Signing Your Photographic Art Work

As photographers each photograph should be considered as works of Art and treated as such.
I am talking today about the signing of your photos so that later on down the road the owner or new owners
 of that art work know who created it.  So many of us have seen the entertainer slapping down the autograph on and 8x10 glossy at a signing event, whether a concert or sci-fi convention or book signing, and their weapon of choice: THE SHARPIE LAUNDRY MARKER.....however the ink inside a Sharpie is loaded with acid that will deteriorate your art works over a period of time........so why waste the time creating a great piece of art only to kill its value down the road with ink containing acid...........
Many years ago I was signing my photos with sharpies also, until I was in an art store and asked one of the workers, that turned out to be an artists herself, what the store carried as I could not find my beloved gold sharpies any longer at wally world or kay mart......and I got a lecture on why I should never sign a work of art with an acid laden pen......so I was introduced to the acid free paint pen by Sanford.....Tha's right the Sharpie company makes an acid free paint marker that really workd great....do read the instructions and do keep the pen inverted with paint tip up.......it will leak if you don't, also do not try to clean the paint tip with a Kleenex like it was a dirty ball point the tip will come out and the seal is ruined and it will work but not like it should or like yiou want it too.
They are kinda pricy ......around $12.00 per pen.....Gold or Silver and you will not find them, or I have not at least, at Hobby Lobby, Michaels or walmart, kamart, office max or depot, sams club........I have onoy found them at Artists supply houses & Blue Print companies,,,,,,,but they carry small amounts of the best of artist supplies also................

As to where to sign the photo itself......I use a rule of thumb so to speak of approx 1 to 1.5 inches from the bottom of the print and the same distance from the right side of the print......that way the print can be matted and framed and my signature is still visible........if I sign the mat I still sign the print.....because the mat can be changed due to decorating tastes of the owner and the signature on the print will still be there......if you only sign the mat and someone changes the mat your signature is gone........all © copyright statements should be on the back.....I now buy lables with the statement on them....again get a label that is acid free......a lot of the address companies will have the acid free labels and yes they are a bit more expensive........but they will stick to 99.9% of all materials used for Photo production, wood, glass, ceramic, metal etc etc..............

Hope this has helped a few of you.