50 Clever And Funny Signs

These signs definitely have a lot of personality. And it's precisely what people and businesses want from them. Sick and tired of chain culture slowly making all streets look the same, many city shops are returning to handpainted signs.

Adrian Geach, who has been a signwriter since 1980, told Bored Panda that, "a good sign should be eye-catching, easy to understand and not too wordy with enough negative space around the text or logo, and have a good color scheme."

Geach lives in Wales but can take his brushes anywhere to work on a project. He left school at 16 to undertake a five-year signwriting apprenticeship and said he was lucky enough to be taught by three master craftsmen steeped in the skills of a brush and a pot of paint.

After learning the trade, Geach set up a sign makers business specializing in exhibition and display graphics and embraced the new vinyl and large format technology that was just coming to the fore.

Adrian has been successfully involved in all areas of signage and graphics for decades but not that long ago, he went back to his roots and now concentrates on traditional signwriting.

With the current resurgence of interest in signwriting and hand-rendered work, he utilizes his skills to offer clients a more personal, unique, environmentally friendly, and organic signage solution using old-fashioned materials and techniques.

"A sign might only be looked at for a few seconds so it needs to leave an impression within this time frame, hence the less is more approach," he said.

"There are many factors to take into account when designing a sign but the most important thing is to make sure it doesn't get lost in its surroundings," Geach revealed. 

"A bad sign is too much lettering, not enough space around or in-between text and logos, and bad color choices."

But signwriting can even be risky! "You use all your senses … not losing your balance while keeping a steady hand," Manuel Griñón Montes of Pincel Signs and Murals said. "I once had a passer-by threaten to kick my ladder while I was 3.5m (over 11 feet) high."

Luckily for us, nothing is stopping these skilled and witty creatives!