A drawing, in sign making, is a picture of a sign made before anything gets built. It shows the layout, the lettering, and the colors, so you can see the sign ahead of time. Like a mockup, it turns an idea into something everyone can look at and talk about. At our shop in Edgewater, Maryland, every job starts this way.
Why Drawings Come First
Drawings help you picture the finished sign. You can check the size, the spacing, and the overall look before we start work. That means fewer surprises later. It also gives us a clear plan to build from. So every project starts with one, whether it’s a boat name, a quarterboard, or a wall logo.
Fonts, Layout, and Artwork
For a boat name, we usually start by sending you fonts to review. Then we send drawings with your chosen font, so you can see exactly how the name will look on your boat, as we did for Alligator. For a logo or custom artwork, we create clean line art and vector files that work at any size. Learn more about our custom graphics and logo design. For example, we developed a custom gold leaf design for Cardinal Plaza Shell.
Revising Drawings to Suit Your Taste
Everyone has their own taste. If something in the drawing isn’t quite right, just tell us. We’ll adjust it with you until it feels right, and we don’t start building until you’re happy with the design. In other words, this is your chance to shape the sign. We’re glad to make changes, big or small.
From Drawing to Finished Sign
Once you approve the design, it guides every step that follows. We build the sign from it, and we place each piece by it. Every sign is its own project, and a craftsman’s hand stays on it from the first sketch to the final install. See how we plan the arrangement on our layout page.
See the Work
- Holly Hill Harbor community entrance sign
- Sailboat lettering for Relentless
- Brushed metal logo for Maryland Vision Institute
- Custom gold leaf design for Cardinal Plaza Shell
- Font review and drawings for Alligator
Our What We Do page shows everything we build.
Contact Designs & Signs
Have an idea for a sign? Send us a message through our contact form, or call (410) 798-5115.