Design & Price: 3D sign for a bakery

In every issue, SignCraft gave a few sign makers an imaginary project. We asked them to do a sketch of the sign they might have produced, and to quote a price for the job. Most of the details were left to the designer’s imagination. The object was to see how different sign makers approach the same project. Here’s the scenario these sign makers were given:

A pastry chef is getting ready to open her own bakery in a busy downtown district; her shop is located in a brick storefront between a jewelry store and a women’s clothing shop. Her only sign will be a 2-by-3-ft. wall-mounted dimensional sign, and she is hoping that you can put together artwork that she can use in advertising and on aprons and T-shirts. She asks if you can put together a design and color scheme that is very different from the Starbucks down the street.

This appeared in the September/October 2014 issue of SignCraft. While the prices have been adjusted for inflation as of 2025, they may not accurately reflect current pricing for such signage.

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Sean Beauchamp

Southpaw Sign Company, Oceano, California

For a project like this, we would collect a $750 sketch deposit to begin working on the logo/sign design. We would estimate a logo package for signage at $2000.

Once the design is chosen, we would offer a few price options for the sign, giving the customer a chance to find that balance between budget and style.

Option 1 would be a carved sign that incorporates dimensional letters, embossed outlines, shaped images, gold leaf, etc. This option would cost around $4100 plus tax and installation.

Option 2 would be a few layers of flat material (aluminum composite/overlaid plywood) with digital prints to give a mid-range option. This option would cost around $1250 plus tax and installation.

Option 3 would be the economical option of digital print on a flat substrate. It’s quick and easy for just $500 plus tax and installation.

 

 

Gary Anderson

Bloomington Design, Bloomington, Indiana

Megan’s is carved high-density urethane board and sits on a cutout outline panel. The muffins/cupcake ring is routed PVC with raised letters. Behind that is another level of PVC with the color bands.

The muffin is carved from HDU in full relief and sits above all the rest, so the sign is probably about 8-in. thick. I would do the logo the same, but without the color bands hanging below the circle. The store hours would be applied to the door.

The 2-by-3-ft. sign would sell for $3395. The logo is $550 since it is essentially the same artwork.

 

Michael Keene

Woodcraft Sign Shoppe, Chester, Virginia

With the customer stating that she wants a logo to use later for advertising, I spent more time on this design than usual. But she seems to value advertising, so I also put a little more labor time into the carved sign face.

As far as the sign design goes, with the dimensions being just 3-by-2-ft., I thought it was most important to make the main copy as large as possible. I spanned almost the entire 3-ft. width with the main heading. I also chose a vintage font and an earthy color combination that I think the client would appreciate. I thought those warm muffins in a basket would help convey a “fresh baked” feeling.

The sign would be constructed of three layers of routed, carved and airbrushed HDU and PVC. I would price it based on labor and materials plus markup.

Installation and permits would be additional.

 

John Liptak

Liptak Signs, Portsmouth, Rhode Island

While checking my email, I notice one from someone who is opening up a bakery. She has a brick storefront and a business on each side of hers. She needs something to really pop off the building and capture the attention of passersby. It shouldn’t be a problem to show her that she needs 23K gold leaf finished raised letters and carved raised muffins.

She needs design work, so I direct her to my website. She likes what she sees and comes by the shop to discuss the project. I do a few quick pencil sketches to make sure we’re on the same page, then collect a deposit of $200, which I explain will be credited back to her if she buys the sign.

I explain that I will provide her with the logo files on a flash drive in various formats that can be used to do her t-shirts, aprons, etc. My minimum for a logo is $340, and that is included in my design time charge below.

I would use Extira Treated Exterior Panels [for this sign, and carve the muffins from 15-lb. high-density urethane board. The sign would be cut to shape and the letters v-carved on my 4-by-8 ShopBot PSR CNC router .

I think putting the hours on the sign would be a little too much, so we would do that in white vinyl on her door. I would throw that in—maybe for a muffin!

Option 1 would be a carved sign that incorporates dimensional letters, embossed outlines, shaped images, gold leaf, etc. This option would cost around $4074 plus tax and installation.

Option 2 would be a few layers of flat material (aluminum composite/overlaid plywood) with digital prints to give a mid-range option. This option would cost around $1222 plus tax and installation.

Option 3 would be the economical option of digital print on a flat substrate. It’s quick and easy for just $509 plus tax and installation.