Behind the Counter: Maryland Signs and Graphics

Whether you need a simple storefront sign, a mural in a hurry or an , this Towson shop can pull it off.

David Kurniawan opened the brick-and-mortar in 2010 with wife Frida after years of freelancing and working from home. The couple, both Indonesian natives and both graduates of (David also has a degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art) specialize in wraps and other large projects. Their designs also grace nearby businesses, including ,  and the Palisades of Towson.

We recently spoke to David about the business.

What got you into the sign business?

That's my passion. In the beginning I was a graphic artist. We did printings at home. So I started this in 1996. I was working on my own as a freelancer. But this is more the bread and butter. Really, my passion is more creative.

What's the coolest design somebody's asked you to do?

That would be the floor graphic which we wrapped 2000 square feet [in the South Baltimore neighborhood of Brooklyn]. It looks like cobblestone ... We wrapped the whole hallway. It's a nine-foot wide hallway, 900 feet that way and it looks like cobblestone.

That's what I like to do. We wrap cars. We pride ourselves to be different than just the typical sign shop.

You've wrapped cars?

Right, we've wrapped Carbiz cars. Carbiz just won the award for the top-used car dealer in the nation, so it's not bad. We've wrapped their smart car, the little cars.

So basically, you guys will put signs on anything?

Almost anything. We can wrap anything. If it's out there and has the space for it, we wrap it.

You have some March Madness signs around here. Tell me about what you're doing with that.

We created this bracket for businesses. We did it last year to March Madness and we encouraged the customers to just have fun. You win something at the end.

How's your bracket doing?

I would pick Missouri because I would pick Syracuse, but the center has some academic issues. I initially picked Syracuse, but Missouri. (Editor's note: You can't blame him, but Missouri was bounced last week in a second-round upset against Norfolk State.)