Recently on the podcast 99% Invisible, Roman Mars examined the resurgence in demand for custom, hand-painted signs.
Hand-painted signage was once commonplace prior to the 1980s. The eighties brought the increased availability of digital printing on vinyl, significantly reducing the market for sign painting and hand-crafted signs.
But why the sudden demand now for a product that shows evidence of the artist’s touch? As Roman Mars’ writes, the ubiquity of digital text and poor design has created “an environment of anonymity and impermanence.”
As a result, business are now rediscovering the value in custom, hand-painted signs and how these products differentiate one from a sea of competitors. Hand-painted signs allow for greater personalized expression, support local artists, and infuse individuality into products.
To listen to Roman Mars’ podcast, Episode #74 Hand Painted Signs, visit 99% Invisible. ImageThink has also featured Brooklyn-based artist and sign painter Seamus Liam O’Brien on our blog in this post about creating visual resume.
