signs

The Craftsman Touch Collection, Featuring Arts and Crafts Style Plaques

janey freid2019-01-29T11:59:32-07:00January 25th, 2019|Address & Number Plaques|

Vertical Poppy Address Plaque - Brass Introducing the new Craftsman Touch Collection from Atlas Signs and Plaques. The Craftsman Sign and Plaque Collection “brings it home” with a complete and coordinated signage collection for your Arts and Crafts, Craftsman, Ranch, Bungalow, Prairie, or Mid-Century Style house. And not just Address Plaques. But a place to find every imaginable sign that a home requires. Everything from Arts and Crafts Style “No Soliciting” signs to Craftsman Style “Beware of Dog” plaques, to Frank Lloyd Wright inspired “Welcome” Plaques, to Mission Style “Business” Plaques. Acorn Address Plaque Atlas Signs and Plaques has added new styles and created variations on our time tested designs to compliment architecture as diverse as Morris, Wright, Stickley, MacIntosh, Greene and Greene, Eames, Aalto, Ellis, Dryden, and Hapgood. Atlas can create matching No Soliciting Signs, Private Drive Signs, Deliveries in Back Sign, or [...]

Looking Back At The United States Capitol Visitor Center

janey freid2019-01-29T12:25:14-07:00January 24th, 2019|How we do it|

United States Capitol Visitor Center Project When Atlas Signs and Plaques (formerly Metal Facades) completes projects destined for interesting places, we ask our clients, “if possible, can you send us photos of the installation or completed project”. We were particularly interested in seeing the installation process of the two large frames that were metal coated for our client, Hadley Exhibits of Buffalo NY, and destined for each end of the United States Capitol Visitor Center (CVC). The Capitol Visitor Center has won major design awards and will be seen by 4 million visitors each year. Mr. Norbert Witkowski, Production Coordinator for Hadley was kind enough to send some photos of the installation process and the page above from Event Design. The frames were originally to be cast bronze, but the hollow limestone walls couldn’t handle the weight. So unknown to most, the 17 x 23 foot frames [...]

The French Have It And Now You Can Get It

janey freid2019-01-29T12:17:06-07:00January 24th, 2019|Address & Number Plaques|

Getting Frenchy at Atlas Signs and Plaques French architecture is among the richest and most interesting the world has ever known. The origins of French architecture can be traced back to the Stone Age. Hmmm, I am imagining an address plaque from that time… Needless to say, French architecture and design will always be an interesting topic and one we have embraced a bit with our address and name plaques. Fleur-de-Lis Arch Plaque Stainless Steel Our Fleur-de-Lis Address Number Plaque brings a rich sense of the past to your home. The Fleur-de-Lis, translates as Flower of the Lily and is steeped in history. From France to England, to Florence, to Religious Symbolism, the Fleur-de-Lys has represented a virtuous force for good. French Country, French decor, French Food. It’s all wonderful. Also shown above in our very French Collage photo are the oval plaques with a [...]

Do Fonts Talk – The Writing’s on the Wall

janey freid2019-01-29T12:12:34-07:00January 24th, 2019|Address & Number Plaques|

Impact Font Do fonts speak? Do fonts convey a message without the necessity of words? Can fonts define an era? Is it possible for fonts to set a mood? Do fonts have personality? The answer is yes and more to all of the above. Additionally, typefaces and fonts can serve as an iconic identity for a large company or even an entire nation. Think about the fonts used to define Coke, Walmart, GM, or Martha Stewart. The fonts for these and other corporations are uniform throughout buildings, advertising, publications, and letterheads, presenting a uniform and consistent identity to far flung assets and personnel. The fonts can so much define the company that when a total organizational remake is in order, logos and fonts are changed giving a whole new look and feel to the firm. Is it reaching to say that a font can define a country? Pull [...]

Religious Plaques & Wall Hangings

janey freid2019-01-29T12:08:01-07:00January 23rd, 2019|Custom Signs|

Religious Dedication Plaque - Bronze Atlas Signs and Plaques makes beautiful religious plaques and wall hangings for Churches, Synagogues, and Cathedrals. These custom exterior or interior signs, crucifixes, and ornamental wall hangings add an elegant, handcrafted look to compliment any kind of architecture. Nueva Dedication Plaque - Pewter From the modern day, open concept style to the Old World historical stone structures, we always keep the architectural integrity of the building in mind, creating special religious plaques that will last decades. Below we’ve included pictures of Religious dedication plaques. Atlas signs are made with an HDU substrate; a high density urethane base that is impact resistant and has been used in the commercial signage industries for decades. Light weight, and extremely durable the HDU is coated with LuminOre®. This is a patented metal coating that is chemically bonded to the HDU. It will not chip, [...]

How To Apply Finishes To HDU Or HDP Foam Projects

janey freid2019-01-29T12:26:48-07:00January 23rd, 2019|How we do it|

HDU Foam Ready for the Finish The Finish Completes the Project High-Density Urethane (HDU) and High-Density Polyurethane (HDP) (different names for the same basic product) is a wonderful material for hand carving, shaping, and machining. Having a closed cell structure, an even consistency and no grain make it a dream to work with whether making prototypes for casting, or toys for the grandchildren. It cuts effortlessly with all kinds of saws and rotary tools, and, because it is without grain, is much safer than wood for hand carving. Enamel on Background of Aluminum Coated HDU When completed, HDU foam is easily finished with readily available paints, stains, and dyes making it highly desirable as a medium for the craft person or hobbyist. It is utilized extensively in the sign industry because it is easily worked, environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and impervious to rot, petroleum, water, [...]

How to Patina, Part II

janey freid2019-01-22T10:28:07-07:00January 21st, 2019|How we do it|

How We Do It We look forward to the way metal ages over time, but waiting years for this weathering process is not always the most practical way to enjoy the coloration changes. Patination is the art of applying coloration to metals. It can be done to add a sense of mood and drama to an object, to enhance and highlight detail or to accelerate the aging process. The patinator can utilize compounds to hasten the natural process or can add other patina colors such as blue, red, or black. VFW Plaque Detail Artists have been using patina since, least the 1800s. Sculptor, Auguste Rodin used patinas on many of his bronze pieces. Likewise American Western Artist Frederick Remington, used patinas on his 22 famous statues depicting Cowboy and Western American life. Atlas with the Weight of the World In addition to the naturally occurring browns [...]

Every Real Manly Man Needs A Man Room

janey freid2019-01-27T15:55:28-07:00January 21st, 2019|What We Like|

Man Room Plaque in Iron Rust And Every Man Room Needs A Sign So Others Know Where He Is Hiding!!! Go ahead, say it with our Man Room or Man Cave signs. “This is my Man Room and there are NO girls allowed” (unless they want to enter). All Manly Men have a Man Cave where they can do guy stuff, play poker, watch sports, play video games, and scratch. Why not make it your own with your own custom sign! Buck Man Cave - Bronze If you don’t have or want a Manly Man Room, then you are not a Real Man! Simple! So, mark your territory in a less offensive manner than usual by posting a Man Room sign on the door. Since most others in your home don’t want to enter anyway, it will be very effective. Real men don’t decorate [...]

Copper Plaque For U.S. Coast Guard Academy

janey freid2019-01-27T15:47:58-07:00January 21st, 2019|Atlas Posts (All)|

Atlas Signs and Plaques Completes a 5-Foot Diameter Copper Plaque for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy “The United States Coast Guard Academy is committed to strengthening the nation’s future by educating, training and developing leaders of character who are ethically, intellectually, professionally, and physically prepared to serve their country and humanity, and who are strong in their resolve to build on the long military and maritime heritage and proud accomplishments of the United States Coast Guard.” — United States Coast Guard Academy, Mission Statement Combining HDU sign board, CNC routing, hand carving, and LuminOre® copper, a five foot diameter plaque is created! Looking at it, one would think that it weighs hundreds of pounds and costs many thousands of dollars. But, one would be incorrect on both counts. The plaque is two inches thick, giving a real sense of mass, and scales in at under 60 pounds. [...]

Why LuminOre®

janey freid2019-01-29T12:12:13-07:00January 16th, 2019|Metal Coated|

With the exception of a few paints used to add a splash of color, our signs and plaques are metal-coated using the patented LuminOre® advanced composite metalizing process. Janey Freid is the founder and current principle of both Metal Facades and Atlas Signs and Plaques. Janey’s background is decorative faux finishing utilizing paints, glazes, plasters and leafs applied using many European techniques and tools. Janey expanded from faux finishing and enjoyed great success in interior and exterior decorative concrete acid staining and finishing and now has grown to selling signs all over the world. Custom Sign for Bark of the Town Most of Janey’s experience revolved around coatings or altering the look of a common surface into the uncommonly beautiful. A search for metal finishes led to LuminOre. Research showed that LuminOre was not the only manufacturer of liquid metal coating, but all the others were pretenders [...]

January 2019