Signs Never Sleep

Custom Granite Signs: What the word "custom" means for a sign company

This post was contributed by J.D. Iles - Lincoln Sign Company

One question sign-makers  are often asked by potential customers is "do you have a catalog?"  I always tell people is that our website pretty much serves as a living, breathing brochure and catalog for us, but I can totally understand why a person would want a price-list of sign types and sizes.  Buying a sign is fairly involved, there are many choices to be made along the way for the customer, and I think the whole process underlines the inherent difficulty that we face every time we get a deposit from someone to build a sign.

You see, in the sign world, there are no "rules" and there are no "constants".  Everything is custom about a project from the size, shape, color, materials etc.  Believe me, if we DID have a catalog, it would be useless, because 9 out of 10 customers would say "I would like to order sign #44363-445 out of the catalog, but I have a list of 45 changes I would like to make". 

These signs are a great example.  Do you know how many signs like this the Lincoln Sign Company has make during its 35 year history?  I'll tell you: exactly 11.

11 signs like this were finished last week, 10 will go to the customer for condo units and we will keep one as a sample.  How many will be do like this is the future?  None...  I would bet money on it.  We will never do signs like this again.  Why I am I so sure?

Well, the outer shape of these signs matches a shape we have used for this customers unit numbers for years (is it a stock shape?  no, we have only every used this particular shape for this customer).  The condo units are called "Stone Hill" and there are directional markers throughout the development made from granite posts.  The unit numbers were made to echo that "theme" but the color was adjusted to better conform with the home colors.  By the way, these are not stone markers, they are High Density Urethane carved and painted to look like stone...

You see, custom signs...   very, very custom...

We can do anything your heart desires, except give you a catalog...

A sign for your lodge or cabin? Matthew Henry's Lodge and Cabin Sign Series is terrific!

Matthew Henry is an artist and sign-maker out of Elkins, West Virginia who creates classic, rustic signs for homes, lodges and cabins.  He uses a variety of wood including pine, cedar and birch, and when the natural color and texture of the wood is combined with his elegant designs, they are truly works of art.

One of the things that I enjoy about Matt's wooden signs the most, is they are very affordable to someone looking for a sign for their home, fish camp, or vacation retreat.  Here is Matt's explanation for the collection:

"My idea for the collection for the Lodge Sign and Cabin Series came about after having created a few commissioned pieces. I began to see that as a stylist I could create inexpensive, classic wooden signs for people to personalize that would not compromise the integrity of my work as an artist. After all, each piece that I make from this collection is truly a unique piece of art. When hung at your home (or peaceful place away from home), it becomes the cornerstone to your place that I hope will be treasured by the future generations of your family." 

Link

Vintage, Antique Reproduction Signs From Mummert Sign Company

It is no secret that we love vintage signs here at Signs Never Sleep, and we have admired the signs made by Mummert Sign Company for years.  We just discovered that Cottage Living Magazine did a profile of the owner, Marty Mummert, and we thought we would share it with you here.

"Each Mummert sign "starts right out of my head with a sketch," Marty says. "It has to have a certain look and balance, and the colors are so important. It just has to knock you over." Marty carefully considers the wording of each object, running through scores of possibilities before choosing such names as "Blackbat Licorice" or "Bomber Bread." (quoted from a Cottage Living article)  Link

Signs of Disney: The Signs of Walt Disney World

Photos by Doug Bowman

(This post contributed by J.D. Iles of Lincoln Sign Company)

A few month's ago I came across a gallery of photos of signs at the Disney theme parks (HERE) that turns out to be a gallery that was created by Doug Bowman (who turns out to be one of the programmers at 6 -Apart which is the company that makes TypePad, the software I blog with - (small world) <<I am avoiding the inevitable "It's a Small World After All" cliches that would normally be inserted here)

Anyway, this gallery tells a great story, and that's why I am sharing it today...

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I am a really big "sign snob", meaning that you pretty much can't take me anywhere without me constantly commenting on signs, especially the ones that I feel are not "up to snuff".  Quite honestly, all sign people do this, but I really do it with a vengeance, and have been known to yammer on during movies over the sign choices within the film, or even the type style chosen for the closing credits.  (yeah.... its bad)

Anyway, when I first saw Doug Bowman's Disney sign gallery, I really wasn't blown away.  I really didn't think the signs were all that good (yeah, I'm an idiot, I know).  I ran across the gallery again today and have really changed my tune, and here's why...

One of the most important things I tell my customers, is that you should FEEL a sign.  Any sign that sits in front of your business or home, should create an emotional reaction that draws the customer in to the "core" concept of what you do.  If you have a candy shop, your sign should visually "taste" like chocolate.  A sign for a lemon-aide business should make the mouth pucker.  If it is a Mexican restaurant, your mouth should be able to see and hear the fajitas "sizzle" in your minds eye.

I think a really good example of this from my own portfolio is the Erik Johnson's Furniture sign (Here).  I think a customer can "feel" this sign for many other reasons that simply the fact that it has a photo of  one of Erik's pieces on the sign.  I wanted the sign to suggest "colonial" and "old world" and "style".   I also wanted to give a hint of "uniqueness" (which is why I went with a unique color scheme).

This idea of "feeling" a sign, well, the sign folks at Disney pull it off very well, and I have no idea of what I was thinking before.  Like this sign here for the Yankee Trader.  I want to dig through the bric-a-brac of this store and buy a little, clever jar of jelly.  This sign tells me I am going to get the "thrill of the hunt" of a garage sale in this store, and probably learn something about cooking as well while I am there.

~written by J.D. Iles