Articles

Cover photo: Strawberry Patch – James Dobson

Sometimes you just need a little inspiration to jump start your next design project. You’ll find plenty of that here in this Signs… Read More

Cover photo: Deadwood Gift Shop – Tim Peterson

For over 30 years, Tim Peterson has created beautiful, highly effective signs in and around Deadwood, South Dakota. His work, mostly 3D signs,… Read More

Cover photo: S&S General Contracting – Bob Behounek

The lowly ampersand usually does its job quietly and somewhat boringly, standing in for the word “and” between two words or letters. Bob… Read More

Put the real thing on their sign

In the days before most everyone could read, the sign maker’s task usually included adding an image to a sign that represented what… Read More

Hand-lettered signs bring a restaurant interior to life

Beautiful hand-painted signs—like good food—are uniquely appealing because they’re handmade. There’s something that just “feels good” about them that connects with those who… Read More

Cover photo: Drywall Crack Attack – RT Signs

If a logo includes a graphic, you’ll usually find it above or beside the main copy. But one cool way to surprise the… Read More

Tuck the graphic 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

Back in time: Vintage sign shop posters

Back in the day—before the Internet—a few leading-edge sign shop owners created posters to help advertise their creations. The ’70s and ’80s were… Read More

Cover photo: The Fabric Center – Ray and Rose Grossi

What is it about a wall sign that makes us look twice? Maybe that it’s big or unexpected or “How did someone paint… Read More

Tips & Tricks: Tile small signs when outsourcing digital printing

It’s tempting to just upload files for several small decals to be print and cut, then specify that you want 4 or 10… Read More

Cover photo: CK Weed Control – Mark Yearwood

“Do you really need a graphic with the lettering?” answers that question in a big way. This sign by Mark Yearwood, Yearwood Design… Read More

Memories of a sign painting apprenticeship

After unexpectedly starting my own business in 1974 [see “Vintage beer labels hold loads of inspiration”], I went to Michigan State University, where, instead… Read More

Cover photo – Keystone Dirt Works – Braun Bleamer

Red trucks sure look great—but it sure can be hard to find colors that work well on red. It takes very light or… Read More

Profile: Mike Maslink

For over four decades, Mike Maslink has been providing signs, graphic design and promotional products to businesses in and around St. Catharines, Ontario,… Read More

Cover photo: DeCloet Farms – Randy Howe

“We all think sometimes how it would be great to be in a market where there was a big demand for high-end signage,”… Read More

The essential bench grinder setup

Sharpening and grinding are common tasks in most sign shops, so it makes sense to do that as quickly and easily as possible…. Read More

Cover photo: Saranac Lake – Laura Walker

Being a sign maker in a tourist area means that many customers are a little more concerned about their image. That means the… Read More

More before-and-afters from Rob Cooper

When it’s time to redo a sign, it’s a great opportunity to make it more effective. Rob Cooper, Koh Tao, Thailand, has repainted… Read More

Cover photo: Pearce Jewelers – Peter Poanessa

When Peter Poanessa showed how he fabricates great-looking but lightweight sign structures in “The Keene System: Fabricating strong, lightweight sign structures”, he opened… Read More

A blast from the past: Vintage sign shop photos

If you’re like us here at SignCraft, a photo of a sign shop or a sign painter at work from years ago always… Read More