Material consideration: 5 reasons why fabric is the future of wide-format print

Every September, the Venture Banners team gets set to venture to Birmingham for The Print Show. It’s always a good opportunity to catch up with peers, meet customers in-person and also show off what we’ve been working on over the past year, and this year was no exception.

This year, the materials for our stand were a lot lighter and easier to transport than they were in the early days of the show. Why? Every inch of our 2026 stand was printed on fabric.

Textile signage has been our biggest growth area over the past couple of years, so much so that back in January this year we wrote all about why we think the growth of textile is reshaping the industry. If anything, demand for textile has actually accelerated since then. Whether it is flags, fencing banners or stretch fabric displays, our fabric-based signage has been flying out the door faster than ever this year.

In March 2024, textiles accounted for around 29% of Venture Banners’ total material production. We’d recognised how fast demand in this area was growing, so we invested to expand our textile capabilities and our sewing department. It’s just as well that we did because by March 2025, 42% of our total material production was for textile signage, and by June 2026 this had reached 54%. We’re now in the process of expanding our overall manufacturing space to accommodate future growth.

In fact, we’re so confident in the future of fabric-based signage that in early 2026 we started phasing out PVC Mesh, replacing it with Fabric Mesh Premium across all of our mesh-based products such as outdoor banners, fencing banners and crowd barrier graphics. We actually ended up accelerating the original timeline for this process, and by halfway through the year it was complete.

So why all the fuss about fabric?

Without a doubt, one of the main drivers is how easy it is to transport fabric-based signage. For us, when we send prints to customers (or directly to their customers) packaging is simpler, and because fabric prints can simply be sent in a postal bag or box without lots of padding, shipping is more cost-effective for the customer too. And of course, for the end customer, moving the fabric prints around, storing them and installing them is easier and often less time consuming with lighter materials.

The fabrics we use are all polyester.  This means that they can be recycled, and even if they do end up in landfill, they won’t release the harmful chemicals that PVC products do as they break down. Their lower weight also allows for lower emission transportation. All of this makes textile-based signage more attractive for brands wanting to embody environmental values. And for applications that can be reused, fabric prints are ideal as they can be washed and are well suited to folding down, with creases able to be ironed out and simply left to drop out when the fabric is tensioned. 

Fabric-based products are not only easy to transport, but they are also straightforward to install and easy to take down, making them ideal for everything from one-off events to annual exhibitions, where they save both time and effort on site. Textile displays such as SEG fabric lightboxes and stretch fabric displays can often be easily assembled by one or two people, and because they’re light and easy to transport there’s less hassle involved in getting them to and from events.

When you combine them with high-quality print, textiles offer a premium look that will look just as good on its fifteenth outing as it did on its first. This makes it ideal for applications where brand visuals are crucial, such as retail, POP, and exhibitions. And the durability of textiles mean they maintain their vibrant colour and structure over repeated use, delivering long-term value and making them a cost-effective choice for brands looking to maximise return on investment with multiple uses.

The breadth of our stretch fabric signage range really demonstrates this. It includes stretch fabric walls, complete exhibition solutions, stands, counters and table coverings, as well as SEG fabric free-standing displays, wall-mounted displays, SEG fabric lightboxes and SEG fabric pop-ups. We also offer six different flag shapes, an arch flag, and pop-out banners as well as Heras fencing and crowd barrier graphics.

It may only be October, but if we were making any predictions for what’s coming in 2027, it would be safe to say that we think fabric is the future of wide-format.