Awesome Signs

Before there were digital maps or modern smartphones, thousands, if not millions of drivers in Los Angeles, California, missed the crucial yet abrupt exit from the 110 freeway to the I-5. The Drive sums up how, in 2001, artist Richard Ankrom obsessively studied California traffic signs and embarked on his “Guerrilla Public Service.“

Arist and filmmaker Max Kolomatsky has been using his talent to be a sneaky Good Samaritan to his fellow New Yorkers. He makes better versions of flyers and signs posted by individuals or small businesses around the city, replacing the original ones free of charge and without telling the people who posted them.

Chinese sign maker Star Road Factory has perfected an infinite neon effect by sandwiching LEDs between sheets of acrylic and a mirrored backing to create an awesome infinite light effect that looks even cooler when changing perspective. They have another TikTok channel that shows off more of their work.

(Flashing images) Sign, sign, everywhere a sign. To create his short film SIGNS, filmmaker Daniel McKee spent months collecting images of thousands of road signs from around the world, then arranged and animated them in a logical sequence. The music by Resonate complements the videos’ driving pace.

Cheer yourself on every day with this pennant flag with the message, “There is no substitute for hard work.” The 9″ x 27″ wool felt flag features a woodcut illustration of a hard-working man getting the job done by chopping his own firewood, accompanied by vintage-style typography by artist Jim Waws.

These new LEGO Dots sets give you the parts needed to create messages and signs you can hang on your wall. There’s a 531-piece Message Board, a 943-piece Big Message Board, and a standalone 722-piece kit that’s all about Lettering in different typefaces.

German company Rynx is working on an innovative kind of mechanical signage that display text or numbers on a series of turning rings. They can be used individually or stacked for multi-line displays, and come in white-on-black or black-on-white. They’re taking pre-orders in Europe now with deliveries starting in Q3 2022.

To celebrate the holidays, JBV Creative cracked open a cold beer with his 3D-printed bottle opener. The mechanical wall art delivers both a Christmas greeting and a beer-drinkers’ greeting with a flick of the wrist. The 3D model is available free to JBV’s Patreon supporters, or you can buy the model from his website for $3.99.

Get up-to-the-minute information on stocks, bonds, cryptocurrencies, and more with the Fintic desktop scrolling LED ticker. The 128×32 full-color display can also show sports scores, news, weather, instant messages, animated GIFs, and more. It measures 15.3″ w x 4.3″ h x 2.3″ d. Stack multiples for information overload.

3D printer manufacturer Piocreat shows how they made a colorful light-up sign of their logo using their Creatwit 3D printer, which is optimized for printing lettering. They filled the fronts of the letters with liquid acrylic to enhance the lighting effect, then laser-cut a backing sheet and attached LEDs before assembling the light.

Support your passionate causes with a spray paint can and the Protest Stencil Toolkit, a DIY book updated with stencil designs for the modern activist. Create your own protest slogans and graphics with the paperback’s 42 reusable stencils, including symbols representing important protest movements.

Inspired by the design of those mechanical schedule signs you see at airports and train stations, this plastic sign board uses interchangeable letter tiles for you to post messages or your schedule for the day. It measures 11.9″w x 8.4″h, and has both a tabletop stand and keyhole hooks for wall hanging.

New York City sees many of its stop signs and other street signs vandalized or stolen each year. Between replacements and other projects, the Department of Transportation’s Queens sign shop makes over 100,000 new signs each year. Insider takes us inside the facility for a look at the work that goes into this laborious process.

Here’s a great gift for LEGO fans young or old. Brickles Shop makes custom name signs which feature LEGO-compatible studs on top. They’re available in a variety of colors and from 1 to 12 letters – though longer names can get quite spendy since they’re 3D printed. More styles here.

Finally get that vanity plate the state won’t make. JustPlateCrazy takes old U.S. license plates and slices them up to make custom signage. The ransom note style signs come mounted to a plank of cedar for easy hanging, and can be made with 3 to 18 letters.

A fun play on classic diner menu sign boards, ThreePotatoFourCo’s 10″ x 3.5″ black-on-white desktop version challenges you to spell out your thoughts with the utmost economy of language. Includes an oak wood base and 145 interchangeable letters and numbers.