How to Make a Sign on Minecraft

Last Updated: June 30, 2021

Minecraft is a sandbox game where your wildest imaginations live. One of the objects in the game is a sign. Signs in Minecraft enable you to type text in the sign and when finished, everyone else can see what you wrote. If you don't know how to create a sign then the article you're reading is right for you!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Gathering Materials

1
Gather materials. Making signs means getting wood. Use an axe or your fist to chop down a nearby tree. In order to make one sign, you will need:
- 6 wooden planks
- 1 stick
2
If you haven't already, craft your wooden planks and stick. If you already have your raw materials, skip straight to the next step. If you don't know how to make wood into wooden planks, and finally, into sticks, read on.
- Craft wooden planks out of wood. One block of wood, crafted, will turn into 4 wooden planks. In order to make one sign, you'll therefore need at least 2 blocks of wood to craft.
- Craft sticks out of two wooden planks. Place two wooden planks in a vertical line on your crafting table to yield 4 sticks.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Crafting the Sign

1
Place your stick in the bottom middle of the workbench.
2
After placing the stick, place six wooden planks on top of the stick. The wooden planks must be the same color/type and should occupy both the middle and upper third of the workbench grid.
3
Craft your sign. Take the sign and make as many signs as you'd like, given your raw materials.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Placing and Using the Sign

1
Place your sign anywhere you want. If you place it on the ground, floor, a stick will appear anchoring the sign to the ground. Place the sign on a wall and no stick will appear. The sign will also be placed in the direction you're facing; for example, if you're facing in a diagonal direction while placing the sign, it will face that way.
- You can place a sign on any of the following items: any block, including fences, glass, other signs, minecart tracks, and even chests (while sneaking).
- If you place a sign underwater, a water bubble will escape after placement. You can use this air bubble to breathe underwater.
2
Type in your text. Once you place your sign, a text box will appear. This text box has four lines, each of which can hold 15 characters for a grand total of 60 characters.
- Once you complete the text of the sign, the only way to edit the text is to destroy the sign and place it again.
3
Know that, depending on your version, liquids may not be able to pass through signs. Liquids such as water and lava cannot pass through a space occupied by a sign, making signs particularly useful as a water stopper (if, for example, you encounter an air pocket underwater and want to block off the flow of water).
- However, as of the 1.13 Aquatic Update, water physics have changed and water can flow in the same block as the sign.
- Signs can also be used for the arms of a sofa. Craft two steps and place two signs on either side of the steps for a couch or chair.

Community Q&A

Question

Why doesn't this work on the Xbox?

Community Answer

It should - signs work on all editions of Minecraft. Maybe it's lag, or you're in a server that doesn't allow for it. Try resetting your system and see if it works after that.
Question

Does lava destroy signs?

Verin

Top Answerer

No, signs don’t light on fire, which makes them useful in lava blade mob grinders.
Question

I don't have a done option, so how do I save my text?

Verin

Top Answerer

On PC or Mac, you can press Enter or Return, or for Mobile, you could tap to the side of the sign.