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
signcraft
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
Cover photo: MJ Shisslak – Braun Bleamer
Customers often want a list of services that they offer on their sign, or worse yet, on their truck—which will be on busy… Read More
Design & Price: Storefront window 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
Putting it together: MGVG Apartments monument sign
There’s a lot to learn from a behind-the-scenes look at how a sign project came together. How the sign was built, what materials… Read More
Cover photo: Tiny Town – John Deaton
In a recent article on sign layout, Joe Jarreau, Jarreau Signs, Chino Hills, California, said, “If you want to improve your layouts, you… Read More
Does it pass the squint test?
You don’t need to analyze Rob Cooper’s signs for very long to realize that he is a master at the use of contrast…. Read More
Cover photo – Newcomer Farms– David Showalter
Fifty years ago, David Showalter got his start in sign painting. In the years that followed, David painted signs in and around his… Read More
