Pull Up Banners NZ: Sizes, Types, Artwork Specs and What Drives the Price

A pull up banner is the tall, self-supporting display you see at trade shows, conferences, shop entrances and reception areas across New Zealand. The printed graphic lives inside a floor-standing base, pulls up to about two metres high, and hooks onto a support pole. When the event ends, the graphic winds back into the base and the unit travels in a carry bag.

This guide covers how the mechanism works, the main types sold in NZ, the sizes and print materials on offer, and the artwork specifications NZ printers actually ask for. Sizes, materials and prices vary between suppliers, so the specifics below are tied to the supplier that publishes them rather than blended into one set of numbers.

The short answer

What a pull up banner is and how it works

The cassette is an aluminium base, wider than it is deep, with the graphic rolled around a spring-tensioned roller inside it. The bottom edge of the graphic stays attached to that roller; the top edge is fixed to a slim rail. To set the banner up, you pull the rail upwards, unrolling the graphic against the spring tension, and hook the rail onto the top of a support pole that stands in the base. The spring pulls the graphic back in when you unhook it, so the graphic stores itself flat and protected inside the base, which Auckland printer 3A Print notes is what protects the print during storage and transport.

Most standard bases have one or two feet that swing out sideways to steady the unit; Knight Graphics describes its standard banner as having two base feet for balance. Premium bases take a different approach: Banner Express builds its Deluxe model with 8mm thick solid aluminium feet, and 3A Print’s Prestige model uses a wider, heavier base body for a more substantial presentation.

The support pole is usually a sectional or bungee-corded pole that packs down into the carry bag. Some stands offer an adjustable-height pole: Auckland Displays sells a roll up stand whose pole adjusts to display heights from 850mm to 2000mm. Setup takes one person and no tools; Brand Display lists tool-free assembly as a feature of its Premium banner.

The main types sold in NZ

Standard single-sided banners are the volume product: a compact aluminium cassette, swing-out feet, a printed graphic and a carry bag. Flagaholic sells its Standard model from $169 including GST, and Knight Graphics’ standard unit pairs the 850mm by 2000mm format with two feet and a bag.

Premium and heavy-duty banners use thicker, heavier hardware for frequent use and high-visibility spaces. Banner Express says its Deluxe (Signature Series) model is made of thicker, more durable aluminium than its standard version, with those solid 8mm feet. 3A Print positions its Prestige the same way, and Brand Display’s Premium unit integrates the roller into the base and prints on polyester fabric rather than vinyl.

Double-sided banners carry a graphic on each face, so the message reads from both directions. Banner Express describes its double-sided unit as displaying two banners for, in its words, a small price premium over single-sided, printed on coated PVC in an aluminium stand with a padded bag. It rates the unit for indoor use only, aimed at trade fairs and mall displays where people approach from more than one side.

Wide banners stretch the format for backdrops and photo walls. Banner Express offers its Deluxe in 850mm, 1000mm and 1200mm widths, all 2000mm high. Flagmakers’ Traveller range runs from 600mm to 1500mm wide.

Outdoor banner stands are a different build, and the distinction matters. The cassette banners above are indoor products: Banner Express marks its standard, Deluxe and double-sided units for indoor use only, and 3A Print describes its banners as best suited to indoor or dry, sheltered environments. A purpose-built outdoor stand, such as the Blizzard on its maker’s spec sheet, swaps the slim cassette for a wide moulded base you fill with about 15 litres of water, uses a telescopic pole, and hangs an 800mm by 2000mm graphic on 440gsm PVC with hems and eyelets. Even that unit is wind-rated only to Beaufort scale 4, 21 to 29 kph.

Standard sizes: total size is not the same as visible size

Banner media: what the graphic is printed on

The graphic material changes how it looks, how flat it hangs and how it survives travel.

Coated PVC is the workhorse. Banner Express describes it as a tear-resistant material with a special coating that improves ink absorption. It has a textured surface from its woven structure, may fray slightly at the trimmed edge, and has a matt surface that produces lower contrast and more muted colours.

Composite vinyl is Banner Express’s step up, available on the 850mm by 2000mm size. It combines a PET backing with a scrimless PVC face film. The company says the PET layer improves flatness and blockout while the PVC face allows high-resolution printing, making it the option for high contrast and saturated colour, and recommends it for prints with heavy ink coverage.

PET film is what 3A Print prints on. The company says the film produces rich, vibrant colour, hangs flat and keeps its edges from curling, and a curling edge is the most common way a well-used banner starts to look tired.

Fabric sits at the premium end. Brand Display prints its Premium banner on polyester fabric by dye sublimation and describes the print as seamless. Flagmakers prints its Traveller on satin fabric that it states does not curl or crease. The Traveller’s fabric skin can go back to Flagmakers for recycling when replaced, and the unit carries a two-year manufacturer’s warranty on fabric and hardware.

Artwork setup: bleed, resolution, safe zones and files

Every printer publishes its own artwork specification, and they do not all match. Build your file on the template of the printer you are ordering from. The NZ specifications do share a common shape.

File format and colour. Print-ready PDF is the standard ask. Banners Ink specifies files from Illustrator or as a print-ready PDF, with all text converted to paths or outlines, logos placed as vector EPS, and everything in CMYK. Flagmakers asks for PDF, AI or EPS files with vectors preserved, and says bitmap formats such as JPEG, PNG or TIFF should only be supplied for photographs, with all images embedded. Knight Graphics accepts PDF, PNG or AI files with outlined fonts.

Resolution. This is where suppliers differ most. Banners Ink specifies photographic images at 150dpi at finished size. Knight Graphics specifies 300 DPI. Brand Display asks for images ideally above 75 DPI. A file built to one printer’s number can fall short of another’s.

Bleed and the base zone. Banners Ink requires 5mm bleed on all edges, and Knight Graphics also specifies 0.5cm, the same 5mm. Bleed is separate from the cassette allowance: Banners Ink’s sheet shows the bottom 20mm of the graphic as non-visual, because it stays inside the base. Keep logos and text out of that strip. Scale is flexible: Banners Ink accepts files at 100, 50 or 25 percent of final size as long as the proportions are right.

Design time. If your file needs fixing, expect a charge: Flagmakers states that artwork preparation beyond 30 minutes may attract extra charges. Brand Display and 3A Print both offer design help if you would rather hand the layout over.

Where pull up banners are used

The applications NZ suppliers name are consistent: trade shows and exhibitions, conferences, retail promotions and store entrances, mall displays, reception areas, showrooms and sales presentations. Banner Express lists promotional store signs, mall displays, exhibition displays and sales booths for its roll up range, and 3A Print notes the format suits businesses ordering several matching displays. A pull up banner stands on its own base and needs no wall, rail or power, so it can go anywhere with a flat patch of floor. Do check the venue’s conditions, though: exhibition organisers set their own rules in exhibitor manuals, covering where displays may stand and what materials are permitted, venue by venue rather than nationally. Check before you print, not after you arrive.

Setting up, transport and care

The hardware is looked after by its own storage system. The graphic rolls into the cassette, the pole sections pack alongside it, and the kit travels in a soft carry bag or a padded bag, supplied free with Flagmakers’ Traveller. Because the print sits inside the base in transit, most damage happens during setup and pack-down rather than in the bag.

Handle the graphic by its top rail and pull it up evenly, keeping it centred as it rises. When you pack down, keep hold of the rail and lower the graphic back into the base under control. Letting the spring slam the graphic home is the quickest way to damage the print, crease the material or strain the mechanism. If the graphic tracks to one side, roll it down and start again rather than forcing it.

Match the unit to the job: a lightweight standard base suits a reception corner, while a stand that travels weekly earns heavier hardware and a padded bag. Keep the banner dry and indoors between uses, and when the message changes you do not always need a new unit: Brand Display sells a replacement skin for its Premium banner at $240 including GST against $399 complete, so a sound base can carry a new graphic.

What drives the cost

The prices below are the suppliers’ own published figures, each with its GST treatment as published, as market examples rather than a single going rate.

• Size and width. Banner Express’s Deluxe calculator charges $139 per unit excluding GST for 850mm by 2000mm at quantities of one to five, and $179 per unit excluding GST at 1000mm wide.
• Hardware grade. Flagaholic’s pull up stands start at $169 including GST for its standard model. At the heavy-duty end, Flagmakers’ Traveller is $457.64 including GST ($397.95 excluding GST) at 850mm by 2 metres, and $554.24 including GST at 1 metre by 2 metres.
• Media. Brand Display’s fabric Premium unit is $399 including GST complete. 3A Print lists its PET film banners from $145.
• Single versus double sided. Banner Express prices its double-sided unit at a small premium over single-sided rather than double the money, because one base carries both graphics.
• Hardware only versus complete. Auckland Displays sells a roll up stand alone at $127.77, banner material expressly not included. Brand Display’s split, hardware at $173.22 and skin at $240 including GST, shows the graphic is the larger part of a complete unit’s price.
• Quantity. Banner Express’s Deluxe calculator drops the 850mm unit price from $139 to $122.40 excluding GST at 21 or more, so matching sets cost less per unit.
• Design help and turnaround. A print-ready file avoids artwork charges such as Flagmakers’ charge beyond 30 minutes of preparation. Turnaround varies too: Banner Express works to one working day with a 2pm cut-off, Knight Graphics quotes 24 hours with your own design ready, and Brand Display allows seven to ten working days once artwork is approved.

Watch-outs

• Designing to the wrong height. Total graphic height and visible height differ, and differ between suppliers: Banners Ink’s total is 2020mm with 2000mm visible, and 3A Print’s Premium graphic is 850mm by 2020mm. Build on your printer’s template, not a size remembered from a previous job.
• Key content at the bottom. The bottom strip of the graphic disappears into the cassette, 20mm on Banners Ink’s specification. Keep text and logos clear of the base.
• Assuming one resolution fits all. NZ printers specify anything from above 75 DPI to 300 DPI. A file that passes one check can fail another.
• Taking an indoor banner outside. Standard, Deluxe and double-sided cassette units from Banner Express are rated indoor only. Wind catches a two-metre graphic like a sail, and even a purpose-built outdoor stand carries a stated wind limit.
• Edge curl on the wrong media. Cheaper graphics can curl at the edges over time. PET film and fabric are sold on staying flat; Banner Express’s coated PVC specification notes a woven texture and slight fraying at the trimmed edge.
• Mixing hardware and graphics between brands. A graphic is made for a specific cassette and pole height. A replacement skin suits a particular unit, not every stand.

Related guides: our online printing guide covers ordering print online, and our print online guide covers NZ online printing services. For more business guides, browse the Business & Industry section.

Frequently asked questions

What is the standard size of a pull up banner in NZ?

The standard size is 850mm wide with a visible graphic height of 2000mm, sold by Knight Graphics, Banner Express, Brand Display and Flagmakers alike. The printed graphic is a little taller, because part stays inside the base: Banners Ink specifies a 2020mm total height for a 2000mm visible height.

How much does a pull up banner cost in NZ?

Published NZ prices span a wide range. Flagaholic’s standard stands start at $169 including GST and 3A Print lists its banners from $145, while Banner Express’s Deluxe starts at $139 per unit excluding GST at 850mm. Fabric and heavy-duty units cost more: Brand Display’s Premium is $399 including GST and Flagmakers’ Traveller is $457.64 including GST.

Can I use a pull up banner outdoors?

A standard cassette banner is an indoor product. Banner Express rates its roll up units for indoor use only, and 3A Print describes its banners as suited to indoor or dry, sheltered environments. Outdoor use calls for a purpose-built stand with a heavy, water-fillable base, and even those carry wind limits: the Blizzard outdoor stand is rated to Beaufort scale 4, or 21 to 29 kph.

What artwork file do I need to supply?

A print-ready PDF in CMYK with fonts converted to outlines is the standard requirement. Banners Ink also asks for logos as vector EPS and photographs at 150dpi at finished size, while Knight Graphics specifies 300 DPI and accepts PDF, PNG or AI. Add 5mm bleed on all edges, and build the file on your printer’s template.

Can I replace the graphic without buying a whole new stand?

Yes, if the hardware is sound. Brand Display sells a replacement skin for its Premium banner at $240 including GST, against $399 for a complete new unit, and Flagmakers runs a recycling return for its Traveller fabric skins. Ask your supplier whether a skin is available for your model first.

How long does it take to get a pull up banner printed?

It depends on the supplier and how ready your artwork is. Banner Express works to one working day with a 2pm cut-off, Knight Graphics quotes 24 hours with your own design supplied, Flagaholic works to two working days from artwork approval, and Brand Display allows seven to ten working days after approval. Freight is on top.

What is the difference between a pull up banner and a roll up or roller banner?

Nothing. Pull up, roll up, roller and retractable banner are names for the same product: a graphic that winds into a cassette and pulls up onto a support pole. 3A Print lists all of those names for its product. The differences that matter are size, hardware weight, media and single versus double sided.

The bottom line

A pull up banner is a simple product with a few traps. Buy the 850mm by 2000mm format unless you have a reason to go wide, choose hardware weight to match how often the banner will travel, and pick the media for how it will be looked at: coated PVC for economy, composite vinyl or PET film for contrast and flatness, fabric for the premium finish. Supply artwork on your printer’s own template, in CMYK, with the bottom of the graphic treated as background rather than content, and pack the graphic down by hand rather than letting the spring do it.

Sources

• Banner Express, Deluxe Roll Up Banner (Signature Series) product page, bannerexpress.co.nz
• Banner Express, Double Sided Roll Up Banner product page, bannerexpress.co.nz
• Banner Express, Coated PVC Banner product page (coated PVC and composite vinyl material descriptions), bannerexpress.co.nz
• Banners Ink, Pull Up Display Banner graphics specification sheet, 850mm x 2020mm, bannersink.co.nz
• Knight Graphics, Pull Up Banners NZ product page, knightgraphics.co.nz
• Flagmakers Ltd, Traveller Roll Up Banner product page and artwork specifications, shop.flagmakers.co.nz
• 3A Print, Pull Up Banner Printing product page, 3a.co.nz
• Brand Display New Zealand, Premium Pull Up Banner (850mm x 2000mm) product page, branddisplay.co.nz
• Flagaholic NZ, Banner Stands & Display Frames (roll up banner displays) page, flagaholic.co.nz
• Auckland Displays, Roll Up Banner Stand, Adjustable Height, 850mm x 2000mm product page, aucklanddisplays.co.nz
• Blizzard outdoor banner stand specification sheet (water-fillable base model), maker’s spec sheet

This article is general information about pull up banners in New Zealand. Sizes, materials, specifications and prices are the published details of the suppliers named, checked when this article was written, and they change over time. Always confirm the current specification, artwork template and price with your printer or supplier before ordering.