Frequently Asked Questions

Banners

• How do you hang a banner? Will the banner sag in the middle?

• I am installing my banner in a windy location, and it will not be against a wall, so it will be exposed. I am worried about the wind ripping the banner or blowing it away. What do you recommend?

• What is more common – a vertical or a horizontal banner?

• Can I use tape to hang a banner?

• How big should our banner be? And can I have it printed on both sides?

• How long will a banner last? I want to install this banner outside, above the front door. How durable will it be? It rains, and is very sunny. There is not much wind, but there is some (the door is not sheltered).

• My banner seems to get lost in the rafters. The room is just too large. Should I order an even larger banner? Or should I try several smaller ones? What has worked for your other customers in the past?

• Can you print any color banner?

ScoreBoards

• I’ve just purchased a Safety Scoreboard for the factory I manage and am ready to set it up. How should I install my Safety Scoreboard?

• I work at a distribution center where we have trucks pulling in and out of our loading dock at all hours. I want to emphasize safety as the drivers pull up, and remind them to drive slowly and carefully. Is it okay to use my Safety Scoreboard outside? Is there a specific model I should choose?

• What happens if the electronic display on my Safety Scoreboard breaks? Can I repair it?

• Will the Safety Scoreboard’s digital display be affected by a loss of power?

• I’m concerned about people vandalizing the Safety Scoreboard at my plant. How do I prevent people from changing the current count?

• I’m planning on purchasing a Safety Scoreboard, and I want to make sure that I don’t violate any regulations or mandates concerning them. Can you tell me what regulations apply to Safety Scoreboards?

• Can I set my Safety Scoreboard to count down the number of days until an event?

• How strong are Safety Scoreboards? I work in an oil processing refinery, and I want to make sure that my scoreboard will be able to withstand the environment – chemical vapors and residue are a constant challenge.

• I have specific needs for a Safety Scoreboard. I want to print a photo of my plant on the scoreboard, and I want to have a separate display for two different parts of my facility. I don’t see any designs like this. Is it possible for me to Custom Design my own?

• Do Safety Scoreboards really work? Why should I invest some of my safety budget in one?

How do you hang a banner? Will the banner sag in the middle?

Our banners come with rust-free brass grommets to make installation easy. See the graphic below to determine how many grommets your banner will have (they vary by size). Banners come standard with ropes for mounting – you simply tie the rope off to fix the banner to the wall. For installation on an interior or sheltered wall, using ropes on the top two corners should be sufficient to stretch the banner out and make it look great. Longer banners have grommets in the middle, so if the banner sags you can use rope, or a nail or hook, to tighten the material up.

Some other alternatives for mounting are available, should you need to install your banner in a higher-stress location. The first option is to use ropes (or hooks/nails) on the bottom corners as well as the top. Bungee cords provide more tension than ropes, and are often worth the additional expense. We offer several sizes of bungee cords for outdoor or exposed banner installation. We also offer the option of pole pouches on the sides. This gives you a fabric sheath two ends of the banner, which you can then use to mount the banner on poles attached to a fixed or movable base. One drawback to this option is that you lose several inches of banner because the fabric is folded over at the ends.

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I am installing my banner in a windy location, and it will not be against a wall, so it will be exposed. I am worried about the wind ripping the banner or blowing it away. What do you recommend?

While most banners are installed against a wall or indoors, sometimes people do need to hang a banner outdoors in the open. For example, we commonly see this above a street or between two driveways. In these situations, we recommend that you ask us to cut wind slits into the banner. For no extra charge, we will cut slits into the center of the banner, giving air a passageway through the material and providing stress relief for the fabric. In most situations smaller banners do not need this, because they don’t catch enough wind. But a larger banner might.

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What is more common – a vertical or a horizontal banner?

Horizontal banners are generally more popular, because it is so much easier to fit text onto them. And, they fit more comfortably into most spaces as far as mounting is concerned. Vertical banners are great for tight spaces, where you do not have the room to hang a wide banner. A vertical banner is good for short, quick messages where there is no long heading. But when you need a central impact word, a horizontal banner allows you to show off your headline – there are fewer breaks in the text.

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Can I use tape to hang a banner?

We do not recommend using tape to hang your banner. Adhesive can damage walls and removal can be problematic. Also, tape can damage the ink on the banner by breaking the bond between the ink and the fabric. Tape also, frankly, just does not look great. It is distracting to look at and draws attention away from the message and colors of the banner. In situation where poles, ropes, bungee cords, or hooks and nails will not work, we recommend using an adhesive from 3M®, which is easily removable and will not damage walls or the banner. It will mount behind the banner and so will not be a visual distraction.

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How big should our banner be? And can I have it printed on both sides?

To answer you second question first, because it is so simple, the answer is yes. The only difference will be in the material we print it on – we will use a more opaque white, because it will provide better color visibility on both sides of the banner. Another option is to put two banners back-to-back. We will even sew them together for you if you would like! Just let us know. The advantage of the back-to-back method is that you get the less opaque white material, and you could separate the two sides if you ever felt like it.

As far as size goes, the size of the text is much more important than the size of the banner. See the size chart for text visibility. But a general “rule of thumb” is that every inch of text can be seen 25 feet away. In short, your banner size will depend mostly on how much text you want to have on it. Another often overlooked but critical factor in determining visibility is the color contrast. Make sure that text stands out from the background, and it will be much easier to read.

How long will a banner last? I want to install this banner outside, above the front door. How durable will it be? It rains, and is very sunny. There is not much wind, but there is some (the door is not sheltered).

Our banners outlast the sun and the rain. They are printed on extremely high-quality material, which will probably last for about two years in the setting you describe. Indoors, our banners will last as long as you will want to use them! In reality, the lifetime will be very long, probably 10 years or so. Remember that a banner is designed to serve a different purpose than a rigid, fixed sign. Banners are made to have an impact, and to be rotated. Even if the banner lasted for a hundred years, it would start to lose effectiveness as people got used to seeing it. The message and image have to be kept fresh to get attention. Banners lose effect when they are there for too long – a good banner program will have consistent rotation.

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My banner seems to get lost in the rafters. The room is just too large. Should I order an even larger banner? Or should I try several smaller ones? What has worked for your other customers in the past?

A series of smaller banners that are placed in more visible locations is a great idea. Bring the banner down from the rafters –put it along a wall or above a door. Another tactic which we have had a lot of success with is using a large floor mat with a printed message on it. It is hard to ignore a message that you have to walk on every day! (LINK to Mind-A-Mats) Many of the same designs that we offer as banners are also available as floor mats. Or, you can always get custom designs. Combining the two strategies is even more effective, we have found!

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Can you print any color banner?

Yes-if you can think of it we can make it. We do have some problems with metallic and fluorescent colors. But there is no limit to the number of colors you can put on your banner! Be sure to call us if you have any questions about your custom banner.

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I’ve just purchased a Safety Scoreboard for the factory I manage and am ready to set it up. How should I install my Safety Scoreboard?

Installing a Safety Scoreboard is extremely simple – they are made to give you as many options as possible for mounting them. Our scoreboard is designed with two holes positioned at the top for easy mounting. The most common method is to place two hooks in the wall, where you want to install your scoreboard. But, really, you can mount the unit onto anything that works for the space you have – hang it with wire, nails, weld it onto something, or even just sit it on a ledge! There are a few critical considerations that we ask you to remember, however. For electronic scoreboards, you should place your Safety Scoreboard less than six feet away from a 120 V power source. And for Indoor/Outdoor models we remind you to be conscious of the electric hazard of an outdoor installation and use a GFI outlet.

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I work at a distribution center where we have trucks pulling in and out of our loading dock at all hours. I want to emphasize safety as the drivers pull up, and remind them to drive slowly and carefully. Is it okay to use my Safety Scoreboard outside? Is there a specific model I should choose?

The standard, 28” x 20” digital Safety Scoreboard, which may be what you are referring to, is designed for indoor use only. But we do offer a larger, 36” x 24” Indoor/Outdoor model, which can be used both indoors and outdoors. This model is both brighter and larger, with a 4” display height as compared with the 2.5” displays on indoor scoreboards. The Indoor/Outdoor version is water resistant and can get wet, but should not be expected to stand up to the elements unprotected. We recommend leaving it under some sort of shelter or even an overhang on the side of the building. You should also be sure to plug the electric Scoreboard into a GFI outlet if you plan to leave it outdoors. The operation of the Indoor/Outdoor version of Safety Scoreboard is identical to that of the Indoor. Almost all of our most popular Safety Scoreboard designs are available in the Indoor/Outdoor size.

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What happens if the electronic display on my Safety Scoreboard breaks? Can I repair it?

Think about your digital alarm clock – what happens if that display breaks? And how often have you seen that happen? A Safety Scoreboard should last about as long as a clock. When the numbers begin to fade, it’s probably time to get a new one – but this should be after a very long time. Customers rarely have problems with the functioning of their electronic Safety Scoreboards, and the return rate is extremely low, but if necessary, you can send your Safety Scoreboard back for repair, and it will be either mended or replaced.

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Will the Safety Scoreboard’s digital display be affected by a loss of power?

The memory of a Safety Scoreboard is built in, and does not rely on battery or electric power. Your count won’t be lost - we have seen displays go for as long as a year and still retain the number of days that they were last set at. After the power goes out for a long time, though, you should go and check the time setting, because it may not be current. A dot in the upper corner of the display acts as an advisory to check the time. Rest assured, your Safety Scoreboard will save the number of days, so a power loss will not spoil your count.

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I’m concerned about people vandalizing the Safety Scoreboard at my plant. How do I prevent people from changing the current count?

We rarely hear of Safety Scoreboards being intentionally vandalized. Sometimes, especially with the Dry Erase Board model, the count gets rubbed off accidentally as someone leans against or brushes by it. If you choose the Dry Erase Safety Scoreboard you should be careful to mount it in a place where people walking by won’t unintentionally remove the markings. However, if you are truly concerned about people tampering with your Safety Scoreboard, the best way to maintain the correct count is to choose the Digital Model, because this version is really the most tamper-proof solution there is.

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I’m planning on purchasing a Safety Scoreboard, and I want to make sure that I don’t violate any regulations or mandates concerning them. Can you tell me what regulations apply to Safety Scoreboards?

Currently, there are not any OSHA or other federal regulations that cover Safety Scoreboards or require that plants and factories employ them. However, the benefits of a Scoreboard cannot be discounted because they are not legally mandated. Increased attention to safety, rising employee morale, and lower insurance costs are only a few of the many benefits of a safety program that includes Safety Scoreboards. In short, use of a Safety Scoreboard is definitely recommended in order to keep productivity high and plants running as smoothly as possible.

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Can I set my Safety Scoreboard to count down the number of days until an event?

You can set any Safety Scoreboard to either “count up” or “count down”, depending on what your needs are. Scoreboards can be set to change every day, or every hour, so that you can keep track of the statistics which are important to you. We see people using their scoreboards to keep track of all kinds of statistics, such as hours worked without a delayed order, days of safe operation, and even inventory levels. The digital display can also be “held,” so that it will remain at one number until you choose move it. This feature is often used to advertise the “record” for safe work days, or in a setting where inventory or other units are being counted instead of safe workdays. You can control the method and rate of the count with the remote control, which comes with your Safety Scoreboard. And the remote will reach thirty to thirty-five feet, so you don’t have to be able to touch the scoreboard to reset it.

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How strong are Safety Scoreboards? I work in an oil processing refinery, and I want to make sure that my scoreboard will be able to withstand the environment – chemical vapors and residue are a constant challenge.

The frame of a Safety Scoreboard is made from corrosion-proof black aluminum, and the base is produced from .06” thick UV plastic. Scoreboards are light, but durable and chemical resistant, perfect for use in a plant or factory. Our Safety Scoreboards are found in oil industry facilities around the world.The frame of a Safety Scoreboard is made from corrosion-proof black aluminum, and the base is produced from .06” thick UV plastic. Scoreboards are light, but durable and chemical resistant, perfect for use in a plant or factory. Our Safety Scoreboards are found in oil industry facilities around the world.

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I have specific needs for a Safety Scoreboard. I want to print a photo of my plant on the scoreboard, and I want to have a separate display for two different parts of my facility. I don’t see any designs like this. Is it possible for me to Custom Design my own?

If you wish to give your Safety Scoreboard a particular look or message, you can always design a Scoreboard to fit your needs, by creating one entirely your own. You can start with artwork – add as many colors as you want and we will print whatever design you want – with no extra color charges. This includes photos that you upload to us. We can add as many digital displays as you want. And you can design your signs so that the displays fit within the art – they can go in the middle, in the corner, sideways, at an angle – if you can think it, we can make it! You should keep in mind the size of the sign when thinking, however. Indoor Safety Scoreboards can comfortably fit two displays, and a third will fit but may look cramped. Indoor/Outdoor Scoreboards will fit as many as four displays. You can always combine 2.5” and 4” digital displays to give yourself the option of “totals” or other information that you want to highlight.

Often, people use a central Scoreboard with several displays to keep track of different parts of a distribution center or different regional plants. We have also seen scoreboards designed to go side by side, where one has the other facilities, for example in other regions, alongside the Scoreboard for your facility. With a custom scoreboard, everything is up to you, so you can get exactly what you want.

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Do Safety Scoreboards really work? Why should I invest some of my safety budget in one?

Safety Scoreboards can work, and they really do. A Safety Scoreboard increases awareness and concern about safety in the workplace, and ultimately lowers accident rates. A Scoreboard with a high number of safe work days advertised will show that you care, and ultimately will result in lower overhead and more motivated workers. Nobody wants to see the scoreboard reset. Ultimately, orders go out on time, and insurance expenditure doesn’t increase. A major benefit of safety is lower costs due to better production. And a scoreboard can help you achieve these goals. Safety Scoreboards Hit Homeruns Every Time.

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