for any significant amount of time, you’ve likely seen one of Steve Vigeant’s signs. More likely, you’ve seen hundreds of them.
On one stretch of College Avenue in Berkeley, he’s responsible for the look of more than 15 storefronts. “The feeling that you’ve affected the look of the neighborhood is a special feeling,” he said. “It's a really rewarding feeling when it becomes part of a very successful business.” “They called it snapper work if you’re not part of a big sign shop,” he said. “Your business card is you have paint all over your shirt. ... I was cheaper, and you just work harder than anyone else.”
Even as technology has evolved, making signs can be tedious work. So much patience is required, and when a mistake happens, you often have to start all over. And mistakes are even harder to catch when you’re painting in the dark.