Cover photo: Chikaming Police – Doyle Rogers
Conservative estimates are that there are about 400,000 police vehicles nationwide—which is why you see so many of them on the… Read More
Articles
Cover photo: The Office – Tim Beyer
Succeeding (or even surviving!) in the sign business in a small town is challenging. The mindset of the market is different than in… Read More
What do others get to letter a semi cab?
Most sign shops do their share of basic, one-color truck lettering projects—just a company name and phone number in a pleasing layout. The… Read More
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
