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Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · 3d

Three signshops in Michigan, Texas and Indiana report on their participation in and success on this year’s Sign Manufacturing (MFG) Day, which officially took place Friday, Oct. 3. All three companies saw plenty of excitement from students and educators alike.

Sign MFG Day 2025 Stories

Reports from participating sign companies reflect a very successful event.

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Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · 12d

From race car-inspired patterns to a sleek blue Porsche: We showcase a cavalcade of colorful car wraps where each is cool in its own way.

5 Very Cool Car Wraps

Awesome printed and color-change wraps keep these cars chill.

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Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · 17d

Our October 2025 digimag is here! The issue showcases a cavalcade of cool car wraps, runners-up to our 2025 Sign Contest, raster image processors and much more!
signsofthetimes.com/digital

A magazine cover featuring five cars wrapped in various colors and patterns. The white text in a red box near the center reads: “Collect ‘Em All: Cool Wraps for Hot Wheels.” The white cover text at the top reads: “Signs of the Times | October 2025 | The Magazine for the Sign Professional.” The white text on a red ribbon at the bottom reads: “RIP Roaring: Image to the Max | Print Forecast: Growing Strong | Contest Runners-up: Couldabeen Contenders.”

Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · 24d

In celebration of his 75th birthday last month, we interviewed John Borell, former owner of Steel Art Co. (Norwood, MA), where he reflected on 55 years in the sign industry.

Longtime Signmaker Advises Flexibility to Change

John Borell from Steel Art Co. reflects on 55 years of business.

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Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · 26d

Congratulations to the winners in Category 5 of our 2025 Sign Contest, signshop or outside-designed vehicle wraps!

1st place: Redline Design
2nd place: Redline Design
3rd place: TM Signs and Graphics

Best Signshop or Outside-Designed Vehicle Wrap

Two Cybertrucks and a Beetlejuice Camaro.

signsofthetimes.com

Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Sep 18

Robert “Butch” Anton, better known in the industry as “Superfrog,” passed away on Sunday, Sept. 14, at age 81. A celebration of his life will be held on Sept. 22 at Wright Funeral Home in Moorhead, MN.

Butch “Superfrog” Anton Passes Away at 81

Sign industry celebrity contributed many lasting impacts.

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Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Sep 16

Congratulations to the winners in Category 4 of our 2025 Sign Contest, outside-designed and signshop-fabricated, non-illuminated signs!

1st place: AJ Sign Co.
2nd place: AJ Sign Co.
3rd place: ARTfx

Best Outside-Designed, Signshop-Fabricated Sign, NOT Internally Illuminated

Large wall graphics, tool-shaped sign and faceted wood wall.

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Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Sep 11

Congratulations to the winners in Category 3 of our 2025 Sign Contest, outside-designed and signshop-fabricated, illuminated signs!

1st place: Bakers’ Signs & Manufaacturing
2nd place: Sign Lite
3rd place: Whittaker Signs

signsofthetimes.com/best-outside...

Best Outside-Designed, Signshop-Fabricated Sign, Internally Illuminated

A huge starburst pylon, medical and restaurant signs.

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Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Sep 9

Congratulations to the winners in Category 2 of our 2025 Sign Contest, signshop-designed and fabricated, non-illuminated signs!

1st place: Imagination Corp.
2nd place: Vim Creative
3rd place: Advanced Sign Solutions

Best Signshop-Designed and Fabricated Sign, NOT Internally Illuminated

A fantasy town entrance, Hawaiian shops and city monument.

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Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Sep 4

Congratulations to the winners in Category 1 of our 2025 Sign Contest, signshop-designed and fabricated illuminated signs!

1st place: Media Resources Inc. and YESCO Phoenix
2nd place: Blackout Signs and Metalworks
3rd place: Cima Network Inc.

Best Signshop-Designed and Fabricated Sign, Internally Illuminated

2024 Sign Contest: CATEGORY 1 FIRST PLACE Project Name Roadside Pylon Replacement Fabricators Media Resources Inc. Oakville, ON, Canada mediaresources.com YESCO Phoenix Phoenix yesco.com/phoenix Insta...

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Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Sep 2

Our September 2025 digimag is here! The issue showcases the top three winners in each category of our 2025 Sign Contest, an Eagles superfan’s RV wrap, sign companies’ pay rate and much more!
signsofthetimes.com/digital

A magazine cover depicting a wooden sign. The text on the sign reads: “Tom’s Candle Pins | Since 1957.” The sign hangs from an arc shaped like a snake with a bowling pin sticking out from its tongue. The cover text below the sign reads: “Knock ‘Em Down: Bowling Over the Competition.” The letter O in “down” is a circle that says: “Sign Contest 2025.” The cover text above the sign reads: “Signs of the Times | September 2025 | The Magazine for the Sign Professional.” Above the cover text is a ribbon that reads: “Workflow Dart: Management Apps | Tailgate Transformation: On Eagles’ Wings | Barter Economy: Yea or Nay?”

Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Aug 14

The winners of our 2025 Sign Contest have been announced, with Imagination Corp. (Chilliwack, BC, Canada) taking home “Best of Show.” Congratulations to all the winners!

2025 Sign Contest Winners Announced

Imagination Corp. crowned “Best of Show” with fantasy world town facade.

signsofthetimes.com

Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Aug 1

Our August 2025 digimag is here! The issue captures scenes from the Letterheads’ 50th anniversary, large-scale murals, residential signs and more: signsofthetimes.com/digital

A magazine cover that says: “Signs of the Times | August 2025: The Magazine for the Sign Professional” at the top and “Columns: Past Presence | Traditional Signpainting & Design on Display” at the bottom in bold gold letters. In the center of the cover is a sign in the park that says: “Letterheads 50th Anniversary, 1975-2025.” The sign is in the style of an early 20th century art deco illustration. The headings next to the sign read: “Wall & Window: Mural Graphics | 5 or More > 4: Adding to CMYK | Community Collage: Residential Signage.”

Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Jul 1

Our July 2025 digimag is here! The issue spotlights new digital printers, a way to recruit young signmakers, church signs and more: signsofthetimes.com/digital

A magazine cover that shows a young person operating a printer. The person wears a black short-sleeved shirt over striped long sleeves, a medallion, a black mask, glasses. Their hair is dyed blue on one half and red on the other half. The cover text reads: “Young at Art: Finding New Employees.” The text above reads: “Signs of the Times | July 2016 | The Magazine for the Sign Professional.” A red ribbon at the top of the cover reads: “Fit to Print: Latest Models | Color Correct: Managing Imaging | Houses of the Holy: Signs of Worship.”

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Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Jun 25

The Letterheads movement celebrated its 50th anniversary at the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati over the last weekend, bringing together sign artists from around the world for love of a traditional craft.

29 Brushes With the Letterheads’ 50th Anniversary

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Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Jun 17

GrandMark Signs (Lenexa, KS) recently completed the first of two massive free-standing letter sets for The Crossing — a mixed-use development — at the University of Kansas. It is their biggest project to date.

Signshop Creates Massive Letter Set for University of Kansas

The free-standing letters comprise the first of two identical sets.

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Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Jun 2

Our June 2025 digimag is here! The issue takes a look at a centennial Goodyear blimp wrap, offers leadership and management advice, cruises through bar signs and more: signsofthetimes.com/digital

Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · May 1

Our May 2025 Digimag is here! The issue studies three different fabric sign projects, as well as CNC routers, a wrap for a teenage race car driver and more: signsofthetimes.com/digital

A magazine cover featuring a 14-year-old white girl in black and blue race car driver uniform. She is posing against a red race car with a white 57 number on the side. The cover lines read: “Victory Wrap: How a Signshop & Nascar Junior Champ Make a Winning Team.” The ribbon at the top of the cover reads: “Fabric of Society: Awnings & More | Cutting Into CNCs: Route to Follow | Ahoy There! Ship-Shape Makeovers.” Below it: “Signs of the Times | May 2025: The Magazine for the Sign Professional.”

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Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Apr 22

The final 2025 Women in Signs Awards winner we are spotlighting this month is Ashley Baumeister, production and installation manager at Fastsigns of Clearwater (Clearwater, FL). She uses her social media presence as a powerful tool to connect sign women.
signsofthetimes.com/2025-women-i...

Photographic portrait of a smiling white woman wearing a bright orange T-shirt with a FASTSIGNS, a baseball cap, heavy mascara, and nose piercing. She is standing in front of a truck that is wrapped in FASTSIGNS vinyl film.

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Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Apr 17

The fourth 2025 Women in Signs Awards winner we are spotlighting is Lauren Terwilliger, owner of Pocono Sign Co. (Lakeville, PA). She’s a strong advocate for embracing self-gratification and self-love amidst the daily grind of work.
signsofthetimes.com/2025-women-i...

Photographic portrait of a smiling white woman with shoulder-length dirty blonde hair. She wears a V-neck white T-shirt, a dark blue cardigan, blue jeans, and a necklace. She is standing in front of a composite wall graphic of sepia-tone photographs.

Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Apr 15

The third 2025 Women in Signs Awards winner we are shining a spotlight on is Torey Rouillon, director of project management for Signarama Troy | Metro Detroit’s National Branding division. She prides herself on her work for ISA Sign Manufacturing Day.
signsofthetimes.com/2025-women-i...

A photographic portrait of a smiling white woman with long blonde hair in an office. She wears a ruffled black dress and a bead necklace. She is standing between two workbenches with her hands on the surfaces of the desk. An industrial printer can be seen in the background.

Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Apr 10

The second 2025 Women in Signs Awards winner we are spotlighting this month is Mallory Lynn, marketing manager at Signarama Brighton (Brighton, CO). She has earned a reputation as “The Mallory” for her extraordinary skills.
signsofthetimes.com/2025-women-i...

Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Apr 8

We shine a spotlight on the first 2025 Women in Signs Awards winner: Sarah Flax, director of supply chain for Cima Network Inc. (Chalfont, PA). She is instrumental in the supply side of several great sign projects.
signsofthetimes.com/2025-women-i...

Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Apr 1

Our April 2025 Digimag is here! In celebration of Women’s History Month, the issue profiles five winners of the Women in Signs Awards, as well as textile finishers, school signs and more: signsofthetimes.com/digital

A teal magazine cover with bright yellow text and a hexagonal pink balloon in the center. The white text on the balloon reads: “Women in Signs.” The balloon is surrounded by confetti and the following names in white and yellow text, clockwise: “Sarah Flax, Torey Rouillon, Mallory Lynn, Lauren Terwilliger, Ashley Baumeister.” The magazine text at the top reads: “Signs of the Times | April 2025 | The Magazine for the Sign Professional.” The cover lines above read: “Exit Strategies: Sell Your Signshop | Hem & Haul: Finishing Fabrics | School’s In: Classy Signage.” The magazine text at the bottom reads: “Expanding the Party: Celebrating Female Sign Pros.” The word “female” is highlighted in red.

Signs of the Times @signsofthetimesmag.bsky.social · Mar 14

There is no better indicator for a sign company’s craft and service quality than its own signage. Check out the signs of 24 member companies from our Brain Squad!

24 Sign Company Signs

signsofthetimes.com