Artwork labels tell a visitor who made a work, what it's called, what it's made of and how big it is. Keep them short and consistent, print them so they're easy to read, and hang them beside each work at a height everyone can reach. Put the prices on a numbered price list that matches the labels, and mark sold work so visitors can see it. This guide covers what to write, how to lay it out, where to hang it, and how to show what's sold.
What goes on an artwork label
Galleries and museums call the short label beside a work a tombstone label. For your own show, give it the same few details, in the same order, for every work:
- Your name, as you sign your work
- The title, and the year
- The medium: oil on canvas, etching, archival pigment print
- The size: height before width, in the units your visitors use
- For prints, the edition: 3/25
- A number that matches the price list
St. Olaf College's gallery asks students to write the medium in lowercase, such as "oil on canvas". Whatever style you choose, use it on every label. For a series you'd rather label once, the same guidelines suggest one label titled for the whole set.
A sentence or two about the work is optional. If you add one, keep it short. The Smithsonian's guidelines for accessible exhibitions keep sentences to 25 words at most, 15 preferably. They cap a whole label at 75 to 100 words.
Make labels easy to read
A label that's hard to read might as well not be there. The Smithsonian's guidelines give numbers you can use:
- Type: a minimum x-height of 4.5 mm (3/16 in), about 24 point in Helvetica, even for labels read up close.
- Contrast: about 70% between the text and the background. Dark text on a light card is the safe choice.
- Paper: eggshell, matte or another non-glare surface. Glare makes text unreadable for many people with low vision.
- Layout: text aligned left with a ragged right edge. Center no more than three lines.
- Line length: no more than 55 characters on average, and 45 to 50 is better.
- Line spacing: at least 20% more than the type size.
Print every label in the same typeface and size, on the same card. Mount them on foam board or thin card so they sit flat on the wall. Then print one test label, put it on the wall and read it from where a visitor would stand.
Where to put the label
Put labels in the same place for every work, so visitors know where to look. Pick one side, usually the right, and keep to it. St. Olaf's gallery installs them next to each work on the wall.
For height, the Smithsonian's guidelines say wall labels between 48 and 67 inches (122 to 170 cm) from the floor are comfortable for people both standing and seated. A label centered at 54 inches (137 cm) is the best height for everyone.
Make sure people can get close. The Smithsonian notes that people with low vision often need to be within 3 inches (75 mm) of a label to read it. Keep labels clear of plinths, furniture and anything else that holds visitors back.
Make a price list
At St. Olaf's gallery, prices don't go on the labels. A price list in the gallery gives visitors an itemized list of the works and their prices. That keeps the labels clean and lets you update prices in one place. A good price list has:
- The show's title, your name and the dates
- One line per work, numbered to match the labels: title, year, medium, size and price
- The currency, and whether the price includes the frame
- "NFS" for work that's not for sale, as St. Olaf's guidelines put it
- How to buy or ask about a work: your email, phone or website
For a grid or salon hang with many small works, St. Olaf suggests a map instead: number the works and draw a diagram of the wall with their titles and prices. Print enough copies for visitors to take one, and keep one at the door.
If prints come framed and unframed, price both. In a small show, putting the price on each label is fine too; what matters is that it's easy to find.
Mark what's sold
Galleries use red dots. As The Art League explains, a red dot beside a work means it has sold. The work can stay on view for the rest of the show while everyone can see it's no longer for sale. The Art League also uses a yellow dot for a 24-hour hold by a buyer who's deciding.
Put the dot on the label and on your copy of the price list, so you never sell the same work twice.
Add a QR code for the details
A label has room for the basics. A QR code beside it can show the rest: a description, the price if you choose, and a way to get in touch.
Canvy prints this kind of label. Make a QR code for an artwork and download its wall label as a PDF, 10 × 15 cm, portrait or landscape. It shows the code with the artwork's name and your choice of its size, price and description. Hang it on the wall, stand it on the table or put it beside your price list. A scan opens the artwork on the visitor's phone, with its title, description, size and, if you choose, its price. The page always shows the current price, but the printed label shows the price as it was when you printed it, so print it again after a change.
For another way to show work beyond the gallery walls, see our post on online art booths.
An artwork labels checklist
- Name, title, year, medium and size, in the same order on every label
- Edition numbers for prints
- A number on each label that matches the price list
- Large, high-contrast type on matte card
- Labels to the right of each work, centered at about 54 inches (137 cm)
- A price list with the currency, NFS where needed, and how to buy
- Red dots ready for sales
- QR codes, if you want visitors to see more
Questions artists ask
Should prices go on the label or on a price list?
Either works. A price list keeps labels clean and is easier to update. Prices on labels save visitors a step in a small show.
Do I need a statement on every label?
No. Not every work needs one. Add a sentence where it helps, and put the longer story in an artist statement at the entrance.
How do I fix labels without damaging the wall?
Ask the venue what it allows first. Removable mounting putty or low-tack double-sided tape holds a card label on most painted walls; labels on foam board may need something stronger. Test one before the opening.
How do I label a group show?
Agree on one template for everyone: same typeface, order and size. Add the artist's name to each line of the price list.
Want visitors to see more than fits on a label? Make QR codes for your show. Canvy is free to start.
