Gold Leaf Lettering

Gold leaf is real gold most popular 24K and 22k hammered or rolled in very thin sheets, 0.12 microns ( a human hair is 70 microns) similar to working with tissue paper.  Gold leaf lettering traditionally was used for banks, drug store, government building, law offices, jewelers and apartment number on transom windows  Use because of its brilliant ability to capture sunlight gold leaf shines  like nothing else on earth. The abillatiy to capture  people attention dates back to ancient Egypt’s. Gold began to be used for prestige signs like banks starting in the 1700s at this point advancements in paint and brushes made it so glass gilding and reverse glass building became to sight after look we associate with gold leaf signs today.The application is about the same as it was back then a true craft that takes a steady hand and a lot of patience and some time a little bit of luck. But the pay off is a sign matched by nothing else.

The process of gold leaf starts with your number or lettering and logo, from there its about the layout how we want to use the space we have. Gold leaf is pure gold hammered or rolled in to very very thin sheets, even with it being the consistency of tissue paper it durability enuf to last 50-100 years undisturbed.  Two main styles of gold leaf application is water and oil or mirror and matted. Very popular to use both type of application on the same sign to achieve and very desirable look.

• Water gilding is a highly reflective seamless finish. exactly like a gold mirror reflecting the suns like
• Oil gilding is a more matted finish defusing the light but at the same time reflecting very well

The whole process this then repeated for a second layer of gold to establish the reflective quality. After that the excess is brushed off and the image is “backed” by paint to protect the lettering.