Flag banners - for ski resort

[Gwenofeve]

So my customer's challenge is "Because it snows a lot up there, they’ll need to be really durable — something that can hold up in wind, cold, and heavy snow. We’d like them to be double-sided, and I’m open to your suggestions on what materials or setup you’d recommend for this type of environment"

I almost want to pass on this as I have no experience in a these signs in a snowy area, nevermind a ski resort. This customer is a great contact designer that is fairly new to us so would like to do it, but hoping for advise on this!

 

[P Wagner]

Flags and banners are generally not interchangeable terms.

Digitally printed flags are typically printed directly to nylon or polyester open fabrics that permit ink to pass through the fabric to be visible on both sides. For this, acid or dye sublimation inks are used. Neither of these inks are terribly long-term durable for consistent outdoor use, but acid inks will probably remain lightfast longer than dye sub inks.

Banners can be PVC-based or non-PVC and with the right inks and mounting, can potentially last for years. Double-sided is possible by printing on each side of the media. Minimizing media movement is essential to longevity with banners.

 

[unclebun]

You're looking for feather flags. But the ones that can survive mountain winds are not the ones you get a million emails a week for super cheap ones. The typical ones with a thin fiberglass pole that folds up like a tent pole and all fits in a carry bag will usually not survive long in high winds. If you have that kind, you have to take them in at night and also take them down when winds pick up. The usual cloth they use for them is very thin and also will shred in high winds.

The best ones for high wind durability have thicker fiberglass poles--more like 0.75"-1" thick rather than 0.375" thick. And the fabric is heavier.

 

[Mike Paul]

It’s ok to walk away and turn down jobs sometimes.

Last thing you want is the wind to strip it off and end on someone’s windshield and they crash.

 

[cornholio]

While it sound counterintuitive, thinner fabrics keep longer in high winds.