Frosting worker, glass

Sign writers, decorative painters, engravers and etchers decorate articles made of wood, metal, textiles, glass, ceramics and other materials. They design, draw and paint letters, figures, monograms and other ornaments to make signs, and engrave and etch ornamental and floral designs on glass and other articles.

• applying various designs freehand to articles such as pottery, glass, cigarette cases and lampshades;
• transferring decorative or ornamental designs from paper transfers onto articles;
• combining and developing visual elements such as line, space, mass, colour and perspective to achieve desired effects and illustrate ideas, feelings or moods;
• laying out and painting one or more letters, figures, monograms and designs to produce signs;
• sketching, tracing finished designs or lettering work pieces or samples to produce stencils;
• drawing designs for stencils or lettering for painting work pieces such as signs, glassware, pottery or zinc plates;
• using engraving software and equipment to produce 3D images for larger signs and to engrave inlaid signs;
• designing and producing standard flat lettering or shadowed lettering from vinyl materials, or cut-out lettering ready for direct application;
• lettering, painting or printing signs or labels for product display or other purposes;
• cutting out letters and signs for display purposes from plywood or thick cardboard by hand or with power saws;
• examining sketches, diagrams, samples, blueprints or photographs to decide how designs are to be engraved on templates;
• measuring and computing the dimensions of lettering, designs or patterns to be engraved;
• engraving and printing designs, ornaments, engravings, trademarks, figures or lettering on flat or curved surfaces of various metal, glass, plastic or ceramic articles;
• engraving decorative designs and calibrating and marking glassware.
• Examples of occupations in this unit group:
• Decorative painter
• Engraver, glass
• Etcher, glass
• Glazer, glass
• Decorator, pottery/ceramic articles
• Decorator, glassware retoucher
• Sign painter
• Sign writer