I started my first sign business in 1986 however I had been doing signs as early as 1976. when I started like most others of the era, I was a signwriter. Most signs were hand painted using sable brushes and enamel paints, spray guns and techniques.
I would design a customer a layout or more often than not, just start marking it out with charcoal and a chalkline and hand letter the signs & graphics
Over time this gave me like all signwriters great design, colour matching and layout skills. As a sign maker I was a very early user of desk top publishing software and Corel Draw and have kept up with computer graphic software ever since. In 91 I purchased my first vinyl sign cutter, 2006 incorporated wide format digital printing.
Over the last 24yrs in the business I have created and installed every type of sign imaginable and as a signwriter I understand when graphic layout is required some designers make them pretty but unreadable from a distance. I create readable, interesting layouts that not only look great but sell product.
A sign or graphic, no matter how much design is incorporated, is art, unless it conveys your message to your potential customers. I have all the latest technology but it is only a tool, it is useless without good design.
