By Mike Jackson
Posted on Monday, August 19th, 2024
Back in the day—before the Internet—a few leading-edge sign shop owners created posters to help advertise their creations. The ’70s and ’80s were well before desktop publishing software and on-demand color printing, so producing a few hundred full-color posters would have been expensive.
Over the years, I managed to collect a few of them by attending Letterheads meetings and related get-togethers. As you can see, they have push pin holes in the corners, are a bit tattered and dirty, but are great examples of a point in time many of us traveled through.
As cool and sentimental as the posters are to me now, I have to wonder who the sign companies gave them to? Somehow, I doubt most customers would put one on their wall unless one of their signs were displayed on the poster. Similarly, I doubt the sign company brought one with them when trying to make a sale. A well-done portfolio might have served them better.
Interestingly, the posters were in high demand by other sign makers. I had heard about the nifty posters of Walter Methner’s, who worked out of Newport Beach, California. Walter gave me one in the mid-’80s. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the poster was printed in 1971. I have been told over the years that Walter was the “father of sandblasted signs.” I believe a few other companies may have been doing the process longer, but either way, he certainly pioneered the look along California’s coastline.
Walter told me he made one huge mistake on his poster. He put all of his company information in a block at the top of the page. Other sign companies were cutting the top section off and putting them on the walls of their shop.
Still, Walter’s poster is my sentimental favorite! It is loaded with a wide variety of creative looks and styles.
In the late ’70s, I saw my first sandblasted signs in Aspen, Colorado. They were intriguing. I also spent time taking photos of sandblasted signs in Denver. I learned that quite a few of them were created by Rustic Signs on Colfax Ave. Of course, I went there and met Rick Flores. Rick was quite informative and gave me one of his 1975 posters.
Letterheads meetings in the mid-’80s were great opportunities to meet outstanding sign makers. Paul White, from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, gave me a poster, along with Michael Lajeunesse from Quebec, Canada. Their signs are timeless!
Here we are in 2024! The Internet—with Facebook, Instagram and company business web pages—might be considered today’s “digital poster.” The Internet is fluid. Shops can add photos, delete photos, and add or change copy with only a few clicks.
Even though times have changed, you might find ways of using printed posters to your advantage. Layout, using programs like Illustrator and InDesign, is “mess free.” Turnaround is quick, and you don’t have to make large orders. Print a dozen and see how effective they might be. Make a few changes and order more! Turnaround time is often only a couple of days. Although the per-piece price might seem high, overall, the upfront costs would be less than having to order several hundred prints.
Mike and Darla Jackson operate Golden Studios in Loveland, Colorado, and do a variety of sign-related projects. Mike’s website is www.goldenstudios.com. His email address is golden@goldenstudios.com. You can see more of Mike’s photos at www.tetonimages.com and www.goldenstudios.com.
