In February 2019, the U.S. Naval Academy reached out to Signcraft for new signage for one of their oldest buildings. The building at Maryland Avenue inside Gate 3 has become the new residence of 1845 Coffee. The building was constructed in 1876 as a gatehouse and remains as one of two buildings from the 19th century. Our team was relegated to design, produce and install a graphics package and signage for the historic structure. 1845 Coffee was given vinyl wall graphics inside For the front door’s glass where patrons would first see the 1845 Coffee logo we used an etched-look window frosting. The coffee shop had their opening in mid-July where patrons were served coffees, nitros, teas and baked goods.

The light opening brought some new guests to the building, but the whereabouts of the new coffee shop needed a beacon. Signcraft was asked to produce a large exterior wall sign for the building’s wall facing northeast towards the Severn River.

After the creative design, the final product was produced through a CNC router engraving (v-carving) HDU. We gave the sign’s background a faux wood grain to replicate sandblasted texture. We then laminated the HDU sign body with epoxy onto an MDO wood backer for strength. The sign’s focal point anchor was sculpted by hand carving and gilded with gold leaf. The sign was then primed and enamel painted to finish the stunning piece. Once up, the shop had its beacon and it’s traffic increased. We’ve received a few compliments from the client and it’s one of our favorite signs we made in 2019.