How to Make Vintage Hand-Painted Signs with a Laser Cutter!

Jen shares a brilliant and simple technique for replicating vintage hand-painted signs using a laser cutter and off-the-shelf materials. It's a super satisfying way to create the look of precision hand-painting using vector art and vintage typefaces, and works great with bright paints and gilding on clear cast acrylic. Follow along as Jen walks us through how to prep the artwork in Illustrator and carefully paint a beautiful piece of sign art!
Find out more about Jen's sign art and availability of her painted signs here: www.jenschachter.com/sign-shop
Shot and edited by Josh Self
Music by Jinglepunks
Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks:
/ @tested
Tested Ts, stickers, mugs and more: tested-store.com
Subscribe for more videos (and click the bell for notifications): kzbin.info_c...
Twitter: / testedcom
Facebook: / testedcom
Instagram: / testedcom
Discord: / discord
Amazon Storefront: www.amazon.com/shop/adamsavage...
Savage Industries T-shirts: cottonbureau.com/stores/savag...
Tested is:
Adam Savage / donttrythis
Norman Chan / nchan
Joey Fameli www.joeyfameli.com
Ryan Kiser / ryan.kiser
Josh Self / puppetflesh
Kristen Lomasney / krystynlo
Jen Schachter www.jenschachter.com
Kishore Hari / sciencequiche
Sean Charlesworth / cworthdynamics
Kayte Sabicer / kaytesabicer
Bill Doran / chinbeard
Ariel Waldman / arielwaldman
Darrell Maloney / brokennerd
Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman
Thanks for watching!

[@tested]

Find out more about Jen's sign art and availability of her painted signs here: www.jenschachter.com/sign-shop

[@SAOS451316]

it looks great! when i paint models with masking i apply a clear coat before the color. it seals up any bleeds under the mask which saves touch up time and gives crisper lines.

[@jeffdangerbrown]

Do you have a preferred clear coat?

[@SAOS451316]

@@jeffdangerbrown it depends on the material i'm painting and how big the project is. for example a gunpla i'll use mr hobby because it's so fine, for a larger diorama i'll use vallejo because i find it sticks better to lots of different materials, for a painting or for metals i just use a cheap krylon spray can because it's too expensive to use good clear coats on big things amd metals are forgiving.

[@antagonizerr]

Very nice. As soon as I sell a few organs I'm definitely getting a laser cutter.

[@GrayRaceCat]

Just don’t sell any “important” organs!

[@anaarias1627]

This is so beautiful and lovely. Thank you for sharing 🤗😊😊😊

[@TheSteveAS]

Thanks for producing such a comprehensive tutorial Jen! You are an excellent instructor. Also, thanks SO much for the Illustrator tips! I’ve been using that program daily for 20+ years and didn’t know about the “envelope” distort filter! You just opened up a world of possibilities for me!

[@GoingBrogue]

I did a series of coasters using this technique and it was fun. I used metallic gold acrylic spray paint instead of gold leaf for my “pot of gold” (they were St Patrick’s Day coasters). Once I did all the painting and removed the masking I covered the back in self-adhesive cork backing and it has the effect of making the art seem to “float” above the background. I bet you could use different types of backgrounds behind the clear acrylic to create other effects…. like black velvet or even something like astroturf.

[@MakeSomething]

This is so cool. Keeping this technique in my back pocket.

[@tonydotnottingham]

Love this - a great process and always enjoyable having Jen walk us through her workflow!

[@SergeyChernyshev]

Love the digital fabrication twist on traditional process and use of the protective sheeting (otherwise discarded) on acrylic as a set of masking layers.

[@fjr2go]

Looks amazing Jen!

[@dronedocd7036]

That piece looks awesome! You’re a true artist Jen. I can’t wait to see more of your work.

[@aristevons6389]

Thank you for showing me this!!! Awesome😊

[@tomrichardson7792]

How have i missed this video till now!

[@salcampagna]

I love this, thank you so much!!

[@Cerulikat]

Lovely execution of the backside masking process! I'm inspired to make my own sign now! I held my breath on the masking peels. And yes, it is very satisfying to watch! Thank you, Jen!

[@leemarsh3569]

Great video. Would Jen consider doing a wee tutorial video on illustrator and possibly Inkscape? Specifically for design used on laser cutting. 😊

[@Siberius-]

Looks fantastic

[@TheMusicRebellion]

Looks really nice! Thank you for the great tips.

[@johncarr1484]

Thanks! Innovative method.

[@ionostro]

interesting method and beautiful work. Greetings to Jen, from Chile, South America

[@paulhill1662]

❤ Love let's see more please love from England ❤

[@geoffgreen2105]

Ah, Tested, my favorite ASMR channel.

[@MogoPrime]

Great process! I appreciate the aspect of having to plan and puzzle out the order of operations. And this can be done with a cheap diode laser since you're only hitting the paper layer and not actually affecting the acrylic. Thanks for sharing this idea!

[@dinkc64]

Lovely!

[@leontermolen2356]

Great video!

[@AaaSWE]

Nice idea!

[@DanteNava]

This looks VERY cool! You might want to try a clear coat between colors to prevent the peel up and/or seepage when peel up does occur. I've found on my projects that it produces much cleaner lines. 😃👍

[@nathkrupa3463]

Very nice thank you.

[@relishgargler]

I've spent so many hundreds of hours peeling painted masking from acrylic. It gave me a good chuckle when she said she could do that all day. It does get old after a while. It is nice in that you can generally put on a movie or podcast while you do it. Definitely not a "yay!" moment though when you sit down with a box of 4,000 20mm tokens that need to be peeled.

[@hanslain9729]

Sick work!

[@kiwdwks]

Love that you are always trying new things and your work is awesome! Always appreciate you sharing what you've learned...

[@mikeuk666]

Great video

[@blutube9916]

This was kind of nerve-racking to watch. Cool process. Will you make some back-lit signs with this process too?

[@rekabulator]

This could be done with a vinyl plotter too. But you'd have to transfer the vinyl to the acrylic instead of cutting the backing layer of the acrylic with a laser. Might be a cheaper method though, at least for smaller signs.

[@danielwendt3927]

Thanks Jen, This is a really cool technique! Awesome video!

[@l-Jeremy]

That was enjoyable and fun to watch! Looking forward to seeing more of these techniques with hand-painted signs. Great work Jen!

[@groundcontrolto]

I design PCBs in Inkscape - it's cool watching an analogous process for laser cutting.

[@DanielCooper1]

Totally awesome, Jen! Makes me really wanna get a laser cutter now. :| ;)

[@AndyCallaway]

That was a lot of work, but the end result was worth it. It looks fantastic.

[@PiranOfficial]

What a great idea! Thanks for sharing. I think it would even work with diode lasers (5W desktop models). They don't cut transparent acrylic

[@timassie]

This is great! Look up tutorials for painting clear RC car bodies, a very similar process of masking and working backwards.

[@carloscastanyeda]

I've been doing this for two year. Use montana cans, when done paint the backround a solid color or in pattern, for sure wait for drying between colors, and varnish the back incase of scratching

[@realpdm]

This is a really cool technique. Thank you for sharing it!

[@CurtSlaten]

That had so much good information crammed into it. Well done, thank you.

[@tonylorentzen]

That looks incredible! Well done Jen!

[@DesignCutters]

I believe gold size or sizing for gilding glass is not made from animal fat - it is gelatin which is made from hooves and possibly horns. Nice tutorial!

[@fallinginthed33p]

Good idea with the borders on the msk, they act almost like cutting tape for the gold leaf.

[@greyareaRK1]

Sizing is used in paper/textiles to prevent ink bleed through and feathering. I've heard a blush brush is good for gold foil applicé.

[@bennyfactor]

This is really cool! Now I gotta think about how to adapt this technique to put new (old looking) house numbers on my front door. Can't exactly put 100-something year old glass in a laser cutter. But you've got the gears rolling...

[@ottergoose]

I bet there are some large format vinyl tapes/films out there that can be used for temporary work, where you could cut the film and then apply to an old/permanent fixture.

[@MogoPrime]

If you can get the glass out safely and then apply some low-tack backing paper or maybe a few trips of low-tack tape, you could then etch this kind of layered stencil with even a cheap diode-based laser. Something 15 watts or less won't have the power to affect clear glass, but will tear through paper no problem. Good luck!

[@bitbangr]

@@ottergoose maybe a sign shop could give you off-cuts you could then laser cut?

[@GrayRaceCat]

Spray-on masking, paper pattern, “pounce-wheel”, charcoal “pounce-bag”, exacto-knife, paint, and gilding. Create the image in your computer and print it full size. Use the pounce-wheel to trace the outlines. Spray the glass with masking. Tape the paper pattern to the glass and use the charcoal pounce-bag to transfer the pattern to the glass. Cut & peel the masking as required. Paint away! You don’t even have to remove the glass.

[@PiGood]

I started doing this after I saw Full Spectrum Lasers Demo. Never seen it done with gold leaf though. Wish I could cheat and do it with a sublimation printer like the pros do.

[@matthewderezinski8103]

Enjoy the video, with most tested videos they have links to all the products that are used to make the finished piece. Can you add those links to the products you used? Thanks again!

[@keithhanshaw9217]

Hey Jen, thanks for sharing - great video - very useful!

[@charlesm.1638]

Looks amazing. What if spray pain a small layer at a time? Would Spraying small layers at a time and allowing each layer to dry would prevent bleeding?

[@Soper20]

That looks great! As an extra little "chef's kiss" you should paint the entire back in Rust-Oleum Mirror Effect Spray Paint after the gold leaf. It'll give it that old time feel and help hide some of the small imperfections.

[@Jje24goblue]

Awesome idea. Is there a need for the laser to score the acrylic? If not, would it be possible to do this with say a Cameo 4 and some Oracal stencil material?

[@MogoPrime]

Definitely doesn't need to even touch the acrylic, so that should work

[@BilbyBaggins]

I've seen back-painting acrylic used to make labels for switch panels, this is a neat extension of the concept. When you're spray painting are you using the stock head or a custom art head? I've tried this kind of fine painting with spray paint cans before and even with warming them in a water bath and giving them a good shake it still seems really hard to get a fine mist of paint and no drips.

[@PelleKuipers]

Do you have that issue when it's a new can as well? I kept forgetting to put the can upside down and spray until only air comes out. That way you clean the nozzle. Other than that it's mostly the right amount of pressure and good shaking (I shake at least 30 seconds, if not longer).

[@alansidie4157]

Maybe try the matalic brass spray paint instead of the gold leaf. Just a thought not sure how well it would work.

[@RjWolf3000]

I wonder if a clear coat might keep the backing from allowing bleed through.

[@frankligas2249]

Thanks for the video. Looks cool. I do a lot of laser engraving at the Makerspace Charlotte. ??? Why can't acrylic? Why not masking film on real glass?

[@adamagave]

Great video! Can you share a link for that gold leaf?

[@TheRealUmbellaCorporation]

Can you please do one with the budget DIY maker in mind so those of us that don't have a laser cutter and stuff like that we just have hand tools or the like don't have a vector imaging processor we have a computer a printer and maybe a Dremel or something like that?

[@GrayRaceCat]

The hand tool version. Spray-on masking, paper pattern, “pounce-wheel”, charcoal “pounce-bag”, exacto-knife, paint, and gilding. Create the image in your computer and print it full size. Use the pounce-wheel to trace the outlines. Spray the glass with masking. Tape the paper pattern to the glass and use the charcoal pounce-bag to transfer the pattern to the glass. Cut & peel the masking as required. Paint away! You don’t even have to remove the glass.

[@bobbyboy1962]

where did you get this idea from, be honest, looks great

[@bitbangr]

I wonder if you could get an even more accurate look by brushing the paint on instead of spraying.

[@nemo4907]

Great tutorial. Try Lightburn, MUCH EASIER and INTUITIVE for the design of vectors. Great controls for the vector designer that is not cluttered with functions not needed.

[@reddcube]

I wonder how this would look if the back was mirror finish. Either mirror spray paint or with a Mylar backing

[@robinspringett201]

Or you could just place a mirror behind the acrylic.

[@JarrodLuna]

You could achieve the same effect using a Cricut and stencil material.

[@MickeyCuervo36]

They sell mirror spraypaint and sheets of "chipped glass" film for windows that I'm sure would look cool as the background, if completely clear wasn't your thing.

[@hollyjohnson2695]

LOVELY JOB

[@AaronGlett]

Could potentially work for glass also, since glass is also laser etch-able. Might need minor alterations to work flow for glass.

[@nachtgoblin24]

did the laser actually do anything besides cutting the masking? if thats the only think it could definitely work fork for glass too

[@GrayRaceCat]

You would need to use a spray-on masking for glass, but a few test runs with the laser would work out the settings.

[@Carty239]

Could you use glass by tacking a paper backing on it? Or is there a reason I'm not aware of (e.g. laser safety) meaning that should be avoided?

[@GrayRaceCat]

The laser is enclosed so no real hazard. You would use a spray-on masking for glass. It’s how sign makers did it when I was a kid. (My father was a sign painter in the 60s & 70s.)

[@docgarby5558]

This was great. I wonder if the same process could be done using a cricut to cut the design on an adhesive sheet that you then transfer to the acrylic and continue with the painting technique. Could potentially be used for applying designs to windows in situ, etc. as well.

[@GrayRaceCat]

Aligning the vinyl for different layers would be problematic. Spray-on masking, paper pattern, “pounce-wheel”, charcoal “pounce-bag”, exacto-knife, paint, and gilding. Create the image in your computer and print it full size. Use the pounce-wheel to trace the outlines. Spray the glass with masking. Tape the paper pattern to the glass and use the charcoal pounce-bag to transfer the pattern to the glass. Cut & peel the masking as required. Paint away! You don’t even have to remove the glass.

[@turtleplates]

Apply a clear coat be4 paint ot will seal the edges and prevent bleeding

[@alaskankare]

looks great, just everyone can't afford the laser printer. 🥰

[@bitbangr]

Agreed. Some maker spaces have laser cutters, though.

[@GrayRaceCat]

Spray-on masking, paper pattern, “pounce-wheel”, charcoal “pounce-bag”, exacto-knife, paint, and gilding. Create the image in your computer and print it full size. Use the pounce-wheel to trace the outlines. Spray the glass with masking. Tape the paper pattern to the glass and use the charcoal pounce-bag to transfer the pattern to the glass. Cut & peel the masking as required. Paint away! You don’t even have to remove the glass.

[@stephengalante2979]

Although the material are inexpensive, the Trotec Laser being used sells for over $25,000. Not exactly something everyone has enough money sitting around.

[@revgregory]

You can cut the masking on acrylic with a sub $1000 diode laser also, you just won't be doing it as fast as the machine she used.

[@ColtFortyFour]

Amazing! Just watch the 'Circus Manerus' and 'Market Deco' fonts - they're for personal use only.

[@jenschachter]

I saw that :/ Been trying to find where to buy a commercial license but there's no contact info in the font package. Will prob have to sub out if I decide to sell these...

[@eranabramovich]

next time you can actually make it a paint by number where you put in the design a designated number for each color and have it engraved in lower setting on the masking that way you will know which one to pill at what time with no use for the original

[@lrfcowper]

Hey, folks at Tested. Was hoping you folks could do a video addressing the dangers of fractal woodburning to hopefully discourage folks from trying it and suffering fatalities as a result. A cooking channel I follow that also does debunking videos had one up about how fatal it was and had it taken down by KZbin as being "unsafe" while the videos that show people how to do this with no warnings how deadly it is remained. While her video got reinstated, it's lost all the original comments, views, likes, etc so is now less likely to be seen than the dangerous ones it was addressing. I think an influential channel like yours, especially among the maker community, could go a long way to preventing needless deaths. Thanks!

[@GrayRaceCat]

Yes please do this Adam!

[@brikhouse22]

I'm confused, a typical one is paint on glass, not sure what kind of expensive materials there is there, but then say it's cheap an easy to do at home....as long as you have some kind of laser cutter, which isn't cheap. 🤔

[@GrayRaceCat]

Spray-on masking, paper pattern, “pounce-wheel”, charcoal “pounce-bag”, exacto-knife, paint, and gilding. Create the image in your computer and print it full size. Use the pounce-wheel to trace the outlines. Spray the glass with masking. Tape the paper pattern to the glass and use the charcoal pounce-bag to transfer the pattern to the glass. Cut & peel the masking as required. Paint away! You don’t even have to remove the glass.

[@GrayRaceCat]

Spray-on masking, paper pattern, “pounce-wheel”, charcoal “pounce-bag”, exacto-knife, paint, and gilding. Create the image in your computer and print it full size. Use the pounce-wheel to trace the outlines. Spray the glass with masking. Tape the paper pattern to the glass and use the charcoal pounce-bag to transfer the pattern to the glass. Cut & peel the masking as required. Paint away! You don’t even have to remove the glass.

[@lo-firobotboy7112]

Cool process, although, if you already have access to a lase cutter, why not simply laser-cut your letters from vinyl and apply them to the acrylic sheet? I've done this a number of times and use a similar layering process. You apply the front color first, then the next color, and so on. The background is last. The only trick is to remember to reverse letters and images etc.

[@GrayRaceCat]

Or you could use spray-masking and a paper pattern.

[@barneymiller7894]

Pinstriping and lettering is my number one skill! Annnnnd I'm redundant 😂

[@villanuevaaadrian15]

Lol. After watching the video I can confidently say, nothing beats technique and discipline. Respect

[@GrayRaceCat]

My father was a sign painter. I watched him do this by hand many times growing up in the 60s & 70s. He despised computers, “they have no artistic soul” he would say.

[@super8hell]

I think the terms you were looking for is stencil making, not screen printing.

[@GrayRaceCat]

Screen printing is similar. Just apply the colors in the reverse order, background first instead of last.

[@bdbensley]

actually once you learn from someone who does it well, it isn't that complicated, hard, or costly (did it for years). The new processes just doesn't last like traditional.

[@hwelch2]

Firstly, most Sign Writers are craftspeople/ artisans and worth the cost of hiring one; Brush painting, letter style knowledge, layout, carving and gold leafing take time to both learn and develop the skills. Having said that, most Sign Designers/Painters/Writers have mastered the use vinyl too... some even work in it exclusively. I liked watching you trying to simplify the process for people (to understand it) and I appreciate your obvious love of the craft...honestly, it's magic to watch a pro do it, brush and leaf work is an art. May I suggest a view of Dave Smith (UK), his work on glass is truly the "gold standard" even amongst the sign community and thankfully there are other keepers of the craft out there working and sharing. This was once a somewhat revered profession...Sign Writers had trademark styles, they had routes across large territories, Chicago had a school for it (various match book courses existed too...like cartooning...draw Tippy) and books were written on technique, layout and letter styles. The trade was apprenticed and some Family based businesses are around for generations (Jerry Seinfeld's - you are young, he was a famous comedian in the 90's- Dad had a Sign Shop, he obviously didn't follow but I bet he can still do a little brush lettering). It's something you see every day and use but it's not often thought of so I thank you for reaching out and sharing. So many gold leafing tutorials out there (seek professionals and wait until you try "engine turning"); layout is an art on its own too so I look forward to watching you learn and share. Btw weeding vinyl starts off calming and gets tedious very quickly... an x-acto knife works a treat. Remember that not so long ago vinyl was cut by hand then knife plotter (so the laser is stellar) and one-upon-a-time it was brush only!

[@bitbangr]

My father-in-law was a sign painter and had a handful of "fonts" in his head that he could hand paint. Late in his career, he moved to vinyl, using it directly or as masking when either a hand-painted image was needed inside a border, or there was no correct color match in vinyl for the color needed.

[@zakuraayame5091]

Hmm, today I learned vintage doesn't necessarily mean something from the past even though it tends to be used in that context, especially in reference to fine wines. I guess I always considered it a synonym of antique.

[@beanhimself]

Well there goes my admiration for old timey signs. Lol

[@Wanton110]

My brother in law who uses gold leaf in his art work has said on numerous occasions that imitation gold leaf edge peals a lot more often than real gold leaf

[@crackerjax27526]

Sounds like Chris Reeve Knives! Measure twice, cut once!

[@MKF30]

Wasn't she one of the OGs on Myth Busters?

[@cfuse]

Perhaps consider using clear coats to create hard borders.

[@answeris4217]

I'm in the measure once cut as many times as I need frame of mind

[@GrayRaceCat]

“I keep cutting and cutting and it's still too short!”

[@rcsparks8172]

If you're already painting why not just learn the traditional way? You're honestly spending more and the alphaenamel isn't that expensive.

[@Lion_McLionhead]

Never saw Savage in the brick studio before. Thought he stayed in his cave & the money rolled in.

[@user-gl5ld9vm7i]

Jen, please do more videos. Instead of just that guy named Norm....hahaha.

[@dregant]

Yeah, cheap and easily accessible way of doing such lettering! Just have a fkin laser cutter, bro!🤦🏻‍♂️

[@Casemod]

Wer viel misst, misst Mist!

[@mintfennecfox7781]

first

[@mikeuk666]

cringe

[@TheMadJoker87]

yep, very inexpensive materials... and a 15 thousand dollars laser cuter...

[@GrayRaceCat]

Spray-on masking, paper pattern, “pounce-wheel”, charcoal “pounce-bag”, exacto-knife, paint, and gilding. Create the image in your computer and print it full size. Use the pounce-wheel to trace the outlines. Spray the glass with masking. Tape the paper pattern to the glass and use the charcoal pounce-bag to transfer the pattern to the glass. Cut & peel the masking as required. Paint away!

[@smashyrashy]

Unnecessarily long

[@CHIEF_420]

#ladies