Choose Frontlit if the banner hangs somewhere sheltered — against a facade, indoors or on a market stall — and mesh as soon as it is exposed to the wind, such as on a construction fence or an open site. Mesh is perforated, lets the wind through and is therefore far less likely to tear out at the eyelets. Both materials come in six fixed sizes from €39.95, welded all round with eyelets every 50 cm and B1 flame-retardant, ready in 3 to 4 working days.
Frontlit or mesh sounds like a detail, but it is the most important choice you make for a banner. Get it wrong and your banner will be in tatters after the first storm — or you will be paying for properties you never use.
The difference in one sentence
Frontlit is solid PVC material. Mesh is the same material, but perforated with thousands of tiny holes that the wind can pass through.
Why wind decides everything
A solid banner catches the wind like a sail. All that force ends up where the banner is fixed: the eyelets and the hem. A banner of 300 by 100 cm gives the wind three square metres to push against — and that pulls on your fixings harder than most people think.
Mesh simply lets a large part of that wind through. The banner billows less, pulls less on the eyelets and is therefore far less likely to tear. That is exactly why fence banners are almost always made of mesh: a construction fence stands open and exposed, often in a windy spot, and nobody wants to hang a new banner on it every month.
When should you choose Frontlit?
Choose Frontlit wherever the wind cannot get behind the banner:
- Against a facade or wall, where the wind cannot get behind it
- On a market stall or exhibition stand, indoors or in a sheltered spot
- Along a sports pitch, on a fence that is low and sheltered
- Anywhere you want the crispest colours — a solid material simply gives a more even surface than a perforated one
When should you choose mesh?
Choose mesh as soon as the wind has free rein around the banner:
- On a construction fence or other free-standing fencing
- On a tall facade, where the wind picks up speed along the building
- At an open location: a field, a car park, along the water
- For large sizes — the bigger the surface, the harder a solid banner pulls
Does mesh cost you colour intensity?
A little, but less than you might expect. The holes are so small that you cannot make them out from a few metres away; what you do notice is that white looks slightly less bright because light passes through it. For a logo with text or a construction site sign, that makes no practical difference. For a photo print where detail matters, Frontlit is the better choice — if the location allows it.
Finishing: eyelets every 50 cm
We supply both materials welded all round with a folded hem and eyelets every 50 cm, including in the corners. That comes at no extra cost, and the spacing is not arbitrary: any further apart and the banner starts to billow between the eyelets; any closer together and it makes hardly any difference.
Keep at least 5 cm clear around the edge of your design. That is where the hem and eyelets go, and text that sits just inside that margin may end up with an eyelet punched halfway through it.
Fire safety
Both our materials are B1 flame-retardant. That is not a luxury but often a requirement: exhibition halls, public buildings, schools and many event venues ask for it before you are allowed to hang anything up. With us, you do not need to do or pay anything extra for it.
And how long does it last?
Both materials are UV-resistant and, with normal use, last several seasons. In practice, a banner rarely gives out because of fading, but because it tears out at the eyelets. Which brings us back to where we started: if your banner is exposed to the wind, choose mesh. It is the cheapest insurance there is.
In short
Sheltered and you want maximum colour intensity? Frontlit. Exposed to the wind or a large size? Mesh. In doubt? Go for mesh — you lose a fraction of image quality and gain a season of lifespan.
Ordering, price and delivery time
On the banner product page you choose one of the six fixed sizes — 200 × 100, 300 × 100, 400 × 100, 300 × 150, 400 × 200 or 500 × 200 cm, each in Frontlit 500 g or Mesh 330 g — and upload your design in the design tool. You can see straight away whether your file is sharp enough for the size you have chosen, so you do not find out only once the banner has been printed. A banner starts at €39.95 and there is no minimum order, so you can order just one; from the third banner, the volume discount rises to 30 per cent at ten pieces. Need a different size? Request a quote via our business orders page.
Printing takes 3 to 4 working days, after which delivery takes 1 to 2 working days within the Netherlands and Belgium and 2 to 4 to other EU countries; allow 5 to 7 working days in total. From €60, shipping is free to every EU country.
Is your message going on a flagpole rather than a fence? Then you are better off with a single-sided custom flag from €30.00. For a trade fair, an open site or a temporary pitch, a Straight beach flag from €85.00 is often more practical: you simply set it up, with nothing to fix in place.
