Articles

Readers want to know: “How do you set up to apply lettering above the windshield on a tall Ford Transit van? “I have… Read More

Very often the customer who arrives at a sign company needs more than just a sign. They may need a logo design and… Read More

Training new owners, sales staff and employees led me to evaluate the process of selling a sign. To help them know what to… Read More

Here are some brief design principles that you can use to double-check your layouts. This list is not intended to be all-inclusive but… Read More

 Mike Jackson wrote this article for the September/October 1995 issue of SignCraft—almost 30 years ago. Now retired, Mike and Darla were running a… Read More

Some signs do their job, but sadly, a great many fall short. It matters little whether they are big illuminated displays, gilded 3D… Read More

Here’s another simple method that I use to install a sign on a wall. I often work alone, so it is especially helpful… Read More

Sometimes a customer loves the look of your custom 3D signs for their storefront but their budget may be more in line with… Read More

Readers want to know: “What’s the cause of this digital print peeling off the ACM panel after being outdoors for just over a… Read More

Most of the wholesale digital printing companies prefer to get a PDF with the fonts converted to curves. This helps ensure that the… Read More

I stick my tools—X-Acto knives, razor blades, etc.—in a scrap of HDU board on my weeding table. It saves time because they’re always… Read More

My philosophy is “why carve and make stuff if it is already available?” Ornamental iron is a great example. These signs use ornamental… Read More

Sign kit, brush box, sign box—call it what you will, but it’s still an essential tool for the sign painter. A well-stocked kit… Read More

When you flip through the online portfolio of the work of RT Signs [Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada], you can’t help but be struck by… Read More

In most cases, brush strokes do not show up in a newly lettered sign. But over the years, the rays of the sun… Read More

This project was done for my friends down at Monterey Signs. The client had provided a drawing of their logo and wanted a… Read More

Maker Spaces, Art Labs, and Creator Spaces dot cities across the United States. Those are just a few of the names for facilities… Read More

Almost every sign sale begins with a conversation between the customer and the sign maker. In that conversation—and every subsequent one—you are laying… Read More

Many years ago, an elderly sign painter showed me how to fold a paint cup or box that holds your paint while lettering…. Read More

Ten years ago, Troy Koskiniemi downsized radically—from a 7000-sq.-ft. shop to the 1000-sq.-ft. garage at his and his wife Susan’s home because a… Read More