Full Guide: 11 Common Advertising Photo Materials (Features & Usage Scenarios)
Posters, store signs, exhibition displays, light box advertisements and other common outdoor and indoor displays all need advertising photo materials. With the fast development of the advertising industry, more and more photo materials are available. These materials have different textures, features and suitable usage scenarios.
Many people choose the wrong advertising materials when customizing advertising products. This will lead to poor display effects and short service life. This article will introduce 11 widely used advertising photo materials. It covers their basic features, advantages and applicable scenarios, which is easy to understand for beginners.
Basic Flat Photo Materials (No Board Mounting)
These are the most common advertising photo materials. They are light in weight and high in printing precision. They are mostly used for short-term indoor display with high cost performance, and are the first choice for daily poster production.
1. PP Film
PP film is a common plastic poster material. It can present clear and delicate images with good transparency. It has no adhesive on the back, so people need double-sided tape or glue to stick it on surfaces.
This material is reusable and not easy to damage. It is fit for temporary indoor posters, activity promotional displays and short-term wall decoration, with great cost performance.
2. Self-adhesive Vinyl
Self-adhesive vinyl is an upgraded version of PP film and one of the most popular photo materials. Its biggest feature is the built-in adhesive layer on the back. People can tear off the protective film and paste it directly without any other tools.
It has the same high printing quality and color restoration effect as PP film. It is suitable for most indoor scenes, such as store wall decoration, elevator advertisements, indoor promotional posters and window stickers.
3. Photo Paper
Photo paper has a better texture than ordinary poster materials. It can show higher color saturation and clearer details, with a professional photographic effect.
There is no adhesive on its back. The paper is flat, stiff and wrinkle-resistant. It is used for scenes requiring high display quality, including corporate image displays, art posters and high-end activity promotional paintings indoors.
4. Light Box Film
It is a special material for light box advertisements, different from ordinary spray painting cloth for signs. It has proper light transmittance and clear printing effect. Light can pass through evenly without spots or color distortion.
It is widely used for indoor light boxes of McDonald’s, convenience stores and milk tea shops, and is the core material for transmissive indoor advertisements.
5. Transparent Self-adhesive Vinyl
It is a high-end special self-adhesive material with full transparency. It will not block indoor light after pasting, creating a high-end visual effect.
It is mainly pasted on glass doors, shop windows and glass partitions of companies. It can display brand logos and promotional information while keeping the space bright and transparent, helping build a premium brand image.
Board-mounted Display Materials (Three-dimensional Display)
To make advertising pictures flatter and more three-dimensional for hanging and display, self-adhesive pictures are usually mounted on boards. These finished display boards are commonly used in exhibitions, corporate showrooms and activity sites.
1. Ordinary KT Board with Self-adhesive Mount
This product is made by pasting high-definition self-adhesive pictures on lightweight foam KT boards, and the edges can be wrapped with border strips to form a complete display board.
It is light, cheap and good-looking, easy to carry and hang. It is suitable for indoor corporate decoration, small exhibition displays, activity site boards and wedding decoration. The disadvantage is that bubbles and deformation may appear after long-term use.
2. High-quality Board with Self-adhesive Mount
It is an upgraded version of ordinary KT board mounting. The board has higher density and better flatness with finer mounting technology. Its biggest advantage is no bubbles or deformation during long-term use, and it is much more durable than ordinary KT boards.
It is used for long-term indoor display, such as corporate culture walls, long-term store display boards and fixed exhibition hall displays.
3. Textured Art Materials (High-end Scenarios)
These materials have unique surface textures and high-grade texture. They avoid the cheap look of ordinary advertising materials and are perfect for high-end, artistic and delicate display scenarios.
1. Silk Cloth
The material has natural silk texture with soft touch and matte visual effect. It creates an elegant and romantic atmosphere with high-grade visual feeling.
It is not fit for ordinary mass promotion advertisements. It is more suitable for high-end clothing stores, beauty shops, art exhibition halls and light luxury space decoration to create a premium brand atmosphere.
In short, different advertising photo materials have their own advantages in texture, durability, light transmittance and application scenarios. PP film and ordinary self-adhesive vinyl are ideal for short-term indoor promotion. Photo paper, oil painting cloth and silk cloth are the best choices for high-definition and exquisite display. Light box film is specially made for light box use, and mounted board materials are suitable for exhibition displays. For large outdoor advertisements, users can select matching light cloth according to different lighting methods. Choosing the right material can ensure excellent advertising effects and control production costs to meet diverse promotional needs.
2. Oil Painting Cloth
It restores the texture of traditional oil painting cloth. Printed pictures present artistic oil painting effects with soft, layered colors and strong three-dimensional sense, different from the rigid effect of ordinary flat printing.
It is commonly used for wedding photography hanging paintings, art displays, home decorative paintings and high-end club soft decoration, with strong artistic atmosphere.
4. Outdoor Light Cloth Materials (Large Outdoor Advertisements)
These materials are designed for harsh outdoor environments. They are windproof, sun-proof and durable, specially used for large outdoor signs and wall advertisements. They are divided into external light cloth and internal light cloth.
1. Outdoor External Light Cloth
It is used for outdoor advertisements with external lighting. Lights shine on the surface of the cloth from outside. It has bright colors and strong anti-ultraviolet ability, resisting wind and sun exposure. It is the main material for large outdoor wall advertisements and roof billboards.
2. Outdoor Internal Light Cloth
It applies to outdoor light box signs with internal lighting. Lights pass through the cloth from inside the light box with even light transmission and accurate color restoration. It is waterproof and sun-proof, and is the special material for outdoor store door light boxes and vertical outdoor light boxes.
In short, different advertising photo materials have their own advantages in texture, durability, light transmittance and application scenarios. PP film and ordinary self-adhesive vinyl are ideal for short-term indoor promotion. Photo paper, oil painting cloth and silk cloth are the best choices for high-definition and exquisite display. Light box film is specially made for light box use, and mounted board materials are suitable for exhibition displays. For large outdoor advertisements, users can select matching light cloth according to different lighting methods. Choosing the right material can ensure excellent advertising effects and control production costs to meet diverse promotional needs.