Sam Pitino: Painting signs and passing the craft along

Sam Pitino found himself back in the sign business unexpectedly in 2021. He was the creative director at an advertising agency where he… Read More
Sam Pitino found himself back in the sign business unexpectedly in 2021. He was the creative director at an advertising agency where he… Read More
It goes without saying that the primary message on a sign should be obvious. Make that “really obvious.” Bob Behounek likes to devote… Read More
A successful layout uses contrast to make sure the message is read in the proper order and that the sign is appealing to… Read More
Behind the photos you see on SignCraft.com there is always a back story: How did the layout come together? What did the customer… Read More
You don’t have to look very far these days to see the latest trend in graphic design. You’ll find very clean, very simple… Read More
“I hate to see a plain white rectangle,” says Greg Scott, GS Worx, New Philadelphia, Ohio. “It just seems that there’s so much… Read More
The cover story of the first issue of SignCraft back in 1980 was a feature on the signs of Sanibel Island, Florida, and… Read More
It began as seven young sign painters getting together to share what they were learning and to swap ideas in Denver in the… Read More
Dan Seese, Dan Seese Studios, Fort Collins, Colorado Looking for a quick idea for that next layout? It could be waiting for you… Read More
Affordable CNC routers have given sign shops one of the most affordable production tools to help them compete in today’s graphics market. CNC… Read More
So often, the right font makes the difference between a lively, appealing sign layout and the “just-another-sign look.” At the same time, going… Read More
Designing cool signs—make that “effective cool signs”—has always been the draw for Phillip Newell. He’s spent the last 20-plus years creating signs and… Read More
There are plenty of great ideas in the photos of outstanding signs on SignCraft.com. But what about the back story: How did the… Read More
Not every sign advertises a business, announces a sale or tells folks where to park. Some are nameplates for a residence, be it… Read More
In every issue, SignCraft gave a few sign makers an imaginary project. We asked them to do a sketch of the sign they… Read More
If you’re like most creative sign people, you’re always on the lookout for layout ideas, cool letter styles and interesting color combinations. Web… Read More
Lane Walker [Solo Signs, Reno, Nevada] lettered this showcard decades ago, but it’s a classic example of the beauty of simplicity—a one-color sign… Read More
One way to create a unified design is to let the elements bump or overlap each other. Sometimes it is simply the tail… Read More
Transparencies can be an easy way to sneak a logo or graphic into a sign without adding too much clutter—fish or coral for… Read More
There are loads of great ideas in the photos of outstanding signs on SignCraft.com. But what about the back story: How did the… Read More