We’re ABD Sign Co — formally The A Board Dude — we help business owners in the London and beyond become the best shop on the highstreet with gold leaf, murals and window displays. Same hands, same brushes, new name.
Our traditional painting methods can revitalize your storefront or transform your office walls into a statement piece that gets people talking.
Hand Painted Signs
〰️
Gold Leaf
〰️
Murals
〰️
Graphic Design & Branding
〰️
Hand Painted Signs 〰️ Gold Leaf 〰️ Murals 〰️ Graphic Design & Branding 〰️
Why hand painted?
Hand-painted signs increase perceived value of your brand, simply because people can feel the craftsmanship in them. It's visual storytelling that gets noticed. Most shops use the same plastic, mass-produced signage — yours will stand out with proper sign writing and character.
Vinyl might look crisp for a while, but it doesn't age well. Sunlight, wind, rain — they all work against it. One day it's gleaming, the next it's curling off your shop front like old wallpaper. I've seen it a lot as a sign writer — half a logo left hanging, phone numbers missing digits, letters flapping in the breeze.
Meanwhile, high-quality hand-painted signs — done with proper durable paints like enamel or masonry, and gold leaf gilding where it counts — hold their own against the elements. They can last decades, aging like a well-loved leather jacket. Some hand painted shop signage is still visible from over a hundred years ago — you can't say that about plastic.
We can paint any surface
Wood, brick, glass, metal, leather, canvas — if it isn't moving, I can paint on it. I've climbed scaffolds in sideways rain, swayed on a bendy ladder and contorted myself into the best yoga pose for near-the-ground wayfinding signage. Paint doesn't mind. It sticks around.
Vinyl, on the other hand, is a bit picky. It needs a flat, clean, non-textured surface and still finds ways to bubble up or peel. It also leaves a mess from installation — offcuts, backing sheets, mistakes, misprints — most of it heads straight for landfill and stays there for the next few centuries.
Hand-painted signs are far more sustainable. As a sign writer, I mix only what's needed, use minimal materials, and the tools of the trade — brushes, gold leaf, enamel — are reusable for years. Paint has stood the test of time, long before printers and plastics showed up, and traditional sign writing still outperforms them in all the ways that matter.
Need a design? We can help with that.
Design is often the first thing a customer notices, so it has to earn its place. I help curate brand and visual identities — logo, typography, colour palette and the illustrative details that give a business real character, not just a generic look. Whether it's a new sign or a full rebrand, it starts with getting the design right.
TESTIMONIALS
-
Josh, The Board Dude, worked tirelessly when we launched The Blue Stoops with day after day of intense concentration. He hand painted the gold signage in the windows with remarkable precision, capturing every detail perfectly, and turned the exterior of the pub into something even better than we’d imagined. On top of that, he created a lovely, large mural in the bar that’s become a real talking point and a beautiful hand painted mirror. His talent as an artist is undeniable, and his efficiency made the entire project seamless and enjoyable.
Countless customers stop to comment on how striking and beautifully crafted his work is, often asking who the genius behind it was. Josh’s skill and professionalism have left a lasting mark on our space, and we look forward to working with him again on our new projects. -
We are delighted with the work Josh did for us. Since attaching it to our wall, we’ve had a notable increase in enquiries and walk-ins – plus a lot of people saying ‘what a beautiful sign!’. Now our customers never struggle to find us on the street. It's the best thing we’ve done for the building, in all honesty. See project
-
Turner & George have been around for 10 years with one shop in Clerkenwell and a strong online trade. We’re very modern in our approach and delivery, but very traditional in our methods and selection of meats, only using the finest ethically raised animals and traditional methods. Our signage on our Clerkenwell shop had been applied traditionally by hand using gold leaf by an elderly chap who was now retired so I wasn’t sure whether I’d find anyone with those skillsets and knowledge. So I was very pleased indeed when I was recommended Josh. He’s by no means elderly but has clearly gleaned years of experience in traditional sign writing.
He helped choose between application methods with sound advice and watching our graphics go up with first the chalk lines and then the gold leaf was a thing of beauty. It looks like it’s always been there and I’m sure it’ll still be there looking classic in years to come. And as long as we hurry up and get another shop before Josh retires, then I’ve no doubt we’ll be asking him back. See project
-
Josh has been with us for over a little over a decade and has grown into an integral part of The Breakfast Club story. From menus and posters to beautiful hand painted signs and murals, he’s done it all. Since launching our new menu and mascots we’ve had a great boost in shares on social media and customer engagement. We're super happy with the work he's created for us. See work
