Are you planning to attend a trade show, festival, or any other events soon? If yes, then you must have a custom canopy tent for your table, booth, or product display.
Beyond sheltering you from rain and sun, a custom tent serves as a powerful marketing tool. With printable logos, messages, and graphics, you can showcase your brand, product features, pricing, and more to attract customers effectively.
However, designing the perfect branded tent can be quite overwhelming for many business owners. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here are 8 expert tips to help you create a standout custom canopy tent that drives attention and boosts your brand visibility.
Define Your Event Goals First
Before jumping into design or ordering, start by clarifying what you want your canopy tent to achieve.
What type of event will you attend? A busy festival, a farmers market, or a corporate trade show?
What is your main goal? Are you aiming for maximum brand visibility, product display, customer interaction, or shelter from weather?
These answers shape every design decision ahead. If you’re attending a crowded trade show, your canopy tent should feature bold logos, high-contrast graphics, and clear messaging that is visible from a distance. If you’re selling products at a market, you’ll need full or half sidewalls with product images, pricing, or promotions. They offer privacy and a more defined space.
Choose the Right Tent
With your event goals clear, the next step is choosing the right tent size and materials. These choices set the foundation for your design and ensure your pop up canopy performs well in your specific environment.
1. Dimensions
There is no limitation on printing styles you can configure for your custom canopy tents. Westshade will rise to the challenge to meet your needs and build you your own custom-printed tent. Our tent printing process not only covers the canopy, but the side walls as well. Our easily foldable and portable custom pop-up tents will keep your logo on display wherever it needs to be.
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20’ x 10’View
Custom canopy tents come in several sizes: 10×10, 10×15, and 10×20, and more. It’s essential to know how much space you want or are allowed to take up before deciding which size is right for you. Trade shows and other events often allocate limited space to each supplier. Showing up with a huge tent that infringes on your neighbor’s allotted space is not only rude but also means you won’t be able to set up and display the tent you spent so much time and effort designing.
Also, consider how you’ll use the tent: how many tables or displays you need, and how accessories like walls, flags, and tablecloths fit together. Planning these elements helps you select the right tent size for a cohesive, functional setup.
2. Roof Material Selection
Canopy roofs made from high-density polyester fabric provide exceptional strength and durability. The “D” in polyester (denier) indicates fabric density—the higher the number, the more resilient and long-lasting the material. For events requiring extended use or demanding weather resistance, choosing polyester with a higher denier rating is crucial. This ensures superior waterproofing, UV protection, and flame retardancy.
We are proud that Westshade polyester 900D Oxford fabric is an ideal material for canopies and other outdoor cover structures. This material is specially treated to be UV-resistant and water-resistant, perfect for long-term use. Pairing polyester 900D Oxford fabric with UV printing is an excellent way to enrich the pattern and color of a tent, resulting in a more realistic and appealing product that exhibition merchants and global trade show
3. Canopy Tent Frame
Since some locations host outdoor events year-round, it is crucial to have a frame that is sturdy enough to endure the elements.
Although powder-coated steel frames are a popular choice for custom canopy tents, hexagonal anodized aluminum is a premium option that provides superior durability. Both frames are lightweight, easy to transport, and install, and exceptionally robust.
While a lightweight and attractive tent is undoubtedly desirable, it must also offer protection against the elements; otherwise, it may not be worth your investment.
All canopy tents can be height-adjusted, providing the flexibility to adapt to various indoor and outdoor environments. We also recommend investing in weight bags or ground peg hardware to keep your tent grounded on windy days. Regardless of the frame type you select, the wind will inevitably blow against your custom canopy tent when you’re outdoors. Don’t waste your time, money, and mood on extremely cheap custom-made tents.
Design Your Canopy Tent
From printing method to layout and color choices, every design detail should align with your brand and event goals.
4. Consider Printing Requirements
Your printing method impacts how faithfully your design appears on fabric. Popular methods include:
Dye-sublimation printing: Ideal for polyester fabric, this method infuses vibrant, fade-resistant colors into the material, resulting in a smooth, high-resolution finish that won’t crack or peel.
Digital printing: Best for large-format visuals or photographic designs, offering quick turnaround and strong color accuracy for impactful presentations.
Work with your tent provider’s design team to ensure your files meet resolution and color mode requirements. At Westshade, we take pride in utilizing state-of-the-art digital UV printers and large format printers to create custom canopies, flags, and sidewalls on any of our custom design lines with unparalleled speed and precision. With our cutting-edge technology, we are confident in delivering the highest quality prints to our clients.
5. Use Colors and Fonts
Color and typography play a key role in how your canopy tent communicates your brand. Stick to your brand’s primary color palette, but adapt it for visibility. High-contrast combinations like white on dark blue, or black on yellow, ensure your message stands out, even in bright sunlight or crowded venues.
When it comes to text, readable fonts are essential. Use clean, sans-serif typefaces with bold weights for headlines and short phrases. Avoid script or overly decorative styles. They may look good up close, but quickly lose impact at a distance or when printed on curved surfaces like tent valances or walls.
6. Plan Your Layout Strategically
Understanding your canopy tent design zones helps place your graphics where they’ll get the most attention.
Peak: Visible from a distance, perfect for bold logos or icons. Keep it simple and high contrast.
Valance: Eye-level for pedestrians—prime real estate for your brand name, website, or tagline. Repeat branding on all sides for maximum exposure.
Sidewalls: Great for product images, promotional messages, QR codes, or social media handles. Use this space to tell your brand story and engage visitors.
A simple way to check your design’s impact is to step back and do the “3-meter test”. If your branding is clear from that distance, you’re on the right track.
Practical Considerations and Accessories
Design is important, but how your custom pop up tent performs in real-world use matters just as much. Here are two essential elements that can impact your event day experience:
7. Easy Setup and Portability
Canopy tents are easy to set up, but a large tent may be more than one person can handle. Therefore, when purchasing a tent, be sure to consider the type of custom canopy tent you want to build yourself.
Another important portability factor to keep in mind is how much space your tent and accessories will take up in your vehicle. Ensure you have enough space to transport everything you need, including your booth setup, tables, products, and tent.
8. Additional Walls
Adding extra walls to your tent design can bring a world of benefits, including boosting brand awareness, creating more advertising space, and better conveying the message within your tent. Additionally, incorporating a full or half wall, or even two, can provide added protection from the rain, cold, wind, or direct sunlight, essential factors that should not be overlooked.
The half wall is an excellent choice for any business looking to draw attention to its area. Combining a full back wall with one or two half walls can further enhance brand recognition. Moreover, printing on the front and back of the walls allows you to capture the attention of potential customers, no matter which side of your tent they see first, giving you a competitive edge.
Conclusion
Investing in a custom-designed canopy tent is an excellent thing for any business. It announces to everyone around you who you are, what you do, and what goes on inside. As a bonus, your tent will also help build brand awareness as you attend more events. Soon, your growing base of loyal customers will start seeking out your booth by looking for your signature custom canopy design.
At Westshade, we pride ourselves on exceptional customer service and offer free professional design support to perfect your logos and graphics. Careful planning ensures your canopy seamlessly integrates with your products and overall brand image. For the best results, partner with an experienced printer like Westshade, specializing in high-quality, custom pop-up canopy tents that make your brand stand out. Contact us today for expert guidance and high-quality, tailor-made solutions.
