Signing and authenticating canvas prints

[spotmeter]

I have been making gallery wrap canvas prints and realized I don't know where to sign them?

What do you do?

Also, do you attach any certificate to the back of the print?  If so, what, and how do you attach it?

Thanks.

[Wayne Fox]

I have been making gallery wrap canvas prints and realized I don't know where to sign them?

What do you do?

Also, do you attach any certificate to the back of the print?  If so, what, and how do you attach it?

Thanks.

no responses yet ....I'm  facing the same quandary.  I am having my first Breathing Color canvas print stretched and it dawned on my when i read your post i didn't do a digital signature in the file, which is the only way I can think of to sign a canvas and be archival.

I used silver and gold "sharpies" decades ago on coated print that show no problems after 30 years ... perhaps one of these after the topcoat would be OK.  I'm not selling these as museum archival prints.  Probably my only option with this print now.

Hopefully someone will have some tips ...

as far as the certificate ... what are you certifying? If the canvas is stretched, I'd use a poly bag stapled to the stretcher frame.  If mounted then the back should be fine.

[dgberg]

Not an expert but canvas is all I sell. I sign all my canvas work with a Micron Archival Ink pen. I have 3 different colors and 4 size pens. I prefer the heavier (.05) line to the much smaller line (.01).
It is too easy to get an uneven signature with the smaller tip.
If you have limited edition prints the certificate may be in order. Mine are all open edition so the only thing I have attacted is a small oval gold sticker I had printed with business name,address and phone number.

[Bruce Watson]

I sign canvas prints after stretching with a DecoColor opaque paint marker (archival pigment paint). Works fine signing a coated print.

This marker is about like signing with a magic marker -- fairly big tip. That is, it makes for a fairly big signature which is appropriate for a big print (like 100 x 75 cm (around 40 x 30 inches)). For smaller prints one would perhaps like a smaller signature which will require a smaller tip for making it.

[bill t.]

By far the best canvas signing pen that I have tried (and I've tried quite a few) is the "Pentel Sunburst Metallic Medium Gel Pen" in the silver color.  Writes easily and smoothly on uncoated, printed canvas and does not clog, smear, or randomly deposit puddles of ink.  Claimed to be acid-free, fadeproof, etc.  Silvery but not obtrusive, keeps a consistent fine line like an 05 Micron pen.  I'm up to around 40 prints on the same pen that's about 5 times better than the previous record holder.  BTW the worst performer ever are the DecoColor pens...puddles galore look out.

Don't know about certificates and such, but I mount my canvases on hard substrates with a few handwritten words on the back such as title, date, location, "To Jack & Jill!" maybe even a short comment.  I have stopped editioning new work, but for the first few prints I sometimes write "this is the 4th print of this image" or whatever.  Buyers love all that stuff, especially at art fairs.  Also sign on the back as well.