How Our Signs Are Made

Every sign we sell is a vintage-style reproduction, printed and finished in South Africa. This page explains exactly what you receive: the board, the print, the sizes and how to put it up.

What Chromadek is

Chromadek is pre-painted steel sheeting, made in South Africa and long used here for roofing and signage. It is rigid, it does not warp like board or paper, and the factory paint layer gives our printers a clean, even surface to work on.

It is the same material you will have seen on farm buildings and workshops for decades, which is part of why it suits this kind of artwork so well.

How we print

Each design is UV-printed directly onto the Chromadek board. The ink is cured with ultraviolet light as it is laid down, so it bonds to the surface instead of soaking in. The result is a hard, colour-fast finish with bright colour that does not rub off.

Our artwork is reproduced from vintage advertising. These are reproductions made to be enjoyed and displayed, not original enamel signs. If you are looking for an original antique, we will tell you honestly that this is not it.

Sign sizes

We print two sizes, and which one a design uses depends on the shape of the original artwork.

Size	Orientation	Used for
270 × 350 mm	Portrait, taller than it is wide	Most of our signs
350 × 270 mm	Landscape, wider than it is tall	Designs that were originally wide, such as road signs and dealer boards

The size and orientation are listed on every product page, so you always know which one you are buying.

Apron sizes and fabric

Our aprons are sublimated onto premium gabardine fabric, with a double front pocket and adjustable straps. Sublimation puts the design into the fabric rather than on top of it, so it will not crack or peel the way a printed transfer can.

Size	Fit	Fabric
620 × 820 mm	One size, adjustable straps	Premium gabardine, sublimated print, double front pocket

Hanging your sign

Every sign arrives ready to hang. Because the board is steel and the sizes are modest, the pieces are light enough for ordinary picture hooks or a couple of screws, and they suit a garage wall, a kitchen, a bar or an office equally well.