Creating a Step and Repeat Banner for Your Events

                We’ve all seen them – those large banners with repeating logos that our favorite celebrities pose in front of during galas, events and award ceremonies. They’re basically a staple at any event where lots of photos of attendees are taken, providing a clean backdrop while presenting brand images for the event’s sponsors or supporters.

                But what about when the time comes to design one of your own? With a few important caveats, step and repeat banners aren’t difficult to design. Here are some tips to help ensure you have a great step and repeat banner for your next event.

                First, you’ll need to determine what size step and repeat banner you’ll need. It seems like an obvious step, but it’s an easy one to overlook. There are multiple size options to choose from, with the best option dependent upon the nature of your event and the banner needs it calls for. Most step and repeats are 8′ wide by 8′ tall, but if you plan to photograph groups of people, then a 10′ wide banner might be best.

                Banner size is also a necessary detail when designing your banner. The size of your banner will effect how many individual images you’ll need to place in your design, and the size of those images. Changing your banner size will require changing the layout of the images on the banner, so make sure you’ve got the correct size before beginning your design.

                When creating your banner design, consider how many different brand images or company logos you’ll feature on your banner. For most events, two or three different logos is the norm. Often, even if there is only one company or organization sponsoring the event, using an alternating pattern of two different brand images from that company or organization creates a more visually appealing design.

                Most step and repeat banners feature logos that are anywhere from six to eight inches tall by that many or more inches wide – depending on the general shape of the logo or image. Brand images or logos that are naturally wider than they are tall might have to be a bit larger than an image that is more naturally square or round.

                Vector files are more useful for projects like these, as they can be resized to larger dimensions without losing quality. If you’re using raster files, this can be okay, so long as you can retain a quality of at least 100 pixels per inch when the image is printed at the dimensions required by a step and repeat banner.

                Remember, you’ll need to account for space between the images and choose a background color that complements the overall design. Plan for six to twelve inches at least between each individual image. Creating a margin around each individual image will help ensure your images don’t get to crowded.

                Select a background color that complements your design in one of two ways: If you’re using brand images from one company or organization, use a background color from their preferred suite of brand colors. For multiple, diverse logos from two or more different companies or organizations, consider using a neutral background like white or grey, to help ground all the varying logos and prevent any visual clashing.

                With these simple tips, you can ensure that your next step and repeat banner is the life of the party or event. You’ll be thrilled to see event attendees posing for glamorous photos in front of your well-designed banner. If you’re ready to get started designing your own, contact U.S. Press today to get started.