Selling and marketing
Farmers Market Bakery Banner: What to Print and How Big
You will know what to put on your banner, how big to make the letters, and how to hang it so shoppers actually stop.
On this page
Most shoppers decide in a few seconds whether to walk over to your table. Your banner does that work before you ever say hello. It should tell them who you are and what is on the table, so the person who wants cinnamon rolls knows to stop and the person who wants a loaf of bread knows to stop too.
What the banner is doing for you
Think of it as your shop sign, not a poster. It has one job, which is getting the right person to walk over. Anything that does not help that job is taking up space you paid for.
What to remember
- Your shop name, in the biggest letters on the banner. - Two or three plain words for what you sell, like “cinnamon rolls” or “sourdough bread”. - One way to order from you, if you take orders ahead. - Nothing you cannot read from where shoppers walk.
What to print on it
Start with the name you sell under. If you have not settled on one yet, how to name a farm stand bakery walks through picking something people can say out loud and remember.
Under the name, say what you sell in everyday words. “Bread and cinnamon rolls” beats “artisan baked goods” every time, because a shopper scanning the row reads it in one glance and knows whether to stop.
Then your ordering line. If people can order ahead, say so and give them one way to do it. One way, not four. If you use a QR code, test it on your own phone from the exact spot where shoppers stand, and print the web address beside it for anyone who would rather type.
Sizes and letters
Hold a tape measure against your table and your tent before you order. Ask the printer what sizes they offer, then stand where a shopper walks and check whether your shop name is readable from there. If you have to squint, use fewer words or go bigger.
Write your three lines
Write your name, what you sell, and how to order. Cut anything else.
Measure your spot
Measure your table and the space under your tent. Note where the banner will hang so it does not cover your bakes.
Ask the printer
Ask what sizes and materials they offer, and which ones handle rain and wind.
Check the words from far away
Print a cheap paper version first. Tape it up at home and read it from across the room.
Order and hang it
Hang it so the top of your table stays clear and shoppers can still see your food.
Materials and a windy morning
A market morning can bring sun, rain, and a gust that turns a loose sign into a sail. Ask the printer which material holds up outdoors, and bring clips, rope, or weights so you can tie it down. Bring a backup plan too. A small table sign with the same three lines works on the days the big banner cannot go up.
Your ordering line
The banner only helps if people can act on it. If you take orders for pickup, point them to the same place your order form lives, and