Vitreous enamel on copper
A one-off for a place with a history.
Individually designed by Šimona Vepřková, sign painter and illustrator, hand engraved and worked in vitreous enamel on copper.
No template. No series.Designed for one particular place.
Šimona draws the lettering and the motif for this project alone, transfers them to copper and engraves the lines by hand. Enamel then goes on in layers, followed by several firings at roughly 750–850 °C. Colour, depth and surface only appear in the fire — which is why no piece can be made the same way twice.
Work
From the atelier
House sign “Kouty 78” with a blue bird
Rectangular house sign with local name, house number 78 and a painted blue bird. Number and place name engraved into a white ground and finished in colour.
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Material and method
Four steps, one material
Vitreous enamel is glass fused to metal at high temperature. The route there falls into four stages.
- 01
Copper
Copper carries the enamel because it cuts precisely and survives the heat of repeated firings. Format and proportion are settled before the first line is drawn.
- 02
Drawing
Lettering, numerals and motif begin on paper. Proportion, line breaks and white space are moved around until the composition suits the place.
- 03
Engraving and enamel
The drawing is transferred to the copper; lines can be engraved into the enamel ground by hand. Enamel is applied in separate passes, one colour at a time.
- 04
Fire
At roughly 750–850 °C the powder melts into glass. Every colour layer needs its own firing — several passes are the rule rather than the exception.
One commission in detail
A cycling motif with engraved lettering
- Visual solution
- An individually designed plaque: the cycling motif and the lettering are engraved into the white ground enamel, colour is painted on top in enamel and fixed in a further firing.
- Material and execution
- White ground enamel on copper, engraved lettering, colour enamel painting, one further firing.
The artist
Šimona Vepřková
I’m Šimona Vepřková, a sign painter and illustrator. I develop a new composition for every commission, then carry it myself through engraving, enamelling and each firing. From the first sketch to the finished piece, the work bears one hand and one visual voice.
My atelier is in Czechia. It is where I make one-off pieces for places with character — homes, workshops, studios, practices, businesses and places that welcome guests. I work with clients in Czechia and abroad.
I am not interested in adding a name to a ready-made product as quickly as possible. I look for a form in which lettering, motif, material and the character of the place belong together.
A sign is finished when it looks as though it had always belonged to that place.
For which place
Home, work, arrival
House and entrance
House numbers, family names and entrance signs for private homes — also as a wedding gift for a shared home.
Holiday house, guesthouse, special places
For hosts whose place already says something at the door.
How it works
From project form to finished sign
01
A short project form
Describe the place, the wording or motif, and upload photographs if useful.
02
A personal reply and quotation
Šimona reviews your brief, asks any follow-up questions and sends a clear quotation with the price, scope and timing.
03
Design and making by hand
Once you approve the quotation and the deposit is received, Šimona develops the design. After you approve it, engraving, enamelling, firing, quality control and insured dispatch follow.
Quotation
Why every quotation is written individually
There is no price list, because no two commissions are alike. Three things set the effort.
- Format
- Size and proportion set the copper work, the quantity of enamel and the number of firings.
- Artistic scope
- Lettering only, lettering with a small symbol, a drawn illustration, or work on a logo.
- Technical execution
- Indoor or outdoor use, colour range, engraving depth, substrate and mounting solution.
The reservation and design deposit is 150 € and is credited in full against the total. Design work does not begin before it arrives.
Availability
Next place in the atelier
We usually allow around four weeks for making after design approval. Packing and insured shipping follow. Šimona confirms the exact timing personally; waiting for your input or approval pauses the schedule. With the quotation, we confirm the genuinely available atelier month. The delivery date is agreed individually.
Trust
Work you can follow, not large promises
- You speak directly with the artist.
- One design proposal and one small revision within the agreed scope.
- The deposit is requested only after a personal review of your brief.
- Approval before production starts, insured dispatch afterwards.
5 reviews on Fler, 100 % positive · checked on 2026-07-26. Source
Frequent questions
- Is every sign a one-off?
- Yes. Every commission is designed anew for a specific brief and made by hand. Portfolio pieces serve as orientation but are not reproduced identically.
- Can the sign be mounted outdoors?
- Many pieces are intended for outdoor use. Execution, substrate, fixing and local conditions decide; suitability is assessed per project.
- How long does a commission take?
- It depends on the brief, your approval, complexity and firings. A binding timeframe comes with the quotation.
Which place should get a sign of its own?
Describe what the sign should say, where it will be used and which story or atmosphere matters. Šimona reviews your enquiry personally; no automatic purchase follows.
Non-binding enquiry · Secure file upload · Personal reply
