What would this 4×8 sign sell for?
Almost every sign shop makes 4×8 signs. The uncut panel fits the square footage requirements of many sign codes, and they are efficient… Read More
Online Exclusives
How to create graphics with a vintage look
Over the past few years, rat rods and retro rods have taken off in popularity, and the call for faux-aged lettering and pinstriping… Read More
Designing signs for legibility: Viewing time
Outdoor advertising companies usually have a salesperson to sell potential clients on using billboards at existing locations for an advertising contract. Often the… Read More
Designing signs for legibility: Letter size
To sell signs effectively, we must know what it takes to create a sign that works—a sign that is both attractive and readable… Read More
Nine secrets to building a sign business that lasts
Succeeding in the sign business for 35 years is a major achievement. Brian Schofield, with much help from Karin Levin, has made that… Read More
Color contrasts help you control the message
“Opposites attract,” says the old, oft-repeated saying. This doesn’t only apply to marriages, friendships and magnets. It applies to sign design, too. Opposites… Read More
Design & Price: 4×8 overlaid plywood sign
In every issue of SignCraft Magazine, we gave a few sign makers an imaginary project and asked them to do a sketch of… Read More
Six ways to juice your flat sign designs
Not every customer can afford a 3D masterpiece sign—and not every customer needs one. But that doesn’t mean that a flat sign… Read More
Creating appealing 3-D signs
How much money do we have to work with? Does it need to be conservative, creative or wild? How willing is the client… Read More
Here’s what double-cab pickup lettering sells for
We recently asked Trade Secrets readers what they would charge to letter the doors on a double-cab pickup like the ones shown here…. Read More
Paint a Christmas window splash!
In many business districts, Christmas window splashes are a big part of the holiday experience. Usually the work of sign artists and freelance… Read More
Is the lettering big enough?
Not all the lettering, mind you. But is the first and most important message getting the size (and contrast) it deserves? It’s the… Read More
Making a new old sign
One of the very cool things that a sign maker can do is to create a new sign that looks 50 years old—weathered… Read More
Put the background to work
One of the things that can create visual interest and draw that critical “second look” that gets the sign’s message read is to… Read More
How does your sign business compare?
A couple of weeks ago, we asked Trade Secrets readers to tell us a little about their work and their sign businesses. The… Read More
You did their sign. How about their T-shirts?
Next time you’re in a store, take note of all the printed t-shirts on the people around you, many advertising local businesses. Printed… Read More
Drop the lettering down on the doors
One of the fundamentals of sign layout is to put the primary copy in the optical center of the panel. On a truck,… Read More
More sign shop display areas
A couple of Trade Secrets ago, we shared photos of the display areas of a few top sign makers to show how sample… Read More
Dealing with a bad customer-provided design
A customer comes to you with a design they made up and want to use it for their sign. You know it’s going… Read More
Samples and photos make sales easier
Whether it’s a simple display on the office wall or a large showroom, one of the best tools for marketing your work are… Read More
