Painted shop sign produced for a wine merchants in Covent Garden by specialist sign writer Traditional Signs of London.

A repeat client had taken on another investment, with a premises only a street away from their initial venture, The Oystermen restaurant.

The company had outsourced design work for the internal and external look of the venue.

The scope of work for Traditional Signs of London is to produce painted shop signs which are to the precise measurements of the design.

 

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There were a few amendments to the design before production.

This included a slightly thinner set typeface, with a more standard W rather than the unique designed one.

A change of placement for the street numeral and there to be no hanging/projecting sign.

Once defined artwork was digitally produced using the measurements taken of the fascia, and then produced as a pounce pattern on paper.

 

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The paper pounce pattern is taken to site, where the fascia is re-measured and marked out for the placement of the artwork. Its ensured its laid onto the fascia level & upright.

It can’t just be in the correct poisition on the fascia it also has to be straight.

Once all measured and positioned the pattern/artwork is then reliefed onto the fascia panel the painted shop sign can be ready for the sign writing phase.

 

 

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 Then specialist brushes and paints are used to produce the painted shop sign.

An oil based matte finish paint is used for an undercoat, as its a pale colour on a dark background. Without doing this would lead to ‘grinning’ and the lettering not being fully opaque.

Using the specialist brushes, and expert skill, the letters are painted one at a time, built up in a series of strokes.

Using a flat oil based sign writing enamel, has a slightly faster dry time, which allows for the 2nd coat of sign writing to be applied within the day (a bit of a push during the winter months).

 

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With all the letters painted with the flat oil paint, it was back to the start to go over each letter with the top coat of oil based paint, which had been mixed to the precise colour choice of the client & designed artwork.

 

 

 

 

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On this project, things were a little delayed due to a rain shower, which lasted around an hour. It was fortunate that the painted shop sign writing had reached beyond the half way stage of the 2nd coverage.

 

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The greatest of care is taken to paint precise lines even especially when the surface isn’t totally smooth.

On this project it wasn’t too bad, so the letters could be painted at a fair pace, which only a professional sign writer can work at.

Once the rain had relented, the street numeral was marked out and given it’s undercoat. Then the remaining branding letters were completed with their 2nd coat.

This is a time saver, which allows for the undercoat of the numbers time to dry, so the 2nd coat can be added.

This comes from experience of external sign writing.

 

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Fortunately when producing this painted shop sign the rain held off after its shower and the sign writing could be completed.

The final piece of the work is to clean of the fascia of any of the marking out produced with the pouncing chalk and the wax pencil. This then leaves a pristine shop fascia and the sign writing standing out proudly & smartly.

The clients were again pleased with the work produced by Traditional Signs of London and have built up a good relationship for future work.

 

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Hand Painted Traditional & Contemporary Sign writing in London

Sign writer: Traditional Signs of London

info@traditionalsignsoflondon.uk