Signwriting Journal
Signs That
Signs That
Hold Their Line
Enamel on steel, optical spacing over metric, and the case for a brush stroke that ages better than a sheet of vinyl. Notes from people who still lay out a fascia by hand.
The Journal
Reading the Optical Line
Why a ruler gets the spacing wrong and a trained eye gets it right.
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Enamel Over Steel
The old boards on the corner store have outlasted three generations of plastic signage.
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Gold Leaf in Three Passes
Sizing, laying, and burnishing — the sequence that keeps leaf from lifting.
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The Quarter-Inch Habit
Consistent margins are the quiet reason some fascias look calm and others look crowded.
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A Brush Does Not Forget
A short account of how sable quills shaped the look of storefront lettering for a century.
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Scaling a Fascia by Eye
Working out cap height and line spacing before a single chalk mark goes up.
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The Pounce Pattern Revival
A century-old paper transfer method is finding its way back into small shops.
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Why Vinyl Fades and Paint Doesn't
A pigment comparison between cut vinyl film and bulletin enamel under direct sun.
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Pricing a Hand-Lettered Sign
What actually goes into a quote — surface prep, layout time, and the leaf itself.
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Nine Notes on Paint and Proportion
Short, specific pieces on the craft as it is actually practiced — not a style guide, a working notebook kept between jobs.
Reading the Optical Line
Why a ruler gets the spacing wrong and a trained eye gets it right.
→
Enamel Over Steel
The old boards on the corner store have outlasted three generations of plastic signage.
→
Gold Leaf in Three Passes
Sizing, laying, and burnishing — the sequence that keeps leaf from lifting.
→
The Quarter-Inch Habit
Consistent margins are the quiet reason some fascias look calm and others look crowded.
→
A Brush Does Not Forget
A short account of how sable quills shaped the look of storefront lettering for a century.
→
Scaling a Fascia by Eye
Working out cap height and line spacing before a single chalk mark goes up.
→
The Pounce Pattern Revival
A century-old paper transfer method is finding its way back into small shops.
→
Why Vinyl Fades and Paint Doesn't
A pigment comparison between cut vinyl film and bulletin enamel under direct sun.
→
Pricing a Hand-Lettered Sign
What actually goes into a quote — surface prep, layout time, and the leaf itself.
→
Companion App
Layout Sheet measures the way a fascia painter measures
A free planning tool built around optical spacing, cap height, and a baseline grid — for anyone who wants to check a design before the chalk line goes up.
Layout Sheet — preview
MAIN STREET
Cap height guide
About Signwright
A small journal, kept plainly
Signwright is written by a handful of people who paint, gild, and occasionally argue about spacing. No sponsorships, no product reviews — just notes on the trade. Read the masthead →
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