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Which banner hemmers do you use and recommend?

chase_graphics_CT

chase_graphics_CT

New Member
Hey there folks,

I've browsed so many of these threads and saw your wonderful suggestions for pretty much everything wide-format so I figured I'd give it a shot posting.

My print shop has run a good variety of banners and decals and everything else imaginable through our trusty Mutoh ValueJet/Ultima wide-format combo.

Trouble is, in the hot summers, our hemming solution (1" hem tape) doesn't quite hold up. We think it's time to look into hem sewing machines.

It'd help out a lot if you guys could make some recommendations for what we should use to hem our Ultraflex Jetflex vinyl banners.

Thanks in advance!

Alan
Graphic Designer
Chase Graphics, Inc.
 
Big House Signs

Big House Signs

New Member
mmm....you might consider using 1.5" tape. And sometimes we'll even put power tape behind that. Trust me it gets pretty hot and humid in Maryland and I've not had any problems. I've looked at some of the welding hemmers and they are pricey. And I dont want to do any sewing. I'll be interested to hear what others say.
Paula
 
chase_graphics_CT

chase_graphics_CT

New Member
Thanks for the tips BigHouse; the bossman is certainly worried about that bottom line so we'll run those suggestions by him! How do the 1.5" and the 'power tape' hold up with banners that use dowels? I think we still might consider a hemmer...

And thanks Briderx; I bet the whole shop will find this forum extremely helpful.
 
Billct2

Billct2

Active Member
Hey hey it does get pretty damn uncomfortable here for a few weeks in the summer!

I would suggest finding a local canvas shop that can do the hemming for you on those banners that really need it.

Oh & welcome from a fellow Nutmegger, I actually live in Putnam for a couple of weeks....long story,
but I did spend a couple years up the road in Woodstock.
 
jiarby

jiarby

New Member
Uh huh.

We bought a Juki Sewing machine and hem everything in house. Only used tape once on a banner where they guy didn't want stitching.
 
chase_graphics_CT

chase_graphics_CT

New Member
New England weather might be the toughest for banners to endure in the states now that I think about it; one week your banner could be frozen, the next it could be blown around by crazy winds, and the week after the sun could bear down on it and scorch it for days!

But thanks guys, will look into the Juki, but good idea; subbing out the sewing to one of the many framing shops might work too.

Thanks for the welcome by the way! The Quiet Corner is a pretty nice area, no?
 
S

signpro

Manager
we sew the small ones (4x10 and under) inhouse, with a standard sewing machine, using HD nylon or poly thread. anything bigger than that, we take to a local upholstery shop that has a big-ass machine and uses some thick nylon thread.
 
Biker Scout

Biker Scout

New Member
The trick to using banner tape is in the preparation.... you have to wipe down the back side of the banner, where the hems are, with denatured or isoproply alcohol. You are getting rid of the plasticizers and manufacturing oils on the surface, and allowing the adhesive to "bite" into the vinyl more cleanly.

Do the same with your coroplast signs and regular vinyl banners too.
 
chase_graphics_CT

chase_graphics_CT

New Member
Thanks signpro, we'll probably try out a standard sewing machine. I'll put my 7th grade sewing class skills to the test.

And thanks BikerScout, we didn't realize, even though it seems painfully obvious, that the surfaces would contain oils that work against adhesion of tapes.
 
cdiesel

cdiesel

New Member
Not a standard sewing machine.. you need a heavy duty one. We just picked one up a couple months ago. It's an EconoSew unit with double needles, locking stitch and a walking foot.
 
Gene@mpls

Gene@mpls

New Member
Our banner people (Creative Banner) tell us to wipe the banners with
vinegar before applying vinyl to remove the plastisizers- works a treat...
but it make me hungry for dill pickles. Gene
 
S

signpro

Manager
cdiesel said:
Not a standard sewing machine.. you need a heavy duty one. We just picked one up a couple months ago. It's an EconoSew unit with double needles, locking stitch and a walking foot.
Click to expand...
Seriously. we have an old Brother Machine. we set the stitch length to max, we get over a 1/8"+ between stitches. use heavy duty needles and HD thread... we only sew 15oz and less materials. it gets a little tricky when sewing in Nylon webbing, but it handles it. gotta go slow.

i did mention that when we do larger or heavier banners, we sub it out, or order them from Creative/SignSupply already stitched. but for smaller banners, we've had GREAT LUCK!

just don't use cotton thread, unless it's indoors. We use heavy duty polyester thread for 99% of banners, even if they're indoor. i hate re-threading that thing, so i just leave it. and set the step as long as possible so it doesn't "perforate" the banner.

and yes, my 8th grade home-ec skills came in handy! good thing one of my employees is an ex seam-stress... she's sews 99.9% of our banners, NOT ME! ha. she won't let me touch it anymore actually, i usually break it.
 
D

dcmediagraphicsmiami

New Member
Interested in a sewing machine as well, we out source a lot of banners to get hemmed and would love to do it in house to save time, money and especially to make sure the quality of the hem is good... Still undecided weither to go with the Leister or a sewing machine... Banner Hem tape only goes so far...
 
S

StopSignGraphics

New Member
I'm a big fan of rf welding banners. Unfortunately I know longer have access to an RF welder but it makes superior hems and seams. You can probably pick up a used Thermotron for $5000 to $8000. It's a smaller machine but it will work.

Compared to a sewing machine it's a lot more expensive but it'll open up some opportunities than just a sewing machine.
 
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