Thread: Help me pick my banner!

They yoga studio where I teach on Tuesdays is having a big health and wellness fair at the end of this month. A couple of days ago, the owner offered me the opportunity to have a booth for my own business (i.e., not just to promote my classes there) and would waive the $50 vendor fee in the spirit of goodwill. The "booth" will consist of a 8 foot card table, which I plan to decorate with all sorts of veils, props and sparkly goodness, and she's going to try and get me an extension cord so I can play performance clips on my laptop (I only have a 2 hour battery, and the fair is 5 hours long).

I checked out banners from VistaPrint after my awesome experience with them for my car door magnet. I can get a 4' x 2.5' vinyl banner for a little over $12! I played around extensively with their design tool last night, and have come up with two options that I just can't decide between. Since y'all were SO helpful when I was creating my car door magnet, I figured I would ask for your feedback again. ..g.:

I really wanted to have my picture on the banner, but none of the pictures I have are of high enough resolution to be blown up to banner size (to get high-res files from my most recent photo shoot, I would have to pay the photographer a $200 royalty fee). So I had to go with a non-photo template. These are the two that I'm trying to decide between:

Option 1:



Option 2:



Which one makes you want to come up and ask me about Belly Dancing?

I like the second one! I there any way you could put "Belly Dance" in the Galatea font? Other than that I like it. :)

This one is going to be a toss up. I actually perfer the first one, because it has a more "feminine" feel to it. But I think you'll find that it is really going to depend on the individual.

I vote for the first one. More femine and inviting (for my eyes).

Hmm... I like them both. I gravitate to the second one because I like the warm colors. But I like the layout and graphics of the first one. Do you have the option of changing the background color to something a little warmer?

I also like what Andalee said about the slightly changing the font on the second one.

A warmer background color and the same font change to the first one might work well. So the words Belly Dance have more curves in the font, more movement.

Thanks for all your input and suggestions so far. To answer a few questions:

Andalee: I want to keep the words "Belly Dance" in a very bold and simple font so it can be read easily from very far away.

Dunya: Unfortunately, I can't change the template colors at all, so if I go with #1 I'm stuck with the ice blue.

As far as the different fonts for my business name on both, I prefer the one on #2 also, but when I tried to use it on #1 it wouldn't fit all on one line unless I used a really small size font. I tried doing it with Galatea on one line and Middle Eastern Dance on another (which is how I got it to fit on #2), but because the flowers come in so far from the left side it looked way too cramped.

Does anyone think there's an issue that the text and design are the same color on #1, as opposed to #2 where there's contrast? That was one of my "cons" for that option, but maybe no one cares about that but me.

I like both of them, but the second one seems more eye catching and inviting. (maybe because of the warm colors?)

How about the first in warm colors, best of both worlds?
I like the design of the first much better.

Originally Posted by faaria

How about the first in warm colors, best of both worlds?
I like the design of the first much better.

Unfortunately, I can only change the text colors with the VistaPrint design tool - the background colors can't be changed.

I think you are right about keeping the words belly dance visible from a distance. I think you will be fine with either of them.

Have you used Vista Print before? Be very careful when you are going through the check-out process. Don't click on ANYTHING from their "special offers" from outside businesses. I have inadvertently ended up with magazine subscriptions and charges to my credit card for crap that I had no idea I had signed up for. Once you have gone through the Vista Print pages, click on your shopping cart icon at the top bar of the page and go directly to check out that way. Vista Print has some great offers and I have generally been happy with their products, but beware of that little pitfall when checking out! If you don't check your credit card carefully you can end up with monthly charges that you don't notice for awhile. Bastards!

I vote for the 1st one!

Somehow it seems "simpler" to me, IMO there's too much going on in the 2nd.
To me the 1st definitely has more of a bellydancer-ish feel to it also.

Originally Posted by dunyah

Have you used Vista Print before? Be very careful when you are going through the check-out process. Don't click on ANYTHING from their "special offers" from outside businesses. I have inadvertently ended up with magazine subscriptions and charges to my credit card for crap that I had no idea I had signed up for. Once you have gone through the Vista Print pages, click on your shopping cart icon at the top bar of the page and go directly to check out that way. Vista Print has some great offers and I have generally been happy with their products, but beware of that little pitfall when checking out! If you don't check your credit card carefully you can end up with monthly charges that you don't notice for awhile. Bastards!

When I did my car door magnet a few months ago, it was the first time I had ordered from them. And yes, I noticed how many of those totally unrelated "offers" they have at checkout! I just kept clicking no, no, no, no... I wonder if one of the reasons they're so cheap is because they make money scamming people into buying crap they don't really want?

i like them both!

perhaps you would like to consider the background. i mean if you're going to hang it on a wall that's baby blue, you wouldn't use the first one. since they are both good you can simply think about which will stand out more at the fair.

While I do like the colors better on the second one, I vote for the first one!

I vote for the first one. The flowers complement the text, and in the second they compete for attention.

I was told years ago to avoid light colours for fonts. The brain finds it easier to retain information if the text is in a dark colour on a light background

If the sign were by itself I would choose option #2. Because it will be next to dance scarves and such of varying colors I think you'll have colors competing against each other. Go with the simpler blue banner that has fewer colors and shapes competing with your merchandise.

i vote for the first one, it just seems more inviting to me for some reason.

I like the first one too because emphasis is on the writing. It's easier to read and the background isn't as overpowering as the second one.

I vote for the second one because it has bolder colors and will likely stand out more. the first, while feminine and pretty might blend into the background because of the ice blue. plus, the colors and designs in the second look more professional if that makes sense. also, the graphics in the second poster kind of remind me of a Persian rug.

But i do see the point about it being easier for the eye to catch onto darker font. That is definitely a point to consider.

Thanks so much for your feedback!

I have decided to go with the blue and brown flower one. I just ordered it today, so it should be here soon. Thanks a bunch for helping me make up my mind.

The wellness fair has come and gone, and here is the banner in action:





I was super happy with the quality of the VistaPrint banner, and goodness knows you can't beat the price! And thanks to everyone who chimed in with an opinion - they were all extremely helpful.

That looks great. Kudos!