Scrim and gloss are not alternatives. Scrim is the woven polyester mesh laminated inside the vinyl as reinforcement. Gloss or matte is the surface finish printed on the outside. Almost every banner we sell is both: 13oz scrim-reinforced vinyl, finished either glossy or matte.
That confusion is worth clearing up first, because half the banner pages on the internet treat scrim as a material you choose instead of gloss, and a few conflate it with mesh, which is a genuinely different product. Once you separate the three axes, ordering a banner gets much simpler.
The three things people mix up
| Term | What it actually is | Your choice? |
|---|---|---|
| Scrim | A woven polyester grid sandwiched between layers of PVC, inside the material. It is what stops a tear spreading across the banner | No. It is built into 13oz banner vinyl |
| Gloss or matte | The surface finish. Gloss reflects and saturates colour, matte scatters light and kills glare | Yes |
| Mesh | A perforated fabric with actual holes through it, so wind passes rather than pushes | Yes, a different product |
So "scrim vinyl vs gloss vinyl" is not a real comparison. The real questions are gloss or matte, and solid or mesh. That one is worth its own page: scrim vinyl vs gloss vinyl, explained properly, including what scrim thread counts mean.
What we print, with real numbers
Banner material is measured in ounces per square yard. Higher is heavier and stronger.
| Material | Weight | Use | 12 x 24 in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13oz glossy vinyl | 13 oz/sq yd | The default. Outdoor, high colour saturation | $7.05 |
| 13oz matte vinyl | 13 oz/sq yd | Same material, no glare. Indoor and photographed | $7.05 |
| 8oz polyester mesh | 8 oz/sq yd | Fences, scaffolding, exposed spans | $8.40 |
Note that gloss and matte are the same price. It is the same 13oz base material with a different finish, so choose purely on where the banner will hang, not on cost.
What a banner actually costs per square foot
Banners are quoted per square foot in the trade, and it is the only fair way to compare suppliers. Here is ours, at a single banner with grommets and no hemming.
| Size | Square feet | Price | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 x 2 ft (12 x 24 in) | 2.0 | $7.05 | $3.52 |
| 7 x 2 ft (84 x 24 in) | 14.0 | $60.65 | $4.33 |
| 3 x 6.6 ft (35.43 x 78.75 in) | 19.4 | $72.93 | $3.76 |
| 12 x 8 ft (144 x 96 in) | 96.0 | $371.18 | $3.87 |
Prices as of September 2026, single banner, one side, standard turnaround. Per-square-foot cost falls further at higher quantities.
So the working number is roughly $3.50 to $4.30 per square foot on a single 13oz banner. If you are comparing quotes, convert everything to that unit before deciding. A supplier quoting a headline price on a 3 x 6 banner and another quoting on 2 x 4 are not comparable until you do.
Hemming is the single biggest durability factor
Banners fail one way. Wind turns a flat sheet into a sail, and the sail tears at its weakest point. Every option on a banner order exists to manage that one fact.
Hemming folds the vinyl edge back on itself and welds it, doubling the material exactly where the fixings pull. Tears almost always start at an unreinforced edge, usually at a grommet, and once started they run along the line of least resistance.
Skip hemming only for a one-off indoor hang. Choose all four sides for anything outdoors longer than a few days. The scrim inside the vinyl resists a tear spreading, but it cannot help if the edge itself gives way at the fixing point.
Grommets: more is calmer
- Four corners is the outdoor minimum, and only for small banners.
- Every two to three feet along top and bottom is the standard for wall and fence banners. More fixing points means less stress at each one.
- All around for large exposed installations.
- No grommets only when the banner slides into a pole pocket or a tension frame.
Tension every grommet with bungee or elastic ties rather than rigid rope. A banner that can move a little survives gusts that tear a rigidly tied one. This is the single cheapest thing you can do to extend a banner's life and almost nobody does it.
Gloss or matte, and the lighting trade-off
Gloss pushes colour hardest and wins outdoors at distance. That is why it is the default.
The thing to plan around is reflection. Under direct sun at an awkward angle, or under bright indoor spotlights, a gloss surface can throw a hot spot that washes out part of the message. If the banner is going to be photographed at close range, or it hangs under downlights at a trade show, matte is the better choice and costs the same.
Rule of thumb: outdoors and far away, gloss. Indoors, lit, or being photographed, matte.
When a solid banner is the wrong choice
On a fence line, scaffolding or any exposed span, a solid banner transfers its full wind load to the fixings, or to the fence itself. Fences have been pulled down by banners.
Mesh exists for exactly this. It is a perforated 8oz polyester, so a large share of the wind passes straight through rather than being caught. It is lighter than solid 13oz vinyl, at roughly 62 percent of the weight, and the perforations mean slightly less colour density, which is a fair trade on a banner being read from across a car park.
If you are committed to solid vinyl on an exposed span, spread the load instead: hem all four sides, grommets every two to three feet all the way around, and elastic ties on every one.
Artwork for big formats
Build files at 100 DPI at final size in CMYK. That is lower than you would use for a business card and it is correct: nobody inspects a banner from six inches away, and a 12 x 8 foot file at 300 DPI is unusably large.
Keep critical content at least two inches inside the edges so grommets never punch through type, and allow more if you are hemming, since the hem consumes edge material. Design for the real viewing distance: big shapes, few words, high contrast.
Common questions
What is scrim vinyl?
Vinyl with a woven polyester grid laminated inside it. The scrim is the reinforcement layer, and it is what stops a small tear running the length of the banner. Standard 13oz banner vinyl is scrim reinforced.
Scrim vinyl or gloss vinyl, which is better?
Neither, because they are not alternatives. Scrim is the internal reinforcement and gloss is the surface finish. A 13oz glossy banner is scrim vinyl with a gloss finish. If you are being offered a choice between them, the person selling is confused. There is a full explanation here.
What does 13oz mean on a banner?
Thirteen ounces per square yard, the weight of the material. It is the standard weight for outdoor banners. Lighter grades exist but flap and fail sooner.
Is matte or glossy better for a banner?
Gloss for outdoors at distance, because it saturates colour. Matte for indoors, under lights, or when the banner will be photographed, because it does not throw a reflective hot spot. Same material, same price.
When should I use a mesh banner instead?
Any exposed span where wind load is the risk: fence lines, scaffolding, building wraps, stadium rails. Mesh lets wind through instead of catching it.
Do I need hemming on a banner?
Outdoors, yes, for anything staying up more than a few days. Hemming doubles the material at the edge where fixings pull, and that edge is where tears start. Indoors for a single event, you can skip it.
How many grommets do I need?
Every two to three feet along top and bottom for a normal wall or fence banner. Four corners only on small banners. All around for large exposed installs.
How much does a vinyl banner cost per square foot?
Ours run about $3.50 to $4.30 per square foot for a single 13oz banner with grommets, and less per foot at higher quantities. Always convert competing quotes to price per square foot before comparing them.
Before you order
Send the file for a free artwork check and we will flag anything risky before it prints, including type sitting too close to where the grommets will go.
Need something that stands on its own instead? See our pull-up banners or the full signs and banners range.