Articles

Rebuilding a customer’s logo

Often a customer comes in for a new sign or vehicle graphics but brings a logo that is showing its age or just… Read More

Cover photo: The Works – Peter Poanessa

Among all the flat sign panels along the street, a curved sign face really stands out. To take advantage of this, Peter Poanessa… Read More

1976: Wood signs of Aspen revisited

A 1976 trip from the Oklahoma flatlands to Colorado’s mountain towns resulted in a treasure trove of inspiration. I burned through dozens of… Read More

Cover photo: R.A. Guy Contracting – Brian Schofield

  Years ago, Brian Schofield and Karin Levin decided they wanted to avoid one of the pitfalls that plagues many sign businesses: Failure… Read More

Seelander and Swanson changed the course of sign design

One of the most influential sign companies in Chicago-style sign design was Seelander and Swanson. Created by a partnership of J. Marshall Seelander… Read More

Cover photo: All Points Towing – Lane Walker

As clear coats on vehicles became more impervious and lead was removed from lettering enamel, many sign painters began to experience problems with… Read More

Cover photo: Burgers, Wings & Things – Greg Scott

  You don’t have to scroll very far down Greg Scott’s Facebook page before you realize that this is not your ordinary sign… Read More

Give the main message the space it deserves

Ever wonder why some signs have so much more impact than most of the others? It’s because the designer used basic design principles… Read More

Q&A: How do I sell my sign business?

A reader wants to know: “How do I sell my sign business?” Sooner or later, every shop owner is ready to retire or… Read More

Download Tom Hutchinson’s “Stroganoff” font for FREE!

In SignCraft‘s very early years, we learned of Tom Hutchinson, a Toronto-based showcard writer who was turning out beautiful hand-lettered cards for businesses… Read More

Cover story: Fortified Tattoo – Alex Kurakake

When Alex Kurakake walked into Los Angeles Trade Tech College in 2011, he was an almost-19-year-old graffiti artist and pizza shop employee with… Read More

Heart and Bone Signs: Gold leaf, hand lettering and supergraphics

Kelsey and Andrew McClellan are a Chicago-based sign painting team with a penchant for gold leaf window signs—yet are equally comfortable painting 30-foot-tall… Read More

Cover photo: Quality Carriers – Cam Sauder

Cam Sauder has shared his work and ideas in SignCraft often over the years. In this profile, you’ll see nearly three dozen of… Read More

The signs and sights of Port Townsend, Washington

Port Townsend is located on the remote northeast corner of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. The picturesque coastal town is nestled alongside the remote shoreline… Read More

Cover photo: Bender Park — Tim Peterson

To grab the viewer, you need one good solid “hook”— unique lettering, a cool effect, or maybe 3D. In sign painting days, a… Read More

Q&A: Where do you find help?

A reader wants to know: “I often wonder where others find their employees. It seems I continually train new people who are going… Read More

Type choice gets the ball rolling

As we all know, some designs come together really fast, while others are not so cooperative. There’s usually something, though, that gets me… Read More

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