Certificate of Authenticity, Low Tide at Kerrow, edition 12 of 50
Certificate of authenticity template for a limited edition print
A certificate of authenticity confirms that an artwork is genuine and records the details that make it that work and no other. This example from a printmaker covers print 12 of a 50 edition screen print, with the medium, paper, sizes, print date, buyer and a promise that the edition will not be reprinted.
The document, page by page
Every page as it renders and as it prints, with nothing summarised. Read the wording before you reuse it.
Section by section
What each section is for, so you can keep the ones you need and drop the rest.
- Studio badge and title
- The studio as a small badge above Certificate of Authenticity.
- Certifying line and work title
- The certifying statement and the title of the print.
- Edition statement
- Hand printed, signed and numbered, and the edition closed.
- Details table
- Edition number, medium, paper, sizes, print date and first buyer.
- Artist's signature
- The artist named under the line.
- Footer
- Certificate number and a note to keep it with the print.
What authenticity paperwork protects
For a buyer, a certificate of authenticity is evidence that a work is what the seller says it is. For an artist, it is a record of the edition, a check against unauthorised copies and a way to keep track of who owns what. Print industry bodies encourage clear documentation of editions, proofs and paper, because limited editions are only valuable if the limits are real. Arts law services also remind artists that owning a work and owning its copyright are separate, which is useful to state in the sale paperwork that accompanies the certificate.
Keeping a register
Give every certificate a number and keep a simple register: number, title, edition number, date, buyer and price. If a collector later asks whether a print is genuine, the register answers in seconds. If a print is resold, the new owner can ask for their name to be added. For digital certificates sent as PDF, keep the signed original on file as well, because a PDF can be edited and the register is the real record.
How to adapt this document
Change the studio and the title, then rebuild the table with your own edition size, proofs, medium, paper and sizes, measured carefully. Decide whether to record the first buyer, which helps provenance, or leave that row out for privacy. Keep the sentence closing the edition only if it is true. Sign in ink after printing, give each certificate a unique number and record it in your register on the same day.
What makes this document work
The edition is closed in writing
The sentence says the edition of 50 will not be reprinted in any size or medium. That promise is what gives a limited edition its value, and putting it on the certificate gives the buyer something to rely on.
Details a buyer can check against the print
Edition 12 of 50 plus 5 artist proofs, a four colour screen print on Somerset Satin 300 gsm, a 420 by 594 mm image on a 500 by 700 mm sheet. Anyone can hold the certificate next to the print and confirm they match.
Provenance starts here
The table records the first buyer and date, Hugo Lindqvist on 2 October 2026, and the footer carries certificate number IF-LTK-012. If the print is resold, the certificate and number travel with it as the start of its history.
Questions people ask
What should a certificate of authenticity include?
The artist's name, the title, the medium, the dimensions, the date made, the edition number and size for prints, a statement that the work is genuine, the artist's signature and a unique certificate number. Recording the first buyer and sale date is optional but helps establish provenance if the work is resold.
Who can issue a certificate of authenticity?
The artist, or someone with authority to speak for the work, such as the artist's estate, studio or a gallery acting for the artist. A certificate from someone with no connection to the work adds little. Collectors value certificates signed by the artist most highly.
What do edition numbers like 12/50 mean?
The first number is this print's place in the edition and the second is the total number of prints in the edition. Artist proofs, often marked AP, are printed in addition and kept by the artist. A closed edition means no more prints will be made, which the certificate should say.
Does a certificate of authenticity transfer copyright?
No. Buying an artwork and its certificate gives ownership of the physical object, not the copyright in the image, which normally stays with the artist. The buyer cannot reproduce the image without permission. Artists' legal services explain this distinction, and it is worth saying in a sale agreement.
What if a certificate of authenticity is lost?
Contact the artist or studio with the certificate number, if known, and a photograph of the work, including the signature and edition number. The artist can check their records and may issue a replacement marked as such. This is why keeping a register of certificate numbers and buyers matters.
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Want the steps in the builder? Read Write the certificate from a description, then Add the details table. For everything this generator can do, see the document maker.
Sources
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