Top 5 Things To Consider When Designing Your Trade Show Display

apg hop-up displays

Designing trade show displays or any large format signage can be a daunting task for those who are not designers by trade. You will face a handful of different challenges when working with the design, such as working with extremely large photos and making sure that all graphics are vector.  I’ve listed here five things to consider when designing your trade show displays and graphics.  One thing to note at the outset is that if the hiring of a graphic designer is not in your initial budget, and your trade show display doesn’t end up representing your company or brand in the best way possible, the savings may be spent later in fixing the problem!

5 Tips for Designing Trade Show Displays

1. Make sure your photos/graphics are 300 DPI or more – In order to keep your images looking clean and crisp, make sure your DPI (Dots per inch) are 300 or greater. There’s nothing worse than designing a great trade show display only to see the final print come out fuzzy or, as we graphic designers call it, pixelated.

Designing Trade Show Displays

2. Use Vector Graphics when possible – As mentioned previously, large format designs can result in HUGE file sizes, making them very difficult and time consuming to work with.  One of the best ways to reduce file size and keep your trade show display looking sharp and clean is to use vector graphics. Vector graphics allow artwork to be scaled to any size without affecting resolution, and they are complementary to raster graphics (which are the representation of images as an array of pixels, as is typically used for the representation of photographic images).  If you’re looking to create vector graphics, Adobe Illustrator is one piece of software that allows you to do so quickly and easily, though the program does have a bit of a learning curve and some instruction may be necessary.

3. Keep Important Images and Messages near the Top – When designing trade show displays, try to imagine where it will be placed in the context of your overall display area.  You’ll want to focus on placing the most important messages, images, and/or copy near the top of the trade show display, for a couple different reasons.

One, if the trade show display ends up behind a table or is otherwise obstructed, the message may not get across to your visitors.  Two, people’s attention tends to be caught most easily at eye-level, which is usually towards the top of a trade show display.  Lastly, always try to imagine what would attract your attention if you were walking by your trade show booth.

4. Less is more – Keep your design as simple and straight-to-the-point as possible; including too many images or copy can leave your trade show display cluttered and messy looking.  Additionally, a too-complex design can “visually confuse” the viewer and cause them to simply give up on reading your message.

5. Image is everything – One of the greatest benefits to hiring a designer is that they have years of experience in effectively associating the best images with the message that is to be conveyed. However, you can achieve some great results without a professional designer by purchasing stock photos or images from wesbites like Shutterstock and iStock.  Just take your time in choosing an image that catches the attention and at the same time goes with whatever message you are trying to communicate.  Also, consider your colors wisely. Too many colors will clutter your trade show display’s design and may visually overwhelm the viewer. Try to find an image that has a few colors that are within your company’s logo or brand.

If you keep these 5 things in mind when designing your trade show display and event display, you’ll be well on your way to crafting the perfect look for your presentation area!

Should you prefer to have your trade show display and graphics designed by a professional, contact Agency Promo Group for more details and a quote on your next project.


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