Signmaker

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A craftsperson who specializes in the design and fabrication of visual displays and signage for advertising or informational use
2. An expert in creating various forms of signs that convey messages or represent brands through images and text
3. A professional who designs and produces signs for businesses and public information

Etymology: "Signmaker" is a plain compound: "sign" combined with "maker," someone who makes things. "Sign" traces back through Old French "signe" to Latin "signum," meaning a mark, token, or distinguishing device, and "maker" is an older English word for one who makes or creates, built on the verb "make." Put together, the word names someone who produces signs in the broad sense of marks that convey information. The modern trade sense, a specialist in the design and fabrication of commercial displays and signage, is a narrowing of that broad meaning. Signs in the older sense could be anything from a heraldic emblem to a religious symbol, while the word now points to the workshop producing lettered boards, lightboxes, and advertising displays.

Synonyms: artisan, craftsman