Digital BW, The Print

Two questions

I know many people prefer to use pencil to sign matte prints. But what kind? There 
are so many in the art stores, I'm wondering if anyone has a favorite type worth 
recommending. Something soft enough going on but wont smudge?

Should the size of the signature be proportional to the size of the print? IOW, would 
you use a larger stroke to sign a 24x24" than a 12x12"?

Thanks,
Al

Personally, I think photos are best signed on the back so it doesn't 
matter much which pencil you use:)

When I was into print making (stone litho and etchings...) I did sign 
and number on the front and really had to test the pencils for each 
type of paper since they are all different.  You want a fairly hard 
pencil so it isn't so dark as to over-power your print (or smudge)... 
you also have to have a nice casual hand writing style... too formal 
or forced looks stupid and sloppy without flair also looks stupid... 
then you also have to decide if you should title each piece... and 
how good are your titles really?  Do they really add to your image 
when they are being viewed or do they just look like you did it 'cuz 
you thought you were supposed to?  Some photographers think a hand 
written signature etc. adds a feeling of being handcrafted... 

Even high art paintings are rarely signed on the front... even being 
considered tacky by some (I know, I signed the paintings I showed in 
a traditional manner and caught hell for it... at least from a few 
people).

mark

--- In 
DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "regimechangeusa" 
<regimechangeusa@y...> wrote:
> Two questions
> 
> I know many people prefer to use pencil to sign matte prints. But 
what kind? There 
> are so many in the art stores, I'm wondering if anyone has a 
favorite type worth 
> recommending. Something soft enough going on but wont smudge?
> 
> Should the size of the signature be proportional to the size of the 
print? IOW, would 

> you use a larger stroke to sign a 24x24" than a 12x12"?
> 
> Thanks,
> Al

Don't count on pencil with Hahnemuhle Photo Rag. The surface hasn't enough
tooth. 

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

At 03:45 AM 10/3/03 +0000, you wrote:
>Two questions
>
>I know many people prefer to use pencil to sign matte prints. But what 
>kind? There
>are so many in the art stores, I'm wondering if anyone has a favorite type 
>worth
>recommending. Something soft enough going on but wont smudge?
>
>Should the size of the signature be proportional to the size of the print? 
>IOW, would
>you use a larger stroke to sign a 24x24" than a 12x12"?
>
>Thanks,
>Al
>
>Keith,



>It's all personal taste (or lack of...). Also, if you sell prints the 
>gallery might suggest their preference. I've seen art by notable artists 
>signed with a great flourish as well as tiny No. 6 pencil 
>sigs.   Consistancy is important whatever you do.


AZ



Build a Lookaround!
The Lookaround Book, 2nd ed.
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Hello Al,

IMO, how you sign it is as much a part of the artwork as the mounting
technique and the photo itself.  It all adds to the experience of the
viewer.  Experiment until you find something that satisfies you.


Regards,
Clayton


Info on black and white digital printing at    
http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm

Hello,

I would avoid graphite because of its tendency to smear. Of course, 
future historians may find it useful to have your finger print right 
on the print or is it your customer's finger print. ;-)

Graphite is carbon compound consisting of flat, closed molecules that 
slip and and slide across each other - sort of a cross between coal 
and petroleum. For some machinery it is used as lubricant.

Much better to use high quality artist's color pencils - also 
available in black and browns. These pencils are made of clay, a weak 
binder, such as tri-methol cellulose, and the pigment. Even though 
you can still smear your signature - if you work at it, it is easier 
to clean up with plastic eraser. Use a sharp point and press down to 
impress your signature in the paper.

You may also want to protect your work with a copyright notice. I 
find something like, MyName C 2003. Where the C is located goes the 
copyright symbol. 

[A quick way to get the copy right symbol is to use the utility, 
Character Map in Accessories|System Tools on Windows. I can paste it 
into Photoshop and usually most fonts map it correctly. When I pasted 
the copyright symbol, Ó, in this message, it mapped into a funny 
symbol with the font yahoo is giving me to reply to this email.]

Hope this helps,
Lincoln