signcraft

Make these easy freestanding event signs

For David Showalter [David Design, Bryan, Ohio] the first sign of spring is when customers start calling about getting a “show sign” for… Read More

Cover photo: Norfolk Electric – Randy Howe

Many customers choose a generic name for their businesses, but by the time they arrive at your shop, it’s too late to suggest… Read More

Q&A: How to price a sign installation that has “what-ifs”?

A reader wants to know: “How do you price an installation when there are ‘what-ifs’ involved? Sometimes you can’t tell what you’ll run… Read More

Bob Whelan: Gold leaf fire trucks at 90 years old

Sometime in the early 1950s, Bob Whelan was a young man working in the county courthouse—doing “an old man’s job” as he calls… Read More

Cover photo: Arbor Landing – Mike Keene

  One way to keep production costs down on CNC-routed signs is to finish the panel before routing the letters. PVC board makes… Read More

Design & Price: 3-by-5-ft. dimensional sign

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

Cover photo: Sterling Vineyards – Jim Lago

    Time and time again sign people have told us of three things that make selling signs easier: samples on the showroom… Read More

Putting the design first

Most small businesses don’t have a cohesive image or brand. Yet more and more often, they have to compete with chains and franchises… Read More

Jason Nale: Balancing legibility and appeal

SignCraft first featured Jason Nale and his work in the May/June 2020 issue. Since then he’s moved to a slightly larger shop, just… Read More

Cover photo: All Trade Construction – Braun Bleamer

A customer may feel they can’t afford a custom 3-D sign, but that doesn’t mean they won’t stretch their budget for a custom… Read More

What’s it cost to produce this HDU hanging sign?

The wood-graining technique you see here is a quick and easy way to add extra dimension to signs on high-density urethane board. We… Read More

Restoring the Gorge View sign

I made this 3½-by-9-ft. single-faced sign for a small condominium in the early 1990s. It was one of the earliest signs that I… Read More

Cover photo: Thiemers Sip & Snip – Bob Behounek

When it comes to signage, nothing can look more cluttered than a stock car. There are loads of sponsors who pay to support… Read More

Cover photo: Bruce Janssen – Lake St. Market

The vacationers who come to kick back, enjoy the outdoors, eat out and shop, in a tourist area create a market for a… Read More

Cover photo: Hotel Cheval – Sean Beauchamp

Sean Beauchamp, Southpaw Sign Co., Oceana, California In sign design, most of the attention tends to get invested in the lettering and the… Read More

Cover photo: DeWeerd Poultry – Ray Sauder

“Signs We’ve Seen” has always been a catch-all feature in SignCraft—a mixed bag of signs that readers sent us or that someone has… Read More

Design & Price: Overlaid plywood sign

In every issue, SignCraft gave a few sign makers an imaginary project. We ask them to do a sketch of the sign they… Read More

Cover photo: Whifflet Street Tattoos – Ross Hastie

More than one sign painter can tell you the moment when, as a kid, they watched a sign painter at work. At that… Read More

From the sign business to vintage aircraft restoration

Dave Correll and Ann Meillier are no strangers to SignCraft readers. We first featured them and their shop, Brushwork, back in October of… Read More

Cover photo: Wm. Higgins Co. – Bob Behounek

One of the best ways to “get inside a sign designer’s head” is to ask them to explain what went into a particular… Read More