Trade Blog · Est. 1993

Banner know-how for print shops, sign shops & resellers.

Specs, finishing, and production insights from a Tampa printer that's been running large-format presses since 1993. Written for the trade — not the consumer.

By topic

01
Materials
02
Finishing
03
Production
04
Reseller
05
Use Cases

Latest articles

What is a sign cover and when to use one — franchise conversions, damaged signs, rebrandings

A printed-and-sewn sleeve that slides over an existing cabinet sign. Cheaper than a new sign, faster than a permit, and the right answer in three specific scenarios.

Mesh banners on construction fences — wind load, material specs, and permits

What a print shop needs to know before quoting a fence wrap: why mesh works where vinyl fails, what the local AHJ requires, and how to prep a job that survives Florida hurricane season.

How to prep a file for large-format printing — the honest print shop guide

Resolution, color, fonts, bleed, and a design that holds up at 30 ft. What a wholesale printer checks before sending your file to press — and the six mistakes that send a file back to pre-press.

13 oz. vs. 18 oz. vs. 8 oz. Mesh — A wholesale buyer's material guide

Three materials, three jobs. A side-by-side comparison of weight, finish, ink, outdoor life, and the real-world applications where each one earns its keep.

Banner finishing 101 — Grommets, hems, pole pockets & D-rings

A field reference for sign shops sending pieces out for trade finishing. What each option does, when to use it, and how Imperial finishes a banner in-house.

Eco-solvent vs. UV vs. latex — what wholesale buyers need to know

An honest, jargon-free comparison of the three ink technologies dominating large-format printing — and why Imperial runs eco-solvent.