This past weekend we created our first hop-up banner for Dear Addie Fine Stationery. A hop-up banner is used instead of a normal banner for its size and rigid frame. It is similar to a stand-up banner in that the graphic doesn’t move, but on a much larger scale.
Dear Addie initially wanted a wooden frame as the backdrop of their booth. However, a wooden block is heavy, difficult to move and expensive. A more feasible option was a hop-up banner. That way, Dear Addie only needed an image of a wooden backdrop instead of the real deal. The end result looked very realistic and received lots of compliments at the show.
Hop-up banner (side-view)
Hop-up banner (close-up)
This type of banner includes a lightweight (silver, in our case) frame that collapses to a fraction of its size when it’s not being used. Despite its lightweight nature, the frame is extra strengthened to support such a large image. We printed four separate panels of the image on our VUTEk machine and attached them to the frame with magnets. We printed on 3 mil. styrene, a lightweight material that can be easily transported.
Hop-up banner frame
Hop-up banner (separate panels)
To make their booth stand out more, Dear Addie wanted their logo attached on top of the wooden image. To do this, we had to use a lightweight substrate to prevent the frame from collapsing. We decided to print on lexan, a type of formed plastic similar to acrylic, and screwed the logo to the image with silver standoffs.
Silver standoffs
Originally, Dear Addie went with a clear logo, which is what you see in the image above. However, the same standoffs were used on the green. The stationery company ultimately decided on green because the color was more distinctive, the logo more legible and the sign more noticeable.
To make their booth even cooler, Dear Addie had a contest for a lucky bride to win a free wedding stationery suite. The company advertised this competition with a chalkboard sign, also printed on our VUTEk.
Chalkboard sign
This isn’t the first time Dear Addie has used a chalkboard sign, as we discussed in a previous blog.
We are really excited about the potential of hop-up banners for the rest of our clientele. If you’d like a hop-up banner of your own or would like to rent the silver frame, please get in touch.