A signpainter’s story: Chicago in the late 1930s
“Sign painting? Well, today it ain’t an occupation, it’s an occupational disease.” —Philip Marcus, Chicago sign painter, 1939 Recently, I happened upon a… Read More
Online Exclusives
How to show the true value of a sign to a client
“We’ve been in business for over 50 years,” says Larry, “and I cannot count the times a customer’s first question was ‘How much… Read More
Add value or plan to sell on price alone
“Value is determined not by what you pay for something, but by what you get for what you pay.” Darn, that’s a great… Read More
A gallery of CNC sign ideas
As you see in every issue of SignCraft, CNC routing makes a wide variety of 3-D signage not only possible, but practical. The… Read More
Download these nine great shop management forms
Most sign shops handle a large variety of sign projects and almost all of them are made specifically to meet a customer’s needs…. Read More
Beyond the routine magnetic sign
Magnetic signs, like any vehicle lettering, can be powerful advertising for a small business. Likewise, they can also be generic identification that lets… Read More
What’s it cost to produce these box truck graphics?
We’ve done two of these box trucks, plus a pair of plastic faces for an illuminated sign for this furniture store. The company… Read More
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
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
