Everywhere a Sign: Behind the Scenes at the City Sign Shop

Signs are everywhere — so much so that it’s easy to pass a street sign without giving any thought to how it got there. Nearly 70,000 City signs are located throughout Virginia Beach — each one made, installed and maintained by City workers in the Signs and Markings Division of the Public Works Department. 

Each City sign begins in a large warehouse known as the Sign Shop, though no signs are for sale there. Instead, it is where employees on the design and fabrication team respond to requests for signs from Public Works or other City departments, such as Fire, Parks & Recreation and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). 

Signs begin with a sheet of aluminum. This thin, sturdy metal is cut in the warehouse to any size needed. Standard sizes are cut in advance for signs to be readily available for printing in batches. Sharp corners are rounded to minimize risk of injury.  

Screen printing  

Most standard traffic signs are created through a screen-printing process, similar to how T-shirts are printed. Above, a Public Works employee on the fabrication team selects a silk screen for printing a batch of traffic signs. Black ink transfers the words and emblems from the screen to the metal, much like a giant stamp. 

When the press is lifted, ink has soaked through the screen, imprinting the words and images on the metal. If needed, fabricators touch up spots by hand with a paint brush. Bright yellow and white reflective material on the metal ensure sunlight and headlights illuminate the sign’s message. 

Freshly printed signs are placed on a large metal drying rack, and the screen-printing process repeats. 

Custom printing

In addition to screen printing, signs are made with print images using two other methods. One method prints graphics, such as a street name, onto vinyl. After being pressed, letters are removed from the vinyl revealing the street’s name in the white reflective material on the metal.  

A second method uses a large format printer plotter. Any full-color graphic, including the custom sign above, can be modified using special software, then it’s printed, pressed to metal and trimmed.  

Regardless of the printing method, all traffic signs follow federal, state and municipal standards for font size, contrast, color and size, which can vary based on a road’s speed limit.

Installing and maintaining  

Finished signs are inventoried and stored in a large warehouse. When a work order requests a new or replacement sign, installation crews select the proper sign, load up the truck and head to the work site.  

A small team of Public Works employees installs a sign at the location requested in the work order. The first part of the installation process is the anchor, often concrete, that stabilizes the signpost in the ground.  

The second part of the process is bolting the sign to an anchored post or a utility pole.   

Printed City signs last around 10 years before exposure to outdoor elements can cause images to fade. At that time, a passerby, resident or City employee can submit a request for maintenance or replacement by calling 311 or using the VB311 online form. Some requests will create a work order, and the sign creation and installation process will begin again.  

This ‘Wish You Were Here’ sign was recently installed on the Virginia Beach Boardwalk near 16th Street as a photo opportunity for beachgoers. This and every sign are a reminder of the role of City workers who create, install and maintain signs throughout the community.  

To report an issue with a street sign in Virginia Beach, please contact VB311 through the online form or by calling 311 or 757-385-3111. 

Find YOUR best job yet. Check out current employment opportunities with the City of Virginia Beach at virginiabeach.gov/careers.