Author Archives: signcraft

Keep 4×8 ACM signs from buckling

Readers want to know: “What’s the most practical way to support a 4×8 sign made of 3mm aluminum composite sheet that is mounted… Read More

Prevent lettering enamel from losing its shine

Readers want to know: “Lettering enamel seems to start to lose its gloss in just a few months these days. Should I be… Read More

Signs We’ve Seen: Estes Park, Colorado

Tourist towns always have more than their share of interesting signs, and Estes Park, Colorado, is no exception. Though the town has a… Read More

Design & Price: Lettering for a 16-ft. trailer

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

10 everyday truck layouts

Bob Behounek has lettered loads of trucks. In his 50-plus years of sign making, he has probably lettered thousands of them. You could… Read More

Inbox – November 2023

Graphics instructor gets the Hero Award Tom Lamont, instructor at the Design Technology program Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Upton,… Read More

Don’t give your designs away

Maybe they’re just going into business, or maybe they are an established business that doesn’t really have a consistent image. But when you… Read More

Get the most out of your digital printer’s color capability

Customers often bring a Pantone color chip or some other color swatch and want that color used on their sign. This can be… Read More

Succeeding as a design-oriented sign shop

When we first featured Dan Antonelli in SignCraft in the May/June 1998 issue, he had left the world of advertising design to run… Read More

Font favorites: David Showalter

We’ve been asking sign designers about their favorite fonts—both long time and current ones—recently. David Showalter [David Design, Bryan, Ohio] is no stranger… Read More

Monochromatic stripes in a world of full-color wraps

What does a graphic designer who races jet skis do when he sees that all his competitors have full wraps with screaming colors… Read More

Here’s what double-cab pickup truck lettering sells for

Double-cab pickups provide a lot more room for graphics, making the truck door lettering an even better value. In our most recent Pricing… Read More

The signs of the Franklin & South Manchester Railroad

If you’ve seen photos of busy US cities in the 1930s, you know that there were plenty of signs—on shopfronts, walls, vehicles and… Read More

John Dozier: Hand lettered signs in Sacramento

Rather than choose the sign industry as a career, most sign people find their way into it by accident. In John Dozier’s case,… Read More

Braun Bleamer: Six vehicle projects

“Things come in waves,” says Braun Bleamer [Jet Signs, Palmerton, Pennsylvania]. “Sometimes it’s all flat signs, then it’s some 3D signs, then it’s… Read More

Turn the building into a sign: Shaker Painting

If you saw our recent post, “Turn the building into a sign,” you may be looking for opportunities to let the entire building… Read More

A quick trick for more powerful layouts

Bob Behounek, Berwyn, Illinois Ever wonder why some signs have so much more impact than most of the others? It’s because the designer… Read More

18 signs that sell pizza

Pizza is a worldwide favorite, and pizza shops can be found almost everywhere. They especially abound in tourist areas like Koh Tao, Thailand,… Read More

Pat Finley: 1945 – 2023

Longtime SignCraft contributor and outstanding Chicagoland signpainter Pat Finley died tragically Saturday, September 30, 2023. He was 78. Pat always described himself as… Read More

Design & Price: Pan faces for a 4-by-8-ft. illuminated sign

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