Although the ampersand has been around since the First Century AD, it really wasn't used as an independent graphic element until creative signwriters began working it into their designs in the early part of the 20th Century. They were no doubt influenced by the Art Nouveau, and later Art Deco movements of the time.

The typography of that era, for the most part, gave no special treatment to the ampersand, however you could often find the complete word and done rather ornately in printed brochures. Many hand-lettered signs from around the turn of the century would also make use an ornate and.

An ampersand, when used as an independent graphic element in a sign layout, can be a different color, size or weight that the surrounding copy. The ampersand can be placed between, on top,
underneath or alongside the relative copy as long as it reads correctly. Try different combinations to see what looks best.

Be sure and check out the new ampersand category in our symbols and graphics section. Many are vintage and unique from old hand-lettered sources. If you've found a decorative ampersand you'd like to see added, just let us know.

By the way, it's not considered good writing practice to use the ampersand in place of and in normal text.

Labels: ampersand, graphic design, sign layout, signs, symbols, typography

Although our graphics are usually ordered in a single color, many can also be done in multi-color. Here is a single black on white image as it appears in our Retro graphics section. It was modified from a Cobb Shin advertising stock cut originally done around the 40's. The curves have been smoothed and any open sections have been closed to allow for color separation.

And here it is with color added (note: these may not be standard vinyl colors). What a difference! The upcharge would be determined by the number of additional vinyl colors. Each color would be supplied to you to as a separate application with registration marks provided to get all into perfect alignment.

Those vintage Cobb Shinn cartoons seen in the Retro graphics section are my latest project. The smoothing on each can take up to a couple of hours, but I'm taking them one at a time beginning with those that I feel would have the most appeal as vinyl graphics.

Labels: Cobb Shinn, retro, vinyl graphics

Welcome to the new Signtech-RTA Blog. We'll be using this area to let you know what's going on around here. We'll also be talking about sign design, integrating graphics into a layout, special orders, adding color to graphics, and more. Stay tuned!

We're currently in the midst of adjusting the prices on the graphics pages downward, plus adding more graphics along the way. Since we price our vinyl graphics by the longest dimension, the new pricing also takes into account images that have a much shorter other dimension and reduces the price accordingly. A very time-consuming project but it's about 3/4 finished.

You may notice there are no company logos on the graphics pages (i.e. Chevy bowtie, Nike "Swoosh", etc.). These logos are all copyrighted, BUT if you have authority to use your company's logo- such as a Century 21 real estate agent- just ask.