Considered by many to be the highest form of sign art, gilding is the application of thin metal sheets (see gold leaf) to glass, signs and vehicles After the work surface is clean and the design is marked out, a gelatin sizing is brushed on the area to be gilded The gold leaf is then carried to the work site through the use of a gilder's tip and static electricity After the entire area is dry, the gold leaf is burnished and holes and imperfections in the gild are filled The final step is painting the backs of the letters (and an outline) if the gild is reversed on a window, or outlining them if it is a direct gild
The art or practice of overlaying or covering with gold leaf; also, a thin coating or wash of gold, or of that which resembles gold
The process known as gilding simply means the application of gold, silver, or copper leaf to a surface that has been properly prepared with an adhesive known as 'gold size' Additional forms of leaf are variegated leaf, Dutch gold (primarily made from brass and simulated gold leaf) and Aluminum leaf (used to simulate silver leaf