Online Exclusives

Using bitmaps to create reliefs for CNC routing

August 21st, 2022 by

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

What’s it cost to produce this 3-D sign?

August 12th, 2022 by

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

Then and now: Gold leaf is a natural for fire apparatus

August 5th, 2022 by

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

5 steps to great logo designs

July 29th, 2022 by

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

Help save these Chicago ghost signs

July 29th, 2022 by

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

Step-by-step: Using computer-cut masks for glass gilding

July 22nd, 2022 by

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

Hammered metals make unique graphics

July 15th, 2022 by

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

What’s it cost to produce this window lettering job?

July 8th, 2022 by

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

Install small dimensional letters as if they were vinyl graphics

July 1st, 2022 by

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

Design & Price: 4-by-12-ft. banner

June 24th, 2022 by

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