Online Exclusives

Christopher Latham Sholes invented the first practical typewriter in the late 1860s. While slightly different, today’s computer keyboards were modeled after that same… Read More

The “rules” of fleet lettering are pretty consistent for most business: You have a fleet of vehicles; they should all look identical. Generally,… Read More

All sign craftspeople have access to the same basic equipment and materials. With a signature we can suddenly have our own business, complete… Read More

Some people are always on the lookout for ways to improve their products, productivity and image. I like to think of myself as… Read More

Select the Text tool, click somewhere on the page to set to location, then type away. Resize the type to fit the space… Read More

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

Early in my career I did a lot of racecar work, mostly dirt track cars. My goal was to have the car show… Read More

With so many easy-to-use filters and special effects now available, it’s easy to get carried away with adding all sorts of bells and… Read More

No matter how many signs we design, paint, vinylize or produce in some form or another, the number of design possibilities before us… Read More

What is relief? To me, relief is like three-dimensional color. Just as you can add color to a line art layout to make… Read More

We had worked with this architectural firm on a major government project, both at the design phase and throughout production and installation. Meanwhile,… Read More

Americans have been decorating fire apparatus for a long time—by most accounts, for over 200 years. The embellishment has always been elaborate, and… Read More

At my agency, we’re fortunate to get a very wide range of logo design work—from the landscape company to the computer consulting firm…. Read More

A few weeks ago, a demolition crew began tearing the siding off a building in the downtown Chicago neighborhood of Lake View. In… Read More

Like many sign makers, Chris Lovelady did gold leaf lettering on glass using traditional methods—patterns, japan colors and brown quills. That process delivered… Read More

From the time I was a youngster, I dreamed of being a jeweler. I liked working in 3-D and looked at each piece… Read More

One of my customers who had bought an auto repair garage stopped by to say he wanted the front window lettered. He told… Read More

I’ve done a lot of different sign work over the past 30 years, and one thing that was always kind of tedious was… Read More

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

Why sell design? Helps distinguish your shop among competitors Puts focus on the importance of design rather than the physical aspect of signage…. Read More