Innovation High School hand painted AND vinyl window graphics

Here’s a highly cost-effective sign project Big City produced recently for this client. They contacted me regarding using the windows at their facility - that faced a busy intersection - for advertising. This is an example of how we can help you “use real estate you already have”!

The project was a mix of hand lettering and sign painting techniques and computer cut vinyl. The combination was very helpful in keeping the costs down for the client — an equivalent digitally printed wrap would cost much more.

This is the Lake Elsinore (north of San Diego CA) location of San Diego based Innovation High School. Here is how the project was produced…


From concept to completion - we start most projects with a scale drawing design, so that everyone knows what they’re getting! Don’t want to let people have great expectations but then be disappointed. Here is a shot of both the scale drawing and the finished product.

hand painted window sign window splash

Here are the steps to product the signage:

The white base coat was masked and painted. This helps the bright colors pop and catch passerby’s eyes.

hand painted window sign window splash white base coat

Next step: an old sign painting technique called a “roller blend”. The bright colors are rolled in their locations (orange, yellow), then in the sections between a 24” wide roller is used to create a blend of the two colors.

hand painted window sign window splash color roller blend

After the background color roller blend is finished, I hand lettered the client’s logo in custom-mixed colors…

hand painted window sign window splash hand lettered logo

After the background color roller blend paint dries (pretty quickly!) I applied computer cut vinyl letters. These might have been hand lettered, but in this case I found it better time-wise to use a balance of paint and vinyl graphics.

hand painted window sign window splash sign lettering

The final step was to hand paint a red outline on the white letters.

Here is how the project looked when completed - and we now have another happy client!

hand painted window sign window splash completed

You might be thinking about getting this kind of project done, Do you know where to start? I can tell you - contact me, Paul Borne (president of Big City Signs) to find out more.

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Big City Signs | Graphics - since 1981… Old School Know-How & Today’s Technology.