Common Mistakes & Pitfalls to Avoid in Shell Scheme Graphic Design

When exhibiting at trade shows, a well-designed shell scheme stand can make a significant impact. It is often the first item customers notice, influencing their decision to visit your booth. However, many businesses make common mistakes with their shell scheme graphics. In this guide, we’ll highlight frequent pitfalls in exhibition printing and provide practical tips to avoid them. Whether you’re a first-time exhibitor or looking to enhance your current setup, this blog will help you maximise the effectiveness of your shell scheme design and attract more visitors to your booth.

Not Understanding the Structure of the Shell Scheme

One of the most common mistakes in shell scheme graphic design is not understanding the actual structure of the shell scheme panels. Many people assume that these panels form a smooth, flat wall – but that’s rarely the case.

Shell schemes are modular systems made up of vertical aluminium poles and panels. These poles divide the wall into sections and can interrupt your design if not accounted for. If your artwork doesn’t consider the breaks between panels, important text or images may end up hidden behind a pole or split awkwardly.

To avoid this, always ask for the correct panel sizes from the organiser and design your graphics with the panel layout in mind. Understanding the physical framework is the first step towards a clean and professional design.

Designing Without a Template or Visual Guide

Creating your design without an official template is like building a house without blueprints. Without a guide, it’s easy to misjudge proportions or misplace important design elements.

Event organisers usually provide artwork templates with exact panel dimensions and guidelines for bleed areas, safe zones, and gaps. Ignoring these templates often leads to vital content getting trimmed off or obscured.

Make it a rule to always request the official artwork specifications before starting your design. A clear template helps ensure your graphics fit perfectly and nothing important is lost in the printing or fitting process.

Overloading the Panels with Content

Your shell scheme is not a brochure. Filling every inch with text, logos, and images can make your booth look cluttered and hard to read from a distance. Visitors at exhibitions usually spend just a few seconds deciding whether to stop at your stand – this is where the "three-second rule" comes in.

If your graphics don’t immediately grab attention and clearly communicate who you are and what you do, people are likely to walk past.

Keep the headlines large and bold, the images clean, and the message straightforward. Make your design easy to understand in a glance. Your aim should be to spark interest, not to explain every detail.

Ignoring Viewing Distance and Eye Level

Another common pitfall is forgetting how people will view your stand. Exhibition visitors walk past at eye level, and your key messages need to be placed where they can be easily seen.

A mistake many exhibitors make is putting important content too low or too high on the panels. If your most important message is placed near the floor, people may not even notice it.

Instead, ensure your brand name, logo, and main call-to-action sit at eye level. You can use the lower part of your panels for supporting graphics or patterns, but keep your key messages front and centre.

Using Low-Resolution Images or Incorrect File Formats

Blurry, pixelated images and poor print quality are often the result of using low-resolution files. Unlike digital screens, exhibition printing requires high-resolution artwork to ensure clarity and sharpness.

To avoid disappointing results, make sure all images used in your shell scheme graphics are at least 300 dpi (dots per inch). Avoid using web images or screenshots, as they are usually low quality and not suitable for large format printing.

Also, use the correct file formats. High-quality vector files such as PDF, AI, or EPS are best. These formats can be scaled without losing resolution, and they’re preferred by most professional printers. Always make sure that the colour mode of your artwork is CMYK, which is used for printing, rather than RGB, which is used for digital screens.

Poor Use of Branding and Inconsistent Messaging

Your brand should seem to flow naturally from your shell strategy. However, some exhibitors mix different fonts, colours, and styles across their panels, leading to confusion and inconsistency.

Your stand should immediately communicate your brand identity. Stick to your brand guidelines and use the same fonts, colour palette, and visual tone across all graphics. Consistency builds trust and helps visitors remember you.

Make sure your key message aligns with your brand's voice and values. A clear, well-branded display will always outperform a stand that looks like a patchwork of different ideas.

Forgetting Practical Elements – Doors, Furniture & Lighting

It’s easy to get carried away with your design and forget about practical elements like doors, furniture, and lighting. Many exhibitors design beautiful panels only to find that a table blocks a key part of the message, or a light fitting creates an unwanted shadow.

Think about how your space will actually be used. Will you have a counter? Will there be a door to a storage area? Where will the lighting be positioned? All of these elements can affect how your graphics are seen.

Before finalising your design, create a mock-up or plan that includes these physical elements. That way, you can adjust your artwork to make sure it’s still effective in the real-world layout.

Not Testing the Visual Flow

Your shell scheme graphics may look great as individual panels, but do they work together as one connected design?

Some stands feel disjointed or mismatched because the panels don’t flow visually. Images might cut off awkwardly, colours might clash, or the story might get lost across the space.

To fix this, test your design as a whole. Use a mock-up tool or ask your designer for a 3D render to see how it will look when installed. This helps you check the overall impact and ensure the visuals flow smoothly from one panel to the next.

Tips: Getting It Right First Time

Here are a few extra tips to ensure a successful shell scheme design:

• Work with professionals who have experience in exhibition graphics and large format printing.
• Always proofread your content before sending it to print. Typos on printed panels can be embarrassing and costly to fix.
• Leave enough time for designing, printing, and delivery. Rushing often leads to mistakes.
• If possible, request a test print or proof to see how your colours and images will appear on the final material.

Conclusion

Designing shell scheme graphics may seem simple at first, but getting it right requires planning, attention to detail, and an understanding of how your stand will be used. By avoiding these common mistakes, you’ll be more likely to attract visitors, leave a lasting impression, and achieve your exhibition goals.

At Board Printing Company, we specialise in helping businesses bring their exhibition stands to life with professional design and high-quality exhibition printing. Whether you need help with artwork, printing, or installation, our team is here to ensure your next exhibition runs smoothly and successfully.