Order print for a grand opening in the order people encounter it, not in the order you think of it. Almost every opening that goes wrong goes wrong the same way: the interior signage is beautiful and nobody driving past knew the place existed.
So this checklist is built outward from the door. Street, then storefront, then threshold, then interior, then the piece they take home. Every price below is a real catalogue starting price, so you can build a plan and know the number before you order.
The timeline, because this is what actually causes problems
Production time does not start when you place the order. It starts when the artwork is approved. Build backwards from the opening date.
| When | What | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| 4 weeks out | Banner, yard signs, window graphics | The big pieces. These are what create awareness before the day |
| 3 weeks out | Flyers, door hangers, postcards | Distribution takes time. Printed the week of the opening is printed too late |
| 2 weeks out | Business cards, menus, price cards | Content usually is not final before this anyway |
| 1 week out | A-frame, table tents, stickers, anything decorative | Fast turnaround exists for a reason. Use it here, not on the banner |
If you are inside two weeks and reading this, next business day turnaround is available on several products. It costs more. A yard sign that is $11.80 on standard turnaround is $15.35 next day, which is a reasonable premium for not missing your own opening.
Layer one: the street
This is the layer people skip and it is the one that fills the room. A customer who discovers you on the day of the opening is a customer you got for free from a sign you already paid for.
| Piece | From | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Glossy vinyl banner | $7.05 | The single highest impact piece. "NOW OPEN" across the frontage |
| Mesh banner | $8.40 | Same job, on a fence or in wind. The perforations let air through |
| Yard signs, 12x18 | $11.80 | Corner placements and approach roads. Order six, not two |
| A-frame sign | $178.90 | Sidewalk. Works where you cannot put a stake |
| A-frame stand only | $66.43 | If you already have panels, buy the stand and swap art seasonally |
Start with the banner. At $7.05 to start, a vinyl banner is the cheapest square footage of advertising available to a physical business, and it is the only piece here that works on the twenty nine days before your opening as well as on the day itself. Get it up as soon as you have keys. There is a full breakdown of hems, grommets and material weights in our vinyl banner guide, and the difference between the two vinyl types in scrim versus gloss vinyl.
Layer two: the storefront
Windows are free advertising space you are already paying rent on.
- Window clings, from $136.45. No adhesive residue, removable, reusable. The right choice if you rotate promotions.
- Perforated window vinyl, from $64.00. Reads as solid graphics from outside while staying see through from inside. This is what large retailers use and it is cheaper than most people expect.
- Removable wall decals, $29.80. 12x24 removable vinyl. Hours, an arrow to the entrance, a promotion.
- Adhesive vinyl, from $71.15. Permanent stick. Use for door hours and anything you do not intend to change.
One caution on adhesive vinyl: it is permanent by design. If you are in a leased unit and the landlord cares about the glass, use clings.
Layer three: the threshold and inside
| Piece | From | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Foam board signs | $18.58 | Easel signs. "Opening special", "Order here". Indoor only |
| Display boards 24pt | $18.00 | Lighter than foam board, good for counter cards and POP |
| Glossy posters | $52.25 | Wall graphics and promotions. Cheap per square inch |
| Tabletop pull-up banner | $79.63 | Retracts into its own case. Reusable for years |
| Table tent cards | $275.60 | Restaurants and bars. High minimum, so only if you have tables |
| Custom stickers | $75.00 | Packaging seals, bag closures, giveaway |
For anything going outdoors even briefly, use coroplast rather than foam board. Foam board absorbs moisture and delaminates, and one afternoon of Florida humidity is enough. The comparison is laid out properly in our coroplast versus foam board guide.
Layer four: distribution
Signs catch people who pass. Distribution reaches people who do not.
- Glossy flyers, from $63.45. The workhorse. Hand out, counter stack, community boards, local partner businesses. Watch the quantity: 25 flyers is $63.45, which is $2.54 each, while 500 printed both sides is $111.63, or 22 cents each. Flyers are a volume product and the small quantities are poor value.
- High-gloss postcards, from $22.60. The cheapest way to reach a defined radius, and the only piece here that is mailable. Sizes and postage tiers are in our postcard marketing guide.
- Door hangers, from $81.43. Never competes with mail, because it never goes in the mailbox. Worth checking our high gloss option first, which is currently the best priced in the category.
- Business cards, from $16.05. Obvious, but order early and order more. An opening burns through cards faster than any other day you will have.
On flyers versus postcards: a flyer gives you more space and costs more per piece. A postcard costs less, gets read more reliably, and can be mailed. If you can only do one and you have a customer list or a target neighbourhood, do postcards.
Layer five: the pieces that keep working
Almost everything above stops earning the week after the opening. These do not.
- Car magnets, $25.28. If you or your staff drive anywhere, this is a moving billboard for the cost of a lunch.
- Fridge magnets, from $61.38. A magnet with your hours on it lives in a kitchen for a year. Nothing else on this list has that retention.
- The banner, again. After the opening, cover the "NOW OPEN" with your standing offer. The hardware is already installed.
Three budgets, costed
Lean, about $160
Vinyl banner from $7.05, six 12x18 yard signs at $11.80 each ($70.80), business cards from $16.05, and a starter run of glossy flyers at $63.45. That totals around $157. It covers the street, the handover and the handout. It is not a compromise kit, it is the correct kit for a small unit on a visible street.
Standard, about $350
Everything above, plus perforated window vinyl at $64.00, two foam board easel signs, a tabletop pull-up banner at $79.63, and a postcard run to the surrounding neighbourhood. The pull-up banner is the item you will still be using in three years.
Full launch, about $800 and up
Everything above, plus an A-frame for the sidewalk, window clings for rotating promotions, door hangers for the local radius, car magnets, and fridge magnets as the retention piece. At this level the constraint is usually distribution labour, not print budget.
Two things worth deciding early
Check your sign ordinance before you order the A-frame. Sidewalk signs, banner sizes and temporary signage windows are governed locally and the rules vary between neighbouring municipalities. A banner you cannot legally hang is an expensive tarp.
Decide whether the artwork says a date. A banner reading "GRAND OPENING SATURDAY" is more urgent and completely useless on Sunday. A banner reading "NOW OPEN" works for six months. If budget is tight, print the second one.
Common questions
How far in advance should I order grand opening signs?
Four weeks for banners, yard signs and window graphics, three weeks for anything being distributed, and one to two weeks for interior and decorative pieces. Production time starts when artwork is approved, not when the order is placed, so build the schedule backwards from your opening date.
What is the most important piece to print for a grand opening?
The banner. It is the cheapest large format advertising available, it is visible from the road, and unlike everything else on the list it works during the weeks before the opening as well as on the day itself.
How much does a grand opening print package cost?
A workable kit of banner, six yard signs, business cards and flyers comes to around $157 at our prices. A standard package with window graphics and a reusable pull-up banner runs around $350. A full launch with distribution pieces is $800 and up.
Should I print "Grand Opening" or "Now Open" on the banner?
"Now Open" if you are buying one banner, because it stays accurate for months. "Grand Opening" with a date is more compelling but expires immediately. If budget allows, print both and swap them.
Can I use foam board signs outside?
No. Foam board absorbs moisture and delaminates. For anything outdoors, even for one afternoon, use coroplast or styrene.
Do I need window clings or adhesive vinyl?
Clings if you will change the graphic or if you are leasing and the glass matters, because they remove cleanly and can be reused. Adhesive vinyl if it is permanent, like door hours, because it sticks harder and costs less.
How many flyers should I print for an opening?
Enough to hand out for two weeks, not enough to store for a year. Flyers date quickly, and a box of them with last month's offer on is money already spent. Print for the campaign in front of you.
What turnaround options do you have if my opening is next week?
Next business day turnaround is available on several products. As an example, a 12x18 yard sign is $11.80 on standard turnaround and $15.35 next day. The premium is real but modest, and it is worth it on the pieces that must be there.
Before you order
Every FlashyPrint order includes a free hand-checked artwork review before anything goes to press. Bleed, resolution, colour mode and fonts, checked by a person rather than a script. Openings run on tight schedules and a file problem caught at the proof stage costs you nothing, while one caught after printing costs you the date. The measured artwork specifications are in our print ready artwork guide if you want to get the file right first time.