I always used cardboard because it's free, but after a wet rally in Portland last month I was holding a soggy mess. Picked up a 20x30 foam board at Dollar Tree for $2 and it stayed crisp through an entire afternoon of drizzle. Anyone else deal with signs turning to mush?
I was walking past the community board near the tomatoes and this older lady had taped up a handmade sign for the neighborhood clean up. It just said "Bring your own bag and a smile" in sharpie on cardboard and it made me stop in my tracks. How do you keep protest signs simple like that without losing the message?
I was making a sign for the city council meeting last week, all proud of my sharp lettering on a foam board. After maybe 45 minutes of careful work I flipped it over and saw the marker had bled through to the back, making a huge mess. Turns out the cheap foam board from the dollar store soaks up marker way different than the name brand stuff. Anyone else deal with marker bleed on budget boards or got a fix that doesn't cost more than the board itself?
I was at the climate march in Portland on Saturday and this one sign just said "Earth First" in all caps with a little tree drawing underneath. Cost like 50 cents total but it got more looks than the fancy printed ones. You think simpler is actually better?
I was marching downtown last Saturday and saw at least 8 signs that were completely unreadable after a light drizzle. People use those Crayola washable markers thinking they'll work fine but they smear the second any moisture hits them. I learned this the hard way during a rally in June where my whole sign turned into a purple blob within 10 minutes. If you want your message to last through weather or even sweat, grab a pack of Sharpie oil-based paint markers for like 7 bucks at the hardware store. Has anyone else had their sign get ruined by rain or humidity?
I always used that thin corrugated stuff from cereal boxes cause it was free, but last week a guy at the rally in Atlanta pointed out it flops over after 20 minutes in any wind. He showed me how the thicker double-wall stuff from appliance boxes holds up way better and doesn't make you look like you're waving a napkin. Has anyone else had their sign turn into a limp noodle halfway through a march?
I used to think foam board was always the way to go for protests signs, but after making my 50th sign last weekend for a local rally, coroplast is way more durable and cheaper per sign at $3.50 a sheet. What material did you guys settle on after trial and error?
I was waving it near the city hall steps and the cardboard just buckled from the wind after 20 minutes. Anyone else have a trick to keep poster board from flopping over?
I used to just grab old Amazon boxes and draw slogans with a Sharpie but then it rained for 10 minutes at the rally in Austin and my sign turned into a soggy mess so now I always prep them with coroplast sheets from the local sign shop for $3 each and a set of paint markers that don't bleed, has anyone found a cheaper way to weatherproof their signs without buying plastic?
The spray adhesive started peeling at the edges by hour two, but the wheat paste just got a little damp and dried solid again has anyone else had better luck with one or the other for signs that need to last through weather?
Bought a pack of those "all-weather" poster boards from the craft store last month for a climate rally downtown. First twenty minutes of drizzle and the edges curled up so bad you couldn't read the text. Went back to corrugated plastic sheets I used to use. Those hold up way better and cost like $3 at the hardware store. Has anyone else got burned by fancy sign materials?
I was using regular Sharpies on poster board and wondering why everything smudged in light rain. A guy next to me at a rally pointed out you need oil-based paint markers instead, they hold up way better. Has anyone else made this dumb mistake?
I went to the craft store last week to grab some foam board for a climate march sign and nearly fell over. A single 20x30 sheet was $8.49! I ended up cutting down an old moving box and using a piece of cardboard from my recycling bin instead. Has anyone else noticed supplies getting crazy expensive for sign making?
I used to write my sign slogans in regular handwriting with a thick marker. A buddy at a climate rally in Portland last month said he couldn't read my sign from across the street. Now I always use stencils and make each letter at least 4 inches tall with a paint stick. Has anyone tried those foam core boards from the dollar store for keeping signs sturdy?
I was out at the Capitol steps last week and my sign went from bright orange to pale pink before the first speaker finished. The sun cooked the ink right off the poster board. Spend the extra $6 on paint markers, seriously. Anyone else get burned by cheap supplies right when it matters most?
At the climate rally last month in Portland, my cardboard sign held up through three hours of rain and a gust of wind that snapped two other signs' zip ties in half, so I guess I owe that random stranger at the coffee shop a thank you for the tip.
If your sign is going to be outside for more than an hour, you need to use corrugated plastic instead of cardboard because I learned that lesson the hard way standing in a drizzle last Saturday.
I had this big foam board I'd spent three hours on with perfect lettering and a clever joke about zoning laws, and it broke right in half when the wind gusted near the waterfront. I ended up taping it back together with duct tape from a stranger's backpack, but the message was all crooked and hard to read. What's your go-to material for signs that won't fall apart in bad weather?
I've been making protest signs for local rallies here in Austin for about 3 years now. Last night I was counting up old photos of signs I'd painted and realized I hit 100 exactly. I never planned to keep track, but seeing that number made me stop and think. Every one of those signs was made with cheap foam board from Dollar Tree and paint markers I buy in bulk. Some of them got ripped up by police, some got rained on, but most of them got carried for miles by people who believed in something. 100 signs feels like a lot of wasted cardboard to some people, but to me it's 100 little moments where someone decided to speak up. Has anyone else here ever counted how many signs they have made? Does it feel meaningful or just like a weird statistic?
Was looking up rules for a small rally next weekend and stumbled on the city website. Turns out you need a permit for any group of 10 or more people on public property. And it costs $45. Never would have guessed that. Just thought you could show up anywhere. Has anyone else run into surprise fees like this for a protest or march?
Bought that fancy corrugated plastic board at the craft store thinking it would last through a downpour, but the ink just slid right off when it got wet. Turns out you need special solvent markers or paint markers, not just regular sharpies. Has anyone found a cheap way to seal regular poster board against rain?
Saw someone at a rally in Portland last month holding a sign that turned into a wet napkin after 20 minutes, and their message was totally gone. Grab a $5 roll of corrugated plastic from Home Depot instead, it holds up way better and you can reuse it for the next march.
I tried making a big banner for Friday's rally and used wheat paste on half of it and glue sticks on the other half... the glue stick side started peeling off after 2 hours in the sun. Has anyone else had this problem with glue sticks failing on cardboard signs?
I was standing at Park Street station holding my climate rally sign and the cardboard started drooping bad because it was drizzling. The tape I used gave up and the whole thing folded in half right when a news camera swung my way. I scrambled to grab some leftover packing tape from my bag but it was too late, the moment was gone. Now I only use corrugated plastic sheets from a hardware store near me for $3 each. Anyone else have a sign disaster in bad weather?
Had a chat with a guy at a rally last weekend in Portland. He told me he walked right past my sign because it had a whole paragraph on it and he said he only reads signs with 5 words max. Honestly that hit different because I spent 2 hours on that sign with markers and stencils making it look perfect. Now I'm wondering if any of my other signs got ignored for the same reason. Anybody else ever get feedback like this at a protest?