How to Paint Letters on Wood

Have you ever wondered how to paint letters on wood? How are sayings on wood made? How do woodworkers paint monograms on wood?
There are actually a number of ways to paint letters on wood and this guide will show you how. By mastering how to paint letters on wood, you will be able to create signage, decorative sayings and other personalized items for you and your family or to give as presents.
Painting letters on wood: how it’s done
There are a number of ways to paint letters on wood. The steps for each method are described here for you
You will need the following
- Wood base you will be working on
- Sandpaper
- Wood Filler
- Stencils
- Adhesive spray
- Primer
- Acrylic paint
- Acrylic polyurethane finish
- Rags
Instructions
1) Prepping the wood

Source: https://www.videoblocks.com/video/housework-housekeeping-and-household-concept—basin-with-soap-water-detergent-and-cleaning-rag-on-wooden-floor-rvtfufjzliw3mu898
Before painting letters on wood, you need to prepare it. Clean the wood with a damp rag and warm water. Remove any hardware on the furniture. If there are any holes or indentations where paint will be applied. Use a wood filler to cover these imperfections.
Read More: How To's & Woodworking Techniques [List 1]
Sand the wood using light pressure. This will help to create a smooth canvas for painting. Use a 100-grit sandpaper to remove any finish. You can use higher grit sandpaper afterwards. Remove dust from wood.
Read More: How To's On Painting Your Wood Projects [List 1]
- How To Lighten Wood Paneling Without Painting
- How to Get a High Gloss Paint Finish On Wood
- How To Paint Wood Paneling With Grooves
- How to Distress Painted Wood with Sandpaper
- How to Paint Letters on Wood
- How to Prepare Wood for Painting
- How to Paint Wood Grain
- How to Paint with Stencils on Wood
- How To Paint A Wood Dresser
- How To Repaint A Wood Table
Read More: How To's, Techniques and Tips [List 1]
- How To Stop Sap Coming Out Of Wood
- How To Seal Wood Without Changing Color
- How to Make Cardboard Hard Like Wood
- How To Round Wood Edges Without Router
- How to Bend Wood Without Steam
- How to Transition Between Two Different Wood Floors
- How To Make Wood Drawers Slide Easier
- How To Stencil On Wood Without Bleeding
- How to Flatten a Workbench
- How To Make a Wood Table Top Smooth
- How To Age Wood With Baking Soda
- How to Whitewash Dark Wood Furniture
- How To Make Slime With Wood Glue
- How to Burn Wood with Electricity
- How To Apply Water Based Polyurethane To Wood Floors
Use a large, clean paintbrush to brush away any dust. Apply a primer to the wood. This creates the perfect base for paint because this seals the pores of the wood. It will also keep your paint from chipping and fading as time goes by.
2) Using tracing or stencils

Source: http://panjokids.blogspot.com/2008/06/freezer-paper-stencils.html
Design your lettering. Using Microsoft Word, you can type in your letters and trace them onto the surface of the wood. Trace your letters on the wood. You may cut out your letters from the paper it was printed on and trace around them. Make sure that your letters are big and are easy to cut. The second method will work for any types of letters.
Flip the printed page over, so that you are using the blank side. Use a pencil to shade everywhere that there is ink. Turn the page back over and place this on the piece of wood. The printed letters should be facing up. Using your pencil trace over every line of every letter.
Read More: How To's & Woodworking Techniques [List 2]
When you are all done, remove the paper. You will see that the lead that you put on the backside of the paper will have transferred to the wood because of the tracing you applied.

MUST SEE: Make 16,000 Projects With Step By Step Plans
Ted's Woodworking Plans contains complete instructions from start to finish, leaving absolutely no guesswork. Here is what you get:
- Step-By-Step Instructions
- Cutting & Materials List
- Detailed Schematics
- Views From All Angles
- Suitable For Beginners & Professionals
Read More: How To's On Painting Your Wood Projects [List 2]
- How to Distress Painted Wood
- How to Distress Wood with Chalk Paint
- How to Get a Smooth Paint Finish On Wood
- How to Paint Over Wood Paneling
- How to Paint Varnished Wood
- How to Paint Wood Furniture
- How to Paint Wood Paneling
- How To Cover Wood Paneling Without Painting
- How To Decorate Wood Paneling Without Painting
- How to Paint Faux Wood
Read More: How To's, Techniques and Tips [List 2]
- How to Remove Nails From Wood
- How to Resharpen a Japanese Ryoba’s Rip Teeth
- How to Sharpen Woodworking Tools
- How to Whitewash Pine Wood
- How To Modge Podge Pictures To Wood
- How To Apply Shellac To Wood
- How To Take Apart A Wood Pallet
- How To Install A Wood Accent Wall
- How to Do String Art on Wood
- How to Remove a Stripped Screw from Wood
- How To Upgrade Wood Frame
- How to Get Nails Out of Wood
- How to Refinish a Wood Table
- How To Make Vinyl Letters Stick To Wood
- How To Measure A Cord Of Wood
3) Painting the letters on wood

Source: https://themagicbrushinc.com/word-stenciling-on-salvaged-wood/
Shake your can of spray adhesive, and then spray a light coat on the stencil. Once the stencil is stuck to the wood, use your stencil brush to dab acrylic paint on the wood, through the stencil. Let y our paint dry for a few minutes before removing the stencil from the wood.
4) Painting letters by freehand

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Paint-Letters-on-Wood
To write letters by freehand, use a variety of brushes. Brushes with firm, square bristles are for creating thick, straight outlines of letters, while small brushes are used for details. You may also use acrylic paint pens found at most craft stores.
Read More: How To's, Techniques and Tips [List 3]
- How To Start A Fire With Wet Wood
- How To Stencil On Wood
- How to Finish Wood With Polyurethane
- How to Refinish Wood Dresser
- How To Age Wood Grey
- How To Apply Gold Leaf To Wood
- How To Apply Polyurethane To Wood
- How To Bend Wood With Water
- How to Burn Designs Into Wood
- How to Carve a Face In Wood
- How to Carve Wood By Hand
- How To Replace Wood Siding
- How To Split Wood With A Wedge
- How To Transfer Pictures To Wood
- How To Treat Pallet Wood For Indoor Use
Read More: How To's & Woodworking Techniques [List 3]
- How To Sand Wood
- How To Season Wood
- How To Spray Paint Wood
- How To Stack Wood
- How To Stain And Seal Wood
- How To Stain Wood
- How to Carve Wood
- How to Hand Plane Wood
- How to Paint Wood
- How to Cure Wood
- How to Petrify Wood
- How to Pickle Wood
- How to Preserve Wood
- How To Screw Into Wood
- How To Split Wood
- How to Find Wood Studs
Use a ruler to make sure that your letters are even across the wood surface. You can create a top line o you know exactly how large each letter should be. Paint your letters. Use only a bit of paint at a time.
Place your paint on a sheet of paper or paper plate. Keep a cup of water nearby to rinse your paintbrushes. If you make a mistake, wipe it away with a clean and damp rag. This will remove paint if the paint is still wet.
5) Finishing Your Wood

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Paint-Letters-on-Wood
Let your lettering dry completely. Acrylic paint will dry pretty quickly, but give it a few hours to s completely dry. You may apply a second coat but do it after the first coat has completely dried. Apply a clear acrylic polyurethane finish. This is will seal your painted letters onto the wood. It will make sure that your work lasts for a long time.
Conclusion
Painting letters on wood are easy when you use stencils. But if you are talented at writing/painting letters using freehand then you may do so. You must apply gloss to protect your work and to preserve it for years to come.