◆ In short
Standard sizes are 85 × 200 and 100 × 200 cm. The thing that ruins most roll-ups: the bottom 10-12 cm disappear into the base once the banner is pulled up, so no logo and no text down there. The content that matters belongs between 120 and 180 cm from the floor, at the eye level of passers-by. On resolution, you do not need 300 dpi: a roll-up is viewed from two metres, and 100-150 dpi at final size is plenty. PVC € 150, banner fabric € 160: fabric costs ten euros more and does not glare under spotlights.
The centimetres nobody sees
A roll-up is not a poster standing up: it is a banner coming out of a cassette, and the cassette eats the bottom.
Once pulled up, the bottom 10-12 centimetres stay inside or behind the base, depending on the mechanism. Anyone who put the logo at the foot of the artwork discovers this at the trade fair, with the roll-up already assembled and the brand gone.
There is a second, subtler and costlier effect: the 30-40 cm above the base are also dead zone for reading. People walking a corridor look at eye level — between 120 and 180 cm from the floor — and anything lower is seen only by someone who stops and stoops. Nobody stoops.
The practical rule on a 200 cm banner:
- 0-15 cm: nothing. Background colour only.
- 15-110 cm: secondary information, contacts, QR code (which can be scanned with a slight bend).
- 120-180 cm: the main message, the product, the claim. This band decides whether the roll-up works.
- 180-200 cm: the logo, if you want it high — visible from a distance above people's heads.
The file: why 300 dpi is a waste
On large format the 300 dpi rule does not apply, and applying it leaves you with hundreds of megabytes that add nothing.
Resolution follows viewing distance. A business card is read at thirty centimetres, a roll-up at two metres: the eye does not resolve the same detail. For a roll-up, 100-150 dpi at final size is more than enough — roughly 3,400 × 8,000 pixels for an 85 × 200 cm banner.
If you prefer working to scale, a handy method: build the file at 1:10 (8.5 × 20 cm) at 1,000-1,500 dpi. Same result, manageable file. Just tell us when you send it, so we know it needs scaling up.
What actually matters:
- A PDF with embedded fonts, or a vector file — on large format, vectors are always best for logos and text
- 3-5 mm of bleed on each side
- CMYK: bright colours dull slightly, as on any print
- A vector logo: blown up to two metres, a website PNG becomes a smudge
A mistake we see often: artwork prepared for one size and then "stretched" to the other. 85 × 200 and 100 × 200 are not proportional: moving between them without redoing the layout either distorts the image or crops the sides.
PVC or banner fabric: ten euros apart
PVC banner — € 150
The classic, hard-wearing- Surface: smooth, slightly glossy
- Colours: full and saturated
- Glare: yes, and it shows in a room with spotlights. Photographed with flash, it reflects
- Durability: excellent, stands up to handling and transport
Good for: stands with diffuse lighting, frequent use, settings where the roll-up is set up and taken down often.
Banner fabric — € 160
Non-glare, and photographs better- Surface: matt, with a barely perceptible weave
- Colours: slightly softer, never dull
- Glare: none, and that is the whole difference under trade-fair or conference lighting
- Creasing: holds flat better, rolls without marking
Choose it for: conferences, lecture halls, any situation where someone will photograph the stand — and these days someone always does.
Assembly, transport and the life of a roll-up
A roll-up assembles in half a minute: pull the banner up, slot the three-piece pole into the top hook, and it stands on its own. The carry bag is included in the price, and that is not a detail: a banner carried under your arm gets marked along the edges, and those marks never come out.
Three habits that extend a banner's life:
- Always roll it back into the base, even for short moves. A roll-up left leaning against a wall unrolled takes a crease at the corner.
- Do not leave it in a car in summer. Heat softens PVC and fabric, and a banner rolled up warm can stick slightly to itself.
- Dust comes off with a barely damp cloth, no detergents: on digital prints alcohol lifts the colours.
One last thing worth knowing before ordering: the banner can be replaced keeping the same base. If a price, a phone number or a claim changes, you do not need to buy everything again — we reprint just the banner and fit it to the mechanism you already have. Bring us the base along with the new file.
Frequently asked questions
What are the standard roll-up sizes?
85 × 200 cm and 100 × 200 cm. The 85 is the most common because it fits anywhere and takes less room in transport; the 100 gives the artwork more breathing space on a larger stand. Careful: they are not proportional, so the file must be laid out for the size you choose.
What resolution does a roll-up file need?
100-150 dpi at final size, not 300. A roll-up is viewed from two metres and the eye resolves no more: 300 dpi would produce a huge file with no visible gain. Alternatively, work at 1:10 scale at 1,000-1,500 dpi.
Where should I not put the logo on a roll-up?
In the bottom 10-12 cm, which disappear into the base once the banner is up. And generally below a metre: only someone stooping looks there. The main message belongs between 120 and 180 cm from the floor, at eye level.
PVC or fabric banner?
Banner fabric (€ 160) if the roll-up will stand under spotlights or be photographed — it does not glare and holds flatter. PVC (€ 150) if durability matters and lighting is diffuse. Ten euros apart, and in a lit room you see every one of them.
Can I change just the banner and keep the base?
Yes, and it is the sensible thing when a price or a contact changes. Bring us the base with the new file: we reprint the banner and fit it to the mechanism you already own, without buying everything again.
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