When it comes time to dress up a table for a trade show, expo, or any other event, a table cloth is the first thing to get crossed off the list. It's a necessity, and we all recognize that. It's simple and it's easy, too. The next step becomes working the company or organization logo into the mix, and many assume that the only choice is to find a way to pin some material to the front or have the cloth printed. The truth is there is another option: the table runner. And the table runner has several inherent advantages that make it the more sensible choice by far.
A table runner display is essentially a vinyl piece, approximately 33" wide, that drapes over a table from front to back. With slim clamps on either end to lend a finished look (functionally, they add weight to keep the runner hanging straight down), runners simply roll right up for storage and transport. They can be fully printed, thought the default option is to have a logo on one or both ends.
When compared to table cloths with a logo or image printed on them, table runner displays have the advantage in durability, versatility, and quality.
One of the primary reasons why a printed table cloth just doesn't make any sense is that, if someone spills something on it, it needs to be cared for. Most printing on these table cloths simply does not stand up to one wash, much less repeated washing. The print will fade, peel, or disintegrate, leaving a tattered, tired, or non-existent logo for the next time around. That's not something you want out in front. With a table runner, on the other hand, the vinyl won't be soaking up anything and the graphic wipeable. It's soon clean, leaving the plain table cloth to be laundered without worry.
The use of table cloths is pretty limited when you think about it. They are made to cover a table and that is it. Their shape (especially the shape of fitted table cloths) makes them unsuitable for any other purpose. Table runners, however, can be used a few different ways. They can run down a table lengthwise, too. They can be draped over a bar as a hanging banner, or have a different logo or graphic printed on the other end to represent a separate organization for different events.
Print quality of table runners is one of the biggest differentiating factors. It is simply impossible to print graphics on a fabric as clearly as they can be printed on a vinyl, and there is no limit to the number of colors that can be used. It be a simple white outline, and you won't get charged more for 2-color or 3-color or 10-color, either. A crisp, clear graphic will represent your organization more proudly, and it will last longer, too.
