So I just started selling some of my fine art prints and I'm wondering what most of you use to sign your prints. For now I just bought a silver acid free paint pen, it can be a little messy, I have to be verry careful. I sign my name and put the year the photo was taken. Is that the norm?
Posted by Pam Colander on October 28, 2010 at 1:46 PM
I have two metallic gel pens made by Sakura caled Gelly Roll (one silver, one gold) that work very well. They are not messy, are acid free and have a very fine tip. Lately I've been having more prints plaque mounted and I have the company print the image. In that case I put a digital signature on the file in Photoshop. Congrats on your sales!
Posted by Doug Roane on October 28, 2010 at 1:54 PM
I use the same, or similar as Pamela - art quality metallic gel pens. Some sign the mats, but I sign directly on the prints.
If you dry mount a print on a backing board and then leave room between the over mat and the edge of the print, you can sign on the backing board.
Copyright, dates, and other info should be printed on the back side of the backing board. You can use pencil, HB or #2, to write on the back of the actual print, but be careful with the pressure you use--you don't want an impression of what you wrote to show on the front of the print.
One last point, its all about the image, not about your signature. Keep your sig as discreet as possible, but still visible.
Discussion
4 repliesIf you dry mount a print on a backing board and then leave room between the over mat and the edge of the print, you can sign on the backing board.
Copyright, dates, and other info should be printed on the back side of the backing board. You can use pencil, HB or #2, to write on the back of the actual print, but be careful with the pressure you use--you don't want an impression of what you wrote to show on the front of the print.
One last point, its all about the image, not about your signature. Keep your sig as discreet as possible, but still visible.
--P