Profile: Alex Kurakake
Shop name: Smart Alex Signs Age: 29 Shop size: 1000 sq. ft. Online: https://smartalexsigns.com/ Instagram: @smart_alex_signs When Alex walked into Los Angeles Trade… Read More
signcraft
Step by step: Making a replica of a vintage glass sign
A few years ago, the local public library contacted Duncan Wilkie of Comsign in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. While going through their vault, they… Read More
Tips & Tricks: A background outline adds to the 3D effect
Flat letters and graphics look great on CNC carved or textured backgrounds but adding CNC cut letters over the base letter can really… Read More
Put a curve on that monument
One of the factors that contribute to a sign failing to draw the reader’s eye is visual monotony. And since most signs are… Read More
Profile: Richard Flint
Shop name: Flint SignsShop size: Approx. 1000 sq. ft. Age: 65 Graphics equipment: FlexiSign Pro software 24-in. Gerber Plotters Chisels and quality lettering… Read More
Step-by-step: Building monument cabinet signs
Have you ever had a customer who wanted more than a 4-by-8-ft. plywood sign mounted to a couple posts, but didn’t have the… Read More
Profile: Cam Sauder
It wasn’t long after Ray Sauder opened Raynbow Signs [Palmerston, Ontario, Canada] in 1993 that his younger brother Cam started helping out around… Read More
Step-by-step: 3D sign for across the pond
A while back, our friend Peter McCullen, see profile, sent us photos of a collaboration between him and Jeff Lang. Peter was in… Read More
Sign layouts seem weak? Doc Guthrie has a solution.
Doc Guthrie: A basic approach to sign layout In his first class with each group of new students in the Sign Graphics program… Read More
Signs We’ve Seen: October 2021
James Dobson, Revolution Signs & Graphics, Lake Macdonald, Queensland, Australia Nothing quite shows the difference that a new sign can make like… Read More
Moving beyond the flat sign
Flat signs are everywhere. High-end 3D signs and channel letters are out there, too. But in between is a level of dimension that… Read More
Danthonia Designs: 20 years of sign making
Twenty years ago this month Danthonia Designs sold their first handcrafted signs in Australia. In those early years, SignCraft featured articles with photos… Read More
Design & Price: Vehicle wrap for a VW Beetle
In every issue, SignCraft gives a few sign makers an imaginary project. We ask them to do a sketch of the sign they… Read More
Do you really need a graphic with the lettering?
Years ago, Chuck Donald, the Design Director for a cool magazine called Before & After, did an article on designing a “wordmark”—a logo… Read More
Letters: October 2021
Jay Szczoczarz: 1971—2021 Jason Scott (Jay “Z”) Szczoczarz, 50, of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, passed away following a brief illness on September 16, 2021. A… Read More
Tips & Tricks: Shop-built vinyl storage rack
We have several of these shop-built storage units for roll goods throughout our shop, including one directly behind our digital printer. We have… Read More
Tips & Tricks: Removing vinyl adhesive
Getting the old vinyl off a signboard or vehicle is only half the story. Removing the adhesive can be more of an issue…. Read More
Tim Peterson: The power of pictorials
In years past, many artists found their way into the sign business because painting signs was a practical application of their art and… Read More
Put the logo in a letter
That made for a catchy headline, but it really should say “Put the graphic in the letter.” Rather than using a separate image… Read More
Letters: September 2021
The Showcards Book by Mike Meyer Here’s the latest book from Sam Roberts and the folks at Better Letters: A collection of full-color… Read More
