I hate to admit it but I don’t usually sign my art prints but that’s about to change! I’ve done some research on why and how to and I have learned so much during the process.

When it comes to traditional printmaking (block print, lithograph, intaglio, etc.) there are certain guidelines to follow.

Prints must be signed in pencil. I’ve read in a couple of places that signing in pencil makes the piece less vulnerable to fraud because the signature cannot be reproduced by a computer.

The name of the artist goes just below the bottom right corner of the printed image. A monogram is more traditional than a signature but the choice is yours to make.

The title of the print is the centerpiece of the signature section just below the printed image. The title is commonly written in parentheses or inverse commas. If the print is not part of a limited edition the artists will shift the title to the left corner of the print.

Limited editions are clearly marked with a fraction below the bottom left corner of the printed image. The top of the fraction stands for the edition number and the bottom stands for the edition size.

Your signature is a sign of approval. It’s important to only sign artwork when it meets your quality standards. It’s also important to be consistent with your signature.

I still have to figure out how exactly how I want to sign my prints so I will keep doing some research and I’ll update you next week. Let’s keep the conversation going until then, how do you sign your prints?