Dan Antonelli

Dan Antonelli owns KickCharge Creative (formerly Graphic D-Signs, Inc.) in Washington, New Jersey. His latest book, Building a Big Small Business Brand, joins his Logo Design for Small Business I and II. He can be reached at dan@kickcharge. com. Dan also offers consulting and business coaching services to sign companies. For more information, visit danantonelli.com. On Instagram: @danantonelli_kickcharge.

Proper shading enhances typography and improves legibility

I’m often amazed at certain uses of drop shadows that I see on logos and lettering jobs. So many seem to miss the… Read More

Effective advertising messages for signs and truck wraps

When designing art for large signs and truck wraps, it’s easy to get complacent in our creativity and simply go with a standard… Read More

5 rules for effective vehicle wraps

Bob Behounek did an excellent article on building more effective layouts for signs, “Clutter kills: 6 points for cleaner sign design.” He had… Read More

Winning tactics for closing the sale

Having worked with over 500 small business owners in the last 15 years, I’ve learned a lot about how most owners think when… Read More

Proper shading brings lettering to the forefront

I’m often amazed at certain uses of drop shadows that I see on logos and lettering jobs. So many seem to miss the… Read More

Design logos for both horizontal and vertical use

We’ve all seen examples of great logos that work well on a business card but fail miserably in the outdoor realm because of… Read More

You’re only immortal for a limited time

This February, at age 50, I found myself faced with a serious health issue. I learned I needed double bypass surgery for my… Read More

6 steps to a successful, creative brand

While getting to the finish line of any project is always rewarding, the process itself is always rather enjoyable as well. The idea… Read More

Looking back on my 25 years with SignCraft

It was with great sadness that I learned that this issue of SignCraft would be the last printed version produced. Although I knew… Read More

Making the most of initial-based brands

For most sign shops, company names that use initials can be the most challenging to build brands for. Many clients come to us… Read More

Use the brand to tell a story

We’ve always focused on a more brand-centric approach to wrap design, with the brands themselves playing such a large role in the wrap…. Read More

Marketing ideas for slow times

If I lay my cards on the table, the last several weeks certainly have been quite a rollercoaster, as I’m sure it’s been… Read More

Understanding foreground and background in wrap design

The role of foreground and background in wrap design is one of the most critical aspects in the difference between an effective design… Read More

Your customer’s brand deserves its own unique colors

Whenever we’re designing a new brand for a client, we’re always talking to them about the importance of owning their brand colors. I… Read More

The power of before-and-after

As designers and artistic people, I think it comes naturally for most of us to view the existing logos, signs and truck wraps… Read More

From Blanded to Branded: Don’t blend in. Stand out.

About nine months ago, an HVAC contractor in Jacksonville, Florida, reached out to us to discuss the idea of renaming and rebranding his… Read More

Effective design creates a powerful first impression

Recently, a new restaurant opened up near my office. It had been vacant for almost ten years, and people were very excited for… Read More

Adapting logos to vehicles

When you think about designing wraps for vehicles, it’s akin to putting a puzzle together—making sure all the elements fit together, and making… Read More

Logo design for truck wraps

Nearly all of our truck wrap designs first involve a brand redesign or building one from scratch. The nice thing about that is… Read More

Signs deliver powerful first impressions

When it comes to making a good first impression, nothing compares to the impact a great sign or truck wrap can make. It… Read More