Do you sign your digital art in Photoshop?

Jennyann

Hi everyone, I know this sounds like a silly question, but I'm curious to know how you sign your digital art? I'm still getting used to it as a tool. A few artists told me not to sign the digital if I'm going to offer signed prints because then there would be two signatures. But if I post work for sale online or on social media, would I need to sign it for copyright purposes. Plus, if you do sign your art, do you copy the signature and use it over and over again?

Gratitude!

burvantill

I've scanned my signature and put it in with photoshop when applicable.

Coreyartus

I use my initials in the corner somewhere instead of "signing", most of the time decreasing it's opacity. That way I know I have an identifier in each piece, but I don't have to have my actual signature--which, if I ever did decide to do signed prints, might perhaps justify my full legible signature and numbered notation.

As an aside, the great Broadway theatrical caricaturist, Al Hirschfeld, used to hide his daughter Nina's name in his works after she was born in 1943. It's quite the legend. I'm not saying you should do the same, but what an interesting concept!!

No--you don't need to sign something for copyright purposes. Other pieces of art like music, dance choreography, or computer software are also instantly copyrighted upon creation, and none of those forms can be "signed". Registering that copyright is a whole different issue.

Jennyann

@burvantill Thank You!

Jennyann

@Coreyartus Thanks for the feedback, this helps a lot. I also love the notion of hiding something or someone important in the work. Thanks for sharing.

sigross

@Jennyann I digitally sign a limited edition numbered certificate to send out with my prints, that has a matching hologram to attach to the back when it's framed. If I'm signing the front of an original print I sign in the border and number it in pencil. Pen/ink can be forged by a computer, pencil cannot. I do this to authenticate the work. My promise no more copies are ever made. I make a signature that can easily be read, nothing like my bank signature! I do like to sometimes hide my initials in the image if it suits. But otherwise I find it distracting.

For copyright purposes you can add your copyright notice in the metadata. Each digital image file has a IPTC menu attached to it (accessible in Photoshop file info). So you can add all your details and lock them in place to track it on the internet.

Coreyartus

Interestingly, this video just came up in my YouTube feed regarding labeling images:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO0ws66Or1k

Aaron_T

I sign it digitally for posting, which I do as a lazy way of proving ownership, but then its easy enough to hide the sig layer for printing.

Jennyann

@sigross Thanks for the information. I never thought of my Pen/ Ink being forged and I definitely have never heard of using metadata. This is awesome!

Jennyann

@Coreyartus Thanks for sharing. Yay!