Phillip Newell: From sign maker to full-time designer
By signcraft
Posted on Monday, December 12th, 2022

Designing cool signs—make that “effective cool signs”—has always been the draw for Phillip Newell. Now 46, he has spent the last 20-plus years creating signs and logos to help small businesses get their message across, whether it was a quick banner or a new brand complete with vehicle wraps.
“I was really fortunate to fall into the sign business,” Phillip says. “My only regret is that I didn’t find it right when I got out of high school. I wish I had got into it earlier. It’s a unique business because you got to design the sign then make it yourself. And if you enjoy design, you get to do that almost every day—unless you’re spending the day printing shirts or installing signs.”
Phillip had gone to tech school for graphic design but ended up doing other types of work for a few years after school. At one point he had a carpet cleaning business which he sold, but continued to work for the new owner. They decided to get new lettering for their vans, so Phillip stopped by a few sign shops.