Step and Repeat Banners

Step and repeat banners make great photo backdrops

Step and repeat banners get their name from the repeating pattern of logos that make up the design of these backdrops. If you look in the background of celebrity photos, interviews at sporting events for both college and pro sports, or any photograph or live interview at events that have sponsors, there is always a step and repeat banner in the background. At sporting events, the team or school logos will appear, and they will usually alternate with the logo of the sponsor, the name of the event, or both. Having the team logo or event name appear in the background is an excellent way to identify the event to those who are viewing the photo or video. When it's a sponsored event, it's a great way to get the sponsor's logo and branding in front of a wide audience, and it's one of the most cost effective ways to do so. This is one of the advantages of sponsoring an event where photos are taken in front of such a backdrop, because every time the photos and video from the event are viewed, the sponsor logo is viewed as well.

When it comes to displaying a step and repeat banner, there are a few options. At more permanent locations, such as press rooms where post-game interviews are always held, the backdrop is often attached to a wall or hung from a structure that's part of the staging. But, when the banner needs to be portable, a banner stand is necessary to hold the banner while remaining out of site so that only the banner with its pattern of logos is visible in the media. Since most banner stands are fairly unobtrusive, the choice really comes down to size and convenience, so the first decision to be made is how large of backdrop is required. For standing interviews and photos, the banner needs to be taller than the subjects, so at least 7' and preferably 8' tall. The width of the banner depends on how many people will be standing in front of it at one time. If a single person is being photographed, a 5' wide banner could be sufficient, but if an interview will take place, then a backdrop of at least 8' is recommended so the interviewer and subject will both fit in the frame without the edges of the backdrop being visible. For photos or interviews with multiple subjects, an even wider step and repeat backdrop will be needed.

There are quite a few banner stands that can hold a 60" wide and 7-8' tall banner. The QuickSilver Pro 60 is a good option for that, as it's fairly inexpensive and in the standard configuration it displays a 92" tall banner. It can also be ordered with taller support poles for a full 96" height. Being a retractable banner stand, the set up is quick and easy, as is the take down and the banner is stored in the base between uses where it's protected. For situations that require a wider banner, the options start to become more limited. For an 8' wide banner, there are two retractable banner stand options; the Olympus 96 and the Banner Bug 96. The Olympus 96 adjusts up to nearly 8' tall, so it's a good option. The Banner Bug 96 is expensive and has a height of just over 7', but it's an excellent quality stand with the convenience of a retractable.

Adjustable banner stands that hold banners with pole pockets are the most popular for this application because they are inexpensive and can hold large banner sizes. The Pegasus, Large Format Banner Stand and Grand Format Banner Stand all hold a maximum banner size of 8' x 8', which is the most common step and repeat backdrop size. This style of banner stand take a little longer to set up and take down, and the banner must be transported separate from the stand, but the fact that they break down to a compact size and have adjustable width and height makes them popular. The Large Format Banner Stand is very similar to the Pegasus, but it's made in the USA. The Grand Format Banner Stand is a heavy duty version of this design, and it also has optional conversion kits that allow it to hold 10' or 12' banners for situations that require a really big backdrop. The Jumbo Banner Stand is a version of the Grand Format Banner Stand that includes the conversion kit to allow up to 10' wide and 10' tall backdrops, but 10' wide and 8' tall is still the most popular size since it's unusual to need a more than an 8' tall banner as a backdrop for this purpose.

Regardless of the size of step and repeat backdrop required, one of these banner stands is sure to work, but it's important to pick a stand before printing the actual banner. Of course, we recommend allowing us to make the banner, but for those who want to make their own banner, it's important to know which display you want to use so the banner can be made to properly fit the particular banner stand display. Following these guidelines will ensure that the finished step and repeat banner works for it's intended purpose and makes an attractive and functional display.