No matter where you turn in Chelsea, you’ll see Scott Eckland’s signs.

Literally.

In the four years that he’s worked in Chelsea, Eckland, who runs Eckland Imaging and Design — also known as EiD — has created sandblasted signs for Gourmet Chocolate Café, Cranesbill Books, Winans Jewelry, Chelsea Christian Fellowship Church and River Gallery, where owner Cecily Donnelly came up with the design and EiD did the work.

"Sandblasted signs are made when a substrate is blasted with a silica sand abrasive ,which carves away the material to give a three-dimensional carved look," Eckland said.

The sign at Vogel’s and Foster’s are aluminum with vinyl graphics.  The signs at Winans and River Gallery also have gold leaf.

"Not many sign shops work with traditional gold leaf," Eckland said. "It’s actual solid 23-karat gold that is pounded into thin sheets, thinner than a sheet of paper. It’s applied to the sign using a special technique."

The advantage, he said, is that it will not tarnish or fade, unlike metallic gold paints, which oxidize over time, and has almost a "blinding brilliance" in sunlight.

"The signs I design for downtown Chelsea have been designed to try to keep the traditional look and feel of downtown.

"I like to design signs that fit the atmosphere and reflect the area around it, rather than just doing a sign for the sake of making a buck," Eckland said. "The signs we have developed for downtown businesses keep with the traditional atmosphere of Chelsea."

EiD has also produced signage for SummerFest and the Chelsea Hometown Holiday weekend, as well as many of the street pole banners hanging in the downtown area.

Window lettering is another avenue of Eckland’s talent. EiD work adorns the windows of Chelsea Village Hair Studio, Chelsea Gallery, Chelsea River Gallery, The Potting Shed, and is seen on the awning for Chelsea Florist and at The Middle Bead, which also boasts an Eckland-designed logo.

EiD also makes smaller sign projects such as "for sale" signs and even "happy birthday" signs and graduation banners.

Bill Ballagh of State Farm Insurance sports EiD’s work on his office doors and windows, as well as on his vehicle. Other local vehicles getting the EiD treatment are Arbor Care Tree Surgeons, Rosentreter Excavating and Mobile Tire.

Eckland is currently working on the Washtenaw Area Value Express fleet of vehicles for the Chelsea Area Transportation System. The buses will hit the streets soon sporting their new look.

Since Eckland’s background is graphic design, much of his work consists of Web site design, brochures, trade show displays, logo development, newsletters and advertisements. 

"Local businesses we’ve developed logos for would be The Middle Bead, Mobile Tire and Faith In Action," he said. "We have a couple of larger design companies that sub out all of their design work to us since they don’t have an in-house designer."

The Montana native originally got into graphic design by working at a sign shop in the Chicago area years ago.

"It taught me the basics of design using a computer and was probably the most fun I had at a job," he said. "This is one reason we opened the sign shop.

"Also, we seem to get more clients from the sign business than if we had a strictly graphic design business. We get a lot of bleed-over business for design from people who come in for a sign or banner and then realize they might need a logo or brochure.  It’s great to offer both services."

Then again, signage seems to be in the genes. Eckland’s uncle has been in the sign business for more than 30 years and his cousin has worked in the industry as well. In fact, Eckland’s first job was working for his cousin as a neon tube bender, learning how to make neon signs.

"Very interesting work and it’s a dying craft," he said. "With newer technology coming out, LED lighting has replaced much of what neon used to do."

Eckland’s work can be seen in the solid brass sign at the Pathway to Renewal in Timber Town park. He designed and coordinated the sign, working with the pathway’s sponsor, the Chelsea Center for the Arts, and its director, Ginger Sissom.

"We’ve been working with the CCA to help them in their new identity changeover," Eckland said.  "We donated the development and design for the www.chelseacenterforthearts.org Web site, as well as designed and had produced the bronze plaque at the Pathway to Renewal.

EiD also is in the process of designing a new sign for the front of the arts center.

"Scott has been very generous to CCA with his time and creativity.  His easy going personality makes him a pleasure to work with," Sissom said.

"Scott is a neighbor of CCA and has taken classes here with his daughter. It’s rewarding when people who use the center decide to volunteer their professional services. Those volunteer gifts, like Scott’s, show what a strong community Chelsea really is."

EiD also has donated services to the Chelsea United Way, Faith In Action and other local organizations, and donated a 3-by-20 foot banner to the Chelsea High School girls’ softball team in celebration of their back-to-back championships.

Eckland and his wife, Amy, who met when they were both students at the University of Kentucky, have two young children and therefore don’t keep regular business hours. In fact, Eckland, whose studio is above Seitz’s Tavern on Middle Street, plays "Mr. Mom" during the day, taking care of their 3 1/2-year-old daughter and 5-month-old son.

"They go to work with me," he said. "Needless to say, days are busy but are an adventure every day."

Eckland’s wife works with him when she has time away from her job as an environmental specialist in Ann Arbor.

"Amy really makes the business run," he said. "Without her a lot of our projects would not be possible.  It works out well."