How to make protest signs quickly and on the cheap

Materials (to make 100 signs): • Posterboard, 22" x 28" (to be cut down to 22" x 17") - $30 for 100
• Spray adhesive (or wheat paste) - $10
• Paintbrushes - $5
• Blue paint (watered down so it is very light when applied; about 1 tbsp of paint per 3 cups of water) - $8
• Scissors or a utility knife - $5
• Black permanent marker - $2
• 11x17 copies of message - $25 (for 200 copies, which makes 50 signs, front and back)
*most all materials can be bought on Quill.com

TOTAL: ~ $80 for 50 (22" x 17") custom-looking signs

Before you get started: You will want to lay down some cloth or newspaper to protect tables from paint and glue, and you should be in a well-ventilated area if you're using spray adhesive.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut off 11 inches of the long side of each poster board, so the final dimensions are 22" x 17" (before you cut them all, make sure two 11"x17" pieces of paper fit perfectly side-by-side on one of them).

2. Line up the two 11x17 messages side-by-side just to see how they fit. The 11x17s SHOULD overlap a bit, and there should be a blank white space you'll be coloring over in step #6.

3. Move the messages to the side, and spray the adhesive directly to half the poster board (getting the edges the best). Do not hold the adhesive can too close to the poster board, and make sure not to apply too much. You should be in a well-ventilated area for this step.

4. Take one half of the 11x17 message and place it on the area you just sprayed, making sure that the sheet is flush with the edge of the poster board.

5. Repeat the process for the second half of the poster board, making sure to line up the letters on the message as well as possible (they should overlap).

6. Now, there should be a blank white strip in between the two 11x17 messages (from the copy machine). To correct this, take the permanent black marker and color in the space and extend each letter of each word that is on the split.

7. Repeat the process on the backside of the poster board so the message is on both sides.

8. Inspect the edges and corners -- make sure the 11x17s aren't peeling off -- add little sprays where you need to again.

9. Allow spray adhesive to dry (if you can, for 20-30 minutes).

10. Blue Wash: Take the blue paint that you have watered down, and apply it over each side of the poster board with the foam paintbrush. Test it on a small area first and make sure the blue paint isn't too dark. You should be able to see the black letters through the blue wash. If it is too dark, just add more water.

11. Set to dry (about 20 minutes).

12. Blue Wash the other side, and set to dry.

13. IMPORTANT LAST STEP: after the signs have dried, inspect all the edges and corners. If parts are peeling up, please tape them down using "invisible tape" only, non-glossy.

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[dhsbrenda]

@neonnurse : can't e-mail you since I don't know your address. What is the link to buy this software? Thanks.

[neonnurse]

I don't know how much large copies cost in big cities, since I live in a very small isolated town. If someone has a laser printer (those have pretty cheap per page costs) you could do the printing yourself. I found a shareware program called Poster (find it on Cnet) (>$20) which will let you print any size sign or image by the same process of gluing down in sections. Email me and I will send you a link to our parade float last year to show samples!