Author Archives: Dan Sawatzky

Before we begin, it is important that I first give my definition of a sign: At our shop, we define a sign as… Read More

In our book, a sign is anything that draws attention to our customer’s business, products or service. An obvious place to start is… Read More

Iʼve long advocated that sign designs should encompass a lot more than just the board they are made on. While a few of… Read More

We recently received an enquiry from a new client from the far northern reaches of Canada. They were enquiring about a “landmark sign”… Read More

Two of the most difficult things about owning your own sign shop is how to determine your true shop costs and handle pricing…. Read More

About fifteen years ago we first came up with the idea to create a submersible-shaped feature like the famed Okanagan Lake monster named… Read More

The Hazelnut Inn project has now been underway for four long years. The inn is on the grounds of our shop and will… Read More

A SignCraft reader recently asked about faux finishing, which is something we employ on almost every sign that leaves our shop—albeit not necessarily… Read More

We are definitely heading into a time of uncertainty. Putting aside the health concerns and the potential effects of the virus that is… Read More

As I began this article I wondered if I had enough material, but when I went through my archived photos I realized there… Read More

At our shop we consider ourselves, above all else, visual storytellers. When a new client approaches us for a sign we listen carefully… Read More

We’ve long wanted to do farm signs. But even though we live in a farming community, we have done only a handful of… Read More

I turned 65 this past year—an age when most think seriously about retiring. Not me! I enjoy what I do far too much…. Read More

Sign makers I meet often comment about how they would love to do the kind of work we do in our shop instead… Read More

We have an extremely fun job currently in progress in our shop. A regular client of ours recently asked us to work up… Read More

I often get asked if we charge for design. The answer is always “Yes!”—with one caveat. We do charge upfront for design, but… Read More

Not long ago, a veterinarian from a neighboring town dropped by our shop. She wanted to rebrand her business with one of our… Read More

One of many lessons I’ve learned from visiting Disney theme parks is the importance of branding, which is the way a business creates… Read More

One of the most fun aspects of our business is that we never know what the next project may be. The only certain… Read More

I often get asked if we ever make signs for “the real world.” The answer is yes, though the bulk of our creative… Read More