Pens for Signing Prints

roteague · Nov 18, 2005

Does anyone have any suggestions on what type of pens to use for signing prints and where to get one? Mostly I will be signing on Fiji Crystal Archive prints; I think a nice gold colored one would work.

Thanks for all your feedback,

Imke · Nov 18, 2005

Micron makes simple, fine, black archival ones. I like 'em. I bet you could find them on Oahu.

If you want to do gold, I guess you need to get archival ink and a nibbed dip pen. Do a Google search on archival inks maybe?

Good luck!
Imke

rbarker · Nov 18, 2005

I use a Pelican fountain pen filled with India ink.

Graeme Hird · Nov 18, 2005

I use a "Sakura Pen-touch Silver Extra Fine Point" pen. As noted, it has silver ink, but there were gold ones there to choose if I had wanted one. It's like a paint maker pen with a very fine tip. When you push the nib into the pen, it pumps ink into the nib. I use it to sign my Kodak Endura Metallic paper prints.

I bought it at the local art supply shop in Kalgoorlie, so I'm sure you could find something similar in your neighbourhood.

Mine is 0.7mm, but I think I'd prefer a 0.5mm tip. When I can overcome my inertia, I'll do something about it.

Cheers,

Ole · Nov 18, 2005

Colour prints can be signed in a dark corner simply by moistening that corner, and signing with an empty (thin) ball point pen or similar. This will scratch the emulsion allowing the lighter base to shine through. Permanent, cheap, fully archival - what could be better?

Of course, you need a dark corner to sign in, but that's the only drawback I've found.

eric · Nov 18, 2005

roteague said:
Does anyone have any suggestions on what type of pens to use for signing prints and where to get one? Mostly I will be signing on Fiji Crystal Archive prints; I ,

I use a Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph. They have a cornocopia (ahh, almost turkey day in the US) of different colored inks. The smaller the print, the thinner the nib I use. You can get a brand new set on Ebay for a 1/4 the price.

blansky · Nov 18, 2005

Sanford Gold Coat slim tip work and I use DecoColor Liquid Silver which probably makes gold as well.

Michael

Dave Parker · Nov 18, 2005

I have both Gold and Silver pens that I use on my prints, I picked them up at Office Max, and if I remember correctly they were made by Sanford, they are thin tipped paint pens, very nice for this type of thing and are permanete

Dave

BWGirl · Nov 18, 2005

Robert, there is a Creative Memories store in Honolulu.

Creative Memories-Honolulu
Address: 2528 Liliha St, Honolulu, HI 96817
Phone: (808) 595-4668

They will carry all kinds of archival permanent pens... of every nib size you can imagine. The best source for some of these things is almost always a scrapbooking store. Bring in a print you could experiment on & I'll bet the store clerks will be more than happy to help you find what you are looking for.

roteague · Nov 18, 2005

Thanks everyone for your ideas. I'll check into them.

gbroadbridge · Nov 19, 2005

I just sign using a soft pencil. I have no idea why I'm the odd man out. An original painting I have by Howard Butterworth is also signed in pencil.

What's the big deal with ink?

Graham.

Dave Parker · Nov 19, 2005

gbroadbridge said:
I just sign using a soft pencil. I have no idea why I'm the odd man out. An original painting I have by Howard Butterworth is also signed in pencil.

What's the big deal with ink?

Graham.

Hi Graham,

It really depends on where your signing the print, most of Roberts stuff is done in color and I would imagine without white borders, the paint type pens makes it far easier to sign on the emulsion of the print without causing damage to the print, most of my work is color and the galleries I work with do not want the mat signed, but require I sign on the lower right hand corner in a non-removable type ink or paint, the gold and the silver show up well and are non-removable.

Dave

kswatapug · Nov 19, 2005

I overmat my prints with a 1/2 inch white border of the paper showing, and sign and number the print in that border. For the Chrystal Archive, the Micron and Staedtler pens, which feature archival pigment inks work well. I favor the 0.1 point to make the signature as inobstrusive as possible. For non-photo papers (as in inkjet), those pens don't track smoothly on the paper surface, so I find the Sakura Gelly Roller, which also features pigment inks, a nice alternative.

If you are uncertain, I suggest you take a scrap of the paper you plan to use to your local art supply store and try out the various pigment (that's what you want for achivability) ink pens to see which performs the best.

Whiteymorange · Nov 19, 2005

I preface this with the note that I am a painter and a traditional printmaker (etching, intaglio, serigraph.)

That said, nothing should be signed with a pen. Pencil signatures are "required" on traditional work.

OK... Old Fart rant over

gbroadbridge · Nov 20, 2005

Whiteymorange said:
I preface this with the note that I am a painter and a traditional printmaker (etching, intaglio, serigraph.)

That said, nothing should be signed with a pen. Pencil signatures are "required" on traditional work.

OK... Old Fart rant over

Thankyou - Permanent marker or pen indeed !!!

Another old Phart

Dave Parker · Nov 20, 2005

Whitey,

I agree,but the question was asked about an entirely different medium...

Dave

roteague · Nov 20, 2005

I will be signing on the emulsion; prints to be done on Fuji Crystal Archive.

FWIW, there seems to be an unfortunate assumption that all images on APUG are B&W. I say unfortunate, because I work almost exclusively in color. It seems whenever I or someone else asks a question, if it isn't asked on one of the color forums, everyone assumes B&W - a medium which holds very little interest for me. BTW, has anyone noticed that there are 0 color landscapes on the new APUG gallery -I think this illlustrates my point. I don't mean this in a negative way, there are many excellent B&W photographers here, but there needs to be a realization that not everyone works in B&W.

Dave Parker · Nov 20, 2005

roteague said:
I will be signing on the emulsion; prints to be done on Fuji Crystal Archive.

FWIW, there seems to be an unfortunate assumption that all images on APUG are B&W. I say unfortunate, because I work almost exclusively in color. It seems whenever I or someone else asks a question, if it isn't asked on one of the color forums, everyone assumes B&W - a medium which holds very little interest for me. BTW, has anyone noticed that there are 0 color landscapes on the new APUG gallery -I think this illlustrates my point. I don't mean this in a negative way, there are many excellent B&W photographers here, but there needs to be a realization that not everyone works in B&W.

Here, Here Robert,

That was my point many posts ago, I as well work in Color 99% of the time shooting chrome and then printing, and I as well sign my prints on the emulsion...

Dave

mark · Nov 20, 2005

Your outa the club

roteague said:
I will be signing on the emulsion; prints to be done on Fuji Crystal Archive.

FWIW, there seems to be an unfortunate assumption that all images on APUG are B&W. I say unfortunate, because I work almost exclusively in color. It seems whenever I or someone else asks a question, if it isn't asked on one of the color forums, everyone assumes B&W - a medium which holds very little interest for me. BTW, has anyone noticed that there are 0 color landscapes on the new APUG gallery -I think this illlustrates my point. I don't mean this in a negative way, there are many excellent B&W photographers here, but there needs to be a realization that not everyone works in B&W.

Sorry RObert but this proves you are unworthy. To be truely professional you must contact print, on AZO, Develope only in AMidol personally blessed by MAS, Dry mount on WHITE 12 ply rag board made in a clean room, and Sign only the mount. Any derivation only proves your wanna be status.

On a serious note

I use an archival marker I bought a long time ago from Light Impressions, that the writing hase sense worn off, and sign both on the back of the image and in the lower right corner. I write small since my color prints are small, and the ink is black. I don't want to draw too much attention to my name.

I sign on the back because I was told to by a prof, and I just got in the habit. Like all habits there really is not a lot of reason behind it anymore.

I'm afraid you color shooters just are not.

Just my two cents worth

roteague · Nov 20, 2005

Satinsnow said:
Here, Here Robert,

That was my point many posts ago, I as well work in Color 99% of the time shooting chrome and then printing, and I as well sign my prints on the emulsion...

Dave

I guess I have had my rant for the day. Oh well, I'm off to shoot 4x5 Velvia on the North Shore this afternoon.

roteague · Nov 20, 2005

mark said:
Sorry RObert but this proves you are unworthy. To be truely professional you must contact print, on AZO, Develope only in AMidol personally blessed by MAS,

More than once I've wanted to ask who "MAS" or "Michael and Paula" are? I know of course, but I can't help wonder if I referred to Jack Dykinga as DK or Joe Cornish as "Joe" if anyone would know who I was talking to.

mark · Nov 20, 2005

No one would notice unless their posts pissed a lot of folks off, or garnered a lot of attention in some other way. Isn't that how words, or phrases become ingrained in people's thoughts? The internet is a strange place and this happens a lot more often. The thing is no one outside of APUG would have a singel clue who or even what MAS refered too.

I would call Dykinga JD, as it sounds more familiar. DK looks to close to what was written on women's shirts in the eighties or nineties, DKNY.

MattKing · Nov 20, 2005

roteague said:
More than once I've wanted to ask who "MAS" or "Michael and Paula" are? I know of course, but I can't help wonder if I referred to Jack Dykinga as DK or Joe Cornish as "Joe" if anyone would know who I was talking to.

Or if someone referred to "Malak"?

PSST - I shoot, and like colour too!

Baxter Bradford · Nov 20, 2005

roteague said:
Joe Cornish as "Joe" if anyone would know who I was talking to.

That he operates on such a high plane and has the initials JC; I feel is entirely coincidental!

pssst - Mark - I think you got away with it.

Pens for Signing Prints

roteague

Imke

rbarker

Graeme Hird

Ole

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eric

blansky

Dave Parker

BWGirl

roteague

gbroadbridge

Dave Parker

kswatapug

Whiteymorange

gbroadbridge

Dave Parker

roteague

Dave Parker

mark

roteague

roteague

mark

MattKing

Moderator

Baxter Bradford

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