Posts tagged 'Rollup printing'
There is a reason the rollup has outlasted almost every other piece of exhibition kit. It goes up in twenty seconds with no tools, no wall and no power, and when the event ends it rolls back into its own base and travels in a bag you carry on one shoulder. For a Dubai business running trade shows, a mall activation or a reception refresh, it is still the cheapest way to put a metre-wide branded message in front of people.
The differences that matter, though, are rarely the ones in the product photo. Here is what to check before you order.
What you are actually buying
A rollup also called a roll-up, pull-up or retractable banner is two things sold as one unit: a printed graphic panel and an aluminium cassette base with a spring-loaded roller inside. You pull the graphic up by hand and a support pole clips into the back to hold it. Let go and the spring draws it back into the housing.
That housing is the underrated part. A foam board or stretched fabric banner deteriorates from the day it leaves the studio. A rollup spends most of its life rolled up in the dark, which is why a well-treated one still looks presentable after three or four years.
Sizes: 85 x 200 cm or 120 x 200 cm
85 x 200 cm is the workhorse, printed on 200 gsm banner media. It fits a standard shell scheme panel, sits beside a reception desk without dominating, and passes through a normal doorway assembled. Default to this unless you have a reason not to.
120 x 200 cm uses a 200 gsm thin synthetic media and gives roughly 40% more visual area. It earns its place when the banner has to compete an open hall or a mall atrium, read from eight metres rather than two. The trade-off is a heavier base and more floor space in a cramped booth.
Both stand 200 cm tall. Worth knowing when you plan the layout: the bottom 15 to 20 cm sits at ankle height where nobody reads it, and the cassette covers the very bottom edge.
How the pricing works
Rollup banner printing Dubai pricing has real volume breaks, steep enough to change how you order.
One 85 x 200 cm rollup with stand starts at AED 135. Two are AED 260, five AED 650, ten AED 1,260 about AED 126 each. At fifty units the total is AED 5,500, or AED 110 each. That is a 19% saving per banner between one and fifty.
The implication: if you have four events this year, ordering four in one batch beats ordering one four times. And if two can carry an evergreen message rather than event-specific dates, the saving compounds.
Turnaround, and the clock to watch
Standard production is five working days. Urgent two-day production starts at AED 50, next-working-day at AED 75, with the surcharge scaling by quantity.
Here is what catches people out: production starts when your artwork is approved, not when you place the order. Upload on Sunday, get a proof back needing a change, respond Tuesday, and you have lost two days off the front. Shipping is a further one to two days on top.
So for an event on the 20th on standard production, work backwards: two days shipping, five days production, one day for file prep and proofing, plus a buffer for amendments. Your real order-by date is around the 10th, not the 15th. Fridays and public holidays are not working days.
There is also a delivery choice. Courier arrives one to two days after production. A special driver delivers within six working hours for AED 50, or ten hours for AED 150 worth it when the banner must be standing the next morning. Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman city limits are covered as standard; other emirates are a separate option and remote areas need extra transit time.
Getting the artwork right
Most disappointing rollups are artwork problems, not printing problems.
Build at final size, supply at 150 dpi at 100% scale. At normal viewing distance that is indistinguishable from 300 dpi and keeps the file manageable. Convert to CMYK before export, and expect a slight shift from what your monitor showed screens emit light, ink reflects it. If an exact brand colour is critical, ask for a printed sample before a bulk run.
Keep everything important in the top two-thirds. Logo and headline at eye level, 120 to 180 cm from the floor. Nothing you need read below 40 cm. Request the current template so you know exactly how much of the bottom edge the cassette covers.
Use one message. A rollup gets read in about three seconds by someone walking past. One headline, one supporting line, one call to action, one logo. Filling the space with your full service list is the commonest reason a banner underperforms.
No designer? A Canva template gallery is linked from the product page for browser-based customisation, and paid design support is available as an add-on from AED 50.
Handling: read this before your first event
The spring mechanism is the part that fails, and it fails the same way every time. Never let the banner snap back on its own guide it down with one hand. A graphic retracting at full spring speed can crease at the leading edge or damage the roller, and mechanism damage from handling is not covered under guarantee.
Check the mechanism when delivery arrives, before you sign: pull it up and lower it once, fully. Post-delivery mechanism complaints are not accepted, precisely because the fault is usually handling rather than manufacture.
Where rollups earn their money
Exhibitions are the obvious use. Less obvious and often higher return: reception areas, where one banner works every day for a year rather than three days a quarter. Also launches, conference stages, wayfinding at multi-room events, recruitment days and retail walkways where you cannot drill anything. Note this product is specified for indoor display confirm the specification before ordering for an open-air event.
Frequently asked questions
1. How much does rollup banner printing in Dubai cost?
One 85 x 200 cm rollup with stand starts at AED 135. Volume reduces the unit price: ten units are AED 1,260 total, and fifty units work out around AED 110 each.
2. What is the standard rollup banner size?
85 x 200 cm on 200 gsm banner media. A 120 x 200 cm option on thin synthetic media suits spaces where the banner is read from further away.
3. Is the stand included?
Yes. The price covers the printed graphic, the aluminium cassette stand and the support pole as one unit, supplied in a carry bag.
4. How long does production take?
Five working days after artwork approval, plus one to two days delivery. Urgent options are two working days from AED 50 or next working day from AED 75. Fridays and public holidays excluded.
5. What file format should I supply?
A print-ready PDF at final size, 150 dpi at 100% scale, CMYK, fonts embedded or outlined.
6. Can I use it outdoors?
This product is specified for indoor use. Outdoor use brings wind and UV considerations, so confirm the right specification first.
7. Can I print different artwork on each banner?
Yes, select the variable data option at checkout instead of common data.
8. How long will it last?
Handled properly, several years. Because the graphic retracts into its housing between uses it stays protected from dust, light and scuffing.
Ready to order? See the full options at printonline.ae/roll-up.html, or send your artwork on WhatsApp to +971 52 383 1019 and the team will confirm your delivery date.
