How are "chalk signs" made?

[GoodPeopleFlags]

Ya know the (seemingly) handwritten chalk board signs that are trendy right now? I've seen them in grocery stores, restaurants, and my favorite fancy liquor store. Are they actually done freehand? I've seen large menu boards with tons of text and thought there's no way someone just slapped that on there with chalk pens without any pre planning and the ones I've seen are actually done with chalk or chalk pens, not printed using "chalky" fonts. They must use some kind of pattern but how do they do it?

 

[Tom Dalton]

Here is one answer...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iu1IkBgLCw

There are also companies that sell chalk board signs with stencils for "dingbat graphics"... like star-bursts and such.

 

[MikePro]

my buddy owns a bar, frequented by the artists from the tattoo shop right next-door.
pays them in beer to doodle up the boards with simple direction, and they run with it however they like.

my freehand is lacking, so if I had to do it, i'd just get use my laptop/projector + chalkpens to "paint by numbers".

 

[Pat Whatley]

Not what you're talking about but I thought I'd throw out that Chalkart Studio has some awesome digitally printable chalk graphics available.

http://www.chalkartstudio.com/

 

[fastmax]

in nyc alot of them are done by hand by illustrators/artists.....i imagine u can jsut use chalkboard paint and Direct to Surface print them though, vinyl hates chalkboards for the record

 

[GoodPeopleFlags]

Yeah, it's seeming like the overhead projector is the most likely way.

Excellent link, Pat! Thanks!

 

[F80M3]

I see these in Trader Joes all the time and have often wondered, they must have some really talented people doing them

 

[Ultimate13]

We have made patterns on our Roland XC-540 by fitting a sharpie where the blade holder goes. We needed a thicker line than the pens that Roland sells. I haven't tried it but I would think there would be a way to get a chalk pen to do the same onto some chalkboard vinyl. Most of the ones I have seen look to be done by hand as well tho.

 

[S'N'S]

A good friend of mine who is a "brushy signwriter" does lots of chalk boards and they're all done free-hand. If I can't do it on the computer, I don't want to know about it. ...