Signature etiquette

mercphoto

I am about to sell a photo on a consignment basis, plus on my website, to benefit the Austin Wild Basin Wilderness preserve. Their other photographers sign the matte. But I can't do that selling prints. I have two versions of a signature and want some feedback.

What are the rules and guidelines for a sig? Is the attached too much?

Thanks, Bill

rutt

mercphoto wrote:

I am about to sell a photo on a consignment basis, plus on my website, to benefit the Austin Wild Basin Wilderness preserve. Their other photographers sign the matte. But I can't do that selling prints. I have two versions of a signature and want some feedback.

What are the rules and guidelines for a sig? Is the attached too much?

Thanks, Bill

I have a small collection of original prints by great photographers: Avedon (Bertrand Russell), Cartier-Bresson, a couple of Penn, Edgertons, and Elsa Dorfman. I don't think you can go wrong doing what they did.

1. None of them signs on the image itself. I think this is fine online, but a huge nono for prints.
2. Cartire-Bresson & Dorfman sign in pen in the margin, lower right. Elsa Dorfman makes large format poloroids, so there is a lot of margin to sign in.
3. Avedon, Edgerton, and Penn sign in pen on the back ("obverse" in collectorese).
4. Dorfman has the natural irregular border from the poloroid process. Cartier-Bresson has a thin black border. The others have no border. Remember that a print is likely to be matted and framed. Leave room for the framer to do his/her job. Leave your beautiful digital frame for online images.
5. Elsa dates on the front with her signature. All the others date on the back. If you print in the same year as the print is made, then just one date. If the image is more than a year older than the print, then: "1997 / printed 2004", for example.

Like all such guidlines, these are not hard and fast rules. But as a collector, I appeciate a real signature instead of digital text embedded in the image. Signing on the back works for the greats; their work is obviously their work. Leave a margin and sign there or sign on the back. Remember the framer and think about how the matte will work.