Free Ad Banner Creation Tools

The easiest way to make a banner is to use an online tool that will create simple banner ads for you for free. These typically give you a choice of background templates and let you add your own text. You can save the finished result to your hard drive for uploading to your Web site. Some of the free banner generators offer you more options than others, such as control over the font and more specific placement of the text.

Some free banner tools add a line of text to your finished banner promoting their service. Although it makes sense from their perspective, it detracts substantially from the value the banner has to you. To get rid of the promo text you have to - you guessed it - pay a fee. But there are still tools that don't follow this practice, so you'll want to try them first.

The most common banner size is 468 pixels wide by 60 pixels in height. If you intend to use a banner exchange program or plan to run your banners on other sites, it's critical that you adhere to this standard. There's a standard for button size too - 88 pixels wide by 31 pixels high. Make sure any tool you choose generates banners meeting these requirements.

You can also create banners using almost any graphics program. A simple text banner can be created in a matter of minutes (read how). More complex banners with animation will take a bit longer.