Sign writers, decorative painters, engravers and etchers
In the ILO's assessment few of the job's tasks can be done by generative AI, or the scores are too spread out to reach gradient 1 — generative AI does not meaningfully take over the core of the work.
Exposure is not job loss: it shows how much of the work generative AI could do today. Whether that turns into transformation, productivity gains or cuts depends on employers, regulation — and on you.
0 = today’s generative AI cannot perform any of the job’s tasks, 100 = it could do all of them fully. The pale band is the spread across tasks.
Work out your own score ↓What can you do?
The AI analysis for this occupation is still being prepared — the background process covers a few occupations every day.
Task by task
The ILO scored every task of the occupation separately, as the average of two AI models (GPT-4o and Gemini). The pale band is the range between the two models' scores, the dot the ILO's final score (for a few tasks expert review placed it outside the band).
- Integrating and developing visual elements, such as line, space, mass, colour, and perspective, in order to produce desired effects such as the illustration of ideas, emotions or moods47
- Designing pattern or lettering to paint work pieces such as signs, glassware, pottery or zinc plates21
- Laying out and painting in one or more languages letters, figures, monograms and designs to make signs19
- Writing, painting or printing signs or show cards used for display or other purposes19
- Designing and producing normal flat cut lettering, or lettering that is shadowed with applied vinyl or lettering that is ready cut for application19
- Etching decorative designs, calibration markings and other figures on glass articles.17
- Using software and routing equipment to produce three-dimensional Carved images for application onto larger signage as well as engraved and inlaid signs16
- Examining sketches, diagrams, samples, blueprints, or photographs to decide how designs are to be etched, cut or engraved onto work pieces16
- Measuring and computing dimensions of lettering, designs, or patterns to be engraved15
- Sketching or tracing design or lettering onto work piece or pattern material to prepare pattern or stencil15
- Painting decorative freehand designs on objects, such as pottery, glass, cigarette cases, lampshades14
- Engraving and printing patterns, ornamental designs, etchings, trademarks, figures or lettering onto flat or curved surfaces of a wide variety of metal, glass, plastic, or ceramic items14
- Transferring from paper transfers decorative or ornamental designs on articles14
- Cutting out letters and signs for display purposes from wallboard or cardboard, by hand or machines such as electrically powered jigsaw or bandsaw12
How much does it affect you?
Every job is different: mark which of these tasks you do and how much, and we'll compute your own, time-weighted score.
For each task: I don't do it · sometimes · most of my job.
- Integrating and developing visual elements, such as line, space, mass, colour, and perspective, in order to produce desired effects such as the illustration of ideas, emotions or moods(47)
- Designing pattern or lettering to paint work pieces such as signs, glassware, pottery or zinc plates(21)
- Laying out and painting in one or more languages letters, figures, monograms and designs to make signs(19)
- Writing, painting or printing signs or show cards used for display or other purposes(19)
- Designing and producing normal flat cut lettering, or lettering that is shadowed with applied vinyl or lettering that is ready cut for application(19)
- Etching decorative designs, calibration markings and other figures on glass articles.(17)
- Using software and routing equipment to produce three-dimensional Carved images for application onto larger signage as well as engraved and inlaid signs(16)
- Examining sketches, diagrams, samples, blueprints, or photographs to decide how designs are to be etched, cut or engraved onto work pieces(16)
- Measuring and computing dimensions of lettering, designs, or patterns to be engraved(15)
- Sketching or tracing design or lettering onto work piece or pattern material to prepare pattern or stencil(15)
- Painting decorative freehand designs on objects, such as pottery, glass, cigarette cases, lampshades(14)
- Engraving and printing patterns, ornamental designs, etchings, trademarks, figures or lettering onto flat or curved surfaces of a wide variety of metal, glass, plastic, or ceramic items(14)
- Transferring from paper transfers decorative or ornamental designs on articles(14)
- Cutting out letters and signs for display purposes from wallboard or cardboard, by hand or machines such as electrically powered jigsaw or bandsaw(12)
You are exactly at the occupation average. (The occupation's score: 18.)
About 0% of your working time goes to highly exposed tasks (score ≥ 50).
- • Integrating and developing visual elements, such as line, space, mass, colour, and perspective, in order to produce desired effects such as the illustration of ideas, emotions or moods
- • Designing pattern or lettering to paint work pieces such as signs, glassware, pottery or zinc plates
- • Cutting out letters and signs for display purposes from wallboard or cardboard, by hand or machines such as electrically powered jigsaw or bandsaw
- • Transferring from paper transfers decorative or ornamental designs on articles
An estimate from the ILO task scores. Everything is computed in your browser — nothing is sent or stored.
How many people work in this occupational group?
Share of the Handicraft and printing workers group in total employment, by country (Eurostat, ISCO 2-digit — 4-digit breakdowns are not public by country).
Table view
| Country | Handicraft and printing workers |
|---|---|
| Italy | 1.0% · 230 thousand · 2025 |
| Switzerland | 0.7% · 32 thousand · 2025 |
| Slovenia | 0.6% · 6 thousand · 2025 |
| Hungary | 0.6% · 28 thousand · 2025 |
| Bulgaria | 0.5% · 16 thousand · 2025 |
| Portugal | 0.5% · 27 thousand · 2025 |
| Lithuania | 0.5% · 7 thousand · 2025 |
| Poland | 0.5% · 80 thousand · 2025 |
| Germany | 0.5% · 192 thousand · 2025 |
| Malta | 0.4% · 1 thousand · 2025 |
| Czechia | 0.4% · 22 thousand · 2025 |
| Croatia | 0.4% · 7 thousand · 2025 |
| France | 0.4% · 117 thousand · 2025 |
| Slovakia | 0.4% · 10 thousand · 2025 |
| Greece | 0.4% · 17 thousand · 2025 |
| Austria | 0.4% · 16 thousand · 2025 |
| Estonia | 0.3% · 2 thousand · 2025 |
| United Kingdom | 0.3% · 108 thousand · 2025 |
| Romania | 0.3% · 24 thousand · 2025 |
| Belgium | 0.3% · 16 thousand · 2025 |
| Spain | 0.3% · 65 thousand · 2025 |
| Netherlands | 0.3% · 28 thousand · 2025 |
| Denmark | 0.3% · 9 thousand · 2025 |
| Latvia | 0.3% · 2 thousand · 2025 |
| Norway | 0.2% · 7 thousand · 2025 |
| Sweden | 0.2% · 13 thousand · 2025 |
| Ireland | 0.2% · 6 thousand · 2025 |
| Cyprus | 0.2% · 1 thousand · 2025 |
| Finland | 0.2% · 5 thousand · 2025 |
What do they earn?
Mean gross monthly earnings in the major occupational group (Craft and related trades workers). Eurostat's earnings survey only publishes pay by occupation at 1 digit, so this is the job's broader group. Enterprises with 10+ employees, 2022.
By country, at purchasing power parity (PPS/month), so countries with different price levels can be compared.
- Switzerland4,098
- Iceland3,826
- Denmark3,666
- Norway3,260
- Belgium2,979
- Germany2,859
- Luxembourg2,760
- Sweden2,733
- Netherlands2,717
- Austria2,715
- Finland2,711
- EU272,364
- Italy2,314
- Ireland2,200
- Spain2,124
- France2,122
- Malta2,032
- Slovenia2,012
- Lithuania2,008
- Greece1,799
- Estonia1,795
- Poland1,787
- Czechia1,781
- Cyprus1,751
- Romania1,734
- Hungary1,684
- Latvia1,680
- Slovakia1,672
- Croatia1,505
- Portugal1,285
- Bulgaria1,217
Source: Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey (earn_ses22_21), every four years. The United Kingdom is not covered by the survey.
Outlook to 2035
Employment in the Handicraft and printing workers group according to Cedefop's 2026 forecast.
thousand · Cedefop Skills Forecast 2026 · 2026–2035: projection
Replacement demand is the jobs left by people retiring or changing careers — even a shrinking occupation can have many openings.
Related occupations
- Precision-instrument makers and repairers21
- Glass makers, cutters, grinders and finishers19
- Jewellery and precious-metal workers18
- Potters and related workers18
- Musical instrument makers and tuners14
- Handicraft workers in wood, basketry and related materials14
- Handicraft workers in textile, leather and related materials13
Sources: ILO WP140 (2025) · Eurostat lfsa_egai2d · Cedefop Skills Forecast 2026 · WEF Future of Jobs 2025 · ESCO. The exposure score measures how much of an occupation's tasks generative AI could perform — not whether the job disappears. For information only, not career advice. How do we calculate this?