Dirk Johnson, Cindy Peeso Hilger and Kurt Gaber
Partial wrap printed on 3M IJ480mC media with 220 Scotchcal cut text; installed by Dirk and Cindy
Digital print on 3M IJ180CV3 media on ¼-in. aluminum composite panel. The sign was designed by Cindy, and was completely clear-coated with automotive clear coat.
Digital print on 3M IJ180CV3 media with 220 Scotchcal cut text; installed by Kurt and Dirk
Digital print on 3M IJ180CV3 media applied to ¼-in. aluminum composite panels; designed by Kurt
Digital print on 3M Scotchlite film using Gerber Edge and Roland XR-640 printers; designed by Kurt and installed by Dirk
Digital print with 220 Scotchcal cut vinyl text and striping; designed by Kurt and former staff member Jon Stoll
Digital print on 3M IJ180CV3 media; designed by Kurt and installed by Kurt and Dirk
Hand painted by Kurt using 1 Shot enamels [www.1shot.com] from customer-provided design
Designed by Cindy and Kurt. Digital print on 3M IJ180CV3 media, mounted on ¼-in. aluminum composite material and sprayed with automotive clear coat. It’s mounted on posts with PVC post sleeves; fabricated and installed by Kurt and Dirk.
“This is one unit of a large project,” says Kurt, “that we did with the help of Gemini Sign Products. We designed and installed the signs and donor plaques, and they did all the fabrication. The pallet of aluminum signs weighed 1535 pounds. It was an interesting job and it turned out well.” Gemini fabricated the ¼-in. aluminum panels and ¼-in. machine tooled aluminum plaques; it was designed by Cindy and Kurt, and installed by Kurt and Dirk.
Digital print on 3M IJ480mC media with 220 Scotchcal cut vinyl; wrap design by Cindy and Kurt using logo design by Keith Anderson; installed by Kurt and Dirk
Digital print with neon vinyl overlays; designed by Kurt, and installed by Kurt and Dirk
“We’ve done fire trucks for W.S. Darley,” says Kurt, “that have gone to communities across the US—and to China, South Africa and Nigeria, too.”
20-by-30-ft. hand-lettered wall sign by Kurt, Dirk and Andy Goretski, done using Nova Color acrylic paints
Digital print with neon vinyl overlays; designed by Kurt, and installed by Kurt and Dirk

Kurt Gaber

Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

By signcraft

Posted on Tuesday, August 27th, 2019

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Shop name:
Gaber Signs

Shop size: 3000 sq. ft.

Staff: Two full-time

Age: 54

Graphics equipment:
Roland XR-640 printer/cutter
FlexiSign
Gerber Omega
Three Gerber Edge printers
Gerber and Graphitec plotters

Online:
www.gabersigns.com
On Facebook as Gaber Signs
In 1992, after hand lettering for 15 years, Kurt Gaber decided to switch careers and become a union plumber for a local plumbing company. His first call from the union sent him to a different company, though, and he explained that at the interview. When they heard he was switching careers, they said they had four vans that they needed lettered. So Gaber Signs was born, and Kurt’s plumbing career never happened. Here’s where he’s at today:

Bicycles to race cars to signs I got my start at 13, lettering bicycles, in my hometown of Washburn. We built a bike racing track in the neighborhood, and I started painting bicycles for the other kids. Then one day a kid came whose bike had been professionally lettered by a sign painter in Eau Claire, about three hours away. I was amazed—and jealous. It made me want to get better and keep learning. Ironically, years later I wound up working with that same sign painter, Walt Karker.


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