Welcome to The Hand Lettering Forum!
This is an interactive Bulletin Board on the topics of Sign making, design, fabrication, History, old Books and of coarse Letterheads, Keepers of the craft. The Hand Lettering Forum features links to resources, sign art history, techniques, and artists profiles. Learn more about Letterheads at https://theletterheads.com. Below you'll see Mchat has been added as a live communication portal for trial, and the Main forum Links are listed below.

Search found 1684 matches

by Mike Jackson
Sun Jan 11, 2015 12:22 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Help me please!
Replies: 2
Views: 3599

Re: Help me please!

David, I may have broken the link you originally entered. I was trying to make the page go directly to your image. Maybe you can try it again. To be honest, it is difficult for me to understand exactly what you are trying to do and exactly what problems you are having. With no responses, I suspect o...
by Mike Jackson
Sun Dec 07, 2014 9:36 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Christmas / Holiday Images : Add your images here!
Replies: 2
Views: 4145

Christmas / Holiday Images : Add your images here!

ChristmasBookstore1915.jpg Season's Greeting to Hand Lettering Forum Readers! I ran across this old booklet a few days ago. I just scanned the cover art and added it to this post as an attachment. If you have any old holiday art you'd like to share with the world, feel free to add it to this thread...
by Mike Jackson
Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:40 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Advice needed!
Replies: 5
Views: 5561

Re: Advice needed!

I don't think it will grip the glass, nor flow out to the glass from a brush well enough.

But...you can always try it on a small piece of test glass.
by Mike Jackson
Thu Sep 04, 2014 3:12 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Mike Reilley
Replies: 4
Views: 4407

Mike Reilley

Hi, I just received this note about Mike Reilley. Hi, I am writing to let you know that Mike is in hospice care as a result of his long struggle with lung cancer. He is at the Collier Center at Lutheran Medical in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. I am trying to reach out to people to let them know and hope th...
by Mike Jackson
Sun Aug 10, 2014 5:30 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: July August SC article
Replies: 1
Views: 2235

Re: July August SC article

Hi Doug,
Thanks for the comments. I enjoy working in Photoshop, as you might guess. Once people get past the initial learning curve, all kinds of new opportunities keep revealing themselves.
by Mike Jackson
Fri Jul 04, 2014 7:00 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Thinking of venturing into the sandblasted sign business and
Replies: 7
Views: 6097

Re: Thinking of venturing into the sandblasted sign business and

John, When you are researching equipment, you'll want to ask for a compressor that can deliver 100-175 CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) at 100 PSI with a 1/4" nozzle. All three of those work together or all three can be manipulated by a salesman. You can maintain pressure and CFM a long time at 1/8&...
by Mike Jackson
Mon Jun 09, 2014 4:13 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: after some advice/ideas on my design
Replies: 4
Views: 5462

Re: after some advice/ideas on my design

Meagan, Have you had good luck "pouring" multiple golds? I assume you are talking about some version of Angel Gilding? Before committing to a large piece like this, I'd experiment on a very small piece. Why? A: Each of the three steps you are talking about requires a VERY clean area of gla...
by Mike Jackson
Wed May 14, 2014 6:35 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: "My Sign Kit"
Replies: 1
Views: 2800

"My Sign Kit"

If you received your latest Sign Craft Magazine, I had an article in it about sign kits. Seems like this would be a great place to let people post a photo of their sign kit...or kits. MySignKit800.jpg This is my first sign kit. I bought it at Neo Sign Supply in 1972 or 1973 in Oklahoma City. Feel fr...
by Mike Jackson
Sun May 04, 2014 10:30 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Letterheads on Wikipedia,
Replies: 0
Views: 3040

Letterheads on Wikipedia,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letterheads#History I was watching a show on CNN with Morgan Spurlock about data security tonight. One of the experts he interviewed suggested using duckduckgo.com for web searches instead of Google. Out of curiosity, I checked out tetonimage and was on top. I checked ...
by Mike Jackson
Thu May 01, 2014 9:15 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Intro and question
Replies: 6
Views: 4929

Re: Intro and question

Trip,
There's nothing wrong with making a pattern via a plotter and then hand lettering it.

I wouldn't let your penmanship dictate whether you can hand paint a sign.

Good luck,
Mike Jackson
by Mike Jackson
Mon Apr 28, 2014 4:52 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: OFFICIAL LOCATION OF INTERNATIONAL LETTERHEADS 2015
Replies: 14
Views: 12559

Re: OFFICIAL LOCATION OF INTERNATIONAL LETTERHEADS 2015

As far as I know the last National (International?) Letterheads Meeting was in Boise, if you don't count a few Wall Dogs meets in between? Lots of things have changed in this industry since then. This might be a good place for any and all of the "newbies" to request things they'd like to s...
by Mike Jackson
Mon Apr 28, 2014 12:32 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: OFFICIAL LOCATION OF INTERNATIONAL LETTERHEADS 2015
Replies: 14
Views: 12559

Re: OFFICIAL LOCATION OF INTERNATIONAL LETTERHEADS 2015

Hi Mark, It is hard to imagine another place more appropriate to have the meeting than in Cincinnati at the Museum. I am sure you will be able to get many of the original Letterheads on board. Having the support of Signs of the Times and the American Sign Museum with Todd Swormstedt is huge. I told ...
by Mike Jackson
Fri Apr 25, 2014 9:35 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Wednesday April 16 Changeover
Replies: 12
Views: 9230

Re: Wednesday April 16 Changeover

Lee, I think people could send a few dollars to the Colorado Letterheads. That'd probably the cleanest way of doing it. If I needed more money to pay for this kind of changeover, they'd probably pay. I'll check with Kent to see if they are interested in taking donations. If you were to click "T...
by Mike Jackson
Thu Apr 24, 2014 2:10 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Wednesday April 16 Changeover
Replies: 12
Views: 9230

Re: Wednesday April 16 Changeover

I finally got to speak with a supervisor today. They now have their best tech working to move the forum over. There could be a very slight hiccup today when they make the final changes, but hopefully not. They are also refunding my $175 support fee. So, despite the glitch with the other tech, it loo...
by Mike Jackson
Thu Apr 24, 2014 2:05 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: double paned window issues
Replies: 7
Views: 5798

Re: double paned window issues

In my "early years" of sign painting, most glass work was done on the outside. I remember it that way anyway. With heavily tinted glass now, working on the outside makes sense. If you are dealing with the color shifts due to two or three pieces of glass, working on the outside makes sense....
by Mike Jackson
Tue Apr 22, 2014 11:19 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: double paned window issues
Replies: 7
Views: 5798

Re: double paned window issues

Andrew, You probably did fine on this project. The tree will lose their flowers soon and be back to dark green and all will be fine. I might have just lettered it on the front of the glass since it is just a one color enamel job. You wouldn't have as much of a glare issue. An outline might have help...
by Mike Jackson
Mon Apr 21, 2014 11:21 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Wednesday April 16 Changeover
Replies: 12
Views: 9230

Re: Wednesday April 16 Changeover

I wish I could tell everyone this is going smoothly. Canaca (Canadian based company) always waits until THE DAY the site renewal is due, then sends an email bill saying OVERDUE...No correspondence prior to the Overdue bill. This time I was trying to move to the new site when they shut the server dow...
by Mike Jackson
Sat Apr 19, 2014 2:20 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Landslide in JH threatening the new Walgreens and its sign
Replies: 2
Views: 3331

Re: Landslide in JH threatening the new Walgreens and its sign

http://www.bestofthetetons.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Web_WalgreensSign_April19.jpg Here's a shot of the Walgreens sign taken just after lunch time today. I added this shot and quite a few more on my Photography Blog at: http://www.bestofthetetons.com/2014/04/01/april-daily-photos-and-updates-f...
by Mike Jackson
Fri Apr 18, 2014 6:01 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Landslide in JH threatening the new Walgreens and its sign
Replies: 2
Views: 3331

Landslide in JH threatening the new Walgreens and its sign

http://townofjackson.com/current/live-video-stream-budge-slide/ I doubt it is making national news, but lots of regional news casts are carrying this story. A large chunk of a hillside along the highway is falling into and under the parking lot at the new Walgreen's store here in Jackson Hole. The ...
by Mike Jackson
Fri Apr 18, 2014 12:56 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Check out TheLetterheads.com!
Replies: 2
Views: 3603

Check out TheLetterheads.com!

LetterheadsScreenGrab.JPG http://theletterheads.com/wordpress1/ Behind the scenes, we are switching servers. Hopefully that part will be transparent. In the process, I changed the entire original Letterheads web site. The info is the same, but it looks much different. It will be easier to add and e...
by Mike Jackson
Tue Apr 15, 2014 3:45 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Wednesday April 16 Changeover
Replies: 12
Views: 9230

Wednesday April 16 Changeover

Hi Hand Lettering Forum readers, For quite a few years, this site and www.theletterheads.com have been hosted by a company in Canada. Tomorrow, the site will be moving (behind the scenes) to Network Solutions in the US. It should be totally transparent at your end, but it should make getting questio...
by Mike Jackson
Sun Apr 13, 2014 11:24 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Value of 100 Alphabets by Alf R. Becker 1941
Replies: 3
Views: 4273

Re: Value of 100 Alphabets by Alf R. Becker 1941

There would probably be a lot of people willing to pay $50 for the book!

Mike Jackson
by Mike Jackson
Fri Apr 04, 2014 12:55 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Glue chipping question
Replies: 12
Views: 12929

Re: Glue chipping question

There are a lot of good suggestions above. If I lived in Florida, I'd make a cabinet to reduce the humidity and increase the heat. Rick used heat lamps in a cabinet and circulated the air with a small fan. I thought we had a drawing of his chipping cabinet on the site, but I didn't see it just now. ...
by Mike Jackson
Wed Feb 26, 2014 7:37 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: shutterstock for vector image ?
Replies: 8
Views: 6299

Re: shutterstock for vector image ?

Yep, it always helps to know what the "issue" is in a question. I assumed it was the cost. His question might have been better if he had asked if there were other good sources he might find similar or better art. I always love it when a client demands a specific font or graphic because I k...
by Mike Jackson
Tue Feb 25, 2014 3:11 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: shutterstock for vector image ?
Replies: 8
Views: 6299

Re: shutterstock for vector image ?

I don't know what your time is worth, but $29 sounds like a heck of a bargain if the image is what you need and you don't have to digitize it yourself. Seems like your client could absorb $29 versus having to pay you a couple hundred dollars to design and digitize a similar image? Even if you have t...
by Mike Jackson
Tue Feb 04, 2014 11:32 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Quiz
Replies: 12
Views: 9814

Re: Quiz

Kevin, Let me throw out a few comments. A: Yes, make sure the person asking for glass etching has permission or is the owner. B: Check to see if the glass is tempered. There might be an etched tag in the corner of the glass indicating that it is. Etching tempered glass is more tricky than regular gl...
by Mike Jackson
Tue Jan 28, 2014 11:28 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Lettering Strokes for the newbies
Replies: 1
Views: 2504

Lettering Strokes for the newbies

http://www.theletterheads.com/lettering/LetterStrokes.jpg I dug through some of my books and found this graphic in "Sign Painting, the New Way" by Steve Prohaska. Signs of the Times, 1964. Most of the lettering practice pages I found were for show card writers and were usually showing how...
by Mike Jackson
Tue Jan 28, 2014 10:21 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Newbie; need help with practice materials.
Replies: 4
Views: 4068

Re: Newbie; need help with practice materials.

Chris, You can probably find some old real estate signs around town. Take them out of the frame and roll them with some white enamel. Most of what you will paint in your life time will probably be using One Shot or Chromatic Lettering Enamel on a smooth painted surface. If you don't like a stroke, y...
by Mike Jackson
Thu Jan 09, 2014 7:19 am
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: It's that time of the year!
Replies: 3
Views: 3206

It's that time of the year!

The Hand Lettering Forum has been sponsored by the Denver Chapter of the Colorado Letterheads for quite a few years. They pay for the domain registration and website storage required for the Hand Lettering Forum and TheLetterheads.com for all of us to enjoy. Each year, Kent Smith is instrumental in ...
by Mike Jackson
Wed Jan 08, 2014 7:01 pm
Forum: The Hand Lettering Forum
Topic: Photoshop Techniques
Replies: 1
Views: 2433

Photoshop Techniques

Hi Forum Readers, Back in 2007, I created a page of Photoshop Techniques. I hid them in a folder and link at my Teton Images site so I could refer back to them when I needed a little reminder how to do a specific effect. It's amazing how easy it is to forget an important step, especially if you don'...