By David Saffir

A written Certificate of Authenticity can add real value to prints that are ready for exhibition or sale.

Most artists and photographers tell me that they are content to sign their work, and add an edition number and date. This is fine, but there is a bit more that one can do that has real customer appeal. A Certificate of Authenticity can provide vital information about the image to a prospective buyer, gallery, or collector. The certificate can include the following (and/or other items):

·         Name, location, and web address of the artist or photographer;

·         Name, location, and web address of the printmaker;

·         Type of camera or art technique used to create the image;

·         Printing device used along with the type of ink and paper used, and their archival properties;

·         Edition size and the dimensions of the prints in the edition;

·         Number of this particular print within the edition;

·         Information about the subject matter of the artwork;

·         Information about when and where the photo was taken (GPS benchmark, date, time of day);

·         A small color or black-and-white reproduction of the actual image;

·         Signature of the artist or photographer;

·         Signature of the printmaker;

·         Copyright holder’s identity, applicable law, and reproduction rights;

In a way, the Certificate is a promise of quality and value. If the edition is limited, the buyer will know where they stand if they buy the print. If the buyer elects to sell the print down the road, the Certificate helps the print hold its value (hopefully it is increasing).

A buyer will also know that the print is made from the best materials available, that it was made by an expert printmaker, and that it is designed to last. A print like this becomes a valuable addition to a collector’s gallery, or an important heirloom.

We can’t know the long-term value of an image when we first create it – but we can record its provenance for those that come after us. In my view, the Certificate adds a tangible, credible foundation to the work, and provides information that might otherwise be lost forever.

Check out the Certificate of Authenticity I created for my photograph The Wave that now hangs in the home of a private collector.

In a future post, I’ll discuss controlling publication of editions, including storing reference prints, edition sizes, choosing media, and the like.