Bob Whelan: Gold leaf fire trucks at 90 years old
Sometime in the early 1950s, Bob Whelan was a young man working in the county courthouse—doing “an old man’s job” as he calls… Read More
Articles
Cover photo: Arbor Landing – Mike Keene
One way to keep production costs down on CNC-routed signs is to finish the panel before routing the letters. PVC board makes… Read More
Fabricating the Heritage Family Dentistry signs
Recently, a new company bought a dentist’s office whose sign I had done several years ago. They were changing the name and wanted… Read More
Cover photo: Sterling Vineyards – Jim Lago
Time and time again sign people have told us of three things that make selling signs easier: samples on the showroom… Read More
Jason Nale: Balancing legibility and appeal
SignCraft first featured Jason Nale and his work in the May/June 2020 issue. Since then he’s moved to a slightly larger shop, just… Read More
Cover photo: All Trade Construction – Braun Bleamer
A customer may feel they can’t afford a custom 3-D sign, but that doesn’t mean they won’t stretch their budget for a custom… Read More
Restoring the Gorge View sign
I made this 3½-by-9-ft. single-faced sign for a small condominium in the early 1990s. It was one of the earliest signs that I… Read More
Cover photo: Thiemers Sip & Snip – Bob Behounek
When it comes to signage, nothing can look more cluttered than a stock car. There are loads of sponsors who pay to support… Read More
Putting it together: DHT Specialized Hauling
The photos of outstanding signs on SignCraft.com are loaded with ideas and inspiration. But what about the back story: How did the layout… Read More
Cover photo: Bruce Janssen – Lake St. Market
The vacationers who come to kick back, enjoy the outdoors, eat out and shop, in a tourist area create a market for a… Read More
Window-Doggin’ tips from an old dog
So ya’ wanna be a window splash artist? As a forty-year window splash and walldog veteran, I can tell you that it takes… Read More
Cover photo: Hotel Cheval – Sean Beauchamp
Sean Beauchamp, Southpaw Sign Co., Oceana, California In sign design, most of the attention tends to get invested in the lettering and the… Read More
Putting it together: Vintage Hair Design
The photos of outstanding signs on SignCraft.com are loaded with ideas and information, for sure. But what about the back story: How did… Read More
Cover photo: DeWeerd Poultry – Ray Sauder
“Signs We’ve Seen” has always been a catch-all feature in SignCraft—a mixed bag of signs that readers sent us or that someone has… Read More
Cover photo: Whifflet Street Tattoos – Ross Hastie
More than one sign painter can tell you the moment when, as a kid, they watched a sign painter at work. At that… Read More
Five steps to selling your signs successfully
If you want to succeed in the sign business, I believe you must help the customer quickly see the value they are really… Read More
From the sign business to vintage aircraft restoration
Dave Correll and Ann Meillier are no strangers to SignCraft readers. We first featured them and their shop, Brushwork, back in October of… Read More
Cover photo: Wm. Higgins Co. – Bob Behounek
One of the best ways to “get inside a sign designer’s head” is to ask them to explain what went into a particular… Read More
Sign making sans technology
Rob Cooper has no computer. Nothing is printed or routed; it’s either painted or carved. The technology involved in his sign work is… Read More
Cover photo: A&A Towing – Lane Walker
Nothing shows the difference that effective graphics can make like two simple photos: the before and the after. It doesn’t take a signmaker… Read More
