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How to Sign Your Artwork
All Art Should be Signed
Whether it is your child’s artwork on the refrigerator or a large format commission you created, all artwork should be signed somewhere on the art.
Even if you are not a professional artist, it is important to sign your art. Signing your art creates value, helps protect your copyright, and creates your branding for marketing.
With all art, the most important thing to remember is that the signature should not draw more attention that the art itself.
Continue reading for more pointers for signing various types of artwork.
[Art by Albrecht Dürer. His signature is the logo AD, with the year the art was painted above it.]
Your Signature is Your Brand
Your signature is your “brand” and can be your logo or icon. It can be your full name, your initials, or a graphic logo. Use it consistently throughout your art, website, and social media.
[Signature by Pablo Picasso.]
Signing Original Art on Paper
- Sign in pencil on the bottom edge of your art.
- You can incorporate your signature into the design of the art.
- If you do not want to sign the front, sign the back.
- You can add the title and date created.
- Both your art and your signature should not be close to the edge of the paper.
- For preservation, paper art should be framed with glass and mats. The mounting strips and mats will need to extend over the edges of the paper to hold it in place. It is best to leave 1 inch of blank paper beyond the art.
- Do not sign the matboard. Your customer may want to change the mats and frame, and your signature would be separated from the art.
- Sign your art before any final fixative is used.
- Photograph your signed art for your records and for advertising.
Signing Photographs and Reproductions
Many of the instructions are the same for photographs and reproductions as originals. The main difference is that with prints, signatures are most often placed on the paper just below the art.
- Some photographers like to use a digital signature, watermark, or logo in the photograph. Digital signatures can be a scan of your own signature, or your name typed in a font on your computer.
- If you prefer an original signature, use a pencil to sign and number the print or photograph.
- On glossy paper, use a Sakura Pigma Micron pen or a Posca marker.
- Do NOT use a Sharpie Marker. Although Sharpies are permanent, they are not lightfast and can fade.
- Include the edition number. An artist proof is one of the first test prints from the printer, which is used to get your approval of color, finish, and cut. Sign artist proofs with an AP. Sign prints after the artist proof with the number off the printer and the total number of prints in the run. 1/100, 2/100, 3/100, etc.
- Remember that your signature should not draw attention away from your art.
Help Your Framer Preserve Your Art
- Prints on paper should be framed behind UV protective glass to preserve the paper and reduce damage from UV light. However, the glass should not touch the art paper because the paper may stick to the glass and the art could get damaged.
- Framers use mats to create a gap between the paper and the glass.
- When you place your signature on the print or art, do not make your signature so large or so close to the edge that it is covered by the mat.
- Leave 1/4 inch to 1 inch of plain paper along the edges. No signatures or art in this outer gutter.
- The signature in the image to the left does not leave enough clear paper to mount and mat the art without covering part of the signature. The framer would have to use other methods of mounting the art such as float mounting to be able to show the entire signature.
- [Art by Le Baiser, 2021]
Signing Canvas Art Framed in a Standard Frame
- Think about the different ways your client could frame your canvas art. Frames that go over the top edge will cover at least a 1/4 inch of the edge. Floater frames will hide the sides but not the front. Sign your canvas at least 1 inch from the edges or sign the back.
- When using a standard frame, sign high enough so the frame edge does not cover your signature.
- Use the same medium as you used in the painting to sign your art.
- If you painted with oil paint, use a small brush or the tip of the brush handle to write your name or logo. You can also use an oil-based paint pen.
- If you painted with acrylic paint, you could use a brush or an acrylic pen to write your name.
- [Art by S. Fleming 2021]
Signing Canvas Art Framed in a Floater Frame or Not Framed
- Artists sign canvases in several different places. Some sign the front, some prefer the back, and some sign the side so their signature is visible but does not detract from the art.
- Finish the sides of your canvas by continuing your art to the sides or using a solid color such as black, gold, or a color used in the painting.
- Make sure to sign and photograph your art before adding any varnish.
- If the art is a print-on-canvas, you can either include a digital signature when the canvas is printed or sign it with an acrylic or water-based paint pen such as a Posca marker or Faber-Castell Pitt Pen.
- Do NOT use a Sharpie Marker. Although Sharpies are permanent, they are not lightfast and can fade.