Bored with solid backgrounds? Perforate ’em!
There are a lot of signs out there made with cut-out letters on a flat panel. The dimension of the letters always looks… Read More
signcraft
Not exactly signs—or are they?
When he sent SignCraft photos of some of his recent projects, James Dobson [Albury, New South Wales, Australia] included a few things that… Read More
Cover photo: Garage – Franklin & South Manchester Railroad
If you’ve seen photos of busy US cities in the 1930s, you know that there were plenty of signs—on shopfronts, walls, vehicles and… Read More
Putting it together: People’s Linen Service
Stepping outside the commonplace is a sure way to catch the sign viewer’s eye. Peter Poanessa, Keene Signworx, Swanzey, New Hampshire, does this… Read More
Cover photo: Barkman Gravel and Landscaping – RT Signs
Sometimes a customer loves the look of custom 3D signs for their storefront but their budget isn’t quite there. That’s when a cutout… Read More
James Dobson: A dozen cool sign projects
James Dobson has always worn a lot of hats—sign maker, innovator, inventor, all-around graphics person and more. He and his sign work were… Read More
Cover photo: Pizza – Rob Cooper
Pizza is a worldwide favorite, and pizza shops can be found almost everywhere. They especially abound in tourist areas like Koh Tao, Thailand,… Read More
An easy way to sell the design first
For many service businesses, their truck lettering is their primary advertising—may be their only advertising. But Rich Dombey [Rich Designs Inc., Hillsborough, New… Read More
Knock out a Christmas window splash!
Traditionally, one easy way for a sign painter to pick up holiday cash was to paint Christmas window splashes all over town. It… Read More
Cover photo: Real Products Mfg. – David Showalter
Cover photo: Real Products Mfg. – David Showalter Cover photo: Real Products Mfg. – David Showalter “Lately, I’ve been using a lot of… Read More
Design & Price: Trailer graphics
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: Performance Diesel – Lane Walker
For many sign designers, the quick rough sketch is the fastest route to a closed sale. Doing a rough drawing in front of… Read More
Wraps, partial wraps and look-like-a-wraps
Vehicle wraps are a hot item—and a powerful tool in the hands of a good designer. With a wrap, you can create a… Read More
This jig makes sign and letter installation easier
They say necessity is the mother of invention, and necessity is what pushed Dayna Reed to put this jig together to speed the… Read More
Cover photo: Monk Heating and AC – Braun Bleamer
A well-designed full wrap can have a lot of impact, but it isn’t the only option—or always the best solution. Braun Bleamer does… Read More
Case study – Negative space at work
Whomever said “a picture is worth a thousand words” may well have been talking about the concept of negative space. The concept of… Read More
Cover photo: SRS Trucking – Brian Schofield
Few people really want to buy vehicle lettering. For most it’s just a necessity to have something on their truck. Until, that is,… Read More
Making a faux stone monument base
An effective custom sign relies on its unique look to catch the viewer’s eye long enough for two critical tasks: To deliver its… Read More
Cover photo: Candlelight Bed and Breakfast – David Showalter
“Design is everything,” says David Showalter, David Design, Bryan, Ohio. “It’s what makes a sign work.” To make sure his layouts do their… Read More
Shop Trucks revisited: 2003 to 2005
This is the third in our series of articles recapping some of the shop vehicles we featured in SignCraft starting in 1981. If… Read More
