read from across a four-lane road (~80 ft) needs 8-inch letters minimum, which means your headline alone takes a 3-ft tall banner. The configurator on the product page takes any custom width × height in feet and inches and prices it live.

File preparation — the short version

• Build the file at full size (or exactly 1:2 / 1:4 scale) in CMYK.
• 150 DPI at full size is plenty — banners are viewed from feet away, not inches.
• Add 1" of bleed on all sides and keep text 2" inside the trim so hems and grommets don't cut it.
• Export PDF, TIFF, AI, EPS or PSD. Outline or embed fonts.
• Every file is pre-flighted by a Kolt designer before it hits the printer. If we see a problem, you get an email — not a bad banner.

How fast can I get it?

Standard production is 2 business days from artwork approval, with a 1-business-day rush available for a small surcharge. Order before 11 AM Central and the clock starts the same day. Banners ship rolled from Houston, TX via FedEx or UPS; ground delivery reaches most of the US in 1 – 3 business days.

Frequently asked questions

Can a 13oz vinyl banner be used indoors?

Yes. It is perfectly fine indoors — it just isn't the most refined option. For lobbies and trade-show booths where people stand close, our Indoor Super Smooth banner has a flatter, texture-free surface that photographs better.

Is the 13oz vinyl banner waterproof?

Completely. PVC vinyl and UV-cured inks are unaffected by rain, snow or humidity. Wipe it down with mild soap and water when it gets dirty.

Can I print on both sides?

The 13oz product is single-sided. For a two-sided banner, order our 10oz mesh (two panels sewn back-to-back) or contact us for a blockout double-sided quote.

How should I store the banner between events?

Roll it print-side out around the shipping tube and keep it in a dry room-temperature space. Never fold vinyl — the crease becomes permanent.

What is the largest single piece you can print?

13oz vinyl prints in one seamless piece up to 10 ft on the short side. Larger banners are heat-welded from panels; request a quote for anything over 10 ft × 50 ft.

Do you offer a reprint guarantee?

Yes — every banner is covered by our 100% reprint guarantee if there is a production defect.