Marketers love step-and-repeat banners because photos of the event with the company and brand logos get published in the media, and people also share them on social media. Even though the design of step & repeat banners is simple, there are quite a few design considerations you need to keep in mind to make them more effective. Some pointers:
Get the Banner Size Right
The first consideration when you design a publicity banner is the size. Because the step & repeat banners will have people standing or sitting in front, you will need to ensure that they are large enough and extend adequately both above and to the sides without falling short, as then the photograph will not capture the logos. Also, the top and the side edges should not ideally be seen in the photos. While making the banner eight feet high is good enough, the width depends on the number of people before it simultaneously. If it is a red carpet event, it will probably be two, but for a sports event, the banner will have to accommodate the entire team.
Get the Size of the Logo Right
It is vital to get the logo size right in a step and repeat banner because if you make them too small, they will not come out well in the photos, but if the logos are too large, people in the front will obscure the logos, which will then not appear in the photos. It means you have to strike the right balance when sizing the logo. Also, remember that you will need to make intricate logos larger to make them legible. You also need to make the logos larger if the photographer is standing back when taking a group photo.
Use High-Resolution Logos
You must use high-resolution logo files to ensure that the logos look crisp and sharp on the banner. If the logo is low-resolution, the reproduction will be grainy. You must aim to give the banner printer logo files of 200-300 DPI so that he can print at 100 DPI in full size. You cannot go wrong with high-resolution images as the resolution can always be downscaled for faster printing while retaining the crispness. According to Design Hill, using vector graphic files delivers the best results.
Provide Enough Space In-Between Logos
The spacing of the logo is also an important design aspect that you should ignore. The step & repeat banner can look messy if you insert too many logos without providing adequate space in-between them. It may also look as if the logos are merging, making it hard for people to decipher the individual logos. It is, for this reason, the designers place brand logos in alternate boxes, not side by side.
Conclusion
Step & repeat banners are simple to design once you know what not to do. You will be able to achieve better visibility by using logos with high contrast to the background, but when there are several logos of different colors; your choice of the background color can be limited. You need to choose the material and the base color with care to avoid glare from the camera flashes.
