How to Sign Giclee Prints

Get the kudos you seek by creatively signing your giclée art

If you're an artist exploring the wonders of giclée, you know that this high-quality, computer-based art genre uses a special type of printer that sprays or squirts ink across archival paper to produce vivid art that can be mass produced. Giclée is gaining legitimacy and acceptance---even in sophisticated art circles where once oils, watercolors and pastels reigned supreme. If you're experimenting with giclée and facing a conundrum about where to place your signature on your original works of art, you have a variety of available options.

Things You'll Need

• Graphic design software (e.g. Adobe Illustrator or other vector-based program)
• Image manipulation software (e.g., Photoshop)
• Scanner
• 8- or 12-color professional giclée ink jet printer
• Archival paper and/or canvas sheets
• Giclée inks
• Manual samples of your signature

Instructions

1. Make a digital version of your signature so it can be transferred to all of your giclée art works. The easiest way to accomplish this is to write your name several times with your favorite pen. Place the best and clearest version of your signature on the platen of your scanner and save it as a jpeg or TIFF.

2. Open the jpeg or TIFF in Photoshop or another image manipulation program. Clean up the lines of the letters by finding the Filter tool in the Editing menu and choosing "Sharpen Lightly." If you're not satisfied, sharpen again. Another way to get more contrast is to find Brightness/Contrast and adjust the values accordingly. When it's cleaned up to your satisfaction, separate the signature from its background by cutting a clipping path so the art shows through the artist's name.

3. Open the page layout program containing your original art. Drop a picture box onto the location you've selected for your signature placement. Import or Acquire the signature. Alternately, copy/paste the jpeg or TIFF into the body of the giclée art. Move the signature into position. If a box still appears behind the letters, select it, go to the Item pull-down menu and drop out the background again, using the Clipping command.

4. Consider adding an artist's mark to your signature. Called "remarques," these distinguishing symbols, rudimentary sketches or doodles add whimsey or flair to your work. For example, one giclée artist produced a series of Noah's Ark pieces and added his name with a small rendering of an ark to his signature by scanning the signature with the sketch to produce the remarque on all prints in the series.

Tips & Warnings

• Showcase your signature by placing it in a white border surrounding the giclée print rather than positioning it within the body of the design. If you choose this method, you may also want to add the title of the piece.

• Protect your original work by adding a © citation to your art. If you group the symbol with your signature scan, you won't forget to include it each time you output an original work of art, thus you can be assured it will be safe from infringement issues.

References

• Learn more about giclée printers and inks
• Find supplies for giclée creations here