Thoughts on signing prints

roteague · Jul 21, 2004

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum or not, but I was wondering what the general consensus/best business practices are for how prints should be signed. Should they be pencil or ink, on the print or on the mat itself. FWIW, I sign prints in pencil on the mat.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Graeme Hird · Jul 21, 2004

I sign mine on the print edge, outside the image area (my prints are are done with a black border as part of the print). I sign with a silver felt-tip pen.

David A. Goldfarb · Jul 21, 2004

I sign on the back in pencil.

Shesh · Jul 21, 2004

Like David, On the back, along the border area with (C) name + date + Neg number.

Jeremy · Jul 21, 2004

There's a good discussion on this right now in the Azo forums on Michael and Paula's site:

Dead Link Removed

Not sure how I'm going to deal with this issue when I mount my images for the photo exchange. I'll probably sign in the lower right corner, date in the left, and then sign again on the back with the # in the edition on the back.

Bruce Osgood · Jul 21, 2004

I leave about 1/4" border on two sides and the top and about 3/8" on the bottom with an overlay/window mat. I sign in the bottom right margin: (c) year/name with a silver gray gel pen on the print. The signature is visable but does not stand out/distract, and it is perminently fixed to the print. If the print needs a title I will use the same pen and title it on the bottom left.

removed account4 · Jul 21, 2004

i sign the back in pencil, and when it is matted, i sign the matboard.

bmac · Jul 21, 2004

Sign the front of the overmatt, then stamp and title on the back. of the mount board. Dry mounting my prints from now on.

Jim Moore · Jul 21, 2004

bmac said:
Sign the front of the overmatt, then stamp and title on the back. of the mount board. Dry mounting my prints from now on.

Brian,

Where did you get the "stamp" for the back of your prints. I've been lookin for one but can't seem to find any.

Thanks,

Jim

Magic Rat · Jul 21, 2004

Brett Weston (I'm sure others) used to cut an extra hole in the front mat and sign and date there. I always thought this was classy.

Jim Chinn · Jul 22, 2004

Places like Office Depot and Staples can get stamps made. The cost varies depending on the size and # of characters used.

David A. James · Jul 22, 2004

Where to Sign?

Wherever you want to sign and in whatever fashion creatively pleases you. If you want samples of style, see; "The Collection of Alfred Stieglitz - Fifty Pioneers of Modern Photography" by Weston Naef. A Studio Book, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Viking Press New York (1978). Compare, for example, the styles of Brigman, Puyo and White.

roteague said:
I'm not sure if this is the correct forum or not, but I was wondering what the general consensus/best business practices are for how prints should be signed. Should they be pencil or ink, on the print or on the mat itself. FWIW, I sign prints in pencil on the mat.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

bmac · Jul 22, 2004

JMoore said:
Brian,

Where did you get the "stamp" for the back of your prints. I've been lookin for one but can't seem to find any.

Thanks,

Jim

I got it online at iprint.com, along with some business cards and return address labels.

Doug Bennett · Jul 22, 2004

When I dry mount, I sign on the mount below the print. I sell my prints with a standard window mat, and dry mount so that there's 1/4" gap between print and mat on the top and sides, and 3/8" on the bottom. This is for 8x10 mounted on 11x14. I increase the gap for bigger prints.

I also stamp the back.

jantman · Jul 28, 2004

I just dry (island) mount my prints, so there's no hole to be cut in the overmat. I sign the print on the mat in pen, with special ink (Ph Martin's I think, I don't remember which ink type) in a 3x0 drafting pen.

Technical information (print date and negative id) is put on the back of the mat.

Sean · Jul 28, 2004

I think I'll just do like Ansel, floating style mount with pencil underneath the right corner. If it's good enough for Ansel should be good enough for me

dr bob · Jul 29, 2004

Sean said:
I think I'll just do like Ansel, floating style mount with pencil underneath the right corner. If it's good enough for Ansel should be good enough for me

I experimented with several styles of signature and finally came to the same opinion. My rational is as follows: I permanently attach the photograph to the mat forming the "basic" unit. The over-mat is cut about 1/2 inch (12.5mm) larger than the photograph outer dimensions, depending on the size of the photograph, usually 11x14 for me. The over-mat can be, and has been, removed from the assembly for maintenance or possible replacement, so my signature, title and date goes on the unit. Clients seem to like it.

lee · Jul 29, 2004

dr bob said:
I experimented with several styles of signature and finally came to the same opinion. My rational is as follows: I permanently attach the photograph to the mat forming the "basic" unit. The over-mat is cut about 1/2 inch (12.5mm) larger than the photograph outer dimensions, depending on the size of the photograph, usually 11x14 for me. The over-mat can be, and has been, removed from the assembly for maintenance or possible replacement, so my signature, title and date goes on the unit. Clients seem to like it.

I would recommend signing on the back of the board that the print is mounted to also. I would tell the name of the print and the copyright info and then sign it there also.

lee\c

ann · Jul 29, 2004

jantman said:
I just dry (island) mount my prints, so there's no hole to be cut in the overmat. I sign the print on the mat in pen, with special ink (Ph Martin's I think, I don't remember which ink type) in a 3x0 drafting pen.

Technical information (print date and negative id) is put on the back of the mat.

What does dry(island)mount mean and no hole to be cut in the overmat?
Have seen the term island mount before but am unclear as if it means to float rather than overlap. How does the overmat not have a window?
Just curious.

KenM · Jul 29, 2004

My prints are dry-mounted, with an ink-stamp on the back that details the negative information and my contact information.

The year the print was made is written underneath the photograph on the left, with my signature on the right. If an overmat is requested, it's made large enough to expose the date and signature.

dr bob · Jul 30, 2004

lee said:
I would recommend signing on the back of the board that the print is mounted to also. I would tell the name of the print and the copyright info and then sign it there also.

lee\c

Absolutely! I have a label made in PowerPoint which I apply to the back of all finished photographs with that information and more like details of the subject and any applicable acknowledgements.

Thoughts on signing prints

roteague

Graeme Hird

David A. Goldfarb

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Shesh

Jeremy

Bruce Osgood

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removed account4

bmac

Jim Moore

Magic Rat

Jim Chinn

David A. James

bmac

Doug Bennett

jantman

Sean

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dr bob

lee

ann

KenM

dr bob

Thoughts on signing prints

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