The classic design phrase ‘form follows function’ coined by American architect Louis Sullivan in 1896 can so easily be applied to house sign design. First, it is important to consider the function of the sign, then begin to think about the materials and design. The basic function of all house signs is to identify the name and number of the property, however, that is not the only function that a door number has. They also have to be weatherproof, long-lasting, vandalism proof and of course, display the personality of the homeowner. All of a sudden, house signs appear to be more complex than many dared to imagine.

An enamel sign begins life as a sheet of metal, usually steel, that is cut and filed to its desired shape. This is then hammered down to give it a gentle arching or perhaps to add flanges to the edges.

Holes are added for the screw fittings and the corners are hammered flat. Next, the enamel pigmentation is prepared and then spray painted onto the metal plate before being transferred into a kiln where it is fired at temperatures up to 820ºC.

This makes the glass particles fuse together onto the metal plate to create the base layer of colour. Once this sets, further layers of enamel can be applied to build up a rich, intense colour.

The stencils are removed and routine quality checks take place to make sure that each sign meets the high standards required. It is a labour-intensive process that creates long-lasting, classic door numbers. 

Acrylic signage is produced by machines in an industrial process involving UV printing. The plastic sheet is cut to size and the edges are either left unfinished (to give a frosted appearance) or finished (to give a smooth appearance).

The desired colour is then printed onto the sign, either onto the front or back depending on the required finish and purpose of the sign. Printing on the front of the sign is what is considered a ‘standard’ finish and this gives the sign a smooth, matte look. However, care has to be taken when using this method as the surface is prone to scratching and this will damage the colour.

When printing on the back of the sign, the colour appears richer and more intense and takes on a glossy appearance. It is also not prone to scratching in the same way that the colour printed on the front of a sign is. 

So after spending hours deliberating over your interior decor scheme, it is time to turn the focus to exteriors. There is no point making the inside of your property look like something from the pages of Elle Decoration if the outside looks half as inviting. 

When scrolling through the 235k+ porches featured under the Instagram hashtag #ihavethisthingwithdoors, one stand-out, common feature among them all is that they all display an eye-catching front door sign. Be it painted onto the facade of the property, carved into wood or a glossy metal nameplate, each property displays its number loud and proud.

Just like a cherry on top of a cake, the house sign adds an elegant finishing touch to the property while boosting its curb appeal tenfold. 

At RAMSIGN, we specialise in the fabrication of hand stenciled enamel signs. Through our interactive personalisation process it is possible to create a custom sign which then gets sent to our master craftsmen. The sign is produced using traditional, authentic methods to maintain high standards. Discover our premium signage solutions today.