Certificates for limited edition prints
Set the edition once, then issue one numbered certificate per print. The edition total stays the same across the whole run.
Sample in Edition Rosette. Your details appear here as you type.
A completed certificate for print 7 of 25
Print 7 of an edition of 25, in Edition Rosette (free) with a photo of the print and in Archive Ledger without one. The edition number, the certificate number and the series each have their own place.
Edition number vs certificate number
Three different things, three different fields. Changing one never changes the others.
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Edition number
7/25
Which impression this is, and how many exist: the seventh print of 25. It prints as “Edition 7 of 25” and matches the pencil number on the print.
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Certificate number
COA-2026-0418
Identifies this document in your records. Every certificate gets a new one, including a proof's, and none is ever reused.
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Title and series
Harbor Light
Which run the print belongs to: Harbor Light, No. 3 in the Harbor Light series. The same on every certificate of the edition.
One certificate per print
Keep the edition total the same on every certificate in the run, give each print its number once, and never reuse a number. If one certificate is wrong, reissue that one; do not change the total.
Each certificate names one impression, so the certificate and the print can always be matched. Twenty-five prints means twenty-five certificates, each with its own certificate number, and the proofs get their own on top.
With a free account the editor knows which numbers you already issued in a series. Pick one again and it warns you before you download (the warning never blocks you, in case you are reissuing):
Duplicate numberNumber 7 of this series already has a certificate. Check the number before issuing another.
Numbered edition 25 prints, each marked n/25
Proofs outside the edition, 3 artist proofs
Artist proofs and other proofs
Proofs sit outside the numbered edition. Choose “Artist proof” as the edition type and the certificate prints “Artist's proof 2 of 3” instead of a number in the main run.
- AP
- Artist proof. Kept by the artist, usually up to about 10% of the edition. Number them on their own: AP 1/3, AP 2/3, AP 3/3.
- PP
- Printer's proof. Given to the printer or print studio that made the edition.
- HC
- Hors commerce. “Not for trade”: proofs made for exhibition or reference.
Say how many proofs exist alongside the edition, as the example's statement does: “I confirm that this is artist proof 2 of 3, printed alongside the limited edition of 25, and that the details recorded here are accurate.” If your statement names numbers like this, change them on every certificate in the run; the edition line already carries the number. Read what an artist proof is.
Paper, printing method and print size
The medium field carries the printing method and the paper; dimensions carry the size. Give the image size and the sheet size when they differ, and name the printer or print studio when it is not you.
| Method | Medium, as written | Worth adding |
|---|---|---|
| Giclée or archival pigment | Archival pigment print on 308 gsm cotton rag paper | Name the paper and its weight; collectors look for cotton rag or baryta. |
| Screenprint | Four-color screenprint on 270 gsm uncoated paper | The number of colors (one screen each) and the paper. |
| Linocut or woodcut | Three-color reduction linocut on Japanese kozo paper | Say if the block was reduced or destroyed: no more impressions can exist. |
| Etching or engraving | Etching with aquatint on 300 gsm cotton paper | The plate and whether it was canceled after the edition. |
Make the next certificate in the edition
Signed in, open the certificate for print 7 and choose Next edition number. The editor makes a copy with the number moved on to 8, a new certificate number and today's date. The title, series, medium, size, photo and the total of 25 stay as they were, so print 8's certificate takes seconds.
Try it with the example: pick the next print, and see what the editor says if you pick a number that already has a certificate.
Before you sign the sheets, read how to sign and number the prints. For a run of photographs in several sizes, see photography editions.
has a certificate the one you are making
- Edition line
- Edition 8 of 25
- Title and series
- Harbor Light, No. 3 · Harbor Light (unchanged)
- Statement
- Wording without numbers, so it fits every print (the edition line carries the number)
- Certificate no.
- A new number for this print (never reused)
In the editor:
Start print 8’s certificateThe demo uses the example print, with invented names: replace them with your own. In your account, “Next edition number” does this from your own last certificate.
Frequently asked questions
Does each print in an edition need its own certificate?
Yes, if you issue certificates. Each certificate names one impression, such as 7/25, so the certificate and the print can be matched. Give each one its own certificate number too. See how to sign and number the prints for marking the sheet itself.
What is the difference between the edition number and the certificate number?
The edition number (7/25) says which print of the edition this is and how many there are. The certificate number (for example COA-2026-0418) identifies the document itself in your records. Keep both, and never reuse either.
Should artist proofs get a certificate?
They can. Mark them as artist proofs (for example AP 2/3) rather than giving them a number in the main edition, and say on the certificate how many proofs exist alongside the edition. More on what an artist proof is.
How do I create a certificate of authenticity for prints?
Choose a design, select limited edition, enter the edition total and this print's number, add the title, printing method, paper and size, then download and sign. Duplicate it for the next print and change only the number. The edition statement examples give you wording to start from.
Can I change the edition size later?
You shouldn't. Collectors rely on the edition total being fixed. If you made a mistake on one certificate, reissue a corrected version rather than changing the total across the run.
Related guides and designs
Making something other than a print? Start from the certificate of authenticity template.