To sign or not to sign?

[Magus]

When selling prints at an art fair, do you sign them or not? I have seen matted prints that the photographer placed his/her signature on the mat but if you were offering a print with a mount board in a sleeve, do you sign the print or just place a tag on the back of the print with your information? Your thoughts!!

[fishcat]

The great debate. Wrapped canvas prints I sign on the canvas. For paper prints, I print the copyright symbol along with the year taken and my first and middle initials with last name in the lower right corner of the image area (small font to not be obtrusive). I leave a border around the print and sign on the white border in black. Practically everything I sell is matted, so I sign in pencil on the mat. The mat covers the signature on the print, but you could cut it so it doesn't. Limited editions include the sequence number and total number on the lower left; both the mat and the print. Overkill, but it covers all the bases. I have never had a buyer that did not want the print signed in some manner.

[Magus]

Thanks so much for the advice and considering the quality of your work I will take your what you say seriously. This is going to be my first venture into selling my work in a public environment so I and being ultra careful. Scott