Question re: signing your prints

[Moses on the Street]

Sorry for the silly question, but a friend of mine wants me to send her some pictures after I have "signed and numbered" them.

Have any of you guys done this? Where, typically, do you sign and where do you number? What do you use to sign them? Any special kind of pen that I need?

Many thanks!

[RandySmith]

Moses,

I haven't "numbered" my prints, however, to place a "signature" on my prints I used a Permanent Black Sharpie and signed away on a blank white piece of paper. Then I scanned the paper and extracted the signature ... then as I want to have a different color for different reasons, I change the color of the signature. I have thought about the electronic "signature" being on my computer though ... not sure for security reasons if it's smart of me to have my "signature" stored there.

Randy

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

If the image has a white border then usually in the border in the bottom right with a black sharpie or pencil.

If the image does not have a border some people will sign them in a bottom corner with a metalic gold or silver sharpie type pen.

Some people will do the signing and numbering on the reverse if there is no appropriate place to do this on the front.

[Bella]

I've only signed one print . . .it was matted in black, and I signed with a silver sharpie in the lower right corner.

Last month, Earlie Hudnall (http://www.ns2000.net/webs/artview/earlie_hudnall.htm) came to speak at our photo club meeting .. . all the framed prints he brought were B/W prints with white mats, and he signed and dated them all immediately below the print, on the matte, in what looked like pencil, but what was more likely a gray marker of some type.

-Cindy

[studiocygnet]

Sign wherever you like. Normally, you only "number" a print if you printed a series of prints all at the same time, and are not planning to continue to print that specific image again. Then you would put 6/10 say, if it were the sixth print out of ten total for that image. This would possibly make a print more valuable over time, since there would only be a limited amount of them available, and you weren't going to reprint. Otherwise, I would just sign and copyright the year printed. Which brings me to a question. Does everyone copyright the year printed, or the year taken?

[Bella]

hmmm . .. .I would think the year taken, since the moment you take the picture it's copyrighted . . .but I don't know.

-Cindy

[AngelPhotography]

Originally Posted by Bella

I've only signed one print . . .it was matted in black, and I signed with a silver sharpie in the lower right corner.

Last month, Earlie Hudnall (http://www.ns2000.net/webs/artview/earlie_hudnall.htm) came to speak at our photo club meeting .. . all the framed prints he brought were B/W prints with white mats, and he signed and dated them all immediately below the print, on the matte, in what looked like pencil, but what was more likely a gray marker of some type.

-Cindy

When I sign a matted photo I sign the matt with pencil. It really can't be erased easily as it leaves black smudge marks if you try. That's what any photography teacher I've had has always told me too. I work at the Carter I believe that all of their photography masterworks have been sign in pencil too, either on the matt or image itself if it has a border.

I've also used a fine tip sharpie if the image has a border. If it doesn't have a border I've used a silver sharpie.

[Bella]

Ahhh, guess it was pencil after all . . .I didn't really stop to think about the smidge factor if you tried to erase it.

-Cindy