Hand Painted & Hand Made
Some jobs should not be printed. Hand painted signs have a warmth and a slight irregularity that vinyl cannot fake, and on a heritage shopfront or a characterful pub, traditional sign writing from BD Signs is very often the only thing that looks right.
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Hand Painted & Hand Made, made properly
BD Signs still does it the traditional way — laid out by eye, painted by brush, one coat at a time. That covers gold leaf, murals, painted timber panels and full interior artwork. It takes longer than printing, and it is worth it for the pieces where the craft is part of the point.
- Traditional brush-painted sign writing
- Murals and hand-painted interior artwork
- Gold leaf and speciality finishes
- Sympathetic to heritage and listed buildings
What should you know before ordering hand painted & hand made?
Why choose hand-painted signs over printed vinyl?
Because the small variations in brush-made letters read as craft. Vinyl is fast and perfectly uniform; paint is neither, and that is the point. BD Signs recommends hand-painting for heritage frontages, independents and any business that wants to look like it has been part of the street for years.
What surfaces can a sign writer paint on?
Timber fascias, glass, brick, plaster, metal and sealed floors can all be painted. On a shop window, gold leaf is laid on the inside of the glass, so the lettering is protected from the weather and still reads from the street. BD Signs checks the surface first, because the condition underneath decides how well the paint lasts.
Does the weather affect hand-painted sign writing?
Yes. Exterior painting needs dry weather, and the work takes days rather than hours. BD Signs plans outside jobs around the forecast and paints interiors out of hours, so you keep trading while the lettering goes on, one coat at a time.
How does BD Signs make hand painted & hand made?
Designed in-house, manufactured in our own factory, fitted by our own teams. 30 years in the industry.
- Step 1
Looking at the surface
BD Signs looks at what is being painted — timber, glass, brick, plaster, metal or a floor — checks its condition, and takes the measurements the layout will be drawn to.
- Step 2
Layout and colours
The lettering or artwork is drawn up at scale, with the colours and any gold leaf marked, and you approve it before a brush touches the surface. For a restoration, the drawing follows the original style.
- Step 3
Painting
Panels can be painted in our own factory; fascias, windows, walls and floors are painted where they stand. Either way the work is laid out by eye and built up by brush, coat by coat.
- Step 4
Finishing and fitting
Painted panels are fitted by our own teams. Exterior work is booked around dry weather and interior work happens out of hours, so the business does not have to close for it.
Hand-painted or printed vinyl: which suits your frontage?
Vinyl is the default for most signs, and often the right one. Paint earns its place where the character of the building, or of the business, is part of what you are selling.
| Compare | Hand-painted | Printed vinyl |
|---|---|---|
| How it is made | Laid out by eye and painted by brush | Printed or cut by machine, then applied |
| Finish | Small variations that read as craft | Perfectly uniform |
| Speed | Days, not hours | Fast |
| Upkeep | Can be touched up and revived | Usually replaced when it wears |
| Best for | Heritage shopfronts, pubs, murals and feature walls | Everyday graphics and quick changes |
| Historic frontages | Often favoured by conservation officers | Less often suited |
Hand Painted & Hand Made we've made
Four hand-made pieces from BD Signs: a lighthouse mural painted on timber cladding, an octopus painted straight onto a timber floor, a pointing hand with script lettering, and a sign writer at work, hand-painting lettering onto timber. None of it is printed, and the brush marks are part of the appeal.
From bare shopfront to finished fit-out
A few of our shop refurbs, start to finish.
What do people ask about hand painted & hand made?
How long does painted sign writing last?
Outside, it depends on the surface, which way it faces and how well the timber underneath is looked after. The advantage BD Signs points to is that paint can be touched up and revived rather than replaced, which is how so many old shop signs have lasted as long as they have.
Can you match or restore an existing painted sign?
Yes. BD Signs can repaint or restore lettering in its original style, which matters on old shopfronts where the sign is part of the building's character. Restoring lettering that customers already know is often a better move than replacing it, because it keeps the local recognition the business has built up.
Is hand-painting better for listed buildings?
Often. Conservation officers tend to favour painted lettering on timber over illuminated boxes on historic frontages, and it is one of the main reasons the craft is still in demand. Each council decides for itself, so BD Signs designs to suit the building rather than assuming an outcome.
Other types of sign we make
“Excellent service as normal — have used BD Signs for the last 20 years and they have always been very helpful and delivered on time and on price!”
“Used BD Signs Design and Print services to design a new logo for my company and to design and print some large labels to use on my jobs. Professional service from start to finish. Highly recommended.”
Need hand painted & hand made?
Tell us about the site and what you want it to say. We will survey, design and quote the whole job as one price.
Or email info@bdsigns.co.uk — we answer everything the same working day.