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
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 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 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 does a sign maker do on vacation? At least one we know picks an area he would like to visit, then tours... Read More 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 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 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 
A picture is worth 1000 words: That’s 995 too many for a vehicle
Better sign design: Prioritize, emphasize and tweak
Design & Price: Partial van wrap
Signs of Maine
What’s it cost to produce this building directory?
Is the customer always right?
Using negative space and panels
See more Articles…
A low-tech 3D sign with a faux wood border
This project was done for my friends down at Monterey Signs. The client had provided a drawing of their logo and wanted a... Read More
Worth a look: Maker Spaces!
Maker Spaces, Art Labs, and Creator Spaces dot cities across the United States. Those are just a few of the names for facilities... Read More
7 tips for selling your work successfully
Almost every sign sale begins with a conversation between the customer and the sign maker. In that conversation—and every subsequent one—you are laying... Read More
Three classic signpainting tips
Many years ago, an elderly sign painter showed me how to fold a paint cup or box that holds your paint while lettering.... Read More
Troy Koskiniemi: Monuments and more in the Northwest
Ten years ago, Troy Koskiniemi downsized radically—from a 7000-sq.-ft. shop to the 1000-sq.-ft. garage at his and his wife Susan’s home because a... Read More
Make HDU board look like quarter-sawn wood
Here’s my method for creating a faux wood finish on HDU board that makes it look like the face of a sign panel... Read More
A banner still packs a lot of advertising value
Back before sign ordinances limited their usage in many communities, banners were a very popular low-cost, high-impact form of advertising for small businesses.... Read More
Bob Parsons: May 2023
When James drove the company’s crane truck on to the scale with a load of signs on board, he was told he was... Read More
