Design & Price: Pickup-truck lettering
In every issue, SignCraft gave a few sign makers an imaginary project. We asked them to do a sketch of the sign they… Read More
Online Exclusives
Handling linear layouts
Back in the mid-1960s, my travels in and around the greater Chicago area were a source of inspiration and amazement. Right in the… Read More
What’s it cost to produce this 4-by-4-ft. dimensional sign?
This client came in with a general idea of the look they wanted. We produced a layout in FlexiSign software then submitted the… Read More
Marketing your business: Perception is everything
How the customer perceives you and your business is a critical part of what you will be able to sell to them. If… Read More
What’s it cost to produce this 12-by-24-ft. sign?
Late last summer, a client asked me to produce this off-site sign to advertise his body shop. It was a big job, but… Read More
Race cars: Graphics at high speed
A good friend once alerted me to an online source devoted to Santa Fe Park, a stock-car racing track in nearby Hinsdale, Illinois…. Read More
What’s it cost to produce this truck lettering?
The day this truck was in the shop I did two other similar jobs—and I could have squeezed in one more and still… Read More
Design is the difference
It’s not really that difficult to get into the sign business today. Anyone with a credit card can get a computer, software and… Read More
Design with visual competition in mind
The miles on my trusty old pickup truck have piled up over the years, faster than foreclosures in today’s economy. My daily travels… Read More
Design & Price: 4-by-12 printed banner
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
Design & Price: Sailboat transom
For every issue, SignCraft gives a few sign makers an imaginary project. We ask them to do a sketch of the sign they… Read More
What’s it cost to produce the graphics for this ambulance?
A local air-and-ground ambulance service recently asked me for a bid on the graphics on all of their new ground ambulances. Currently all… Read More
A picture is worth 1000 words: That’s 995 too many for a vehicle
I distinctly remember reading about some of the great sign painters who graced the pages of SignCraft back in the late 80’s. They… Read More
Better sign design: Prioritize, emphasize and tweak
When it comes to the lettering on a sign, it’s not a matter of typing it in and there you go. There’s more… Read More
Signs of Maine
What does a sign maker do on vacation? At least one we know picks an area he would like to visit, then tours… Read More
Design & Price: Partial van wrap
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
What’s it cost to produce this building directory?
The Dominion Hotel Building’s owner came to us by referral and inquired if we could build a directory. The building is circa 1930… Read More
Is the customer always right?
The old saying goes “The customer is always right.” And I suppose, generally, in certain businesses, that might be good advice—to a degree…. Read More
Using negative space and panels
It’s a little hard, and not quite fair, to define the process of creating an effective sign design as if it were a… Read More
It all started with a pencil sketch
I think it started back during my junior high school days—you know, those times when we have time to doodle and dream. It… Read More
