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I'm looking at producing some larger fine art pieces printed on metal (there are a few pro vendors which do this). If I wanted to sign these pieces (on the front, in the corner), does anyone know of a type of pen that could be used which won't damage the art and will hold up over time?

ahockley
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  • So, btw, is there a reason that this question applies only to metal prints? Wouldn't acidic pens that would damage a metal print over time also damage a normal photograph? – rfusca Jul 06 '11 at 01:58
  • I find even fine point sharpie too broad and does not distribute evenly therefore looking for an alternative – David Koll May 14 '19 at 18:20

3 Answers3

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We debated this on digital grin once, and came to two conclusions:

  1. Pilot Acid Free Paint Pen
  2. Bic Markit

https://dgrin.com/discussion/171308/signing-metal-prints

cabbey
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    +1 The gist of the discussion on dgrin is that it should be acid free and dry quickly, so anything that meets that should be fine. – rfusca Jul 03 '11 at 21:02
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Answer received from a customer service supervisor at Bay Photo, one of the leading vendors which does metal prints:

...we have tested many types of markers and pens on our metal prints. We have found that the Bic Mark-it works the best. It is permanent and does not rub off.

ahockley
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1

A standard 'Sharpie' permanent marker contains acid, but..

Sharpie lists on their website a few ones that are 'acid free' and for 'archival quality', those should be fine.

rfusca
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