A scrolling billboard shows several printed advertisements on one face by moving a long belt of posters across a frame. At set intervals the belt advances, and the next advertisement slides into view, then holds still until the next change.
It is a mechanical way to give one position to several campaigns without using screens. Scrolling faces suit sites where the traffic is slow or stopped, where the message has time to be read, and where an advertiser wants movement without an LED display.
Typical specifications
- Faceframed window with a belt of printed posters advancing at set intervals
- Face sizeschosen to suit the site, for example 6 m x 3 m for urban positions
- Mechanismmotor-driven rollers with belt tensioning and tracking
- Artworkseveral advertisements joined into one belt in a set order
- Housingweather-sealed box with access doors for adjustment and repair
- Lightingfront-lit or back-lit options, mains or solar powered
- Controlschange interval and hold time set within authority conditions
How scrolling works
The frame contains a roller at each end and a continuous belt of printed material that runs between them. A motor turns the rollers to advance the belt, and the frame holds the poster flat across the visible window. Typical scrolling faces carry several different messages, shown one after another.
The belt, rollers and motor must run in step, and the belt must stay tight and tracked. We build the frame to keep rollers aligned, and with access doors for adjustment and repair.
Posters and artwork
Each advertisement is printed on strong flexible material and joined into a belt in a set order. Artwork must be built to the exact face proportions with safe margins, because the edge of each message sits close to the next. Our design team prepares files for this format, and skin printing produces the belt.
When campaigns change, belts are removed and replaced by our flighting crews, who thread the new belt, tension it and test the scroll before leaving.
Scrolling compared with other formats
Choose scrolling when you want several messages without the cost and approval complexity of an LED screen. It cannot match digital for flexibility, as changing content means changing the printed belt, but it shows more than one advertiser in a single position. Compare tri-vision billboards, which rotate prisms instead of a belt, and LED billboards for fully digital content.
Where scrolling faces are used
Scrolling billboards work well in these settings:
- Signalised city intersections where traffic waits
- Mall and retail centre frontages and parking approaches
- Bus and taxi ranks and transport nodes
- Garage forecourts and roadside service stops
- Business districts with steady pedestrian flow
Structure, power and approvals
The scrolling box is heavier than a static face and has to be protected from rain and dust. It can be mounted on a pole, wall or fabricated frame, with engineering design and sign-off as the structure and site require. Power comes from the mains or from solar, sized to the motor and lighting.
Moving advertising is scrutinised by authorities, particularly near roads. The approving authority may restrict change intervals, positions and operating hours. We assist with applications, and approval rests with the authority. Our maintenance crews service belts, motors and seals on a schedule.
What to send us for a quote
Send the site address, photographs of the proposed position, the face size you have in mind and the number of advertisements the belt should carry. Tell us how traffic or foot flow moves past the site, since that decides how long each message should hold.
We will confirm the structure, belt design and power arrangement on your quotation, and advise whether scrolling, tri-vision or a digital face best suits the position.
If you already have posters, tell us their dimensions and how many there are. The belt length, roller size and housing are all set by those numbers, and adding or removing a message later may mean building a new belt from scratch.
Options
At a glance
Scrolling billboards present several printed advertisements on a single face by moving a belt of posters across a framed window. Billboards Africa fabricates the housing and mechanism, designs and prints the belt, and flights and maintains scrolling billboards at intersections, retail centres, transport nodes and forecourts in Johannesburg, Sandton, Pretoria, Midrand, Durban, Cape Town and other South African cities, as well as across Southern Africa by arrangement. A scrolling billboard gives movement and multiple messages without the cost and approval complexity of an LED screen.
Every scrolling billboard depends on correct belt tension, roller alignment and a reliable motor, so we build access doors into the frame for adjustment and repair and seal the box against rain and dust. Mains or solar power can run the motor and lighting. The approving authority may restrict change intervals, positions and operating hours, and we assist with municipal and roads authority applications, though approval rests with the authority. Use the quote form to send your site details, or ask about scrolling space on available sites.
Common questions
How many advertisements can a scrolling billboard show?
Several, one after another. The number depends on the belt length and face design, and is confirmed on your quotation.
How do I change my advertisement?
The printed belt is replaced by our flighting crews, who thread the new belt, tension it and test the scroll.
Is scrolling cheaper than LED?
It avoids the cost of a screen, but pricing depends on the structure, site and approvals. We confirm costs on your quotation.
Are there rules for moving billboards?
The approving authority may restrict change intervals, siting and operating hours. We assist with applications, but approval rests with the authority.
What if the belt jams or tears?
Our maintenance team inspects and repairs belts, rollers and motors, and can re-track or replace the belt.
Can scrolling billboards be lit?
Yes, front-lit or back-lit, on mains or solar power. Brightness and operating hours may be limited by the approving authority.
