How Billboards Are Put Up

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When driving past billboard advertisements, their massive scale may give the impression that they require a vast amount of time and work in order to produce. However, the process has become incredibly streamlined over the years. 

Some advertisements come in the form of wall murals that are painted directly onto plywood, or brick walls in urban areas. More commonly, however, most use lithographic prints on vinyl tarp sheets, which is what we’ll explore first.

Billboards are commonly printed on a vinyl tarp composed of either PVC or PE (a more environmentally friendly compound). This is usually done by using a wide format printer with a print roll between 18 and 100 feet wide.

After the vinyl tarp is completed, it gets taken to the billboard location that was chosen by the buyer. The tarp that is currently on the board is removed and replaced with a new tarp featuring a new advertisement. Every vinyl tarp is made with four pockets on each corner so that it can be harnessed to the board frame. The installation process can actually be performed by a two-man team in under 20 minutes.

Hand-painted billboards (or wall murals) offer high quality artwork, but they require a considerable amount of time. Because of that, large campaigns are not suited for this particular medium. Small scale campaigns are more appropriate for a hand-painted billboard. 

Digital billboards are considered to be the quickest method for getting an ad campaign up. Upon the completion of the artwork, the design is sent to the billboard vendor and then scheduled for a time frame. Digital billboards typically rotate between various advertisers, and each advertiser gets a few seconds per each rotation.

Billboard structures themselves are often made of steel components, but wooden billboards can still be found, especially in rural areas. Steel and wood structures will erode after extended exposure to the elements, but these repairs are handled by the billboard vendors when the need arises. 

Stay tuned for more insightful content on the vast world of the billboard industry.