Cover photo: Stor-All Warehouses – Chester Cunningham
Back in the late 1970s and early ’80s, you couldn’t talk about sign design in a sign shop for very long before Chester… Read More
signcraft
Shop Trucks revisited: 1981 to 1997
In 1980, during SignCraft magazine’s first year, we began inviting sign people to send photos of their best piece of advertising: their shop… Read More
Cover photo: The Bake Shop – Adam Straus
Sometimes a high school job can lead you to a lifelong career. That’s how it worked for Adam Straus, whose high school co-op… Read More
Inlines can energize a layout
When Lane Walker [Solo Signs, Reno, Nevada] wants to add a little extra sizzle to a sign layout, he sometimes adds very fine… Read More
Cover photo – Schnitzels – Noëlla Cotnam
Cut-out letters can transform the building itself into a sign, turning the building into the background. Individual letters are a popular way to… Read More
Design & Price: Graphics for pair of tow trucks
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
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
Cover photo: Fortified Tattoo – Alex Kurakake
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
Same words, same shape, same colors—but much more impact
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
Putting it together: DeBerardini Heavy Haul truck
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
Cover photo: Twist – David Hassan
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
Who says the graphics have to stay inside the panel?
“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
Cover photo: The Quarterdeck Restaurant – Vince Brodeur
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
Celebrating 50 years of the Letterheads
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
Cover photo: Steakout Saloon – Dan Seese
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
Put the power of 3D to work
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
7 sign fonts with a classic look
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
Cover photo: Trustworthy Fire Safety – Phillip Newell
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
Putting it together: Reimer Honey Farm monument sign
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
Cover photo: Red Oaks – David Hassan
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
