Articles

Not enough budget for 3D? Cut it out!

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

Q&A: Why is this digital print peeling?

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

Digital print problems? Try this easy fix!

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

Make weeding vinyl easier

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

Ornamental iron is a natural with 3D signage

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

Six cool sign kits

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

Making simplicity work

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

The brushstrokes of a ghost sign show the signpainter at work

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

A low-tech 3D sign with a faux wood border

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

Worth a look: Maker Spaces!

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

7 tips for selling your work successfully

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

Three classic signpainting tips

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

Troy Koskiniemi: Monuments and more in the Northwest

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

Make HDU board look like quarter-sawn wood

Here’s my method for creating a faux wood finish on HDU board that makes it look like the face of a sign panel… Read More

A banner still packs a lot of advertising value

Back before sign ordinances limited their usage in many communities, banners were a very popular low-cost, high-impact form of advertising for small businesses…. Read More

Bob Parsons: May 2023

When James drove the company’s crane truck on to the scale with a load of signs on board, he was told he was… Read More

A clean, organized shop makes sales easier

There are obvious benefits to keeping your shop organized. When you need something, you know where to find it—if you put it back… Read More

Inbox – May 2023

Australian Letterheads, a 3D printed model sand rail and the Quebec sign museum project…   28th Annual Australian Letterheads—October 13–15, 2023 The Australian Letterheads’… Read More

Classy, formal, decorative — script fonts have a look all their own

Ah, script fonts—the fancy, curly-haired cousin of the font world. These fonts are like the divas of the design world, demanding attention and… Read More

Wall signs were once a part of every cityscape

In early days, buildings in many of the large cities were made of bricks. Much like the brick house in the children’s story… Read More