High School Graduation: 5 Ways To Make An Eye-Popping Banner Design

Graduating from high school is a huge achievement that is typically celebrated with family and friends. Make the celebration feel even more special by having a professional banner printed for the occasion. When planning a banner design, you will want to use something that captures the spirit of the event. The following five tips can help you create a graduation banner that will stand out, draw attention, and become a great hanging focal point of the party.

Graduation Fonts

Choosing the banner font is an important selection for really making the design stand out. There are a number of fonts you can use that represent school, graduation, and education in general.

• Be True to Your School: The block-styled font represents a classic school look and is easy to read on banners. Each letter is highlighted with contrasting edges so that they can pop-out from the background. The font is easy to change to school colors and display on a printed banner.
• College Boy: Straight lines and simple designs make this academic-looking font ideal for banner designs. The thin designs of the letters make it ideal for placing a lot of text on a banner.
• School Book New: If you're looking for a simple look that goes back to the days of No. 2 pencils, the School Book New font has a nice retro touch. The font appears to have been filled in with pencil lines, creating a nice homemade look that will look great on a professionally printed banner.

Banner Borders

Draw the natural focal point to the center of the banner by choosing a border design that conveys the theme and add a nice element to the banner. Simple patterns like pencils or books can create a great banner. You can also use a pattern to repeat text elements like "Class of 2016" or "Congratulations" around the whole border. A colored border can be used to represent school colors in conjunction with the background. For example, if the school colors where red and white, the banner background can be printed red while a small border is solid white.

Autograph Areas

While friends and classmates typically sign a student's yearbook, a graduation banner is great for family members to write their words of encouragement. When designing a banner, it's important to leave space for autographs. Ideally, if you choose a solid background for the banner, then all of that open space can be used for autographs. A white background works best with markers, but you can also use a darker background if you choose to provide metallic markers that can be seen over the colors.

The inside of letters can also be used for autographs. By creating white letters with a black border, the open space is great for filling in autographs and encouraging messages.

Graduation Symbols

Add extra design elements to the banner by incorporating graduation symbols into the design. These symbols can be used on the side of the text or even as a letter replacement. One of the more obvious symbols is the graduation hat. A hat symbol can be placed over a letter to make it look like the letter is wearing the hat. For example, if the banner reads "Class of '16" then the graduation hat can be placed on the top curve of the "C".

A rolled-up diploma is another great symbol that can be used for a banner. The diploma can be used to underline the whole banner or as a letter replacement. In the same example used above, a vertical image of a diploma can replace the "L" or "1."

College Locations

If the person graduating is moving away for college, you can celebrate that fact with the banner design. A state shape symbol is a great representation of a college and their future out of state. School initials can also be used on the sides of the banner design. This is a great way to congratulate the person on their accomplishments and future goals that are set in place.

Work with a printing company to a see a preview of the banner before it is printed. This will help avoid any mistakes, typos, or misaligned design elements that you need to change.

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