5 versatile, low-cost fonts for sign work
The right typeface can really bring a sign layout to life. Likewise, type that is boring, generic or hard to read at the… Read More
Articles
Q&A: Why is this perforated window film failing?
A reader wants to know: “In November 2023, we installed perforated vinyl with clear gloss laminate on the rear windows of a van…. Read More
Cover photo: Stiggs Brewery – Bruce Janssen
For nearly five decades, Bruce Janssen has been making custom signs for the resort towns around Lake Charlevoix in northern Michigan. His customers… Read More
Metal sculpture graphics are easy—and look great!
Many signs simply give the business name or their service to viewers. They provide the necessary identification. But a sign that uses creative… Read More
Cover photo: Farmhouse Inn – Jim Lago
Odds are most of your sign designs are for commercial businesses that need plenty of impact. But not every sign needs to shout—sometimes… Read More
5 tips for succeeding in the sign business
Working at a dozen shops over your career, as I have, has its benefits. You get to see good and bad examples of… Read More
Cover photo: Burgers R Us – RT Signs
Sign design can be challenging enough without creating problems for ourselves. Clients make demands, budgets are limited, deadlines are looming. Why make it… Read More
How to save a sign sale
We had a call the other day from a frustrated user who had lost a sale. The customer, who had a nearby business,… Read More
Cover photo: Tiki Room – Ray Kinman
In Ray Kinman’s shop, the sound of a 3-D sign coming together is not the high-pitched whine of the CNC router but rather… Read More
More idea-packed secondary signs
A few weeks ago, in “Secondary signs that deliver the message,” we shared almost two dozen secondary signs by Rob Cooper, Koh Tao,… Read More
Cover photo: Flood Gate Vineyard – Jim Lago
In the late 1970s, the wine industry began to explode in Northern California’s Sonoma Valley. Jim and Tami Lago moved their sign business… Read More
Mark Cheyne: Still sandblasting, still painting
For many sign makers, seeing a sandblasted sign was a turning point in their work and their business. It was for Mark Chenye,… Read More
Cover photo: Corazon Verde – Carlos Sánchez Acevedo
In a resort area like Cancun, Mexico, an interesting sign is essential for the tourist-related businesses that line the streets. The gift shops,… Read More
Lessons learned from 50-plus years in the sign business
I’ve bought and sold sign companies several times. They were small shops—never anything major. I have some thoughts on doing that, but we’ll… Read More
Cover photo: RA Auto Refinishing – Greg Scott
Ever catch yourself wondering, “What could I do on this sign design to keep it from being just another ordinary sign?” Good news:… Read More
Secondary signs that deliver the message
Primary signs—storefronts and freestanding signs—get a lot of attention in SignCraft, but many businesses also depend on smaller secondary signs to tell their… Read More
Cover photo: Chikaming Police – Doyle Rogers
Conservative estimates are that there are about 400,000 police vehicles nationwide—which is why you see so many of them on the… Read More
Through the eyes of a sign shop employee
I’ve hired a few people over the years, briefly as shop owner, several as production manager, but the vast majority of my 41… Read More
Cover photo: The Office – Tim Beyer
Succeeding (or even surviving!) in the sign business in a small town is challenging. The mindset of the market is different than in… Read More
What do others get to letter a semi cab?
Most sign shops do their share of basic, one-color truck lettering projects—just a company name and phone number in a pleasing layout. The… Read More
