Trade show signage: the printer's guide

Published 11 June 2026 · Welye advice

At a trade show, your booth has a few seconds to catch a walking visitor. Signage is not decoration: it is your main medium. Here is the method we apply with our exhibiting clients, from choosing the right products to planning lead times.

Think of your booth in three distances

• ✓At 10 metres — people must understand who you are: backdrop wall, logo placed high, one single message.
• ✓At 3 metres — people must understand what you offer: roll-up banners, totems, short hooks.
• ✓At 1 metre — you start the conversation: welcome counter, flyers, business cards.

The exhibitor kit that works (9 m² booth)

• ✓One backdrop — or two roll-ups in 100/120 cm for more flexibility
• ✓A counter for welcome and demos
• ✓A beach flag if you are on a corner or outdoors
• ✓A5 flyers and cards to hand out — plan generously, they go fast

The 5 mistakes we see every week

• ✓Text too small. Simple rule: about 1 cm of letter height per metre of reading distance. A headline read at 5 m ⇒ 5 cm minimum.
• ✓Too many messages. One product = one idea. The rest goes on the flyer.
• ✓Logo placed too low — at a show, the bottom of your graphics is hidden by visitors.
• ✓Low-resolution images — send us your files, we check them free of charge.
• ✓Underestimated lead times — proof, production and delivery need planning.

Lead times & delivery to the venue

Ideally, approve your artwork 10 days before the show. Running late? 24/48h express exists on most products. And we deliver straight to your booth: Porte de Versailles, Villepinte, Le Bourget, Eurexpo Lyon.

Read next: the exhibitor's printing checklist · our trade-show printing page.