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It would be hard to go even a day without seeing a sign. Whether we're driving to work, going to a restaurant, or just taking a hike in the forest, there's probably some information put up about a closed street, staff vacancies, or animals we might encounter.

However, not all signs are created equal. While many are simple and to the point, others end up being funny, strange, or downright confusing, and the appropriately titled Facebook group 'Signs' has them all!

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Glen Knox Report

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Road Rage Report

Signs are so different in part because each of them has a little bit of the person who made it. They're like artworks displayed in a gallery. Only instead of the Met, this exhibition sprawls across our neighborhoods.

Signwriters' work is "often ephemeral and sometimes beautiful, their subjects the stuff of daily life: cars and bikes, beer and bread, groceries, sport, religion, clubs," writer Nick Gadd said.

"The urban and suburban visual landscapes were created by signwriters working quietly under the radar, coming and going with their ladders, hardly ever known to the general public."

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I stood there for 30 minutes - NOTHING

Still Game Report

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Glen Knox Report

Signwriters work on all surfaces: bricks, glass, plastic, wood, banners, fiberglass—the list goes on. The ones we see on windows are done in reverse, by painting on the inside, and taking into account the distortion caused by refraction.

However, their pieces can quickly disappear. "You can’t get too attached to ’em, they might not be there next week!" Australian signwriter Terry 'Moose' McGowan told Gadd.

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Glen Knox Report

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Glen Knox Report

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Mike Gohl Report

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In that regard, Moose and other signwriters whose works we see on this list are like Tibetan Buddhists working on sand mandalas.

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Despite their meticulous efforts, both forms of expression are temporary, serving as reminders of the fleeting nature of things.

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Passagem de Ano Report

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Glen Knox Report

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Glen Knox Report

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Mike Gohl Report

Adrian Geach, who has been a signwriter since 1980, told Bored Panda for our earlier exclusive list of clever and funny signs that "a good sign should be eye-catching, easy to understand and not too wordy with enough negative space around the text or logo, and have a good color scheme."

Adrian has been successfully involved in all areas of signage and graphics for decades, but not that long ago, he went back to his roots and now concentrates on traditional signwriting.

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With the current resurgence of interest in signwriting and hand-rendered work, he utilizes his skills to offer clients a more personal, unique, environmentally friendly, and organic signage solution using old-fashioned materials and techniques.

"A sign might only be looked at for a few seconds, so it needs to leave an impression within this time frame, hence the 'less is more' approach," he said.

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Glen Knox Report

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Glen Knox Report

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Passagem de Ano Report

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Mike Gohl Report

"There are many factors to take into account when designing a sign, but the most important thing is to make sure it doesn't get lost in its surroundings," Geach added. 

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A bad sign, according to him, has too much lettering, not enough space around or in between text and logos, and bad color choices. Can you spot any in the pictures?

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Mike Gohl Report

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Mike Anthony Report

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Nate Ryder Report

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Passagem de Ano Report

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Glen Knox Report

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Passagem de Ano Report

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Mike Gohl Report

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Passagem de Ano Report

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Mike Gohl Report

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Glen Knox Report

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Glen Knox Report

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Shirnette Smith Report

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Glen Knox Report

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Midwest Tool Report

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Passagem de Ano Report

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Glen Knox Report

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Glen Knox Report

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Stacy Lindabury Report

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Mike Gohl Report

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For the unfrozen type bring own bucket

Glen Knox Report

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Mike Gohl Report

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Mike Gohl Report

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Glen Knox Report

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Glen Knox Report

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Book Nerd (she/her)
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I bet that people would swim in that if they didn’t put up that sign. There’s probably still idiots who try to swim in it even with the sign

Kat
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That’s why there’s a sign, some idiot, tried it!, lol probably just being funny

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keyboardtek
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oops! I started to fill the tub and then walked away and forgot about it.

CrunChewy McSandybutt
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The fact that they needed to put up this sign makes me sigh with disdain.

The Original Bruno
Community Member
6 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't be too sad. It's probably 20 times normal flow, and yet even at a much tamer flow rate, it's probably still surprisingly dangerous.

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okpkpkp
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We lived near a creek when I was young and I saw the power of water. It scared me good.

Kraneia The Dancing Dryad
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Guessing there's a story behind this one too... The title is "the person with no common sense"

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Glen Knox Report

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Mike Gohl Report

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Glen Knox Report

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Mike Gohl Report

Note: this post originally had 71 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.