Articles

Logo design for truck wraps

Nearly all of our truck wrap designs first involve a brand redesign or building one from scratch. The nice thing about that is… Read More

The magic of three-tier pricing

Mike’s approach has helped sign people boost profits for over three decades Thirty-two years ago, Mike Jackson wrote an article, “Price your work… Read More

A landmark sign for a pet hospital

Not long ago, a veterinarian from a neighboring town dropped by our shop. She wanted to rebrand her business with one of our… Read More

What’s it cost to produce this 23-by-32-in. sandblasted sign?

Materials: Allwood western red cedar sign blank: $130 Sandblast mask: $45 Paint: $30 Total materials: $205 Labor: Design: 20 minutes Cut panel to… Read More

Design Clinic: 4-by-12-ft. fascia sign for a salon

When the phone rings with prospective work, most of us are interested to help in any way possible. That’s the nature of the… Read More

Profile: Dennis Stanworth

Shop name: Stanworth Signs Shop size: 600 sq. ft. Age: 53 Graphics equipment: Roland GR540 plotter Online: www.stanworthsign.com While many sign business owners… Read More

Design & Price: 3D sign for a law office

In every issue, SignCraft gives a few sign makers an imaginary project. We ask them to do a sketch of the sign they… Read More

Designer at work: David Hassan

With roots in Colonial times and classic maritime signs and graphics, Cohasset, Massachusetts, has a rich history of carved graphics. Decades ago, it… Read More

Profile: Judy Grossman

Shop name: JG Designs Shop size: 1500 sq. ft. Age: 68 Graphics equipment: Ioline Studio 8 plotter Wacom Intuos 4 tablet CorelDRAW X8… Read More

Letters

Mike Fast, 1940–2018 Mike Fast of Andrew Mack & Son Brush Co. died September 29, 2018. Those who bought brushes from Mike or… Read More

Shop Trucks

Send us a photo of your shop truck today at signcraft@signcraft.com or to SignCraft, P.O. Box 60031, Fort Myers, FL 33906. Read this… Read More

Tips & Tricks

Less is more: Use before-and-afters to sell signs Although retired from Corporate Image of Illinois, the architectural design and consultation firm I established… Read More

Effective wrap design gets more important every day

In the early days of wraps, almost every wrap turned heads, simply because they looked radically different than conventional truck lettering. But over… Read More

Profile: Peter Blackman

Shop name: Blackman Designs Shop size: 900 sq. ft. Staff: 2 Age: 66 Graphics equipment: Roland VS-540 printer/cutter Royal Sovereign laminator Online: www.blackmandesigns.com… Read More

Small signs, big messages

I do a lot of small signs, either secondary informational signs or just those that are limited by the space or the use…. Read More

Learning to hand letter for the second time

Nine years ago, I acquired myself a brain injury. In hindsight, I’d much prefer to have acquired a boat or small vacation home… Read More

Plain talk about getting deposits

Really, it’s simple. If someone asks you to do work for them, you should expect to be paid for your time. Call a… Read More

Sell the subtle aspects of branding

One of many lessons I’ve learned from visiting Disney theme parks is the importance of branding, which is the way a business creates… Read More

Signs deliver powerful first impressions

When it comes to making a good first impression, nothing compares to the impact a great sign or truck wrap can make. It… Read More

What’s it cost to produce this 72-by-44-in. overlaid plywood sign?

Materials: One sheet of ½-in. overlaid plywood: $60 Cutting charge: $25 White Oracal 751 film, 24-by-10-in.: $20 Digital prints: $10 Application tape: $6… Read More