Foamex Display Boards VS Solidcore Boards VS Posters

Foamex vs Solid Core vs Posters: Which One Should You Actually Use?

Choosing between Foamex boards, solid core boards and posters can feel like being asked to pick a favourite child… if your children were flat, rectangular and smelled faintly of UV ink.

If you’ve ever thought:

“Do I need a Foamex board for this… or is a poster enough… or do I need something more heavy-duty?”

This guide is for you.

We’ll break down what each material is best for, where they shine, and when you’re wasting money using the wrong one.

Meet the contenders 🥊

What is Foamex?

Foamex (also called foam board or foam PVC) is a lightweight, rigid board that prints beautifully and looks far more “serious” than a floppy poster.

At Rapid Print Pro, we typically use 5 mm and 10 mm Foamex for:

• Indoor signs & displays

• Event panels

• Retail point-of-sale boards

• Presentation boards

Think of Foamex as your indoor all-rounder: smart, rigid, professional, easy to mount and move around.

What is solid core?

Solid core boards are the tough kids of the signage world. Heavier, more rigid and much more weather-resistant than Foamex.

Use solid core when you need:

• Outdoor signage that will face wind, rain and random elbow bumps

• Long-term or permanent signs

• Building signs, wayfinding, exterior branding panels

If Foamex is your event-day hero, solid core is the long-term outdoor workhorse.

What about classic posters?

Posters are your lightweight option: quick, affordable and perfect when you don’t need the extra rigidity of a board.

Great for:

• Window posters

• In-store promos

• Short-term campaigns

• Sticking onto walls, doors or existing boards

If you’re going to pin it, tape it, blue-tack it or pop it into a frame, poster printing is usually all you need.

Foamex vs Solid Core vs Poster: Quick comparison

*Foamex can survive short outdoor stints, but for anything longer-term, solid core is the sensible choice.

When to choose Foamex

Pick Foamex boards when you want:

• A rigid, professional feel without going heavy-duty

• Clean, vibrant print quality

• Something you can mount with command strips, Velcro or screws

• A board that’s easy to reuse at future events

Perfect for:

• Exhibition panels and backdrops

• Retail shelf-edge signs and display boards

• Office wayfinding and meeting room signs

• Pop-up shops and indoor markets

If your sign lives indoors, Foamex is usually your best bang-for-buck.

When to choose solid core

Choose solid core when you want the sign equivalent of a small tank.

Ideal for:

• Shopfront signage

• External directional signs

• Car parks, estates, building sites

• Anything fixed outside and left for months or years

Solid core boards are:

• Weather-resistant

• More impact-resistant than Foamex

• Less likely to warp, bow or crack over time

If you’re drilling it to a wall and walking away for a long time, solid core is the answer.

When a poster is more than enough

Posters are perfect when:

• You’re running a short-term promotion

• You’re updating artwork regularly

• The print will be taped, pinned or framed

• You’ve already got a board, wall or window to attach it to

Why spend on a board if you’re just sticking it inside a poster frame, bus-stop style display or clip frame? A high-quality poster print will do the job beautifully.

Posters are also ideal when you need:

• Bulk prints for a campaign

• Quick turnarounds on a budget

• Lightweight prints to send between locations

Indoor vs outdoor: the simple rule

If you remember one thing from this blog, let it be this:

• Indoors:

  • Posters if it’s going on a wall, window or frame

  • Foamex if you want a rigid, standalone board

• Outdoors or long-term:

  • Solid core every time

Foamex is brilliant, but it’s still a foam-based board. British rain, wind and temperature swings will eventually win. For serious outdoor signage, solid core just lasts longer and looks better over time.

What about thickness: 5 mm vs 10 mm Foamex?

Once you’ve decided on Foamex, you’ve got two main options:

• 5 mm Foamex

  • Lightweight, easy to mount

  • Great for small to medium boards

  • Ideal for hanging signs, wall-mounted pieces and simple event graphics

• 10 mm Foamex

  • Thicker and more premium-looking

  • Better for larger boards where you want extra rigidity

  • Great when the board is more of a feature piece or will be handled often

If you’re not sure, 5 mm Foamex is usually the safe, cost-effective default for indoor signs.

Eco & finish considerations

At Rapid Print Pro, we:

• Print using high-quality UV or eco-conscious processes

• Offer stocks that are designed to look sharp, resist fading and stay flatter for longer

• Can advise on more sustainable options and best practices if you’re trying to reduce waste

If you’re switching between posters, Foamex and solid core across different campaigns, we can help you standardise sizes and specs so you’re not reinventing the wheel (or the wall) every time.

Still not sure? Tell us three things.

If you’re torn between Foamex, solid core and posters, send us:

1. Where it’s going (indoor, outdoor, window, wall, freestanding)

2. Rough size you need

3. How long it needs to last (one day event, a month, a year+)

We’ll come back with:

• The most sensible material

• A suggested thickness

• And a clear price for Foamex vs solid core vs posters, so you can decide what makes sense for your budget.

Ready to get something on the wall?

Whether you need Foamex boards for an exhibition, solid core for outdoor signage, or poster printing for a quick promo, Rapid Print Pro has you covered:

• Same day options in London (order cutoff dependent)

• Next day delivery across the UK

• Easy online ordering and artwork upload

• Real humans who will shout if something in your file looks wrong

Choose your weapon: Foamex, solid core or poster… and we’ll make it look ridiculously good