Publications: Sign painting, signs, lettering, and typography

Mounted square sign with a combination of cursive and san-serif lettering.

Books

Two's Company in the Latest Culture+Typography Despatch

Nikki Villagomez's second book of found lettering examines the use of letterforms in combination.

Lisa Simpson looking at a sign that says "keep out" above another that says "or enter. I'm a sign, not a cop".

Books

¡Ay, Caramba! It's Cartoon Time

Collection of humourous cartoons with sign painting, lettering, type, and calligraphic themes.

Head and shoulders view of a man in a baseball cap in front of a window sign that reads "Hunger Buster".

Films

"A Piece of Urban Theatre": J.J. of LA

Meet J.J. of LA, Atlanta sign painter, in this recently republished documentary by Kelly Richardson.

Close cropped photo of a hand resting on a mahl stick painting a bouquet of roses on a rectangular panel.

Learning

Roses Are Red: A Narrowboat Tradition with Ginny Barlow

Video demonstration of painting roses in the narrowboat style, including comments on their history.

Bright pink sign kit with a cartoon sign painter, a list of services, and contact details for Keith Knecht, Toledo, Ohio.

Books

Snapper: Keith Knecht

Keith Knecht shares some of his tales of a travelling sign painter in John J. Hodgins' Snapper book.

Letters cut out of cardboard and arranged in a line with a large 'R' and 'S' followed by a smaller 'R'.

Books

Peeling Back the Layers of Chrystel Crickx's Typographic Legacy

Chrystel Crickx's novel contribution to lettering and type history is celebrated in a new book.

Picture book illustration showing a sign painter painting the sun which is making everything else hot.

Books

The American Folklore Legend of Slappy Hooper, Sign Painter

The telling and retelling of 'Slappy Hooper, World’s Biggest, Fastest, and Bestest Sign Painter'.

Hand-painted portrait of the Godfather holding a massively oversized cat smoking a cigar.

BLAG

Bonus Material from BLAG 04

Bonus content from the adventures in sign painting in Issue 04 of BLAG (Better Letters Magazine).

Magazine spread with mixture of text and illustration, photographed on a bright yellow surface.

Learning

Copyright and Licensing: A Brief Guide for Sign Painters

Practical guidance for sign painters to protect copyright and earn licensing income from their work.

Man crouching in front of a white wall, painting black lettering onto a mural sign.

People

Sign Painters of Pernambuco — Ten Years Later

Fátima Finizola reflects on her work profiling the sign painters in Pernambuco, Brazil.

Photo showing a painting of the Mona Lisa on a wall with 'Rotulos' sign, and headline, author name, and article text.

Books

'A Wink on the Wall' from Mexico's Other Muralism

Join the Adventures in Mexican sign painting with Enrique Soto Eguibar and Artes de México.

Close-up of a hand applying paint to a wall with letters outlined in masking tape.

People

The Magic of Mr Masking, Costa Rica's King of Tape

The typographic vernacular of Gerardo Picado's masked and painted letters in San José, Costa Rica.

Front of a Filipino Jeepney flamboyantly decorated in bright colours.

Films

The Joy of Jeepneys: A Filipino Vernacular Under Threat

The story of The Philippines' flamboyantly decorated Jeepneys told through film and photography.

Books

Bonus Material from BLAG 03

Bonus content from the adventures in sign painting from Issue 03 of BLAG (Better Letters Magazine).

Books

Bonus Material from BLAG 02: Exclusive to Members

Exclusive bonus material for subscribers to BLAG (Better Letters Magazine), building on the articles and features in Issue 02.

Learning

An Introduction to Quick Showcard Lettering, Norwegian Style

Reproduction, with English translation, of a rare Norwegian showcard lettering and layout booklet.

Portion of book cover with an illustration of a person painting the word 'SIGNS'.

Books

Signpainters Don't Read Signs by Syl Ehr

Signpainters Don't Read Signs (1957) by Syl Ehr, reissued in print, and as a digital download.

Books

This is How Signs in London's Heyday Were Painted

Full text and accompanying images from the 'Sign Production' chapter of Ghost Signs: A London Story.